CHAPTER IV

♧THE RICH SON♧

Klyde McMarrow is the only son of Rios McMarrow which is a successful seaman who's a hollow man. His shadow cannot be seen anywhere at their home because he's always voyaging at the sea and Cassidy McMarrow, a businesswoman who travels among country by country, in short they are always not at home.

At the age of 9 years old, Klyde learned how to live without his parents. He learned how to be independent and strong without any crutches that his parents could give but how can they help him stand if they are not even at home?

Inside their house that can almost seemed to be a palace, him and his personal maid is the only people in it. Every sunday, the on call maids are tasked for a general cleaning among the mansion and that is the only day of the week that seems to be a happy day for him because he have a lot of people to talk to.

But as far as the day pass by, he got used to the silence of his surroundings. Being in school and in their mansion. Actually he can be lingering outside his nest but instead he chose to be inside and be with books and all the stuffs he have.

His parents barely came home and do some phone calls because of their busyness with their own jobs and if they did call it's just for a moment. Just checking how he is and the house is. They don't talk about lives and how school was, how he really feels and what he wanted to have.

He reached the age of being a teenager, he discovered that the woods are the best way to loosen up, to unwind and to take the stress and loneliness away from his mind.

Woods, branches and stems of the trees. Leaves are green, brown, yellow and roots connected at the ground. The sound of the chirping birds, singing and the rustling of the leaves whenever wind makes them dance. Clean green grass and stones scattered on the ground.

Sometimes he would bring a book with him and climb a tree. He would spend his time reading with the hushed nature and relax his nerves. Sometimes he would walk around and familiarize the maze of the woods and after years of doing that routine he got used to everything.

The forrest became his family and friends. He believes that this is where he belongs as his own peers doesn't seem to bother his presence, doesn't seem to notice him, doesn't seem to wander how he feels.

Until one day came and shock fills his body. "Mom? Dad?" Klyde uttered once he saw the two familiar figure of people he barely sees.

The woman with a blonde hair turns her head together with the man wearing a three piece suit, looking formal and blue blooded. "Oh, my son grew up so great!" The woman greeted him and walk towards him.

"Wh-- what are you doing here?" Klyde asked them as his Mother pulled him into a formal hug. Not a tight one but a graceful way of hugging someone. It feels like he's a stranger, a member of a board or someone they knew because of their job.

"Isn't that how you greet us? Be adequate and descent." His Father scolded him to how he asked them.

Cassidy pulled out from their hug and face her husband. "Oh Rios, don't go too hard on him, our son missed us." His Mother reprove his Father. "Don't you, baby?" Cassidy asked while giving him a sweet look.

"O--of course." He shortly replied to them.

He can't understand why he feels nothing. He should be happy and swoon around to see his parents visiting him but instead, he feel numb and it seems to him that this is just a normal day for him but there's this someone visiting him.

"See? Maybe we should plan out a vacation or get together or something, right Rios?" Cassidy asked her husband who's busy drawing dots at his phone.

Cassidy noticed how his husband his too busy at his phone so he called him again but with a press, emphasized and serious.

"Rios." He snapped and look at her flatly.

"What?" He asked while his focus is still on his phone.

"You scolded our son about how he speaks while you can't correct yourself from being too rude and unfocused to what we really have to do why we came home." She reproved once again. "Take that phone inside your pocket and give some attention to our son, please." She pleaded before soughing.

Rios put his phone at his inside pocket and gave his Mother a constipated smile. "Happy?" He sarcastically asked her.

Cassidy rolled his eyes on him and faced Klyde who stayed silent and just looking at them like they are strangers trespassing at the house. "Are you hungry? I ask our maid to cook your favourite food. It's fried chicken and spaghetti meatballs with your favourite drink, orange juice." She gushed wearing her wide smile but the formality is still visible to how she moves in every way she makes.

"I'm not a kid anymore." Klyde rudely replied. "I eat steaks with dried mangoes not chicken. I eat roasted beef with curry sauce not spaghetti meatballs. I drink beer or gin not orange juice. I'm 13 years old, a teenager not a 6 year old little boy. I'm independent and I can cook whatever I want with my own and you don't need to ask the maid to do what I can possibly can do." He sputtered. "Things have changed without you knowing it."

His Mother smile faded to his speech and swallowed the lump on her throat. "Oh." She mumbled in disappointment and in sadness. "Well, maybe we should--"

"Maybe you shouldn't come back here and work with your deals than hanging around with me here, besides, I'm more comfortable and calm if there's no strangers entering my house without my consent." He savagely interrupted his Mother's sentence and that made his Father mad.

