The Ghost

68. Heirs

Tyler's POV

This fucking bitch really just brought her into this! God I wish he hadn't. Although I'm sure that was the point because standing right behind her was someone I never wished to fight against and G could see that.

She could see the hesitation in my eyes, the softness and guilt. This girl reminded me of my darkest moment, the time when he managed to break me and then took away my everything. When I killed her entire family in front of her and brought her to him. To my grandfather.

Evelyn, the girl I gave my heart to and then betrayed.

Her eyes bore into mine with a pain that makes me squeamish.

G's eyes make contact with mine searching for answers or a plan, but I don't give her any, so she makes her own. With a small nod in the direction of my grandfather she tells me to go after him while she takes care of the girl I love… loved… I don't know. Is she even capable of love anymore… am I???

Fuck it. I can't stay a weak bitch forever. Turning my back on the two girls I jump at the old man in front of me. Screaming, "You killed them! You destroyed my family! Now I'll destroy your legacy."

The old man sneers, "you aren't even my heir, how could you of all people expect to destroy my legacy?"

My own sneer mars my face as I start circling him, "Hmm, well first off you've lost the other two heirs so guess what? Whether you like it or not, I'm your heir." Mm I love that confusion on his face, for once I'm ahead of him. "And your damned school has been shut down. Oh and since you killed your daughter and son and I can't have kids you have no one else to pass the name on to. Your legacy is dead now I just need to seal the deal with your head."

I move in to punch his throat, but he side steps it, throwing his own fist into my ribs. Not stopping to regain my breath, I turn so my elbow is in his ribs hopefully shocking him. We need them to take this seriously… to take us seriously.

Because… Because… I couldn't handle giving another girl my heart only for him to break her into pieces yet again.

Flashback *2 months ago*

G has such pretty eyes. Oh and how she kicked Mark's ass earlier was hot. And the way she can flip the switch from angel to Satan's worst nightmare is beautiful.

"Noooo," I moan into my pillow. I wanna sleep, brain, let me sleep! I toss and turn in my bed for another ten minutes before saying fuck it and going to the bar that G keeps fully stocked for those hard nights.

I'm not too surprised when I get there that G is already nursing a bottle of Jack, but the dark look in her eyes has me questioning whether I should interrupt her or not.

I stay there for a few seconds before she calls out, "Are you just gonna stand there and stare or are you going to join me?"

Being the idiot I am, I reply with the cringiest line ever, "Well I would, but the view is just amazing."

She snorts into her bottle before taking a huge swallow of it, "So what the duck are you still doing up? I thought you were going to collapse from exhaustion hours ago." mocking me.

I roll my eyes grabbing a bottle of vodka, before whispering "stupid brain with stupid memories." and taking a huge swig.

Nodding her head sympathetically, G drains her bottle and grabs another. "Well… when you need someone to listen and just stand there while you rant… I'm here. Trust me nothing you've ever had done to you would ever scare me or make me run. I've either had just as bad or worse."

I chug half the bottle of liquid courage before turning to her, "Then first off, you should know I have developed feelings for you. You seem to be on my mind everyday and I can't stop feeling like I'm failing you whenever we talk about the threat from my family. That scares me. It absolutely fucking terrifies me."

An unreadable look passes through her eyes, but I'm too caught up in chugging the rest of the vodka to try prying into her mind.

"When I was sixteen, I was on loan to a mafia and I got sent to this coffee shop everyday. One day there was this gorgeous girl sitting at my usual table reading Throne of Glass (shout out to my peeps!) I instantly wanted to talk to her, but I held myself back. There was too much risk in bringing anyone home to grandfather. Then she started showing up more and more often. Until my will broke and I sat down to say hi."

At this G takes another sip from her bottle, but the flush on my cheeks makes me wonder what's going through her mind. I follow her example and then continue telling her about my past.

"Not long after I told her I loved her grandfather called me back home saying I was finished working for others. It took me a while to understand, but he started giving me orders directly. I ended up killing at least one person a day on his orders. Then he found out about the girl. She had been asking about me I guess and his loyal dogs ran straight to him.

"After an entire month stuck in a dog cage being beaten, I did what he wanted. I was ordered to kill her entire family and bring her to him. Her look of betrayal and my reflection are some of the most common things I dream about."

I grab another bottle and start sipping again, "I've already lost one woman I loved to him, I can't lose another. Please… please promise me you'll at least try to go along with our plan and not try to kill him yourself." I finish pleading with her.

A sad look passes through her eyes, and this time she tells me her story. "Your cousin Ashley was my first love." Wait what! She had actually known my cousin! "Of course I never told her. I was waiting till after graduation when there wouldn't be anyone to stop us anymore.

"She was amazing and she knew me better than anyone, but she found out that your grandfather wanted to marry her off. When she confronted him about it he tortured her until she agreed to give me up. Unfortunately for him she had already killed her match and he couldn't find a new one very quickly, so he let her come back to school.

"After she returned she was never the same. It took me an entire year just to get her to speak to me again and I knew that she was talking to someone about my plans. Either way I tried to help her come back to herself.

"Once the headmaster was dead she seemed to be getting better and everything was great. I got distracted by family problems, but I thought she was on my side. I didn't notice until too late that she had this immense hatred for family and was plotting how to kill mine. It took me too long to work up the nerve to kill her and Rosie and Mark and everyone else paid the consequences. Rosie will never walk again thanks to me and I… I will always be the person who failed them."

Tears start running down her face, but she ignores them and keeps drinking her newest bottle of Jack. Seeing her weakness makes me care even more about what happens to her and this need to protect grows in the pit of my stomach.

Taking another sip of my bottle, I rasp out, "That son of a bitch really did a number on us didn't he?"

A solemn nod is all I receive in return as she keeps nursing her drink. It takes her another moment of silence to say anything. "You know… I'm actually developing feelings for you too. You've been through your own share of shit, but at least you know it doesn't define you."

I freeze in shock for a second before doing the stupidest thing ever. I kiss her. Then I walk out the door calling, "Good night G," behind me.