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“Good plan,” Grace says.
“I agree,” Michael says. “Thank you, Carson.”
“All of us under one roof where we can all be taken out in one fell swoop? I don’t fuckin’ think so,” Derek states. “No way am I keeping Chloe here.”
I look up at his face. Our eyes meet and his are frighteningly angry.
His hand at my lower back jerks some more.
“It was a public place; there was only so much we could do,” Grace defends. “But-”
“Bullshit,” Derek clips. “Did me and Jonah not both try to convince you people it was a bad idea to be out in the open like that? Lotta good that recon did when enemies can strap explosives to drones.”
Michael keeps going. “We’ll go out there, present a united front, and deal with all the bullshit tomorrow. How’s that?”
“Did I not just fucking speak?” Derek snaps.
“Do I give a fuck?” Michael returns.
“You really gonna continue acting like I’m not here, Dad?”
“Me, Derek? You say practically nothing to me for decades and now you’ve got all sorts of shit to say to me? Now you want attention? Here. During all this?” Michael pauses and then sourly finishes with, “I think given the circumstances, it can wait one more day, son.” He gulps back the contents of his glass and sets it down hard.
“I’ve got shit to say that should’ve probably been said a long fuckin’ time ago,” Derek snaps. “Maybe I don’t wanna wait until tomorrow. Maybe I can’t swallow it down for one more fucking minute.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’re supposed to be burying my wife today, Derek.”
“She’s dead and gone. And she’s still your biggest priority, isn’t she?”
Michael’s face is red, but like stone.
A staff member comes in and speaks low to Carson.
“The police are here,” Carson states.
“Make them wait. We’re busy,” Derek snaps.
“I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you all of a sudden,” Michael says.
“Of course you don’t know; you haven’t given a fuck for most of my life, Dad.”
“My wife is dead!” Michael shouts gutturally.
I wince.
“My mother is dead!” Derek counters. “And you didn’t protect her when Elijah told you shit was too amped for you to be wandering around in New York. All because she wanted to see a fucking play and you didn’t want to burst her fragile bubble by revealing that shit was dangerous. And now again today… again… your ignorance put my wife, my brothers and sisters, their spouses in jeopardy.”
“And I have to live with all that, don’t I?” Michael fires back.
“You have a history of not paying attention to anybody who says anything you don’t wanna hear, don’t you? Until big shit happens to wake you up, right? Oh… wait… except when it comes to your kids.”
Michael bares his teeth, but Derek isn’t done.
“Did sweet fuck all for your family unless it was throwing money at staff to look after them for you… until she almost died when we were kids and then she was all you gave a fuck about. And now she’s dead. What’ll you give a fuck about now, Dad?”
“You’ve lost your mind, Derek.”
“I think I lost it a long time ago, man. Around the time my father didn’t give a fuck that I was being held for a ransom he could easily pay.”
