43. Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Two

Asher

L iam and I are hanging out at home playing video games when my phone rings. Glancing at the screen, I couldn’t be more uninterested to answer when I see my father’s name flash across it.

Groaning, I pick it up, and Liam pauses the game.

“Hello, father.”

“I need you at my house in one hour. We have some things to discuss.”

Cool. Just how I wanted to spend my afternoon.

“Yes, sir.”

He doesn’t wait for me to say anything more, instead, hanging up abruptly as I toss my phone on the couch.

“What’s wrong?” Liam asks.

“He wants to meet me. Says we have some things to discuss.”

Liam screws up his face. “That can’t be good.”

“Fuck, no, it can’t,” I laugh.

His hand comes to my thigh, squeezing encouragingly.

“It’ll be alright. Want me to come with?”

I shake my head and drop a quick kiss to his cheek.

“It’s good. I’m just gonna head over now. The sooner I get there, the sooner I can fucking leave.”

Liam gives me a sad smile and nods.

“Good luck.”

Pushing to my feet, I bend down to him, gripping his jaw as I pull his lips in for a kiss. He practically melts against me, a sweet little content sigh escaping him that goes right to my cock. Fuck. It’s amazing how easy things progressed between Liam and I. One minute, we were best friends since birth. The next, he was making my heart flip with that smile of his and making my cock throb with just the smell of him. I never thought I could love anyone the way I love Skyla, but Liam…he’s pretty fucking close.

When I pull away, just an inch or so, I rest my forehead against his.

“I love you,” he murmurs.

I pull away to fully look into those soft green eyes, my thumb softly dragging against his jawline.

“I love you too, baby.”

The smile he gives me fucking melts me and I know that if I don’t leave now, we’re gonna end up tangled up together on this couch naked, me deep inside him, pumping him full of my cum. Fuck, maybe I’ll just plan on it for when I get home.

It’s like he can read my filthy thoughts, because he gives me a wicked wink and an air kiss before I shake my head and walk away, smiling the entire goddamn time.

I make it to my dad’s place in no time and when I pull up to the front of the house, I frown to see Wesley’s car here. What the fuck is he doing here?

Climbing the front steps, I pause outside the door when I hear shouting.

“I don’t give a fuck what your excuses are! This is not an adequate report! You get me something on that girl, and you get it to me now, or I’ll slit your goddamn throat!” my father booms.

“I’m working on it. She doesn’t trust me enough yet,” Wesley says tightly.

“I don’t give a flying fuck. You’ve been her driver for months now. You should be listening, hacking, you know, what you do best, remember?” my father sneers.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, because that shit about Liam and Asher sharing her is something a monkey could have fucking figured out. She’s hiding more than she lets on, figure it out before I no longer have a use for you.”

A few more murmured words are exchanged before the front door opens and Wesley is there. His eyes widen when he sees me, but he quickly schools his expression.

“Hey, Ash. What are you doing here?”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I throw back.

“Your dad wanted to meet up. Go over some things,” he says as he shrugs and begins walking to his car.

I’m fucking floored and in total disbelief as I shake my head after him.

“About my wife?” I call out.

Wesley’s feet stop for a moment before they continue. I’m half convinced to run over and slit his fucking heels, make that motherfucker stop walking and start explaining. Unfortunately, before I can, the door opens again and my father is there, practically yanking me inside the house as the door slams shut behind me and Wesley’s car drives away.

“I told you an hour,” my father says stiffly as he looks down at me.

“I was running early, my apologies.”

He makes an unimpressed noise in the back of his throat as he moves to his office. I follow after him as he takes a seat behind his desk.

“You know how I feel about eavesdropping.”

“It was by mistake.”

“Yes, I’m sure it was. I imagine you have some questions?” he asks.

I nod. “Why are you having Wesley dig up information on Skyla?”

“Because you have become too attached to her, as has your bond brother. My own brother seems far too close with the girl as well, and she doesn’t hang out with anyone but that vulgar Bartlett.”

I keep my expression neutral, not reacting to any of his words as he cocks his head to the side.

“I allowed Ronan to bring in Wesley to assist with the protection of Skyla, but Wesley has always known the score. I run the Brethren, I run Salem. Anything that occurs within this city limits, within my society, I have a right to know.”

