Page 88 of Double or Nothing

“Trevor’s son is returning to London,” he continues. “Christopher. He’s been in Chicago for the last six years. Sharp boy. Excellent education. Good instincts. He’s done very well there, but it’s time for him to come home.”

I don’t speak.

I can’t.

Christopher fucking Otley. I got to see more than enough of him when we were kids. He’s a stuck-up asshole who used to laugh at throwing stones at cats. An utter prick in a stuck-up circle.

Only now, Christopher fucking Otley is the shape of a bullet, heading for Alice’s world.

“Trevor is keen for him to take a more active role here,” Bill says. “I’m inclined to agree. The next phase of our collective will require consolidation. Family alignment. Long-term stability.”

Family alignment.

My stomach turns.

No, surely not.

Bill looks straight at me.

And there it is.

The thing I already know but don’t want him to say.

“I think Christopher and Alice could be very good for each other.”

My fingers go numb.

I hear Jack’s voice in my head, bright and mocking.

Daddy Parker is Lord God and ruler of all.

I hated him for saying it. I hate him more for being right.

“Does Alice still know him?” I ask, and my voice sounds is so tight, it sounds like it belongs to someone else.

Another wave of his hand like my question means nothing.

“They met years ago. Briefly. They’ll reacquaint.”

“Does she know he’s coming back? Does she know about what you have planned for them?”

“Not yet.”

“So she doesn’t know your intentions? She has no idea?”

Bill’s eyes harden.

A tiny shift. Barely anything.

But there he is.

The Lord God and ruler of all.

“My intentions are for my daughter’s future.”

“Her future should be hers!”

Silence.