The Prince

Part 45

"It looks like you're doing pretty well for yourself," Noah's brother said, coming up from behind him, where he was watching everything from the sidelines.

"From the looks of things, it appears that your wealthy friends are taking good care of you."

Noah fearfully looked up at the sneering face of his brother. The fact that his brother would also be invited had escaped him; given the high cost of the tickets, he had never expected him to attend. Yet, here he was, looking as if he were already drunk and ready to cause a scene.

"Why are you here?" He asked in alarm, knowing that something bad was coming.

"I'm your brother; I wanted to make sure you're okay. It's not that hard to believe, is it?" He bared his teeth in a menacing sneer, leaving Noah with no doubt in his mind that his brother was here for more than brotherly support.

"Yeah, right."  Trouble was brewing if the past had taught him anything. It would be best for him to remove his brother from the room before he caused any trouble. Watching him throw back the rest of his drink, he hoped that this wouldn't turn into a nightmare.

"What do you want?" Noah felt every muscle in his body tense. He had no choice but to deal with his brother now as there was nowhere else to go and the decision had already been made for him.

"I was thinking, since you seem to be so close to all these rich kids, how about we work something out?" He took a step closer to Noah. "Come on," he continued when Noah remained silent. "There is enough money for us to share here. Simply tell your friends about me, and I will be happy to assist them." Noah could smell the alcohol on his breath as he leaned in closer. From the glazed look in his eyes, Noah was certain that he was on more than alcohol at the moment.

"You want to sell them drugs or scam them out of their money, isn't it? Is that where all the cash you've had came from?" He knew that his brother had some underhanded deals going on. From his circle of friends and his sudden access to cash, it was easy to see.

"What? Where would you get that idea? I just need to talk to a few of them." He slurred his words, looking as if he was finding it hard to focus.

"Forget it! Get out of here, or I'll call security to do it." He took a deep breath as he turned around. He'd managed to get through their interaction without any bruises.

"You little bastard!" Noah jerked backwards as his brother grabbed his collar, nearly losing his balance. Before he knew what was happening, his brother grabbed him by the arm and marched out of the room. Noah didn't want to look around or draw attention to himself to ensure that they left the room without causing a stir.

"What did you say, you little shit?" He leaned forward, still maintaining his tight hold on Noah's arm, once they'd reached a secluded area. "You mean to say that after everything I've done for you, you don't want to help me?"

"Let go!" He tried to pull his arm free. "I'm not helping you with anything! Leave me alone!"

"You're my little cash cow; why would I leave you alone?" he chuckled menacingly, as if he'd said something funny.

"Noah?"

Looking up in surprise, he watched as Skye walked towards them. Shaking his head, he wanted Skye to go away so that he wasn't part of whatever mess his brother had in store for him, but instead of moving off, Skye stepped closer, a frown on his face.

"Are you okay?" He came to stand in front of them, his eyes briefly drifting to the hand that had Noah's arm in a tight grip.

"He's fine, aren't you Noah?" He tightened his grip, pulling Noah menacingly closer.