Page 32 of Duchess (Royal Harlots MC: National New York Chapter #1)

Caleb

A s I dangled from the scaffold jutting out over the side of a thirty-story high-rise, the first thing I tasted was blood.

Metallic and thick on my tongue. The ocean below roared as it crashed against rocks.

And the wind howled around me as if the Pacific itself wanted to drag me under.

My arms burned from the pressure of the chains biting into my wrists, and the frigid steel cut through the thin fabric of my shirt, burning through my skin.

Every inch of my body screamed, but the only thing I could think was, So this is what karma feels like.

Dragged from my bed in the middle of the goddamn night, I'd barely had time to fight. One second, I was dreaming; the next, I was choking on smoke, with fists coming at me from all angles. They’d swarmed me, placed a hood over my head, and beat the fuck out of me.

My arms were twisted behind my back, and then I felt the needle, inserted sharply and fast into the side of my neck.

I thrashed, cursed, fought with every shred of strength I had left, but the world blurred into nothing before I could land any solid hit.

Now, I was awake. Strung up like meat, exposed to the sky and the city below.

But this wasn’t some dusty abandoned warehouse or blood-soaked basement on the outskirts of town.

No, this was personal. High above the skyline, with the ocean stretching forever beneath me. It was a spectacle. A fucking warning.

I tried to twist, to get a look at whoever the hell had done this. But the chains clinked and groaned, and every shift sent my balance teetering. One wrong move, one broken weld, and I'd be a memory painted across the pavement below.

Fear slithered through my gut like ice water, but I shoved it down. Anger was the better fuel. And I was burning from the inside out.

“Come out, you coward motherfucker!” I shouted; my voice ripped away by the wind.

No one answered.

And then, as if I were nothing more than a rag doll, the line holding me swung hard.

My body jerked, slamming into a steel beam.

My ribs lit up with pain as my boots scraped against metal.

I managed to plant them on the edge of the beam, catching just enough stability to stop myself from swinging again.

The silence stretched.

I raised my head slowly, still groggy from the drugs. My vision still blurred, but even in dusk's light I could make him out.

My grandfather stood before me. His large black overcoat was blowing in the sharp wind. I trembled, but not because I was cold, but because of his deathly still stare.

When Stephanie had nearly banged my door down, I thought she was just eager to be with me, but I never expected what came next.

The truth of my grandfather's dealings and what he was hiding from me was finally revealed.

She'd shown me months of recent transactions, and even documents with my signature being forged on them.

My grandfather was planning on ruining me.

Confronting my grandfather had been useless. Finding empathy in him was pointless. He had a heart of stone, and acid ran through his veins, not blood. He had no tolerance for minute details like feelings and love for family. Nor did he have any tolerance for blame.

No.

My grandfather only considered money as a source of accomplishment. And when someone touched his money, he had no patience. He was quick to pull the trigger, and his family wasn't an exception. He was even more cruel to them. He showed no mercy, no compassion for anyone. Not even himself.

He tilted his head as he looked around. "This is a good piece of real estate. I didn't think you had it in you, but it was a good investment after all. It will make me a lot of money."

I struggled against the restraints I was in. I finally realized where I was. I had recently purchased the old building, wanting to convert it into a hotel. Construction had begun just recently.

"Poetic, isn't it? How things you think are worthless sometimes work to your advantage."

I knew he wasn't talking about the property.

He was talking about me. He'd used me all these years to get his revenge.

Had me kill, steal, and shed blood for the family when in truth it was to protect his drug haul.

The one thing I made sure I kept my name out of.

I made enough money with real estate and my business to go into degrading myself as a drug dealer.

I knew he was planning something. Leon had seen a few movements he was questioning, but I didn’t want to believe it.

Fuck I still didn’t want to believe it after Stephanie showed me the proof.

But there was no denying it. I was simply a pawn in his game to deter the Feds.

He was going to pin the entire operation on me with not one ounce of remorse.

"Why?" I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from him.

