COLE: THE MADMAN: Book 3 (A Phoenix Club Serial Thriller)

CH 4: Conversation With a Madman

"It's been a long time. Too long."

Cole walked forward and sank into the booth seat before raising his eyes to the man across from him. He looks the same. The jolt made him flinch and the horrors of his past flooded over him. Cole's chest pinched and he couldn't breathe.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," the monster murmured with a note of satisfaction; this was the response he was hoping for. He wanted Cole to still be terrified of him.

Drawing deep breaths, Cole began to breathe again. Upon closer inspection, he noted the minor signs of age in the man; a tint of gray in his formerly dark strands, added lines in his face and around his eyes. But mostly... he looked the same as if he'd been frozen in time.

"You've certainly changed," the man said. "I wouldn't have guessed you'd grow so... big. You were a tad wimpy as a boy." He smiled, but the smile didn't reach his dead eyes. "I'm impressed, even... proud. You're quite the strapping young man."

Proud. Cole trembled inside with a mix of rage and terror. Once he'd learned what his dad was—the last thing he wanted from the man was his approval. Because his approval meant that Henry was doing things that pleased him. And the things that pleased him were horror-movie fodder.

His throat working, Cole whispered, "Why... did you want to meet with me?"

"To see how my boy was faring," the monster replied. "And so, you could see with your own eyes that, despite your best efforts... your dear old dad is still alive and kicking." His smile twisted. "I'm sure that brings you much relief, hm? Surely, you've suffered guilt all these years for trying to kill your old man."

Cole squeezed his fists against his thighs beneath the table, fighting the shakes. He stared down at the tabletop, eyes swimming with hot tears. The monster hadn't asked him here to negotiate. His intent had been much more malicious. He wanted to witness the terror that continued to live inside Cole. He wanted to know he was in control and that Cole would do whatever he asked to keep Abel and the kids alive. The monster needed the assurance that he held all the cards and maintained all leverage.

Cole could do nothing to dissuade him... because it was all true.

"I didn't..." Cole started with a hitch to his voice. His eyes remained downcast. "I didn't... try to kill you." He swallowed hard, a quiver in his throat. "I was just... trying to get away."

The man leaned forward and steepled his fingers, pressing his lips to his fingertips. "Why were you trying to get away?"

Cole raised his eyes and stared at the man, tremors quivering through his stomach. "Because you wanted to turn me into a monster... like you."

"A monster, like me." Daniel Pruett sighed and closed his eyes while nodding his head. He pulled in a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. "Did you think if you ran away and changed your name, you would just stop being who you are... what you are?" He leaned forward a fraction more, an eerie stare boring into the Cole. "Nothing can change that. You will always be the son of a monster. My blood runs through your veins... and there isn't a damn thing you can do to escape that reality." The monster narrowed his eyes, the corner of his mouth turning up with the hint of a maniacal smile. "The instant I spooged my seed into your mama... your fate was sealed." His smile stretched, pushing insanity into his stare. "You are your father's son."

Cole clenched his fists against his thighs as the shakes reverberated outward. He clamped his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. You are your father's son. His greatest fear... and most guarded secret.

"Does your hubby know what you are?" Daniel mused. "Your new family? Are they aware of what they've taken into their midst?" He stared at his silent, fearful son, his smile growing. "No," he murmured, "they don't. You didn't tell them."