Death Kings

Chapter 30

Jaxson

"The kid is worthless as an heir, Dagen! Maybe we should make one of your bastards or your brothers' bastards my heir!" I hear my father shout at my uncle. So I silently creep to the door, careful not to make a sound on the hardwood floors. I cannot have either of them catch me. I don't want to go to my cage in the basement again.

"Well, the women sure do like the little gowl. Their hands are all over him and he is only getting taller. Even the men are attracted to him. Maybe if he doesn't make a good pet assassin, we can make him a good little whore to rent out," my uncle Dagen says to my father. They already make me endure strangers putting their hands in places I don't want to be touched. I don't want to have sex with them! I want to wait until I meet the right girl.

"You have a point. Either way, you all have enough bastards that we don't want him to procreate. We should have him fixed soon. He did just turn thirteen. It's time for him to be a man." Fixed? What does Da mean by that?

"We should then introduce him to adulthood. The new little maid should do whatever I say," Uncle Dagen replies, licking his lips.

"Make the arrangements, Dagen," Father commands.

"Aye, dearthair," my uncle replies to his older brother, my father.

Oh shite! Footsteps are coming my way! I've got to move! Now! Neither of them can see me. I swiftly hide behind the door as it swings open, holding my breath. I close my eyes, praying for my Da or Uncle Dagen not to find me.

Click! I feel the cold metal of a gun press to my temple. The door moves away from me. I open my eyes to see who holds my life in their hands.

"Nice try, buachaill beag. You are least showing promise of being an assassin at least, but I'm better," my uncle Dagen sneers at me. "Now to your cage like a good boy, Jaxson." I gulp. I don't want to go, but I know if I don't move on my own, the consequences will be so much worse. "Move." I gulp but do as I'm told with the gun pressed to the back of my head the entire time. My uncle, he won't kill me. He will make me bleed or maybe even break my arm or ribs again.

"The doctor is going to come in the morning. You will be on your best behavior and do as he says. If you don't, I'll break more than your jaw." My jaw? What's uncle talking about my jaw isn't... as soon as we reach the basement near my cage, his gun connects to the side of my jaw. I hear a sickening pop in my ears. I try to apologize for snooping, but I can't get my mouth to work. It hurts badly!

Uncle Dagen fists the back of my shirt, tossing me inside my cage. "Reset that jaw soon or it will be crooked for the rest of your life," he orders and then laughs at that mental image of me. "Good-luck, buachaill."

This is the least of the damage I've gotten in a while. Since I'm in my cage, I know the punishment isn't done. I take my hand to the opposite side I was hit on. I shove it as hard as can to move my jaw. Feckin' hell that hurts, but at least it's back in place.

Ryder is going to have a challenging time hiding his reaction to this from his Pa when he sees me again. That means he is going to be beaten as well. It's a vicious cycle of abuse for me and the other three boys I call my brothers.

I don't know how much time has passed when the door to my prison opens. The lights come on and it's my Da this time. "You should know better than to spy, Aiden." He never calls me by my middle name since it's the name my Ma picked out. God rest her soul. "Come here."