That son of a fucking bitch.

“So, he’s been spying on us.”

“For lack of a better term.”

“And you knew about her and Liam,” I say.

He nods. “I’ve had my suspicions about Ronan for some time as well, and Griggs…he watches her far too closely.”

“You think I’m sharing my wife with all those men?” I scoff. “Liam is one thing, but my uncle? Griggs?” I shake my head like the idea is preposterous, hoping I’m a good enough actor.

My father watches me closely, shrugging his shoulders.

“You tell me, son.”

He’s baiting me. He already knows the truth, or at least he thinks he does. I don’t give in, though. I shake my head.

“No, I would never.”

“I’d hope that I raised you better than that. A bond between a brother and his property is one thing but to lend her out to every man in the Elders…well, then I’d say you’d truly need to lend her to all,” he says with a wicked grin that turns my stomach.

It would be a freezing day in hell before I ever let my father get his hands on Skyla, or any of the others for that matter. I nod to appease him before attempting to change topics.

“What did you want to discuss?”

He watches me with narrowed eyes before easing back into his chair.

“Now that you’re an Elder, you need to start carrying your own weight. I want you to begin your role effective immediately.”

“Which is?”

“Doling out punishments.”

I lift a brow to him. “I’m not an eliminator.”

“No. You’ll be punishing our people. Only in extreme cases do we send an eliminator after one of our own. The rest falls on me, now you.”

“Okay,” I agree. “Do you have a list of people who need…punishments?” I grit out.

His smile spreads as he nods.

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

My foot doesn’t leave the accelerator the entire drive home. My hands are white knuckling the steering wheel, so much anger and warring thoughts in my mind. I don’t even want to think about the punishments my father has tasked me with. I have to compartmentalize what I can, and right now, there is a single person who deserves all of my anger. Everyone else’s too.

I texted Ronan that he needed to meet me at my house, and I checked to make sure that Liam was home. He said he was, and so was Wesley and Vincent.

Perfect.

When I pull up to my driveway, I barely get the gate open before I’m flooring it to the front door. Slamming on the brakes, I stop just before the stairs take out my bumper. Throwing myself out of the car, my feet pound against the ground as I climb the stairs, throwing open the front door and leaving it that way.

As I turn the corner to the living room, four pair of eyes swing to me, one looking a fuck ton more guilty than the others. I don’t hesitate. My fist drives into the side of Wesley’s face, a crack echoing through the room as everyone moves as one. Ronan forces us apart, Liam rushes to help Wesley, up and Vincent stands like he’s ready to attack.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Ronan snarls.

“Ask the fucking traitor!” I gnash as I point to Wesley.

Ronan’s brows knit together as Wesley sits up on the floor where I knocked his ass down. He better stay there, or I’ll hit him again and again until he can’t fucking get up.

“What are you talking about?” Ronan asks.

“Wesley! He’s been feeding my father information on Skyla since day one. That’s how my father knew about Liam and I sharing her. He also suspects you and Vincent. I’m sure that’s no coincidence. My father told me he allowed him to come to Salem only to be his little fucking narc!”

Outrage and hurt slashes through Ronan and Liam’s features, while Vincent just looks murderous. Before anyone can move, though, a sound catches us off guard.

“What?” Skyla says softly, betrayal overwhelming her features.

I shrug Ronan’s hands off me as I turn to face my wife.

“It’s true. I heard them myself and my father confirmed it.” I turn to face Wesley, sneering down at him. “You’re disgusting,” I say as I spit at his feet.

Liam distances himself, abandoning his effort to help him to his feet and Ronan stays cemented in place, staring down at him in disbelief.

“So, Christopher knew. He knew about us, about the stalker…because of you?” Skyla asks, hurt choking her words.

“There is more to it, little one. Please,” Wesley says.

“Answer the question,” Ronan says stiffly.

“Yes,” he sighs as Skyla takes a sharp inhale and nods, her watery eyes looking anywhere but him.

“I agreed to report back what I found before I even met you,” Wesley goes on. “I thought I was going to be eavesdropping on Asher’s spoiled wife. I had no idea you’d be…you. From the moment I met you, I knew I couldn’t betray you like that.”

