Miles Away (Carrion #1)(30)

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much time has passed. Sometimes a voice or a phrase or a facial expression can bring back all the pain from long ago. The sound of Knox’s voice, regardless of the words he’s saying, is enough to set me spiraling out of control. Knox awakens the fury in me just by smiling at me.

Closing the gap between them, Miles walked towards Knox, his boots echoing throughout the room. Knox’s smug look faded as Miles stared down at him, his blood boiling with putrid rage.

“Feeling brave?” Knox asked with a cruel hilt to his stare.

“You got something you wanna say?” Miles asked, not backing down from him.

The loud-mouthed kid I remember is now a poised, high-powered DA f*ckwad who is pissing off the wrong dude. I won’t take his bait but I sure as f*ck am not backing down either.

Standing over Knox in his chair, Miles continued to size his brother up with calculating eyes.

“Whatsamatter, Miles, cat got your tongue?” Knox asked, a devious twinkle in his eyes catching Miles’s attention. “Or are you just a little *?”

Now he did it. I was trying to be cool about this. I didn’t want to have to f*ck up his pretty face, but the f*cker pissed me off.

“I’m gonna tell you this once and only once. Keep my name out of your cocksuckin’ mouth! Stay away from my girl and don’t pull any of your wayward bullshit with me!”

Knox was blindsided with shock.

“What the fu—” Knox began.

“After the shit you pulled?” Miles screamed, letting his temper hang all out. Pointing in Knox’s face, Miles screamed, “You’re DEAD to me!”

“Mi—” Knox began but he was quickly cut off.

That f*cker isn’t interrupting my tirade.

“DEAD!”

“Oh, here we go. Ring-side seats for the showdown of the century,” Michael said with a laugh.

I’m glad he finds this shit amusing.

“Miles, calm down,” Sasha pleaded.

“Dude, it’s not worth it,” Landon begged Miles with a desperate look on his face.

“It’s about time somebody put this douche in his place! This is great!” Dustin yelled. “Whoop!”

Knox ignored the peanut gallery and gave Miles a slice of attitude back.

“I would think seventeen years in Philly’s toughest jail would’ve mellowed you out some! I figured it would at least made you see things differently but I guess it’s true. Sometimes even the dumbest criminals can’t be rehabilitated,” Knox said.

This creep is begging for his head to be knocked off.

“You can’t just play everybody you meet and not expect people to get pissed off, Knox!” Miles spat back.

I’m trying to refrain myself. Truly, I am. I know he’s going to find that button and he’s going to jab his finger in it.

Knox smirked ignorantly at Miles as he adjusted his silk tie. Adjusting himself in his chair, Knox looked like he was preparing to walk into a courtroom rather than a dispute with his brother. In a cool voice, Knox said with a hilt to his gaze, “If you ask me, you got exactly what was comin’ to you.”

In a flash, Knox had unraveled my cool.

Before even Miles truly comprehended what was happening, his fist was hurtling towards Knox’s smug face at breakneck speed. Before his brothers could stop him, Miles’s knuckles had crunched hard against Knox’s nose, rebreaking it, and effectively wiping his cocky look clear off of his face.

That’s right, bitch. Broke your nose again.

“What the FUCK!” Knox screamed as blood gushed from his noise. Crimson dripped onto his designer suit. He grabbed his nose as blood covered his hand.

“You son of a BITCH!” Knox screamed.

“Yup. You got that right,” Miles said with a laugh as he drilled a glare back to his father.

“Don’t talk about your motha’ like that!” Michael said, cracking a joke.

Looking at the old man, Miles winked and replied, “I was talking about you.”

A cruel look overcame Michael’s charming smile as he peered back at Miles.

“Ah… the prodigal son is home,” Michael said as he glared up at Miles. Michael rose from his hospital bed with a laugh ripping from his mouth. “Sasha… Landon… please excuse us. Your brothers and I need to have a conversation.”

Here we go. Moment of truth. Time to tell the old man where he can shove his holy war.

“To the war room, gentlemen.”

Rising from his chair, Knox gave Miles a hostile glare as they followed their father from the room.

“Dickhead,” Knox spat at Miles.

“Ouch. Is that the best you can do?” Miles said, feigning offense.

“Damn, Knox… You’re f*cking bleeding on the floor!” Dustin complained.

Traveling in a pack down the long hallway, the men headed towards the winding staircase. A nagging feeling in the pit of Miles’s stomach twisted as he moved closer to the staircase that led to Michael Capadonno’s private wing of the house. Two men clad in elegant black suits stood at the foot of the staircase. They stood straight as arrows as the Capadonno men approached. Each nodded at Michael Capadonno as he passed through, but their eyes scrutinized his sons very carefully, especially Miles.

The house looks exactly as I remember it. The interior is obnoxiously decadent with fixtures you’d more likely see in a museum than a residential home. Cracking my neck as I follow behind the old man, I can’t help but notice that he’s a ghost of the man he once was… It doesn’t mean that he isn’t dangerous though. Cutting through the dark hallway, my mind wanders to the army of associates that the Capadonnos have. Those that were loyal to Uncle Sonny would follow my father’s lead. Michael Capadonno was Sonny’s right-hand man, his enforcer, and naturally, the only man Uncle Sonny would trust to get the job done. Even on his death bed. It all makes perfect sense now. A lot of people would discredit my father in the state that he’s in. I’m no idiot though. Being his kid, I know all too well the depravity that roams in that man’s twisted mind. The bastard is nothing more than a high-functioning psychopath with a quick wit, charming smile and a flock of heathens ready to carry out his commands.