Rios grab the collar of his shirt. "Watch your word, little guy. We maybe marginally visit you here in this house but we're working our selves to ground outside this nest for you! Don't you ever speak of us that way. Our money bought this house not you! You're just living here because we're you're parents and you're just our son!" He ballistically bellowed that echoes the whole place.

Cassidy weakly pull his husband's arm away from him. She looks frail and is about to cry while Rios' chest is heaving in anger and in riley but on Klyde's place he stayed calm, stoic and impassive.

"I'm actually surprised how you know that you have a son. I thought you don't." He sneered and grip away the collar of his shirt from his Father's grip. "And in addition, I thought I was a lone wolf hanging out with the woods and with this empty big house. I even forgot that I still have my parents, I thought they died." He added before walking towards the stairs and climb it to head to his room.

That night is as not as normal as what he expected to be. Before he thought that he would feel so glad when he meet his parents, after years of being absent and invisible to make him feel so cared and loved but it didn't.

He locked himself inside his room just looking at the air, thinking about nothing and so he find peace with it when a knock breaks the sound of silence he's enjoying listening with.

"Klyde, it's Mommy. Can I come in?" It's Cassidy, his Mother.

He walk towards the door and open it a little to take a peak at her from the inside and when he did, he saw his Mother still wearing her formal uniform like what she's wearing earlier. Looks like they're not staying for too long. What can he expect from them? They are workaholics.

"What?" He asked with his flat tone.

Cassidy lick his lower lips before speaking. "May I come inside?" She asked back at him but with her sweet voice.

"Obviously not." He replied and is about to close the door in front of his Mother's face when she look at him with her pleading eyes.

"Please son, just listen to me for a minute, please?" She pleaded and he just harshly exhaled in defeat as he open the door widely. He took a step aside and motion his neat room to his Mother.

"Hurry and make sure that your words are important. I don't want you to waste my time for nonsense." He rudely told his Mother. He sounds like he's in a negotiation. He doesn't sound like a teenager.

Cassidy roam her eyes around her son's room. Too neat and organized for a boy like him. So unusual for a teenager like him. "What do you want to say, Ma'am?" He formally asked his Mother.

The woman sighed and put her head down with so much forlorn. "I am so sorry for everything, baby. Please, understand us. We're doing this for you but I know that we sacrificed too much of our time to be with you instead." She began.

Klyde took himself at the side of his bed and look at his Mother coldly and uninterested.

"We came here to check on you too. We want to know how's our son doing."

"Really? Why am I having a hard time to believe that?" He snickered and crosses his legs loosely.

"Klyde, we love you--"

"Liar." He mumbled through his breath.

His Mother stifled her cry and look away to wipe her tears. She never wanted her son to feel unloved but they made him feel it. Cassidy regretfully sighed and turned to face her son again.

"What's the real reason why you came here?" He asked and heavily exhaled.

"Lukan Sariego, we adopted him when I had a business trip to Chile. He's a chileno, he's as old as you and I think you two will make a great team together." Her mother answered him without any hesitation while giving him a little smile.

"The truth came out." He muttered and roll his eyes. "Is that all? You know your way out." After he rudely told those words, he plop himself done and lie under covers.

He knew that his Mother waited until he fell asleep but he didn't care about it until he felt something caress his hair like a little boy.

"I'm so sorry, baby." He heard his Mother whispered through his ear and kiss it. "I wish you can forgive us." She added and drop another kiss the side of his eyes before leaving him.

He opened his eyes once he heard the door closes. "I'm sorry too 'cause I can't." He muttered before he closes his eyes to sleep.

He woke up and take a shower before going down stairs. He doesn't have to check if his parents stayed because he already knew that they wouldn't be here for that long while.

He reached the dining room with confusion and curiosity because he heard clanks of utensils and plates from there.

He saw someone sitting at one of the chairs of the dining. His back is facing his, so he can't see much of his face. And so he called his attention.

"Who are you?" asked by Klyde who saw another teenager sitting at the dining table while having a pancake and eggs.

The teenager turned to look at him and give him a small smile. "I'm Lukan, Mrs. McMarrow told me that you'll ask for me. I guess we're brothers now." The teenager shrug his shoulder and invited him to sit with him.

Klyde furrowed his brows and accept his invitation. "Lukan, huh?"

Lukan nod his head and pushes the other plate that is for Klyde to eat. "Yeah." He shortly replied to him before stuffing a pancake with fried scrambled egg inside his mouth.

