~YULIA.
A stunned silence passed through the three of us before Issa broke the spell.
“Is this going to be a problem, Thaddeus?” Issa asked casually as he swirled his drink lazily. He had on a bored facial expression.
Pete’s father cleared his throat and shook himself like he had just woken up from a bad dream.
I stared wide eyed at Pete whose face had gone white with fear and disbelief. Even I was in disbelief. I had no idea how Issa had managed to turn things around but I could not deny that I was impressed.
The questions that haunted me at the moment thus. Could I bear to watch Pete’s father hurt his son? How fucked up was Issa’s mind to actually come up with something as sick and twisted as this?
Was Mr Thaddeus desperate and cruel enough to hurt his own blood to save his illegal business.
I had forgotten that I had a drink in my hand as I glanced from Pete to his dad. I felt no pity for him after I realized he was just as sick and depraved like his dad.
Thaddeus sighed and shook his head. “Put your arm in the table boy,” He turned to Pete whose mouth was wide open in disbelief.
“Dad, you can’t possibly be-”
I gasped as Thaddeus swiped his son hard across the face with the back of his hand. The impact of his hand was loud on Pete’s cheek. Pete’s head swung back from the hard and brutal contact of the back of his father’s palm. He almost fell out of the chair from the impact.
I looked at Issa whose expression still had the same bored look. He did not even flinch. This was getting hard to watch.
“Do not test me boy,” Thaddeus snarled cruelly at his son. “I will call the men to hold you down while I do it, or we can do this the easy way.”
“Yulia has school tomorrow, Thaddeus, it’s almost past her bedtime,” Issa said with mild impatience.
Tears flowed down Pete’s face as he glanced at me and Issa. I could see the plea in his eyes but it was futile. I could do or say nothing to change his fate. He did this to himself.
Thaddeus shot to his feet and grabbed the hammer. “Put your arm on the table, Peter.” He said gruffly.
Pete who was now shaking with fear quietly placed his arm across the table.
My heart was beating very fast as I watched the whole thing unfold right in front of me.
“I am sorry it had to come to this, son,” Thaddeus said in a solemn manner with a grim look etched on his face.
Crack!
The hammer swung down hard and vicious as it made contact with Pete’s outstretched left arm. He howled in pain and fell to the floor as he grunted loudly in agony. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from yelling.
Thaddeus motioned with his hands for his men to come. Three of them appeared with a grim and confused look on their faces.
“Take care of him,”He ordered and they helped Pete on his feet, carrying him away. I watched worriedly as they disappeared among the crowd.
I had no idea where they were taking him but I heaved a sigh of relief after it was over. Issa reached into his inner pocket of his biker jacket and pulled out his phone.
He pressed a few keys and sent some texts but I had no idea who he had communicated with.
“They’re off your back… for now.” He said as he returned his phone back to his inner pocket.
The whole thing that had taken place before me felt so unreal and yet, I could not deny that it had happened. Issa just made a man hurt his own son. It was so crazy.
Thaddeus slumped wearily back onto his seat and heaved a sigh of worry. A soft chuckle escaped his throat as he looked from me to Yulia.
“His mother is going to kill me,” He said.
Issa shrugged. “Hazards of the business.”
“I want to assure you that my son will never bother your niece again, you have my word,” Pete’s father said tiredly. I assumed that everything that happened had taken a toll on him.
“I hope he listens,” Issa replied. “Or I am going to have to cut off something from his body.”
“It would not come to that, I promise you,” Thaddeus replied and pulled out a hankie, before dabbing his moist forehead. He was a nervous and sweaty mess.
“Then we have an understanding,” Issa replied and finished his drink.
“There must be something very special about you, Ms. Yulia, if anyone is going through all this trouble to protect you,” Thaddeus said as he eyed me suspiciously.
“My uncle cares about me.” I replied with a shrug. “I can not say the same for you and your son though.”
He bristled in response to what I said.
“What I did to Peter will haunt me till the end of my days, Ms. Yulia.” Thaddeus said wistfully.
He reached for the second unopened bottle and popped it open. He poured himself a cup and gulped it down.
“I wish Pete had never met you,” He said as he poured himself another.
“You and me both,” I replied.
“That makes three of us,” Issa added.
Thaddeus stared long and hard at Issa, trying to place him.
“You tricked me,” Thaddeus finally spoke. “You disguise your darkness very well.”
I had to agree with Pete’s father on this one. Even I could not predict how things had ended up tonight. Issa gave a dark smile in return. He looked so handsome… and deadly.
“Who are you?” Thaddeus asked.
“Issa Frostwood,” Issa replied but I could see the mischief in his eyes.
“Yes, that is your name, but who are you really?” Thaddeus insisted.
Issa finished his drink and gently dropped his cup on the table. He got up and took my hand. It was time to go.
“I am the King of the Night.” He said and we left Thaddeus McPherson where he sat, sweating, drinking and defeated.