Chapter 4
ASHE's POV
"Hello, brother", I greeted him gruffly.
The man I had not expected to see in years, finally before me. Because of a woman.
If only our fathers were here to see us now.
"Ashton" he greeted with a small nod.
I tried holding back my smile. His tone and mode of greeting meant one thing.
He hated me.
And I did too. My hatred for him was unmatched.
I would have loved to kill him here, but it would hurt my dear Adeline and my son, who I saw, had grown accustomed to him.
"What can I do for you?" I asked him as I walked into my study where he sat waiting for me.
"You didn't change the secret code" Jacob said, and I huffed.
I wasn't surprised when I was told he was inside my fortress waiting for me.
This damned bastard was still with us and was part of us even though he vehemently refused and stayed away from us.
"Why are you here Jacob? What do you want? I was starting to sound like Adeline.
"A lot of things, Ashe, so I'll just cut to the chase. What do you want from Adeline?" Jacob said and I chuckled.
"What do I want?" He chuckled, "She has something that belongs to me and so do you", I said in annoyance.
Jacob paused, looking at me.
"Don't dig up things we have managed to bury. Don't you like he peace?" he finally said into the silence.
"I do. That's why I want my family back." I shrugged.
"Everything we ever had as a family ended the day you pulled thirteen bullets into the head of that man. Do you know what that did to us?" Jacob said.
Look at him, bringing up the old shit he said we should bury.
"I don't know" I shrugged, "the fuck does it matter?" I simply replied as I swiveled in my chair.
I saw him scoff and shook his head.
"You ruined our family" he said.
I pinched my brows and sat straighter in my chair.
"There was no family, you all just didn't see it. And stop bringing up that vile man, his chapter I'm done with, and you should be too, or else things might get nasty again, brother" I warned, my voice lowering to convey just how serious I am.
A pregnant pause
"Do you love Adeline?" Jacob asked, and I raised a brow with a lopsided grin.
I leaned back in my seat and started to swivel in it again. I liked the way he felt insecure.
"She's mine, that's all there is to say" I said.
"Yours?" He asked with a grin. Jacob was up for a fight like Adeline.
If only they knew what I had in store for them to get back what was mine.
"She has my son, and she belongs to me" I replied, I started nipping my bottom lip, starting to get bored with the conversation.
Jacob laughed slowly, and he also rested back on the chair he sat.
This was a fight. I knew that move from before.
The relaxed Jacob before, the stormy, destructive Jacob. He was also testing my resolve.
I learned that love from him, my elder brother Jacob.
"Your son calls me daddy and so does she. You're just being an obnoxious prick" he said, and i saw red immediately.
My heart thundered, and I could hear my blood boiling in my ears.
How dare he?
I pushed the papers in front of me in a rage, I stood up and pulled my gun from my waistband, pointing it at him.
My men rushed in, guns akimbo at the sound.
He started to laugh when he saw the gun I pointed at him.
Probably because he knew I would not use it on him and his infamous move worked on me and ticked a nerve inside of me.
"Sit down Ashton, I didn't bring my gun today", He said he and pointed to my seat.
The way he sat unfazed with his hands folded on his lap and legs crossed, I knew.
Jacob didn't fear me, he was one of the people who didn't, and he never will.
Jacob has always been my brother and I never wanted him to fear me, but I might have to cross boundaries now that we were ensnared and caught up in an entanglement.
We might take up the fight of our fathers the way I saw it.
"He's fine. Leave", he commanded my men.
They ignored him and stood waiting for my command, until I shook my head before they left and closed the door again.
"Bring one next time, if you plan on spewing nonsense. Then we'd be even and drop our weapons before sparing", I warned him.
"I promise, I won't forget again and next time I will blow your head and splatter your brains in front of all these goons you keep" he threatened me.
"I'll be waiting" I retorted.
Jake smiled and uncrossed his leg and started sitting up straight.
"I have a woman waiting for me at home and my kids wait for me too in her cuddles. I'm afraid I have to cut the meeting short and go home to them", he taunted me.
"Don't be so sure of yourself, they will slip out of your fingers while you watch" I threatened him even though it hurt me.
"You've always been good with threats, Ashton. I'll give you that", Jake nodded in agreement with my threat.
"And you know they're never empty, I'm a man of my word", I warned him.
"Enjoy your dinner tonight, with Sebastian. I'll tell him to look pretty for you" He mocked me and my right-hand man.
I chose not to reply to him this time around and rather stood watching him in silence as he stood up casually and walked away without a word.
"I'm going to kill that fucker one day, and he won't be the first family I kill" I said to Sebastian as I stood on the porch watching his car leave the driveway.
His only saving grace was what we shared in our younger days before I took matters into my hands.
And it looked like history was going to repeat itself, and I was going to forget our long forgotten bond that I still held on to.
I was going to throw it away to get what I wanted.
None of it mattered where Adeline and my son stood.
"I hope the blood moon kills him" I muttered to myself and Sebastian heard it before chuckling.