Vegas and Pete: the series

Villians, Heroes, Humans

POV Vegas

I took the dog back to his room and got him shackled back into his leash. I left the rope slack so that his unconscious form could lean up against the bed. Then I told my hedgehog to keep a better eye on him, to make sure he doesn't leave again.

Afterwards I went to make myself some lunch and then headed out onto the deck to read. There was a really nice adirondack chair there along with a nice small side table and it was perfectly in the sun.

I relaxed into the chair and began to read my novel, Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke. I was about halfway through now.

I'm so absorbed in my reading that I don't hear my father approach, I don't know when the hell he even got here. I barely have time to get out of my seat to greet him before knocks the book out of my hands. It hits the deck harshly, the cover coming off. My father doesn't even waste a second to look at it before he slaps me hard across the face. It stings, but I school my features and face back at him. I don't even know what I've done wrong this time.

"The gold mine deal that you're responsible for is crushed." My father informs me and I feel a punch in my gut, but I try not to let it show.

I keep words that would get me in trouble in my throat as I choke out. "Maybe that's because the situation now is not good. So they ran off."

"That's all on you!" My father yells at me pointing an accusing finger. "You stupid boy! You only cause disaster!"I swallow back any words I can say and take my fathers scolding. "In this life," He continues. "You'll never be able to beat Kinn."

I clench down hard on my teeth, willing myself not to weaken and cry. I tried, Pa. I've always tried to beat him. I've done everything you ever asked of me. Things that Kinn never had to do.

But it was still my fault. I had fucked up.

My father turns away from me. His shoulders shake with a quiet fury. "You and Macau aren't even worthy of being my sons." He finishes with disgust, then he walks away without another look.

I take in a breath I'd been holding and slowly, shakily lower myself back into my chair. My breath comes in an annoying stutter as I pull my hand into a fist. I don't let my tears fall. I refuse. I know this is all my fault. I had disobeyed him, but the plan could have worked. Fuck! Fuck Porshe! Fuck Kinn! Fuck all of them!

In a rage I find myself stalking through the house and into the door where my pet is. I slam the door behind me breathing heavily and I try to control the anger and sharp pain that is coursing through me like a hurricane. "AHHH! Fuck! Fuck!" I yell out in a blinding rage, dashing everything in front me to the ground and then pounding my leg into the side table, wanting it to hurt, needing it to.

I stop once I feel more in control and then I turn to address the rather silent and unmoving dog. "Don't pretend like you're asleep!" I shout at him. " Get up and laugh at me!" He doesn't respond at all, not even to open his eyes. Get up and stare at me with those steely pairs of eyes, sneer at me like you want to. Gloat over the fact that you fucked up everything, that I lost!

He still doesn't move. "Ai-Pete!" I yell at him, using his name without a thought to it. "Don't get on my nerves." Does this bastard want another beating? I reach over and grab his wrist.

He's warm, no scratch that his skin is blisteringly hot. "Ai- pete?" I say shaking his arm lightly, he doesn't respond. He's limp and unmoving. I spot the wounds on his chest and I can see the starts of a redness spreading around the areas of the wound under all the dried blood.

Shit!

An unfamiliar wave of panic grips me as I look down at his sick limp form. "Hey, Pete?" I ask again, my voice shaky, suddenly wanting more than anything for him to open his eyes. Was he dying? I sink down onto my knees next to him, "Hey, Pete?"