"I'm Klyde McMarrow and I also guess that I have nothing else to do but accept you here." He chuckled and eat with him.

"How old are you?" Lukan asked after swallowing he chews.

"I'm 15 years old. But I've been alone all along so I feel like I'm 30 years old something." He humored and grab a mug from the tray and pour some hot water in it.

Lukan let out a chuckle to his joke and rub his chin with the back of his hand. "I can feel you, pal." He replied to him and place the fork down beside his plate before he lean back.

"How 'bout you? How old are you, Lukan?" Klyde asked him as he put some coffee powder, a teaspoon of sugar and cream to the mug with hot water.

"A year older than you but more like a senior." He humored back to Klyde and they both laughed.

"Sorry to ask this in advance but may I ask how you end up being in the... orphanage?" He raised his brows up as he wait for Lukan's answer.

"Oh, about that?" He chuckled and drink his water. "Well my parents are a bunch of bullsh*ts." He muttered and laugh to hide his longing for a parents love.

Time have passed, they have been bestfriends and brothers as they both know th feeling of what an orphan feels. Klyde is not an orphan yet he felt like it while Lukan was.

Klyde brought Lukan into the maze of the woods as they spend time talking about how their parents screw they life up.

They would sometimes talk about what's happening on earth and some nonsense sh*ts and end up laughing about it. They've been best buddies and bro's as their hate collided and they find it perfect.

"Hey, you ready for another adventure?" Klyde asked Lukan who's sitting at the living room while reading a book about supernatural.

He raised his head to face his brother. "What? Now?"

"Hell, yeah! I'm being bored. If ever you want to come with me. We might discover a tunnel and do some time travel." Klyde humored while wiggling his fingers in the air.

Lukan laughed at him and close the book keeping his fingertips licked onto the page. He shrugs his shoulder. "Why not?" Th older guy wore his flip flops and they walked out to the woods.

"Mr. McMarrow!! What lunch do what to have!" A maid uniformed woman shouted as they reach the woods.

Both of the McMarrow turn they heads to the woman. "Just some easy to cook meal, Mrs. Smith!" Klyde shouted back and wave his hand to her as they go by the forest.

"How old is Mrs. Smith?" Lukan asked him as they climbed a tree.

"She turned 33 last February. But don't lie, even if she's that old she's still freakin' hot for an old woman." Klyde blurted out and nudge Lukan's shoulder slightly while cracking up.

"Yeah, I mean her booty is so bouncy and her tits are not that saggy." Lukan agreed to him. "I wonder if she's going to a gym." He added and crosses his legs above the fat branch he's sitting at.

"Dude! That is totally rude! You're checking our maid out!" Klyde exclaimed while chuckling.

"What? You did too. She's married, right?" Klyde nods his head as he swing his feet that hang loose in the air.

"Yeah, but her husband is cheating on her because she's too busy here and there. They actually have no time for each other." Klyde explained to him.

He crouches his face and whistled. "What the? Why don't she also cheat so they can be equal? I mean do they have a child?"

He shook his head. "No time for that, I guess?" He answered and pull a thin twig from his side. "She've been my maid since I was a little. My parents doesn't have enough time to spend even just a day here with me because they have some more important things to work on more than being with me." He mumbled.

Lukan looked at him with pity but look away immediately because he knows that Klyde doesn't need any of that.

"So, here comes Mrs. Smith to save my ass from being an orphan and pampered me so great. She spends her time at the mansion almost the whole year that's why I gave here the guest room so she can have a goodnight sleep." He added and pierce the twig into half and half.

"A goodnight sleep for what?" Lukan gave Klyde a malicious look and chuckle.

"What the? Hey! Whatever the f*ck you're thinking, it's full nonsense and full of f*ck." Klude exclaimed and threw the twig he pierced to Lukan's face.

"What? I'm just asking. Besides you're checking her out."

"I'm not, I don't have dibs on old women."

"Psh! Says the one who noticed how freakin' hot she is." Lukan teased him.

"I'm just saying."

"You barmy." Then they heard someone screaming in full rage and anger and some sounds of pounding that echoes the whole forest.

"What the hell was that?" Klyde asked when they heard it.

Lukan just shrugged his shoulder while swatting the itchy shoots before looking at him intently. Klyde motioned his hand for them to climb down the tree.

"Let's check it out." Klyde tap Lukan's shoulder and nod his head to follow where the screaming man is.

