Brother, Dear -- Part Three

Kyler Arrington

They were children. I was dealing with a children. I sat in the leather chair and irritably looked at the small screen that monitored the airplane I’d sent to collect them. I often travelled for the periodic “visits” we shared, but not when one was in deep trouble. Then I sent a plane to collect them.

I made a mental note to personally go through Skylar’s phone, as I watched her making threats in a desperate attempt to get my men to return it to her. After many fruitless attempts she flopped down across her seat, throwing her legs over the arms of the chair. I sighed and rubbed my face.

All of the years I’d spent trying to teach her how to conduct herself with dignity. All of the effort I’d put into being a good example for her to follow. All of the instruction I’d given her in becoming poised and elegant. And she chose to sprawl across the chair.

The other one seemed to have been somewhat more responsive to my influence. When he didn’t decide he was going to hustle pool and get himself arrested in a bar fight, he usually wore a suit; though I’d never managed to get him to give up those godforsaken cowboy boots. It didn’t seem to matter what outfit he was wearing—they were always present. Like a rash that just wouldn’t go away.

I clicked a button the small remote that sat nearby, switching the screen to the camera view that was on him. I sighed again when I saw him. He was curled in his seat, knees tucked up to his chest. His hair was a wild, knotted mess covering his face.

“Call him on your phone and let me talk to him, then, if you won’t give me my phone back.” I flipped the screen back to Skylar as I heard her angry voice in the background. “He’ll tell you the same thing I am.”

No, he won’t. I looked up as an intern walked into the room where I sat. She froze under my gaze, her green eyes getting wide as she stared at me in silence for several long moments. I kept my face carefully expressionless as I met her gaze, refusing to make her any less uncomfortable. She dipped her head, her pale face flushing slightly pink, brown curls bouncing. “Excuse me, sir.”

“What is it?”

“I… I was just going to get the trash, sir,” she fearfully lifted her gaze. “I didn’t realize you were in here, sir. Sorry to bother.”

“It’s fine,” I said, not quite sounding encouraging yet hopefully relieving some of her anxiety. The last thing I needed was an intern passing out in my study. Again. They truly were easy to frighten, even when I wasn’t trying to be frightening. The girl hurried across the room and quickly changed the bag in my trash can. I pretended not to watch her as she stared at me on her way back to the door, then spoke just as she reached the door. “Could you be a dear and get me an iced tea?”

“Y-yes sir!” She said, hastily making her escape. I pulled the watch out of my pocket and noted the time, then looked back at the screen. Skylar had given up again and now was sitting sideways in her chair, both feet hanging over the same arm. I rolled my eyes and switched the view back to Ryker. As far as I could tell, the drunk fool hadn’t so much as moved a finger since I last looked at him.

I sighed again and flipped the television off. It didn’t matter what they did on the plane. My agents would call me if they were having too many problems controlling the brats. I didn’t need to let myself get aggravated with them unless their juvenility reached the point of me receiving a call.

The floorboards creaked as the intern hastily strode across them, trying to be quiet even though she was making a great deal of noise. She stopped just in my blind spot, no doubt making an attempt to gather up her courage before she approached me. I nearly smirked. I’d yet to show this girl anything but civility, yet she was still terrified.

She cautiously stepped forward to stand next to the chair, finally mastering silence. I carefully pretended not to see her as I watched in my peripheral vision, enjoying as she agonized for a long moment. Finally she cleared her throat. “Ah… Sir?”

I looked up. She froze, panicked. I lifted an eyebrow, deciding against being excessively mean and staying silent. Silence seemed to unnerve people. “Yes?”

“Your, um… drink, sir,” she stumbled over her words as she hastily held the glass out to me.

“Thank you,” I answered softly as I took the glass. She risked a small smile. I smiled back. Instantly the smile slipped from her face and her eyes somehow managed to get even wider. I let my smile change to a smirk. She murmured an excuse and scurried from the room. I glanced at my watch. A minute thirty-two… not bad.

I wondered why my siblings couldn’t be as easy to deal with as the interns. The worst thing the interns ever did was try to cut corners on their chores, and even that could be stopped with a short lecture. The interns didn’t hear nearly the number, or endure nearly the length, of lectures as I’d given the two halfwits on the plane.

Yet I’d still been informed that Skylar was involved in one of the largest drug wars that this country had seen in a while. I still wasn’t quite sure how she’d managed to weasel her way up to the top of a cartel. I suspected it had something to do with that deceptively innocent smile and her ability to charm men with much more power than her, or, at least, the sons of powerful men.

I took a sip of the iced tea. I didn’t know how to deal with her. I’d done everything I could think of in an attempt to curb her desire to seize power. I’d warned her against starting any more wars. Yet there was a battle coming very soon, and it reeked of Sky’s influence.

~ ~ ~ ~

I hesitated outside the conference room, checking my appearance in the hallway mirror before I went into the consultation. I carefully straightened my black suit jacket then flashed a charismatic smile. I looked professional, and there was no doubt I behaved professionally, but still I worried.

