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He barks out a laugh, sharp and bitter. “Oh, how, righteous.”

My mind travels back to the day I said something similar to Alex and for a moment I am shaken by how much has changed.

My smile is thin. “Far from it, but I would still like to know.”

He leans back on his hands, watching me carefully. “Tell me, Rowan, how much longer do you think you have? The Scarlet Ravens will be gearing up for war to claim more territory across the river. I’ve kept them at bay for years, but now, I’m not sure they’ll hold off. Especially when they think The Snake killed one of theirs.”

“So, you killed Daniel and Trist?”

He shrugs, casual and careless. “When I caught wind of what you’d done to Key, I knew it was only a matter of time before you found the rest of them. I had to get rid of the ones who were most likely to talk.”

My jaw tightens. “There are more, aren’t there?”

“Of course there are,” he laughs like I’m an idiot for asking him that.

“Haze is unstable. Why sell it?” I ask. “You could have found another drug.”

He watches me closely before shrugging. “Every drug kills to some extent. This one is just a little more effective in its elimination. Everyone knows the risks.”

I hate how unaffected he is by it. I hate that he doesn’t care. The Snake may not be a paragon for good, but we do not kill carelessly. “You’re sick.”

He shakes his head. “No, I’m strong and you have a problem on your hands. A new Head with shaky loyalty is not a good combination.”

Nothing he’s saying is new to me, but my jaw ticks. I can’t just cut the head off this snake; I need to chop it into pieces and burn it.

“You think so?” I ask my father.

“Moreau—everyone—sees a weakness in you. Your mother saw it too. You failed at the first cop who waved his ass in the air to get your attention. You’re far too young, too inexperienced. It will ruin you.”

I grit my teeth. I’m getting really tired of everyone bringing up Alex. He’s not my weakness. On the contrary, he’s everything that makes me good—everything that will make megreat. I want to tell him that too, but the less my father knows about Alex, the better.

“She was young too,” I say instead.

“You’re less of a man than she was.”

My father has always known where to hit, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of reacting. “So, you would have made a better Head? I may be less of a man than she was, but The Keepers still chose me.”

He snorts, shaking his head. “They won’t always choose you.”

“I don’t think I’ll take advice from a man who couldn’t carry out a proper coup. But thank you anyway.”

His laugh is sharp, echoing off the walls. “You always need soldiers on your side,” he says, leaning forward. “You think they’re loyal to you? To Xander? My men are still within your ranks, Rowan, and they won’t stand with you.”

I stiffen, the weight of his words settling over me. He’s right. If he made it this far, it means his influence had taken root. I can’t bury my head in the sand and ignore that. It would be naïve to not realise a part of The Snake, and perhaps a large one, supports my father and not me. That’s concerning.

“Why did you kill her?” I ask, my voice quiet now. I think I know the answer, but I still want to hear it from him.

His expression stays grounded. “She was getting old. Too set in her ways. The Snake was going to fall apart in her care.” He says it so casually, like he’s talking about disposing of an outdated piece of furniture. My stomach twists.

“You never deserved her,” I tell him.

Her face flashes before my own—her cutting look, her severe expression. I feel a strange wave of grief wash over me, raw and unrelenting. It comes so suddenly it’s almost blinding. I shake my head. I need to get out of here. There is nothing that my father can tell me that will change anything. At the end of the day, I get to walk out of here and he doesn’t.

“Goodbye, Jonathan.” I stand from my chair.

He smirks. “You think this is the end?”

“No,” I admit, turning toward the door. “But it is the end for you.”