"All of yah are sh*ts! Full of sh*ts!!! All yah serves it right!!!" Screamed by someone and it was followed by grunting and sounds of punches.

Klyde saw a man with a brown hair with eyes of fire and fuming in so much wrath and his fists are balled and bleeding. Pity, he looks like he's just as old as the brothers.

"You okay, man?" He asked and the teenager.

"Do I look like I'm f*ckin' okay to yah?" The teenager bawled out loudly that almost made the birds fly away from singing and chirping at their nest lying at the trees.

Lukan was taken aback to how the guy answered their question. "Just asking." He mumbled furrowed his brows.

Klyde chuckled and shook his head. "Easy, man. Maybe we can help. What's the fuss about?"

"You have a name?" Lukan asked.

The guy sniffs and curled his lips up as he spit at the root of the tree he's torturing with his fists. "Why do yah care?" He uncouthly asked the two and place his bleeding knuckles to his hips.

"We don't. We just thought that maybe we can help you with your nut." Klyde answered the teenager.

The teenager calculate them by the way he look at them and sighed. "The name is Nick. What about yah two?"

"I'm Klyde and this is Lukan, my brother." He pointed his thumb at Lukan which is behind him.

"I don't think so. You're too white and he looks like the men working with us." Nick pointed at Lukan as he talk about the men working with him.

"Yeah, Lukan is adopted but we consider ourselves as brothers 'cause we understand each others f*ck." Klyde shrug his shoulder and chuckle.

"What are yah two doing here?" Nick asked the two.

"Just strolling like we used to do. What about you? Prefer sulking alone?" Klyde teased but Nick just glower at him dangerously.

Lukan held Klyde's shoulder as a sign that he must be careful yet Klyde just shook his head.

"You might want to clean your wounds. You don't want that yo get ugly." Klyde nudge Nick's arm and turn around to walk back to the mansion. "Come with us and let's have some good time."

■■■

"I lost my temper. I blew and exploded." Nick explained as he shook his head.

"Why would they do that to you?" Asked Klyde.

Lukan shrug his shoulder and plays the sweat of the glass he's holding. "I'm a total sh*tty assh*le for 'em." He replied.

"Whoa." Klyde muttered. "Why's that?"

He cocked his head to the side and chuckled. "I'm a muck troublemaker who loves to kill e'rybody's joy, Mr. McMarrow." Nick savagely answered them.

"Mr. McMarrow, anything else you want to eat?" The 33 year old maid asked them while just standing behind them.

Everyone of them glance at Mrs. Smith, the woman smiled. "Thanks for cooking us lunch, Mrs. Smith." Klyde thanked the woman and nod at her.

"Why don't you eat with us. Mrs. Smith? This is too much for us actually." Lukan offered a sit for the maid but she refused.

She waves her hand in refusal and chuckles. "No, no, Mr. McMarrow, I'm fine. I had my biscuits earlier." She excused.

Nick let out a groaning sound that made the maid glance at him. "Mrs. Smith... yah know it's bad to withhold such grace. Have a sit, please." He displayed a not so nice smile and pats the sit beside him.

"That's too nice of you, kids. Thank you, but I have a lot more things to do. Maybe I'll join you sometimes." She refused again and bow her head a little.

"That's fine, Mrs. Smith. You may go." Klyde allowed her to go and motioned it with his hand.

The maid exited the dining room and Nick's eyes are glued and followed her until she vanished. "Yah got a one hell of a maid, McMarrow brothers." He mumbled and hissed.

Lukan stifled his laugh and shook his head while Klyde gave Nick a happy nod. "Uh-huh? Have you ever guessed that we will have another guy to know who got dibs with our maid, Lukan?" He tapped Lukan's chest with his knuckles.

Lukan just finished eating and wiped his mouth with the table napkin. "Not until now." He mumbled and look at Nick who's still looking at the corridor where Mrs. Smith goes.

"Yo, my man. I'll do e'rything to taste that piece of meat. I'm freakin' sure she's sweet and salty." Nick unconsciously murmured through his breath before looking back to those who rescued him.

Klyde split one's side as he heard what had Nick muttered. "You don't know what's stopping us to taste her."

"What? Yah like her?" Klyde just smiled at him. "Well what the hell, man? Yah have a beautiful maiden hangin' around here inside this big dog house you have for how long now?"

"A decade?"

"A decade?" Nick gasped hilariously. "D*mn! How yah stoppin' yourself from bitin' her butt? If I were yah, I would've bed 'er." Nick just can't stop blubbering.

