The Long Road Home

Chapter Twenty-One

Caine raised a brow, but he wasn’t exactly surprised. He had already clocked the resemblance. However, the older man was definitely lacking a welcoming visage. Caine was no stranger to Gus’s looks of disapproval, which had been less of late. Since Jake’s birth, Gus had relaxed, for the most part. Evidently, fatherhood didn’t have the same effect on this newcomer.

The older man hesitated, answering, “Fergus? Is that really you?”

“Well, I’m not a ghost,” Gus said.

The older man looked at Caine with a disapproving frown, “And who are you?”

“Mad Dog,” Caine answered, gesturing to Gus. “I’m his Gopher.”

He looked to Gus for answers, dismissing Caine’s presence, “Fergus, do you have an explanation for this?”

“Do I need one?” Gus asked. “He’s one of my men. I wanted someone here I could trust. Think of him as a guard dog.”

“Woof,” Caine said, grabbing another slice of pizza. He coolly eyed the older man and wasn’t particularly impressed. So, this is Gus’s father. Ronin was it?

Ronin wrinkled his nose, but bit back a response. After a moment, he said, “Well, it’s good you are back.”

“I’m not.”

“What?”

“I’m not back,” Gus said. “Fin tracked me down and asked me to clean up his mess because you didn’t think to hire someone competent to handle the company.”

“None of that would have been necessary if you hadn’t disappeared.”

“Right, I’m the sacrificial lamb to keep everything running smoothly so the rest of you can live lives blissfully free of concern. What I want out of life doesn’t matter.”

“That’s not what I said. And you loved running the company.”

“Who wouldn’t like working twelve hours a day to keep my family’s coffers full while my brother and fiancée helped themselves to my bed in my absence?”

Fin grimaced. He had never thought about what it was like for his brother to run the company single-handedly while he enjoyed the freedom to spend his days as he pleased. There was always money in his account, but Fin never once wondered where it came from. His only complaint was that his days were often boring.

“Your brother made a mistake,” Ronin said.

“A mistake? A mistake!” Gus pounded the desk with his fist. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me? He slept with my fiancée! That goes so far beyond mistake. And why shouldn’t he bear the consequences? It’s fitting he married the fuckin’ b***h. God knows I wasn’t going to touch her again.”

“Fergus, there is no need for that kind of language. And you shouldn’t talk about Bianca that way.”

“Why the f**k not? She cheated on me with my own fuckin’ brother. Why would I show her an ounce of goodwill or respect? And if I hadn’t left, you would have tried to talk me into marrying her anyway, right? Don’t fuckin’ pretend otherwise.”

“We had an agreement with her parents…”

“I don’t fuckin’ care what agreement you had. I would never have married that cunt and there is nothing you or her father could have done to change my mind.”

“He was threatening to take over our whole company,” Ronin said.

“Let him have it. He has the business sense of a goldfish. You could have bought it back for a fraction of the cost two years later once he ran it into the ground,” Gus shrugged. “Instead, you have a house of cards because you let Fin make financial decisions. I’m only here because Fin begged for my help. Once I’m done, I’m gone, sooner if you keep pushing it.”

“Now, now. You shouldn’t make any hasty decisions. You should be here with your family. We can pick up where we left off and get back to where we should be.”

“Oh, I’m curious to see how you think that will work,” Gus smirked. “Fin’s already married to Bianca. So, tell me how this family dynamic works. I’m dying to know.”

Ronin hesitated. He glanced at Caine, not liking the idea of airing out the family laundry in front of an outsider. After a moment, he said, “We can discuss how we handle this situation later.”

Gus snorted, “We don’t have anything to discuss. Like I said, I’m not staying.”

“Of course, you are.”

“No. I’m not. I have a life, and it isn’t here.”

“What life could you possibly have that would take you away from your family?” Ronin demanded, glaring at Caine. “Are you having difficulty with some sort of gang? What have you gotten yourself mixed into?”

Caine chuckled, shaking his head.

“And what is your issue?” Ronin asked.

“Oh, I’m just impressed by your powers of observation,” Caine smirked. “You still haven’t clocked the Prez’s attire, have you?”

Ronin frowned and looked again at Gus to see his cut matched Caine’s before saying, “Fergus, what have you gotten yourself into?”

“Didn’t you hear him?” Gus asked. “I’m the President. I haven’t gotten myself into anything. I’m running it. Hence, my guard dog.”

“You joined a gang?”

“No, I started a Club,” Gus corrected. “I’m the one in charge. I make the decisions and no one tells me what to do. That’s something you better get through your head.”

Ronin hesitated. Gus had never challenged him like this before. While Fin had always been active and loud, Gus was a quiet child, sometimes sullen. It wasn’t any wonder the twin’s mother had a difficult time relating to him, preferring to focus on her more exuberant son. But Gus’s new dismissive attitude was different.

“Well, we have time to discuss how to handle your return,” Ronin said.

“Apparently, you aren’t very good at listening,” Gus scowled. “I haven’t returned, so there is nothing to discuss. I’m leaving, and I will not come back here again. So, you should find someone competent to manage your books from now on. You want Fin on the Board, fine, but someone else should be making the decisions, assuming I can salvage this mess.”

“What about Bianca?”

“What about her? I don’t give two shits about the cunt.”

“But she was your fiancée.”

“Was,” Gus reiterated. “She’s Fin’s wife now. Why aren’t you talking about that?”

“But you loved her, and she loved you.”

“If she loved me so much, how’d she end up with Fin’s d**k inside of her?” Gus asked. “And why would you think I have anything but distain for her now?”

“I’m sure she regrets her actions.”

“I’m sure she does too. She lost the sugar daddy she needed to fund her lifestyle.”

“There is no need to be so callous.”

“Stop bringing her up if you don’t want to bring out that side of me,” Gus warned, holding up his left hand. “Besides, I found someone new. So, there is nothing left to discuss.”

“You’re married?” Ronin asked. “You didn’t invite us to the wedding?”

“Why would I? It was the most important day of my life. Everyone important to me was there. Why would I want people there who didn’t matter?”

Ronin frowned. How could Gus be so indifferent to his own family? Was this how he raised his son? Was this the effect of his so-called Club? Or maybe it was the woman he married that made him this way?

That made the most sense. Clearly, the woman was a bad influence, maybe even the one who made Gus join a Club in the first place. Ronin would have to find more information about that woman before he proceeded. Somehow, Fin managed to find his brother, so he was the best person to ask. He must have met the woman.

Looking at Gus again, Ronin decided not to pursue the topic for now. First, he would speak to Fin. Finally, he said, “You should come home for dinner. We can have your room prepared.”

“No need. We already checked into a hotel. I’ll stay there. Besides, I’d pay real money if you could find my room.”

“You should still come home,” Ronin insisted.

“My home is in Ohio,” Gus said. “Besides, the hotel room will be more comfortable.”

“…Well, at least come and have a meal with us.”

“Caine and I have plans.”

“We do?” Caine asked, then caught Gus’s disapproving glare. “Oh, right. Yeah. Sure do.”

Gus shook his head. So much for watching his back.