Lucian bent his head slightly with his eyes still fixed on his cousin. A look that revealed he felt insulted and not actually scared.
"You? Pointing a gun at me?" he asked.
"You have always been tough. The one who believed he was immortal. You are not, Lucian. You bleed." Tom said, ending with an evil smile.
"You must be super dumb. Let's say you shoot me and I die. How do you get the money? Do you think you are my next of kin? Despite how much I love you, would I be foolish enough to trust you to that extent?" Lucian replied.
"Fair enough. I never trusted you either seeing how you always strived to take my place in my father's life. Yeah, you may think you succeeded but this is me telling you, you haven't." Tom responded, squeezing the trigger.
—"You are going to contact whoever you need to and have everything willed to me right now with your phone which I presume is in your pocket or—"Tom added.
—"Or what?" Lucian cut in.
"I don't know. Your mom does maybe. Yeah, I got out with a couple of dumbass friends." Tom said in a spiteful tone.
Lucian became infuriated and marched forward close enough that the gun mouth rested on his forehead.
"Tell your dogs to stay away from her," Lucian warned.
"You don't call the shots here, Brother. I do. Now make the call." Tom replied.
"You don't scare me," Lucian said.
"Maybe they scare her," Tom replied.
"And maybe you're about to break a leg," Lucian replied.
He hit his knee with his right shoe sole. This caused Tom to drop to the ground with an excruciating groan.
Lucian reached for the gun and pointed it at him.
"It's funny how you think you know me so well. When you've been absent for a long time. I could kill you, but I won't. Pick up your phone." He ordered.
"Fuck you!" Tom yelled.
He sweated from the pain he was trying to concede.
"I don't mind putting a bullet in the same leg." Lucian threatened.
Tom could only look up at him with red eyes.
"Pick up your damn phone and call it off!" Lucian yelled.
"You are a devil," Tom said.
"I think I am," Lucian replied to him.
——
He tried to contact his mom once he got back in his car and on the road. She wasn't picking up, which caused many thoughts to wander through his mind.
He had his left hand on the wheel when he took a sharp turn. It seemed he was getting closer and that he had dropped the phone to have both hands on the wheel.
He got out of his car without a second thought, holding firmly to Tom's gun while observing the environment. He noticed it was unusually quiet. He got to the door and placed his ear on it for a sound but found none.
He forced the door open and pointed the gun once he stepped in.
"Lucian?" His mom sounded surprised to see him.
He was more surprised to see that she was alone in the living room.
"You are alone," he said.
"Yes. Why? And why have you a gun?" she asked.
He turned around and shut the door before locking it.
"Who was here?" he questioned.
"Young man, you do not come into my house and ask questions like you were my dad. I am your mother and I demand to know what you are doing with a gun." She sounded firm.
He walked past her and towards the kitchen.
"Tom is many things but not one to make empty threats," Lucian said, looking into the kitchen.
"Tom? But Tom's in jail." She said.
"He is out." Lucian turned towards her once he was back in the living room.
- "Where are they?" He inquired.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"You flopped and now it's easier for me to tell when you lie so just stop." He told her.
"I think you need to leave," she said.
"You know I won't," he said.
"Why? Last I remember, you told me to stay out of your life. Why won't you stay out of mine?" She asked him.
"You are hiding something." He replied.
"You need to leave, Lucian." She warned.
"Maybe I should but I won't. Not until you tell me what's behind that door or else I find out myself." He said, pointing at a fine wooden shelf
Just a few inches behind the big couch.
"What are you talking about?" You are delusional. That's a f'ckn shelf. " She said while he ignored her and walked towards the shelf.
"Yeah, like I don't recognize a hidden camera when I see one." He responded, patting a blue-colored mini clock on the shelf.
"Get out, Lucian." She warned, moving close to him.
"It seems you are about to flop again." He told her confidently and then hit the light switch next to it.
The shelf slowly moved away and a door was revealed behind it. He smirked and walked in with his gun held up. It seemed his footsteps triggered the blue lights to turn on. She had no choice but to remain behind him in silence and guilt.
His footsteps paused and he slowly turned to her. His eyes revealed profound shock from what he had seen bodies piled up. Evidently, she killed Tom's men and dragged them in carelessly to avoid the bodies from being seen.
He stormed back into the living room upset. Finding it extremely difficult to believe what he understood,
"Lucian….Baby, this runs way deeper than you can ever imagine." She tried to explain.
"Well, it turns out even you own a gun." He said.
"I had to defend myself. I thought they were from the—" She said.
"From what?" He inquired.
"I didn't know they were Tom's men." She said.
"They were his friends, at least I recognized two." He said while turning to her.
While walking closer to her, he added, "Whatever you have gotten yourself into, you need to realize that there is no way out unless you walk away now.".
Her eyes were heavy with tears as she looked at him.
"Lucian…" She called out, placing her right hand on his left cheek.
—"I can't… Get out." She told him. "Not even if I want to," she added.
"I see. Henceforth, you are on your own." He replied and stormed out of the house.