Lukan can't do anything but listen to him and laugh. "She's married and she's faithful to her cheating husband, Nick." Lukan replied to him.

"Psh! Married and faithful? Why can't we give her some heaven? I mean that's... for a payback to how she takes care of you." Nick wiggled his brows and the brothers just shook their head. "What? I mean that would be great, huh?"

"We don't like to bang an older woman, Nick." Klyde chuckled. "How's your hands? Still hurts?"

Nick lifted his hand in front of his face and look at it before shaking his head side to side. "Nah... it feels good now." He even balled it.

"Don't do that, you don't want your wound to bleed again." Lukan reminded him.

"Noted, Doc." He replied before standing up from his seat. "So y'all guys had fun with me 'ight? I think it's time for me to fly back to my shack and beat some more."

"You know your way?"

"Don't worry 'bout me, I'm cool anyway." He bade his goodbye and thank them from saving from sulking alone and talk about his problems.

"That man, Nick, is something." Lukan uttered when Nick got out from the mansion and that left them two.

Klyde frowned and face his big brother. "What do you mean by something?" He asked and Lukan sighed.

"There's something odd on how he speaks. We must be careful when he's around."

"Oh, come on! Stop being a paranoid dick, bro. We're here to make friends and get it merrier and merrier! Let's accept with wide open arms, 'ight?." Klyde mimicked Nick. Spreading his arm wide and that made Lukan shook his head.

"Your choice." He chuckled and placed the plate he collected at the sink.

"Ey, let Mrs. Smith do that, it's her job." Klyde flick his finger in the air as he watch his brother do wash the dishes.

"She's doing almost all of the work done here, why don't we help her. I start with washing this and you clean the table." Lukan pointed his finger to the long table they used earlier.

"What the? For real?" Lukan just laughed at him as he wash the dishes. "What the? I'm starting to regret that I agreed to be your brother."

"Why? You got a choice?"

"Only if I had." Klyde did clean the table and after that, both of them got ready to sleep.

The night had crept the whole sky. Everything is silent except for the crickets singing everynight. And also Klyde who's looking up in the sky as his mind flies.

Would I be contented to be like this for any longer? He thought.

Years have passed friendship he build grows plus one. Him, his brother Lukan, Nick and his tag along friend Mahiriko join the team. They shared they own stories of how parent made them feel how bad they are.

Partly on Klyde's side. He got blind by fun and anger that's why he never expected to see what the future might brought to him.

A bloody fortune.

■■■

"And then Nick almost shove his own face on the mud because he tried to sneak and take a peak on Ciella's ass while she's taking her bath." Mahiriko just can't stop blubbering about the funniest thing he ever known in his chaotic life.

"How?" Lukan asked while smiling.

"He's hiding behind a horse, that horse named Stab and then Stab just kicked Nick on his chest when he accidentally touched Stab's ass." And that was when Mahiriko dies in too much laugh.

"Yeah, Riko, thanks for sharing my stupidest story." Mick sarcastically muttered to Riko.

"How's getting kicked on your chest, Nick?" Klyde teased him and Nick just punched him playfully at his arm.

"Whoa, hey look at that boy. I haven't seen him here. Have you?" Mahiriko nod his head to something behind Klyde when he recovered from laughing.

Klyde and the others followed what Mahiriko has been talking about and that's where he found a guy sitting at the grass while relaxing himself there.

"Looks like he's just a kid." Lukan muttered that made Klyde glance at him.

"Another recruitment, master K?" Nick joked and Mahiriko laughed to it.

Lukan is giving Klyde a warning and serious look but he didn't care and decided to approach the boy.

"Hey, punk! What are yah doin' 'ere?" Yah shouldn't be 'ere." Nick proudly tried to scare the little boy.

The boy look up to them as they made their way close to him. "Sorry, I just... wandering around."

"Wandering around in the woods is not safe for a little boy like you." Mahiriko uttered to the boy.

"I'm not a little boy anymore. I'm fifteen, it's called teenager and I'm one of 'em." Exclaimed by the boy that made Klyde can't help anything but to show his amusement.

He's amused by how he fought for himself and how old he is. 2 years. It's been two years since everything changed in his life. Being a seventeen year old male species while everything goes with his bloody fortune... this is the only time he heard someone finally speaks for himself.

"I'm Baxter."

So does he wants to know him more. He wants him to welcome and join his bloody life.

Lukan gave him a look but he just shrugged his shoulders. "We have a better use for him, my brother." He whispered to Lukan.

Yes, they have someone to use from something... something gory.