Bittersweet Symphony

Chapter 92 - Hell in Paradise

The private club was an elegant, old-fashioned space, the air thick with the scent of expensive cigars and the low hum of discreet conversation. It was here, at this very table, that I found myself, dressed in my finest suit, enjoying a lavish dinner with Calista, Keegan, and Melanie. As I took another sip of my expertly crafted martini, I couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment wash over me.

That is, until I felt the familiar prickle of unease creep up my spine. Something about the way Keegan kept stealing glances at Calista, or the way Melanie kept laughing a little too loudly at his jokes, didn't quite sit right with me. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something off about the entire situation. Maybe Calista was right to worry.

I tried to shake off my uneasiness and focus on enjoying the rest of the meal, but my mind kept wandering back to the feeling. It was as if a tiny, insistent voice was trying to warn me of something, urging me to pay attention to the subtle signs around me. I glanced over at Calista, wondering if she was feeling the same way, but she seemed completely engrossed in her conversation with Keegan and Melanie.

"Your father...he was more than just...mentally unavailable. Dare I say dangerous? I was never afraid of him. In fact, his family was afraid for me. They tried to talk me out of marrying him so much so, I decided I'd rather see what he was really about. Maybe I was just being naïve. He was charming, charismatic...I couldn't resist him. I thought he was the one."

I watched as my mother tried to fight back tears. I knew their relationship had been rocky from the start, but I never knew how bad it was. My father was never harsh towards me. Sometimes he pretended I didn't exist, but he never did me like he did Keegan. Maybe I wanted him to. That's probably why I almost believed he thought I was possessed.

My mother continued, "Keegan...he's just like your father. He's like him in every way. Sometimes, I swear I can see him in your brother's eyes. It terrifies me, Alister. It's like I'm reliving my past all over again."

My heart ached for my mother as she struggled to hold back her tears. I wanted to comfort her, to tell her everything would be okay, but I knew deep down that wasn't the case. The shadow of my father hung over our family like a dark cloud, and there was no escaping it. No matter how hard I tried to deny the similarities between Keegan and our father, they were always there.

The memory of my brother's rage-fueled outbursts, the way he would lash out at anyone who dared cross him, was etched into my mind like a gruesome painting. It was as if he was trying to prove that he was just like our father, that he could be just as dangerous. And with each passing day, the fear in my mother's eyes grew deeper, more profound.

"--and then," Keegan was saying, his voice low and intense, "I pulled him aside and said, 'Look, man, I don't know what your problem is, but you need to back off.' And you know what he did?" Melanie leaned in, her expression rapt as Keegan went on. "He just laughed in my face and said, 'You think you're so tough, huh? Well, I've got news for you. You're not the only one around here with friends in high places.'"

I felt my blood run cold. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Without thinking, I reached under my chair and gripped the handle of the gun I'd hidden there, ready to defend myself if necessary.

"I wasn't about to let that slide, so I laughed in his face and said, 'Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'll just have to show you who's really got friends in high places.'" Keegan laughed, but there was an edge to it that sent a shiver down my spine. I glanced at Melanie, who seemed unperturbed by the story, her expression unreadable.

Calista, on the other hand, looked alarmed. "Keegan, maybe you should just let it go," she said, her voice low and urgent. "There's no need to get into anything with him."