2. We're Even

Dominic

I held my father's angry gaze with one of my own.

No way had he summoned me all the way down from Italy for this bullshit idea. Once again my younger brother Nathaniel had gotten himself into trouble. Once again, I was being ordered to fix it. Not this time. They were crossing the line.

My father stood to his feet with a deadly expression on his face, and I immediately followed suit. "You will do as I say, Dominic–"

"Or what?" I shot back, red clouding my vision. A small gasp echoed in the room. Undoubtedly my mother's.

"Dominic, that is no way to speak to your father."

I laughed humorlessly. "Mother, please." Of course the first time she decided to say something since the beginning of the meeting, it was only to take his side. How completely naive of me to think they had called me back home to fix the strained relationship between us. How very foolish.

Step in for Nathaniel on his wedding day? They had to be joking.

I firmly held my father's gaze as I fixed the last button of my shirt. "If that is all, I beg to take my leave." I said coldly, the tension in the room able to be cut with a knife. I gave my mother a small nod and made to exit the office. My father's threat had me freezing in place.

"You walk out that door, Dominic, and you would cease to be my son."

The blood in my veins froze. There it was. The ultimate threat. I turned on my heel, completely ready to ask Alexander Blackwell to go fuck himself. I was sick and tired of dancing to his every tune. If I hadn't won him over after how many years of his meeting and getting married to my mother, then I was never going to.

I would forever only be an adopted son to him. And even that wasn't guaranteed anymore. I took a step towards him. My mother immediately stepped in between us, her arms spread out.

"Dominic, stop this." I bit the inside of my cheeks as I stared down at her, barely paying any attention to the things she was saying. "You know how hard your father has worked to uphold the family name." She pleaded with me. "The same name you're enjoying its perks whether or not you want to admit it."

I grounded my teeth together. Trust my mother to try some subtle manipulation.

My father relaxed his features, realizing he now had my attention. He brushed imaginary dirt from his suit. "If you're done making a fuss, I would rather we get to the reason for this meeting." Lilian Blackwell gave me another pleading look before walking to take a seat beside my father. I fisted my hands beside me, cursing myself in my head even as I took a seat across from them.

I should have known better than to fly back into the country.

My father clasped his hands together and placed them on the table. "Nathaniel has been detained for assaulting a journalist and inflicting injuries severe enough to cost the young man his life." I kept my expression masked at the news. It wouldn't be the first time my brother was doing something reckless and getting some innocent person killed.

My mother picked up from where he stopped, probably noticing how wildly my jaw was ticking. "Nathaniel's wedding is this weekend. We sent you an invitation," She said tentatively. I didn't bother letting her know I had seen it and chosen to ignore it. I would bet both my kidneys it had been her idea alone to invite me to the wedding.

I ran my hand down my face. "You probably want to get to the point, mother. My patience is already wearing thin." The air crackled at the rudeness of my tone, but neither of my parents called me to order. We all knew I had the upper hand now. "In simple terms, explain to me exactly what you want me to do." I carried on flatly.

They shared a look between themselves and then my father was clearing his throat.

"Like I said earlier, we can't risk the news of Nathaniel's detention making its way to the public. Everyone is expecting a wedding between the Blackwells and Nathaniel's fiancee. And a wedding they will get." I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes. Ever a slave to the public, my father.

"Your mother and I need you to step in for Nathaniel–" He raised his hands before I could cut him off. "Your marriage to his fiancee would only last for as long as he's in jail. Afterwards, you'll get a quiet divorce and be on your merry way."

"I have a girlfriend." I said simply.

I wasn't sure why I said that. My father didn't give two flying fucks about me. He definitely wouldn't care now about someone he hasn't met.

He cleared his throat and locked eyes with my mother. "I know this would take a lot of sacrifice on your part," He said cautiously. "Which is why you won't be doing it for free." I narrowed my eyes, trying to catch his meaning. "You'll be paid for every month you successfully stick to the plan. You get to choose the amount." He informed me, waving his hand casually in the air.

A storm of emotions hit me at once. At the top was anger and disgust. Disgust that neither of them saw anything wrong with the decision they were making. Anger at myself because my hands were tied. I owed the slimy bastard in front of me a favor. One he'd promised to collect. He'd changed my mom and I’s lives when he'd married her and adopted me.

And he knew it.

It didn't matter whether or not I refused him now. I knew this was important enough to him that he would finally decide to collect his favour. My jaw ticked. I released a breath from my nose. "If I'm going to do this," I said icily, "then it's going to be on my terms." My father raised his hands to indicate he had no problem with it.

"Deal," He said. I turned to my mother. She nodded once. "Deal."

I pushed my seat backwards and stood to my feet. They mirrored my actions. "I'll have my lawyer draw up an agreement and send it to you." My father gave me a small nod. "We're even now." I stated coldly. I gave my mother a small nod, ignoring the look of pain in her eyes. She'd made her decision long ago in who she was going to stand by, and sadly it wasn't me. I let out a deep breath before leaving my father's office, and then the house.

Pulling my phone out for my pocket, I sent a text to my best friend Liam. 'Available for a drink?' I'd already informed him I was back home. I ran a hand down my face. I needed to talk to someone about this whole situation before I lost my mind. Liam's reply was almost instant.

'Thought you'd never ask motherfucker.’