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I did as was asked and as I walked down the hallway to what I was sure would be an irate Aiden, I tried hard not to think about a naked Fred in the shower.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Fred
The remainder of that day and the next was filled with strategizing for the funeral. I knew Haven Hart would have a big presence there, and it would be a good chance to speak with some of them without raising suspicion or risking people overhearing.
Aiden had offered very little, opting to glare at Vincenzo as if he were trying to blow him up with his mind. Unfortunately, I couldn’t deal with his feelings right now with everything so uncertain.
The night before the funeral, after a lot of silent treatment, Aiden had approached me while I’d been sitting out in the garden alone.
“Sir.”
“Now I’m back to being sir?” I chuckled and motioned to the seat in front of me.
“I’ve been an ass, I know.”
He took a seat and his shoulders sagged. I waited for him to speak, knowing it was he who had to make the first comment.
“I’ve been thinking, wracking my brain really. And yeah, Finn, Oscar, and Rowan have been skimming from the top. I saw Zion’s proof.”
My nostrils flared as I listened to him. God, was I just a huge joke to my entire family?
“But why would they do that if they were just intending to take over in the first place, Fred? Yeah…” He held up his hands halting me when I opened my mouth to speak. “They need to be punished for that, and I’m sure you’ll dole it out. But, as much as you think it’s an internal thing, I don’t think it is.”
“You think it’s Lex Talionis?” I swallowed my rage. It wasn’t Aiden’s fault that my lieutenants had sticky fingers.
“I think it’s possible. But while we were all talking about strategy and how you’d get to talk to Manos and all them at the funeral, another thought struck.”
I gestured for him to go on. I didn’t have time for these suspenseful pauses.
“Haven Hart wanted your father dead. Rightly so—he did them wrong. Had it not been for you, they’d have been given a shit-ton of territory to split between them all.”
A laugh burst from somewhere deep in my gut. Aiden stared wide-eyed at me as I held my belly and full-on cackled, listening to his assumption.
“Fred…”
I held up a hand, I couldn’t listen to this. “Stop, it hurts.”
Aiden huffed and sat back in his chair, a look of pure annoyance on his face.
“It’s not funny, Fred. I’m serious.”
“Oh, I know.” I wiped my eyes, my chest feeling lighter than it had in days. “But that’s the most ridiculous conclusion I’ve heard to date.”
“Why? It’s absolutely feasible.”
I let my body fully relax in my seat and met Aiden’s gaze head on. “Because that’s not who they are. They don’t want any more wars. If they wanted my territory, they’d have taken it when I was barely breathing and being held in their bomb shelter. They’d have killed me at that moment, annihilated every Brennan, and called it a day.”
“Fred, but?—”
“No, Aiden,” I snapped. “I know this was internal. You know it was too. Why are you trying to divert?”
He ran his fingers through his hair not once, not twice, but three times. “I dunno.”
“It’s hard for you. You’re close with Finn, and maybe you’re pissed. He’s making a move, and you knew nothing about it. Hell, Aiden, if I hadn’t ordered you to stay with Zion, you’d likely have been shot too.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
