The Things My Eyes Have Seen (Minor Family Supremacy Series: Macau)

Chapter 4: Macau

    I walked into my brother's room and saw a face I hadn't expected to ever see again. It wouldn't be appropriate to call her my stepmother, since she had never mothered me in any sense of the word. She was my father's last relationship that I was aware of. He had so many of them that I stopped bothering to remember their names. Months ago, this one had vanished and Vegas and I were glad to be rid of her. Vegas hated women, especially women like her. It would be one thing if she had latched onto our diabolical father for protection or survival, but she also went out of her way to make our lives a living hell. She was barely older than Vegas, yet she would berate him and smack him, especially when our father wasn't around. She told him and I that we were worthless pieces of shit who would never amount to anything. If we hadn't been so desensitized from hearing that trash from the mouth of our own parent, it might have been more upsetting.

    She turned away from Vegas, where I could only assume she was searching for his life-support plug, and I saw her swollen belly.

    "You've got to be fucking joking," I hissed, and she moved as quick as a python, surprisingly agile considering she looked like she was about to pop.

    "What did you say, you little shit?" she screeched at me, carefully manicured nails flying through the air. Before they could tear into my skin, a shadow passed before me. I had tried to shrink to protect myself, so it took me a moment to realize it was safe to unfurl.

    In front of me stood Pete, holding her wrists tightly to stop her from hitting me. When she stopped squirming enough, he slowly released her hands. She wasted no time in slapping him firmly across the face, her chest heaving with fury.

    Pete's head had turned at the impact, and he slowly centered his gaze on her again. I couldn't see his face, but the energy radiating off of him was like nothing I had ever felt before. It was awesome and terrifying at the same level.

    "Nong Macau is a child in my care, and you have no right to strike him," Pete said in a low, commanding voice I had never heard him use before. I reached a hand out to the middle of his back, needing to feel him for comfort and to let him know I was okay.

    In a shaky voice, she said, "These two are useless. Kan never loved them. He never did. He loved OUR baby. He said he would leave everything to our baby alone. Our son..."

    She clutched her stomach, muttering curses at us and begin to wail as if she were in pain. Before we could respond, she was gone from the room, Pete quick on her heels. I thought he was going to chase her down, but he only told one of the bodyguards to follow her as he pulled his phone out and selected a contact.

    "Nop," he hissed when the call was answered. "There's a situation at the hospital. I need you to get here fast, and bring some fucking guards who know how to do their goddamn job."

    "Phi," I whispered, but Pete was frantic, rushing over to Vegas and hitting the call button to summon a nurse while he visually scanned Vegas for signs of tampering or injury.

    "Phi!" I said louder, demanding. Pete's head snapped up and his eyes quickly softened seeing the tears running down my cheeks. A nurse entered quickly and Pete told her to check Vegas's machines and vitals as he crossed the room to envelop me in a tight embrace, making soft shushing noises into my hair.

    "I'm sorry, Macau. I should have been here."

    He repeated his words like a mantra until I had calmed down again. The nurse told us that everything looked in order, but she would send a doctor to make sure. Pete nodded his thanks and sat with me on the sofa.

    "I will make sure she can't hurt you. I'll make sure there are more guards, I'll-"

    I shook my head, silencing Pete. "It's okay. I was just surprised, that's all. I thought she was gone, and I didn't know she was pregnant. It's fine."