“You’re just like your father. A waste of space. I thought maybe your brother would turn out better, but his actions brought him to where he is now. You’re all just a big disappointment.”

“What did you do to him?”

He smiled cruelly, and my eyes grew wide with the knowledge that my brother didn’t just leave. Why would he? You didn’t leave family unless you shed blood for them.

“What did you do to him?”

“He begged for forgiveness, but it was too late.”

“What did you do?” I screamed.

“You could find him in Evergreen Cemetery, buried next to your mother. Don’t worry, I made sure to hold a special spot there for you.”

“You motherfucker!” Tears ran down my cheeks as I grief struck me. The shock of his demise ran deep, and pure hatred emanated from me for the monster who stood before me.

My grandfather had ordered him killed because he didn’t want to be forced into this life of drugs and murder. Because he’d gone against him.

“He had every right to leave. Why didn’t you just let him go?

Why?” I sobbed, feeling regret for being so blinded by this man I had considered family.

A man who’d brought me up with the education that family always came first. Now I understand why.

So, they could be used and manipulated at his will.

“You are no longer my family,” I seethed.

“Hmph,” he grunted. “Stupid boy. Family is just a word used when one is trying to be forgiven for their wrong doings. It means nothing to me. Just an obstacle I’ve had to deal with time and time again.”

“You will pay for everything you’ve done.”

" And so will you, Son . Secrets are always revealed, Caleb. You didn't think I wasn't aware of every movement you made? I witnessed how you fucked your family's enemy, showing her off and waving her in front of our noses. A pure insult directed at me."

“You will not lay one hand on her.”

“Don’t worry, Caleb. I’ll make sure she dies a very long and torturous death.”

I clenched my jaw in pure disdain and anger. "You have no right!"

"I have every goddamn right!" He screamed back in anger.

"My own grandson, my own flesh and blood, betrayed me." His voice broke at the end of that sentence, and I nearly laughed.

My grandfather not only had crocodile tears that he shed when he wanted to manipulate, but he also knew exactly when to strike, he had perfected the talent.

"You betrayed me!" I screamed. "You used me!” My voice went low and menacing. “And like you said, Grandfather, all secrets are revealed. And yours came out right on time, didn't they? How dare you judge me when you were willing to hand over your own flesh and blood to save your own neck?"

Looking back, he gave a signal, and I was suddenly dropped onto my knees. The impact made me grimace in pain.

I seethed as I watched him approach. "You were always a problem, Caleb. You were always the one who didn't listen, who wanted to have his way."

"You have kept things from me my entire life. I've been covering your ass for the last ten years! I won't do it anymore. I will not follow your orders and kill again."

He chuckled, the harsh sound grating on my nerves. "I want you to know your value has diminished. You have no power here nor with the family. That was your main problem, Caleb. You could never understand that they all are ruled by me.”

“Your vengeance means shit to me!”

He slapped me then, hard enough to bust my lip. I spat out the blood on his expensive shoes. “She’s strong. Stronger than you or any Killic, and she will not hesitate to kill you.”

He smiled. “I have other means of getting to your precious Duchess now."

He slid the bottom of his cane under my chin and forced my head up. "You did a great job of having her fall in love with you. It will be easy now to have her come to you."

"No!" I tried standing up only to fall on one knee once again. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"It's too late now. She should already be on her way."

"No." I struggled against the wire. "No!" I screamed as the crane pulled me up off the ground.

"I'll kill you if you hurt her. I swear to God, you will burn in hell for this!"

He slowly walked away as the crane went back into its position facing the water, my feet once again dangling off the ledge.

"Whyyyy?!" I screamed.

My grandfather stopped misstep and turned. "Because you are of no use to me, Caleb. You never were."

I felt the emptiness in the air, and I screamed in rage out into the night.

There had to be a way out of this. But as I hung there, I knew I was completely helpless.

I had no one. I was alone in this goddamn world, all except for her.

I didn’t know if she loved me enough to come find me, but I needed to trust that she knew what she was doing.

My Duchess was a fighter, and for the first time, I prayed that she’d find a way to win.