Page 28 of The Spare (The King Dynasty #2)

Chapter seventeen

Well, Fuck.

W alking into the foyer, I turn wild eyes to my brother, who's holding a handkerchief to his cheek where I split it open.

"This is your fault!" I yell, pointing a finger at him.

"Goddamn you, Hendrix!" My eyes narrow to slits, and I roughly shrug off my father who's put a firm hand on my shoulder to hold me back.

"Get off." I snap, jerking to the side and putting distance between myself and the rest of my family. "Fuuuck!" I shout, losing it.

"Mason, get a hold of yourself," my father says sternly.

Turning away from them, I put my fingers to the bridge of my nose and squeeze as I take a deep breath, more furious than I've ever been in my life.

Turning back, I see mine and Melody's bodyguard hanging out by the powder room, talking. "Hey Stephen," I snap, waiting until he puts his eyes on me. "I don't give a fuck what she said. You get your fucking ass on her tail, and do what I pay you to do, now!"

"Yes, sir," he says respectfully, nodding at my guard, Dante, who slides his eyes to the wall and keeps them there. Stephen walks past all of us, not meeting our eyes.

"And let me know when you've got eyes on her," I say. "I'm coming to get her later tonight."

"Yes, sir." Stephen slips through the door hurriedly.

There's a tense silence as everyone looks at each other. The only ones who don't have a confused expression would be me and my fucking brother, Hendrix.

Who I hate so very much right now.

I slide my hands in my pocket, gripping the paperclip I keep there to remind myself to stay in control. I dig the sharp point under my fingernail as I catch Hendrix's eye and take a step forward. He eyes me warily, and Isobel steps into his side, arching a brow. "Mason, what's wrong-“

"If you just cost me the love of my life, I will kill you," I say to Hendrix, interrupting Isobel. "Do you understand me, brother? I will make her ass a fucking widow."

His brows rise, but he stays silent.

"Hendrix," Isobel gasps, her fingers flying to her mouth as her eyes widen in shock, but I ignore her, letting Hendrix know with everything in me I'm dead serious.

He doesn't get to have everything and his happily every after, while I lose Melody after I just spent the last three and a half years putting my head down and doing everything possible asked of me.

I'll kill him. With a smile on my face.

"Son," my father says stepping forward, his own eyebrows furrowing as a shocked expression clouds his features. As does everyone else. Because they didn't know.

No one knew but me and Hendrix.

"I told her I loved her," I say in a choked voice. "And she didn't even say it back."

Father lets out a muted curse, putting a hand to his forehead and rubbing on a sigh.

"Mason," Madre says gently, stepping to my side and puts a hand on my arm, but her touch doesn't soothe me. "Mase, you love Melody? For how long?"

"Since the moment I met her," I answer simply, staring my brother down as I work the hardest I've ever done in my life to control myself. There's only one reason I'm not slitting this man's throat right now, and she's in Donna's arms.

Melody's mother Donna puts a hand to her mouth, but she stays quiet as she stands off to the side, holding Hendrix and Isobel's toddler Mariah. His goddamn saving grace.

"I told him to wait until she's done with college before picking her up," Hendrix explains.

Madre turns her face sharply to the side. "You interfered?" She inhales sharply, puts her hand to her throat, tilting her head as she glances quickly at father. They trade a look.

Validated, I lift my chin a little higher, maintaining our eye contact.

Father's face is the picture of fury as he turns his head to face Hendrix, his eyes betraying a deep anger I haven't seen come from him in a minute .

"You know better. You know to not interfere, Hendrix," he barks, the color rising in his face. "You know our rules! You know what's at stake!" he says in a rough, harsh tone, pointing a finger at Hendrix's face. "You know something like this can tear a family apart!"

"Oh my God," Madre whimpers, bringing up her hands to cover her nose and mouth. "Richard, don't," she whispers.

Donna looks over at her perplexed, before turning her eyes to Isobel who just shakes her head in a slight movement.

"Father, I did what I thought was best. I'm sorry," Hendrix shoves an agitated hand through his hair and gesturing to me.

"You know how I've been killing myself my entire fucking life to make sure that Mason stays on the straight and narrow.

Cut me some slack for once!" he shouts, the bass in his voice echoing around the foyer.

A hush falls over the foyer so quiet I hear the grandfather clock in the distance ticking away. That's not good.

