“So I’ve heard.”

“You’re pathetic,” I blurted.

“I never asked for him. He is worthless to me! I already had my meal ticket until his whore mother stole it from me.”

“He’s a person. Your son. He’s not the answer to your sick perversion of happiness.”

“You think money is a perversion? Have you ever had millions upon millions, little girl? Anyone would have done what I did if given the chance.”

“Keep telling yourself that. But where has it gotten you? You’re dying, and there’s no amount of money that can change it. Chances are, if you had succeeded, you would have gambled it all away by now, and you’d still be dying.”

“I no longer find the fight you found from dating my son endearing. I’d tread carefully.”

“How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Hire three men to kidnap an innocent child with no money?”

“Who says I don’t have money?”

“The string of bad debts trailing you.”

“You shouldn’t listen to gossip, girl. I have money. What I don’t have is enough of it. I don’t have enough to pay all my loans with interest.”

“And you still want to use your son.” I shook my head with barely constrained disgust. “Where did you find those men?”

“As it turns out, there are people who owe me.” His voice took a harder edge despite his frailty.

“Who are they?” The last thing I expected to hear was that there were more people out there who wanted to hurt Keiran.

“That would be telling but not to worry, pet. They aren’t interested in my son. I merely fed their guilt and collected.”

“These people paid you money to hire those men?”

“Not quite.”

“I’m sick of riddles.”

“Then ask the right questions. Did you really think I’d make it easy for you?”

“It doesn’t matter. I didn’t come here for answers. I came for your life.”

“Oh?” Rather than appearing frightened, his lips twisted with amusement. He and I both knew I wasn’t a killer, but I was desperate. I was tired of waiting and wondering when I’d lose Keiran to the grave or prison. “You think I’d let you kill me, girl?”

“You’re weak. You can’t protect yourself and there is no one here to protect you.”

“Or you,” he countered.

“Your henchmen? Vick and Freddy?” I felt my lips curl with disdain as I delivered the blow. “They’re dead. You have no one,” I reiterated slowly.

“And the third? I believe my son hospitalized him, but he isn’t dead. Where is he?” I faltered because what else could I do? Greg was the missing link to John’s death that hadn’t been obvious until now. “Do you know why I am able to die so easily, girl? Because I’ll die knowing my son will eventually lose. He’s got more enemies than men twice his age.”

The truth behind his words caused the well holding my emotions to overflow.  “It’s all your fault,” I gritted. I tasted my tears. They ran freely over my lips and down my chin, escaping into my mouth.

“Maybe.” He shrugged his thin shoulders. “But his temper doesn’t exactly help, does it?”

No, it does not.

“You know what fuels my son’s rage, dear girl?” I didn’t answer, but I didn’t need to because he smiled a deathly smile. “Guilt.”

“He’s got a lot to be guilty for. That’s hardly news.”

“But only one in particular that keeps him awake at night.”

I hated him. I hated the smug look on his face. I hated that he wasn’t already dead. I forced air into my lungs and promised myself I would rectify that soon. But first, I needed to let Mitch inject whatever poison he could into me. The hatred only made this easier.

“You know something.”

“I know that my son isn’t as fucked up as he thinks he is, but I must say, thinking you killed your own mother would do that to you.”

I felt my body shudder violently and didn’t hear anything he might have said after that. Something like a waterfall, or maybe the blood rushing from my veins to my brain had drowned everything out.

“Wait—”

“I haven’t said anything more, my dear.”

“But you did say Keiran thinks he killed his mother. What does that mean?”

“He was only eight and they had already bred him into a killer. Like any slave, Gabriel was willing to do anything to gain his freedom—until that bitch opened her mouth.”