Chapter 4

~ Thomas~

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND ASSAULT. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

As I flipped through the magazine, my gaze landed on a boldly scribbled heading– 30 UNDER 30: THOMAS BROWN TOPS THE LIST 3 YEARS IN A ROW.

I felt a surge of embarrassment as I gazed at the outdated photo of myself plastered on the page. Couldn't they have made a minimal effort to find a recent picture, perhaps from my I*******m?

Shifting my attention back to the yacht party, I let the magazine slide onto the sun-kissed teak, the sound of laughter and clinking glasses a welcome distraction from my initial annoyance.

“Thomas" a sultry voice purred and a female hand grazed my chest, which I quickly removed breaking the brief contact

“Cindy" I replied, my gaze meeting a pair of emerald green eyes that shone like a siren's call.

Lucinda Wynter, infamous for her high-stakes affairs with America's business mogul and A-list celebrities. I had succumbed to her charms once before, and she rode me until my dick became sore and limp. That was also the last time we had sex.

“Nice party. You always know how to stay relevant, don't you?" Her voice came up

“I could say the same for you"

A sultry chuckle escaped her lips as she handed me a note that had her number and CALL ME written on it. With a flirtatious flick of her wrist and a provocative pout, she disappeared into the bustling crowd.

I tore the paper into pieces, my mind traveling back to the events of the previous night.

The woman at Timothy Stanford's 60th birthday party or rather, Emily Stanford. Her fearful eyes like two shimmering pools of terror, and the way she trembled beneath my lips as I kissed her, the desperation in her voice telling me to stop. And then her frantic flight from the scene after the sudden interruption by my bodyguards.

“Married to Andrew Stanford" I scoffed

That bastard! He was the male version of Cindy; the only thing keeping him in the news were the numerous affairs and scandals he was always in. An absolute disgrace, the asshole didn't even have a type. He is definitely having an affair with his secretary, that little piece of downgrade who couldn't even measure up to his wife in beauty.

Good for her anyways, because I was definitely going to fuck her out of her misery. A quickie like we agreed and I will dispose her off, leaving her with the memories of a thrilling experience.

She looked innocent and timid, and the thought of me asserting absolute dominance while I reeled into her sent a jolt of adrenaline through my system.

Suddenly, I was jolted back to reality by the sound of my phone buzzing in my pocket.

“Capo has landed" a gruff voice growled on the other end of the phone before abruptly hanging up.

My mind went into overdrive as I frantically looked around for my guards, but they were at the other end of the yacht, distracted by women and oblivious to my predicament. I had told them to let loose and enjoy themselves, but now I realized that was a grave mistake.

Faster than I could react, darkness descended as a blindfold was rapidly secured over my eyes.

Fuck! Not again.

******

“Long time no see, Traitor. Except I've been seeing your disgusting face all over the news"

Before I could respond, a glob of saliva landed on my cheek, the warm, wet sensation making my skin crawl.

The blindfold was ripped off, and I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. My gaze locked onto the person in front of me, a massive, ugly brute with a thick, scarred face twisted into a vicious snarl.

I sat bound to a chair, my hands tied tightly behind my back.

“This face cost more than you've ever made” I snarled

“Let's see how much it would cost after I am done with you” he smirked, throwing a punch at my face.

The punch landed with a resounding crack, but I barely registered the impact. My laughter, low and menacing, echoed through the air as I gazed at him with disdain.

"Is that really all you've got?" I taunted, my voice dripping with scorn. "A pathetic little jab from the Hulk. All those bulging muscles, and yet they are nothing more than a hollow show," I spat, watching his face turn beet-red with rage.

He launched himself at me again, this time with a force that made the chair creak ominously. I felt the impact, my head snapping back as pain exploded through my jaw.

“You're a dead man once I get out of here” I spat.

I seethed with rage, eager to tear him limb from limb. But for now, I was trapped. Just as he was about to strike again, his fist halted, suspended in mid-air. A smug glance slid across his face before he stepped aside, revealing a figure I knew all too well.

"You never know when to shut up, do you ?” Ryan sneered, his smirk twisting into a contemptuous grin.

“Did you fucking drag me here because of Anita?" I countered with a smirk of my own

Our past hung in the air like a challenge. We'd been friends for 27 years until I'd screwed his fiancée. You'd think he'd thank me for saving him from a cheat. But no, he'd cut me loose, and I wouldn't deny that it took some time to move on.

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Why would I stoop that low because of a woman?" He took a step closer, his voice venomous "You're not just a snake, you're an arrogant piece of shit. You had one of my men taken out."

I raised an eyebrow, a look of mock innocence on my face “I don't recall ever coming across any of your men."

Ryan's smirk returned. "Don't play dumb. I'm talking about Victor, the guy your bodyguards carried out of the bar that night. The one with the tattoo of a knife on his neck"

A flicker of memory danced in the recesses of my mind. The sleazy predator who had been hitting on Emily at the bar. My guard had done the world a favor by disposing him off.

I shrugged. “He was prying on a vulnerable woman. My men were just protecting her."

Ryan's expression turned glacial, his eyes freezing into two glittering shards of ice, "I can let go of you screwing my fiancée,” he said, his voice dripping with malice. "But what I'll never forgive is someone killing my men. That's something only I get to do."

He turned to the massive brute who had been pummeling me earlier "Finish him."

With a nod and a disgusting smile, the brute raised his fist. But before he could strike, a hail of gunfire erupted outside the room, followed by the sound of shattering wood. The door burst open, and a group of heavily armed men stormed in.

Gunshots rang out, and the brute’s massive frame jerked violently before crashing to the floor, lifeless. In the chaos, Ryan melted into the shadows, escaping into the night

The room fell silent and my eyes landed on the last person I wanted to face. A chill ran down my spine as I uttered the word I dreaded the most: Father.