I took a deep breath and entered the room. The glossy finish of the mahogany table in the center of the room reflected the grave faces of the old men that sat around it. They all looked up at me as I took my place at the head of the table. I tipped my head in greeting. “Gentlemen.”

A cold silence met me. I straightened my shoulders and coolly met each gaze, keeping my face expressionless. If you want to scare me you’ll need to do much better than this. I may be younger than all of you by many decades, but I’m not a schoolchild to be bullied.

“Arrington,” Mr. Montgomery started, a threatening edge in his voice. “You’d better have a good explanation.”

“An explanation?” I lifted an eyebrow. “The situation has already been explained to you, as I’m sure you’ll recall. The Brazilians have brought their cocaine and their quarrelling to the east coast, and one of the kingpins is about to be executed by the other.”

“By your sister, you mean,” Dr. Carrington spat.

“She is involved, yes,” I answered, choosing my words carefully. “But I highly doubt she intends to get in a shoot-out. She tends not to let herself get directly in the line of fire.”

“I thought you said you could control her,” Mr. Montgomery said coldly.

“I can.” Better than anyone else can, at least.

“So her involvement is with your blessing?”

I turned a cold gaze on him. I’d expected to have the most trouble from him. He hesitated a moment, seeming regretful to have drawn my full attention. I looked at him in silence for several long moments. Long enough for him to get uncomfortable, then just a moment longer.

He fingering his wedding band. My gaze travelled to his hand for a moment, then flicked back to his partially upturned collar, and quickly moved to his patchily shaven fat jowl. Mr. Montgomery hadn’t made it home last night, it seemed. His wife would never let him leave the house looking like that.

I locked my gaze on his eyes, hoping he could tell I’d figured out his little secret. I figured I knew what he’d been doing. It didn’t seem like much of a stretch, considering he had no reason to look as haggard as he now did.

“It’s funny you should speak of blessings.” My gaze was unyielding, unmerciful, as his eyes grew wide and desperate. “One would think that you’re perfectly aware that people can be…unfaithful… to promises—even lifelong promises they make to people.”

I pressed my fingertips together as I made a quick glance around the table. Each man seemed to be getting more and more uncomfortable, realizing that I’d uncovered something with a mere glance that Mr. Montgomery obviously hoped to keep hidden. It looks like I’ve got their attention. Good. I continued, “Of course, just because I didn’t authorize the action doesn’t mean that I don’t know exactly what is going on, and it doesn’t mean that I couldn’t do something to shake up someone’s world, if I so chose.”

“Mr. Arrington!” Dr. Carrington said sharply. I turned my gaze on him. “I certainly hope you’re not threatening a member of this council.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I answered with a slight edge to my voice, carefully picking apart his appearance for something, anything, that would give me the advantage I needed. He shrank back slightly. I nearly smirked. Apparently you do have something to hide. Go on then, tell me what it is.

“I think,” Mr. Hill cut in, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “That perhaps we should take a short recess to gather our wits and our patience about us before we continue.”

I sat stiffly, waiting to see the responses. One by one the old men began to nod their assent, and several got up to excuse themselves. I stood up and strode to the side of the room to pour myself a glass of water. I silently moved to the window and stared out at the early morning world outside. The sky was beginning to lose its darkness for another day; the rest of the staff were beginning to pull up in their fancy cars.

I took a deep breath and slowly released it. Sometimes it felt like my younger siblings could wreak more havoc in my life than all of the countries of the world combined. I didn’t care about anything but those two idiots. Decisions were easy when your emotions didn’t get involved.

If I manage to get Skylar through this, I swear I’m going to kill her. I slowly turned back toward the table and took my seat at the head, being careful to keep my back perfectly straight as I silently called the meeting back to order. One by one the councilmen retook their seats and stared at me stonily.

“Gentlemen,” I began once more, briefly looking at each of them in turn. “I understand your concern with the situation. It would be easy for a brother’s judgment to be clouded when the matter of his younger sister’s safety is in jeopardy.”

“Or is a jeopardy,” Dr. Carrington interjected. “A menace, even.”

“However, I assure you,” I continued, refusing acknowledge of his comment. “I’ve got everything under control. I have been monitoring the situation very carefully for a long time, and have arranged a meeting with Skylar later this morning to discuss the next course of action.”

“And what is your next course of action?” Mr. Hill asked challengingly.

“To let the situation play itself out.” There were several outraged cries before I could continue. I lifted a hand, trying to maintain some level of order, and finished once the room was quiet once more. “As you are all are extremely aware, they are both very elusive.”

“So you intend to let a war break out on the streets?”

“No,” I answered simply. “Skylar has positioned herself as a figure of importance and happens to be quite influential among certain circles. I intend to get the necessary information from her, then watch as one problem takes the other out, all the while setting himself up for murder charges.”

“And if she doesn’t tell you?”

“She will.”

“But if she won’t?” Mr. Montgomery pressed.

“Oh, she will,” I answered, pressing my fingertips together. “Childhood reveals many weaknesses that can be easily exploited, and I fancy that brothers have a certain… skill… when it comes to antagonizing their sisters.”