HIS BELLA - the sequel

Chapter 42

WADE

I walked into the dining hall, listening to the sound of my shoes hitting the floor slowly. He stood with his back to me, a cigar in between his fingers and wisps of smoke danced in the air.

"You asked for me?"

He looked over his shoulder and his eyes scanned my appearance. I bowed my head and looked at my feet instead. When he stared at me that way, I felt...scared.

"Don't look down when you're before me Wade", he said. It was the tenth time he had called me by my own name. I wasn't keeping count but Axel had been. I had ten counts and Axel had only four. Usually, I was "a spoilt brat", "useless", "a weakling" and Axel was "the other one" or "your brother".

"If you're going to lead the Raiders one day, you're going to have to do so with your head held up high", he added before placing the cigar in between his lips. I looked up at him and he nodded grimly before his gaze moved to the arched entrance into the hall.

Kelly walked in, her heels making confident sounds as she smiled at my father and then at me. She was a rather tall woman with a round face and dark brunette hair. She was my father's assistant and she went everywhere with him.

"Were the men able to kill Chamalet?", he asked her. I grimaced at how easy it was to speak of someone's life like that. I still hadn't forgotten the man he made me kill in the field. Sometimes, at night, I couldn't sleep because I thought about him and the wife he mentioned. His kids were also fatherless because of me.

"No, they weren't sir", Kelly said, "but they did find his relatives in the house. His mother and sister"

My father rose one brow and then he turned to me, "what do you think?", he asked, "what shall we do to my enemy's family?"

I glanced between him and Kelly. Why was he asking me this? Was it some kind of trap to only remind me of how weak I was? An excuse to have his men beat me up again and call it teaching?

"Well-", I paused, "-I think we should let them go", I said and he blew smoke from his lips, "we could use all that time and energy to look for him instead"

He chuckled, "we should let them go", he gritted his teeth and stared at Kelly, "did you hear that Kelly? My heir says we should let them go"

I swallowed air.

He clenched his jaw and walked towards me, "I want you to always remember that in this business, you can't be a hero Wade", he said, "it's kill or be killed and if you decide to be nice to the people who are trying to kill you then you won't last a day. Do you understand?"

I nodded, "I understand", I muttered.

"Now", he leaned away from me but the smell of cigarettes still lingered in my nostrils, "give Kelly the order"

I looked up at him, "w-what?"

"Give Kelly the order. She'll give it to the men"

He was asking me to kill again? This time, indirectly.

"I- "

"You can't do it?"

My stomach turned. I didn't want to get beat up again or risk something happening to Axel. I stared at Kelly and she gave me a small, encouraging smile.

"Kelly, have the men kill Chamalet's mother- ", my voice broke, "-and sister as well"

She nodded, "yes, Mr. Steele", she said before turning her back on us and walking out of the hall.