"W-wait, wait, someone threw a brick through the window?"
"Uh-huh, I don't know how long it's gonna take to get replaced, but at the very least I'm closing shop Monday, so feel free to take the day off," I told Tiana over the phone as I inspected the shattered remnants of glass scattered on the floor and the jagged shards left in the windowsill.
"I don't know what the hell has gotten into people nowadays. Please tell me no one was hurt?" Tiana asked, her voice thick with concern.
"No one was hurt, thank god," I muttered before pausing as I spotted the brick in the far corner of the room. It had cracked the hard stone tile beneath it, and as I mentally measured the distance between the window and the impact site, I imagined the force and speed needed to throw a solid brick that far, 'If one of the girls had been standing in the way…'
"Ramon?"
Tiana's voice snapped me out of my dark thoughts, and I shook my head, "Sorry about that, my mind started wandering, still a bit shaken up that this kinda thing happened. I almost feel responsible."
"Now, that's just foolish! None of the blame is on your shoulders, so don't get stuck up in that nonsense you hear me!"
I couldn't help but smile hearing Tiana's supportive tongue-lashing, "Thanks, T, I needed to hear that. Now I'm gonna let you go now, I need to see if I can find someone who can replace ten feet of glass overnight."
"Alright, be safe now," Tiana bade goodbye before hanging up.
Putting my phone away, I took one last look at the wreckage before slowly nodding my head as I started to brainstorm.
"Hmm, I know that look."
I was pulled out of my musings as Ashe made her presence known, stepping through the broken window, her boots crunching on the glass, "What look?"
"The look of a man getting ready to wage holy war to protect the only thing that gives him the strength to wake up in the morning," Ashe drawled as her eyes bore into me, "My daddy had the same look every day when he worked the farm…Northwest took that from him… it would be poetic if he got taken down after inspiring the same look in you."
"Not if, when," I growled, stoking the burning coals of my rage, "That asshole's got it coming to him, his whole rotten family does. I look forward to tearing them apart."
Ashe raised an expectant eyebrow, "You got a plan?"
"A few ideas," I grunted before I pulled out my phone and started to type away.
"What are you doing now?"
I answered a second later, after I found the number I was looking for, "I'm setting up a meeting."
"With who?" Ashe asked, confused.
"Northwest, himself," I muttered as I put my phone to my ear as it started to ring, "After all this is said and done, I want that asshole to know that he had the option to avoid the hell I'm going unleash on him."
"Are you crazy?!" Ashe hissed, but before she started really chewing me out, the call connected, "Northwest Enterprises, how can I help you today?"
"Yeah, I'd like to set up a meeting with your CEO, tell him Ramon Young wants to discuss business."
I honestly hadn't expected my first attempt to work, but Mr Northwest or Preston, as I had found out, must have been waiting for my response because less than two hours later, a sleek black SUV pulled up to the restaurant.
"I hope you know what you're doing," Ashe muttered as she glared daggers at the car.
"I do, I just need you to hold down the fort while I'm away," I replied, looking Ashe in the eye until she nodded, "Just remember we got a whole field to seed tomorrow, I'm going to need that stamina of yours, so try not to get yourself killed, alright."
I shot Ashe a sly grin before walking up to the car, opening the door, and climbing in.
---
The ride was longer than I expected as the car took me to a part of town I had never been to before, and I could almost feel myself enter a different tax bracket as the houses grew grander and grander, with lawns that started to resemble golf courses.
Before long, the houses were full-blown mansions with gated fences and driveways so long that I couldn't even see the houses they should have led to. It was one of these manors that the car pulled up to, pausing briefly at the front golden front gate as it swung open.
It was another five minutes before we arrived at the house, which was just as gaudy and tasteless as I expected, with white marble and golden accents that exchanged wealth for substance.
I felt the car park and a second later, my door was opened by a faceless security guard wearing the standard earpiece, suit, and tie, "Mr. Northwest is waiting for you in the garden pavilion."
I could feel the guard staring down at me, trying to intimidate, but I put a quick end to that by stepping out of the car and rising to my full height, putting me firmly above him, "Well then, let's not keep him waiting."
I could practically hear the man's molars grind together as he clenched his jaw, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned around and started walking toward the side of the house.
Following in his footsteps, we went through another gate, surrounded by hedges, and entered a classical Greek garden that I could imagine hosting all sorts of socialite parties.
Eventually, we reached our destination, and I had to take a quick moment to calm myself as my eyes landed on Preston, seated on a patio in tennis attire, nursing an iced tea. 'I hope you enjoy it. This is the last moment of peace you're going to have for quite a while.'
"Mr. Northwest, your guest is here."
"So he is," Preston said with a grin, staring at me with a sick glee in his eyes. "You know I was surprised you asked to meet with me in person."
I kept my face impassive, hiding how badly I wanted to crush the smug bastard's skull with my bare hands, "I'm just here to return something you seemed to have misplaced."
My hand reached around my back, though, before I could pull out my gift, I heard a click and looked over to see the security guard glaring at me with his hand in his jacket no doubt wrapped around a pistol ready to put a bullet in between my eyes.
Staring the guard down I slowly pulled the brick out of my pocket and tossed it at Preston's feet, who let out an arrogant chuckle, "I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking about."
I smirked, "Good, keep up the bravado, but let me make this clear you have one chance to make amends. Leave the Olde Farm and me alone, and I'll forget this little incident happened."
Preston looked genuinely surprised that I dared to threaten him, but he just shook his head and smiled, "Oh really, or what, you'll kill me?"
My smirk turned into a full on grin, "No, I'll make your life into a living hell. I'll dig up every little dirty secret your family has built up over the generations and expose it all."
For the first time I watched Preston's casual and arrogant visage shift into something darker as he fixed me with a glare, "Listen here, you lowly pissant, you don't threaten a man's family to his face in his own home."
"Only if you have the balls to do so, otherwise I'd probably do something like hire one of my smooth-brained grunts to leave a vaguely threatening message like the coward I am," I shot back as my grin turned downright demonic as I taunted Preston to his face and watched his jaw clench.
"Samson, I think Mr. Young has overstayed for today. Make sure he get's home…safely," Preston growled out the last few words as Samson nodded and grabbed my shoulder trying to muscle me out of the garden but when he applied pressure I simply didn't move.
"Remember this day Northwest, remember you just turned down an olive branch," I stared into Preston's eyes as I delivered my final warning before shrugging off Samson's hand and turning around, "I'll see myself out."
True to my word, I walked all the way down the driveway until I reached the front gate, which thankfully opened as I approached, because otherwise I was gonna have to climb over.
Stepping onto the street, I inhaled once, hoping it would help calm me down, but when it didn't, I opted for plan B as I pulled out my phone and dialed Lois, "Hey, your parents' house wouldn't happen to be anywhere near the Northwest Manor, wouldn't it?"