“Then why did you?” Liam adds, hurt lacing his tone.

“I started feeding Christopher false info. Boring shit like her and Asher were fighting when they weren’t. She was throwing temper tantrums with his credit card. Things that I knew Christopher wouldn’t care about and ultimately keep her safe.”

“Then what about me?” Liam asks.

Wesley winces. “He got suspicious. He saw you staring at her the night of their ceremony apparently.”

Liam scrunches his nose. “Everyone in that room was staring at her.”

“Not the way you were, I guess,” Wesley says, causing Liam to stand more rigidly.

“You stand there and watch the love of your life basically being assaulted by your best friend and tell me you won’t flinch or react in any way!” Liam defends.

“I know,” Wesley says with his hands raised as his eyes move to each person in the room before landing on Skyla. “I should have told you from the start, but please believe me. I’ve only looked out for you. Christopher told me to install new security cameras in the house—"

“So, you did,” Skyla says numbly.

“So, I did, until I cut his feed the next day, telling him I think the stalker did it,” he finishes. “Everything I’ve done, has been for you, little one. It may have not started that way, but one look at you, and I knew I had to do everything in my power to protect you.”

“So, you knew Christopher knew about the stalker early on then? Yesterday, you were lying to me?” Ronan asks.

“Wait, what?” I say. “What do you mean?”

Ronan’s gaze flits to me and Skyla before sighing. “Yesterday, when we returned the journal, in that same hidden compartment, I found…pictures. One of them being Corwin watching Skyla sleep while she lived on campus.”

“I didn’t know that it was Corwin, let alone that Christopher knew. When I told him about the situation, he acted surprised.”

“Yeah, he’s good at fooling everyone,” Asher says bitterly.

“What were the other pictures of?” Skyla asks.

Ronan grimaces and Wesley hangs his head as Ronan speaks.

“It was Christopher and your father…with your mother.”

Her nose wrinkles at that.

“She was tied up, clearly crying, and…there was an identical one of Stephanie. By the looks of it, I’d guess it was taken the last time she was here.”

“What?” Skyla asks softly. “You learned this yesterday and you didn’t tell me?”

“I was going to,” Ronan says. “Then Asher told us you went to the Proctor witch’s shop, and I didn’t feel like it was the right time or place.”

“But now it is?” she laughs. “So, my father and Asher’s raped my mother, probably repeatedly. And Steph?” she asks, her sarcastic smile melting into sorrow.

She shakes her head. “I have to call her.”

Walking away, Skyla begins heading towards the stairs when Wesley calls out.

“I’m sorry, Sky. I never wanted to hurt you. I’ve done everything to protect you. Please believe me.”

“Well, she doesn’t,” Vincent snarls, hauling Wesley to his feet by the back of his shirt.

Skyla pauses in her steps, looking over the room as she shakes her head.

“I do believe you, that doesn’t change the fact that you lied to me for months. You could have been honest. Instead, you were a coward, hoping you wouldn’t get caught.”

She closes her eyes, letting out a deep breath before looking at Wesley once more.

“I believe you, but I don’t forgive you. Not right now.”

With that, she turns and heads up the stairs, phone pressed to her ear before the sound of a bedroom door slams shut. Liam takes a step like he’s gonna follow after her and I shake my head once. He gives me a sad nod as all eyes fall on Wesley once more.

“Well, well, well. What are we going to do with you now?” Vincent asks, an excited lilt to his tone.

“Nothing,” Ronan snaps.

I glare at him, screwing up my face as I do.

“He’s a fucking traitor. We should gut him out back like a pig,” I say.

Ronan shakes his head. “He didn’t betray us. He wasn’t truthful, but he never compromised Skyla’s safety. He made a mistake, but haven’t we all?” he asks, his eyes heavy on me until I look away. Then they move to Vincent, who also can’t stand the reminder. Finally, he comes to Liam, who shrugs his shoulders.

“I haven’t made any mistakes with Skyla. I’m the perfect boyfriend.”

I roll my eyes at that, and Vincent shakes his head as Ronan sighs.

“Wesley is not the enemy, Christopher is. The sooner we can agree on that, the sooner we can fucking destroy him.”