Anger swamps me at his words; however, heat crawls up my neck as my eyes ping back and forth between the two men, because Hendrix has never dared to challenge Father before, and why he has to do it right now has got me ready to kill him for a different reason. The insensitive fuck.

It always has to be about him.

Father's brow goes so low I take a cautious step back. "Cut you some slack?" he parrots. "Has being married cost you your goddamn sense, boy?"

Isobel goes pale, her fingers digging into Hendrix's arm.

A muscle clenches in Hendrix's jaw. "How dare you speak to me this way after I have given everything to this family," Hendrix challenges father in a rough voice, pulling from Isobel's arm and daring to take a step towards him. "I've given everything to you! "

Father tilts his head, his lip curling as he takes a step forward now, too. But I'm not having it; for far too long everything's been about them and never me. Currently, I'm hurting.

I'm the one wronged right now.

Seriously offended, I feel my face heat up with anger at the audacity my brother and father have to square off at this exact moment.

"I don't need you to babysit me, Hendrix!

" I growl, taking a threatening step forward and shoving my sleeves up my arms. About to beat his ass.

Both he and father turn their heads to me, but I keep my eyes on Hendrix.

"Don't you dare fucking credit yourself with everything I've done these last four years, asshole," I pound my fist against my chest. "I've put in the goddamn work and made something of myself by myself, without either one of you, might I remind you! You fucking piece of shit!"

Hendrix gets a shocked look in his eye at my harsh admission.

Isobel's chin quivers as a tear slides down her cheek, and as Donna steps back a few paces with Mariah, Teresa walks over to her and whispers something in her ear. Donna nods, handing off Mariah to Brody who has Vi in his other arm, and they disappear down the hallway.

"I have more than proven myself," I say, narrowing my eyes.

My heart pounds, and my eyes fill with tears it almost kills me to fight back.

My words come out rapidly and harshly. "I have more than earned a place within this family.

A place that wasn't just handed to me! And all either of you two have done is discredit me, belittle me, and make sure every step along the way you remind me of how worthless I am!

And I am through. I'm done, you hear me?

I want nothing more to do with this fucking family. "

Madre starts crying, and father steps to her, pulling her under his arm.

"Now, hold on, son," Father says, a flash of hurt entering his eyes and his voice thickens with emotion. "Just wait a second, Mason. You don't have to-"

"No-" I slash my hand through the air, feeling sick. "I've been holding on my whole life, Father. What don't you fucking get about that? I finally got something to love, something for me. And because it had to be on his terms, she's gone!"

Father's head snaps to Hendrix. "Explain yourself. Now! And it had better be good," he says to Hendrix in a deathly serious voice that causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.

Hendrix's face flushes slightly. "She's Isobel's sister, and I didn't want her to be hurt.

Is that not good enough?" He turns sharp eyes on me before facing our parents once again.

Madre's curled in on herself, and Father looks as if he's going to lunge at Hendrix.

I frown, because that's different. "And in case none of you remember," Hendrix snaps, "Mason wasn't exactly in the best position when they first met. Neither was she; she was sixteen."

That's it. My eyes narrow.

"Almost seventeen, and a year after that I could have picked her up then, " I snap, slapping my fist into my palm.

"She has been waiting for me, and I never showed up!

" My voice cracks, betraying just how deep this goes for me.

"Now she doesn't trust me! I've lost her tonight, Hendrix, in case you hadn't got a fucking clue. "

"Wait, I'm sorry… but I'm so confused," Donna speaks up now, walking closer. "Why do you keep saying 'picked up?' What's that supposed to mean?"

I let out a curse, forgetting no one formally told Donna how this family procures their spouses .

My sister Teresa steps over to her, taking her by the arm. "Come on, Donna," she says softly. "I'll explain to you in the study. Let's let them figure it out, and we can call Melody and make sure she's okay."

I feel myself deflate with relief that they're going to check on her, knowing Teresa will always step in.

"Mason, I'm sorry," Hendrix stresses, stepping towards me.

"Get the hell away from me. I don't want a fucking apology," I bellow.

"I want you to stop interfering, and leave the two of us alone.

" My eyes slide to Isobel, who's looking at me with a mixture of pity and anger.

"Except you, I'd never ask you to leave your sister alone," I stress.

Putting my eyes back on Hendrix I stiffen my spine.

"But you? Stay the fuck out of our business. "

He tightens his lips, but wisely stays quiet.