Firebomb (The Jewel Project #2)

17.2|| The man behind the suit

Tom stared. "Who are you?" The moment the question was out, he realized how stupid it sounded, because that man was obviously Snitch Gravel.

Except, he didn't look like the Snitch Gravel Tom knew. The indigo jeans, white Nikes and black AC/DC t-shirt, the black massy hair and the way he crossed his arms over his chest all spoke of a different man, a much younger man. Not the one always wearing the impeccable suit and silk top hat. Not the one who tried to kill them.

"For the sake of your intelligence, I hope that question was metaphorical," Snitch Gravel answered.

"Um, yes?" Tom bit his lip, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. "What's with the outfit?"

Snitch Gravel quirked an eyebrow. "Really? I took time out of my extremely busy schedule to answer your request and this is what you ask me?"

"I just thought that suit was glued on to your skin or something." Nice comeback. Be a smartass if you want him to kill you.

Snitch Gravel just stared for a second then huffed and dropped on the only chair in the room, draping his arm over its back. "I peeled it off for the evening. Believe it or not, I'm human too, and the suit gets stuffy."

"I get you. I hate suits." What the hell was he doing? Bonding with Snitch Gravel? But he couldn't think of a subtle way to ask what he wanted to know. "Um..." Shit, here goes nothing. "Why is Ron still alive?"

Ron, who had sunk back against the wall trying to remain unnoticed, threw him an outraged look.

Snitch Gravel frowned. "Why would he not be alive?"

"Unless he's not my uncle," Tom continued.

Snitch Gravel threw a fleeting look over his shoulder at Ron and turned back to Tom, smirking. "Huh, didn't think he had it in him to tell you."

"So he really is my uncle?"

"Yup," Snitch Gravel answered balancing back and forth on the chair's hind legs.

What the proverbial hell? "If he's Dad's brother, why don't you want to kill him, too?"

"Gee, thanks, Tom," Ron mumbled from his corner.

"Oh, that's a good question," Snitch Gravel answered amused. "Because your father hates him."

"Not if Ron's really his brother."

Snitch Gravel let out a heartfelt laugh. "Really now? You think that highly of your father? Trust me on this, Ron really is your uncle. And yet, your brothers knew nothing of his existence."

"I can't trust you. You're the enemy. You'd say anything to screw with us."

Snitch Gravel nodded. "That's fair, too."

Tom looked from him to Ron, trying to figure out if they were lying, but there was really no way to check. And his subtle introduction had hit a dead end. "Why do you want to kill us?"

"Because you're your father's children," Snitch Gravel answered without missing a beat.

"Yes, and you hate our father," Tom said carefully.

"Correct."

"Our father, not us."

Snitch Gravel narrowed his eyes, an amused smile playing on his lips. "I see what you're trying to do here. You actually want to know what your father did. How he pissed me off enough that I would go not after him personally, but after what he loves most."

Tom nodded, holding his breath.

"Have you asked him?"

"Me, personally, no. I have no idea if Sam, Jerry and Kyle know more."