Author's note; Thanks for all the love and encouragement.
Shout out to the ladies at the lemonade stand and the various groups on Facebook who have recommended the story:) It's great to see so many new people adding the story on alert/ favs list.
Thank you to my team. Without them, there would be no story. They are so patient and so supportive. I'd be lost without you.
~ Lineage ~
"Get the fuck up and stop crying. That shit ain't going to help you with the boss," C hears the distinctive voice of one of his most loyal men coming from down the hallway. He listens as heavy footsteps approach his office, pinching the bridge of his nose in an act of frustration.
Straightening his tie, he stands, instinctively reaching down to the gun that's forever by his side. He doesn't draw his weapon yet- that would be far too easy.
C wants to have some fun with them first.
The sounds coming from outside suggest there's a struggle taking place before a firm knock on the door breaks the sudden silence. The building is completely deserted, other than his closest guards, ensuring total privacy for this meeting.
It's imperative all measures are taken to keep it that way.
C trusts no one, especially when it comes down to family business. And this matter is as personal as it gets.
"Come in," he barks. Stepping away from his desk, the door flies open, and two men are brought before him. He sneers when he sees their downtrodden expressions. As instructed, his most trusted boys have roughed up the newcomers a little before bringing them to him tonight, but they've barely gotten started.
The man in charge of today's botched robbery has definitely come off worse out of the two newcomers. He's breathing heavily, and his right eye is swollen shut - the left isn't much better. Bruises are forming all over his face, and the way he's clutching his ribs tells C his boys have had fun making his frustrations at their failure known.
The newcomer's eyes meet his briefly, but if he thinks that's bad, he ain't seen nothing yet.
Wait till he gets his hands on them.
And he knows this too; his shoulders slump in acceptance. C has brought enough men to their knees to know fear when he sees it. The second, the quieter of the two newcomers, watches on, looking equally fucking terrified.
As he should be.
They had a simple task; go in, get the cash, and anything valuable. Make it look like a simple robbery - then trash the place a little and get out with no witnesses ... no complications. The girl was supposed to be out. The housekeeper, too, had plans.
It was a simple job.
Yet, somehow they fucked up.
The man is used to tricky situations … impossible ones. This should have been a walk in the park - a so-called easy job. That's why he picked these two lowlifes. That and the family connection that should have made this plan foolproof.
"What the fuck happened?"
"I'm sorry, boss," one of them starts groveling.
"You think I give a shit about you being sorry?" C shouts, advancing towards one of the men on the ground. He grabs the stupid bastard by the throat, pinning this pathetic waste of space against the wall. He gasps when his grip tightens.
"This isn't what we planned. You were only meant to take the money, to trash the place a little. Send out a clear message that we can get to them any time, any place we want. Prove that not even their own home is safe! What the fuck were you thinking?"
"It wasn't my fault," he pleads, desperate for C to believe him - so what? He'll spare him?
Please…
He's failed, and C doesn't accept failure, not by those he employs … not by his family … and certainly not by this piece of shit.
"We were told the place would be empty. We thought -."
Having heard enough, C slams the side of the thug's face against the wall. He whimpers, crying like a little fucking girl. He's so weak and pathetic; Why did he ever think this guy could pull off any job?
Clearly, he's useless.
"I don't give a shit what you thought. You failed me. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just terminate our agreement now? Find someone who can actually do the fucking job I pay them for."
Drawing his gun, he presses the barrel against the other man's forehead, digging it into his skin.
"Sir, this isn't my fault," he whimpers - he actually whimpers. What a pussy. He's pathetic, just like his useless friend, who stands, wide-eyed and terrified by his side.
"How was I to know she would be there? The place was supposed to be empty. Then we couldn't find the money … I panicked… the gun went off. It was an accident. We ran - we didn't know what else to do."
If only it were that simple. Shooting the daughter changes everything he has so carefully planned.
"You killed two of Charlie's men, too. Did you think I wouldn't find out about that? Not to mention the girl?" C shakes his head in anger. "What do we know about her condition?" He asks, demanding an update.
"She was rushed to Harborview Medical Center. We don't know any more about her, how bad it is. We have been trying to get an update, but our contact says it's serious. She's in the OR now - they're trying to save her."
Fuck!
Enraged by this alarming turn of events, his hands tighten around the fucker's neck, squeezing tightly as he gasps for breath.
This is not what C wanted.
He doesn't care if the girl lives or dies.
That doesn't matter.
What matters is making Charlie Swan suffer, but in the most brutal way possible. It would be too easy to kill his daughter now. No, he wants him to see his whole world come crashing down before his very eyes and for him to know who's behind it.
He wants to be the one to pull the trigger when it's time to kill Charlie Swan's precious daughter.
Payback for all he's done to him...to his family.
Stepping away, C points his gun directly at the head of the man who's failed him so spectacularly.
"Get down on your knees."
"Please, Mr. -"
"Enough! I said, get down on your knees." He won't ask again. Another second and the bullets going straight into his thick skull.
He complies, sinking to the ground - all the while begging … pleading for his life. C doesn't care. He's done listening to excuses. He refuses to be made a fool of. However, before he can pull the trigger or even release the safety, a hand on his shoulder stops him. He turns to his partner, sending him a hard stare that makes it clear he doesn't like to be challenged.
"Let's think about it - this could work in our favor."
Pausing, he considers the words. His friend has always been a deep thinker, whereas C always preferred action over words. He supposes there's no harm in hearing him out.
"How do you figure?" He asks, without releasing his hold on this useless idiot in front of him. If anything, he digs the gun deeper into his temple. He knows better than to make a sound; otherwise, C may blow his fucking head off anyway.
"What better message than to harm his daughter? We may have played our hand a little early, but he doesn't know who's responsible, and Charlie Swan has enough enemies to buy us time. Sure, it's a little sooner than we planned, but that doesn't change anything ... not for us at least."
Sensing some convincing is in order, he pulls C to one side so the others can't hear their conversation.
"They may be a pair of fucking idiots, but when else are we going to have such an in into the family? It would be a shame to waste such an opportunity. We've never been this close before," he reminds C. "In the future, he may come in useful."
Nodding in agreement, C realizes his friend is right. These two idiots messed up, but the objective remains the same; to make Charlie suffer. They'll torment him, and when he's on his knees like the lowlifes in front of him now, that's when they'll strike.
They'll rip the most important things from Charlie Swan, as he did to him all those years ago.
A sudden bolt of red-hot anger rips through him, and his grip on the gun tightens when he thinks about his brother and his father before him - both taken too soon.
The game isn't over.
It's only just beginning.
And Charlie Swan is going to pay for all that he's done to him and his family - starting with his own precious daughter he's so desperate to keep at a distance … to protect.
C will make sure he suffers, and he'll enjoy every single second of his demise.
The plot thickens … Any theories on who C is, and what he's got against Charlie?
I'll be posting teasers over on my Facebook group. Search Jemster23 Fanfiction if you would like to join.
See you next week xx
