Hitting on the hitman

I'm sorry. (66)

Jess's brother 10 years ago POV:

"There's a saying my father told me." Gerald's voice was tight, harsh, emotionless and strict but the hand that fell down on Adrastus was harsher, it blew him down with power across the face, making his cheek burn like acid eating at his skin. "You show mercy? You fucking die." He hissed, spitting out words like fire.

Adrastus' hand clenched his jaw, as he bit down trying to silence his rude remarks.

"Do you understand the damage you could have done?"

"That was my intention, to do damage," Adrastus mumbled under his breath, and instantly regret shot through him, turning to panic as Gerald turned to him with a burning in his eye, he crouched down so that they were at eye-level as Adrastus pushed himself back against his chair.

"Then you should have fucking done it." He growled.

"I'm sorry."

"You're pathetic." His words stung, but they were true. "You disobeyed me, then you couldn't even do that right."

"I'm sorry."

"Now I have a man, who knows our business sat outside, and I suppose if I kill him, I'll be the bad guy huh?"

Adrastus' eyes shot up, he hoped Gerald couldn't see the fear in his gaze, and he fed off that.

"I'm sorry."

But his apologies did nothing, Gerald gripped Adrastus by the Jaw, his hand threatening to crush it underneath his fingers. "Hey." He hissed. "I took you in when no one else would. I gave you a family, a home, is it not enough? Is that why you've spared the man who cast you aside? I treat you like my son, so why do you need another father, huh?" His grip tightened even more and Adrastus tried to keep the wetness in his eyes from spilling. "Gray could have done a better job than you, and he's 10, you disobey me again, I kill you. Understand?"

The twisted thing was Adrastus did understand, he knew he would, he knew Gerald would snap his neck without any hesitation if he thought it was deserved. Because no matter how much Gerald tried, he couldn't change the facts. Adrastus wasn't his son. He never was and he never would be.

So Adrastus nodded bitterly and Gerald loosened his grip.

"Good."

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Jess' POV present day:

I was supposed to be meeting Angelo, at least that's what I thought. But when I stood there, with a vision of the man I once called father, I wondered If I ever woke up, my mind raced, was I in a nightmare? Why wasn't I waking up? Why wasn't he crumbling away in front of me? Why did look so much older?

His skin was rougher than I remembered, the lines harsher and defined, salt and pepper sprinkled in his hair.

I knew him, I recognised him the moment I walked into the room, I had seen him before, he was the old man who danced with me at the ball, this couldn't be a dream. I had to be awake.

The sight of the man in front of me twisted, his face blurred and my brain went soft, melting in my skull. Or maybe boiling. As the figure walked up to me I stood there, paralysed like a plank of wood, my mind refusing to even let me think. My skin was numb, my nose burning, my ears ringing, my heart thumping and then I opened my mouth. " Who- Who are you?"

"I think you know." The man choked out.

I don't.

"No, who are you?" My voice was dry, robotic.