Lesson Ten - It's Lonely At The Top. That's Why A Bugatti Has 2 Seats And A Bus Has 50.
I take a moment to think. Was he actually serious?
"Did I just hear to you right?" I looked at Riker like he had two heads. There was no way he was serious right now. Riker and me teased each other and got on each other's last nerve but never before have we actually asked favours off one another.
Never mind something like this. Did he really think I would help him in the first place?
I had better things to do with my life than get in the middle of their petty arguments.
"Hard of hearing princess ?"
Glaring at him I turned in my seat slightly so that I could look at him head on. "Is that anyway to talk to someone, when you're asking them for a favour?" I turned to look out the window this time trying to block out the rest of this conversation.
We were only half way to my house so I knew my little plan wouldn't work. Not that I expected it too in the first place.
"You need to send him back to what ever hell hole he came from." Riker's voice was hard and there was doubt in it that he was anything but serious. He really did want me to get rid of Zane, I don't even understand why he thought I had that kind of power to begin with.
Scoffing I looked at him like all of this was a joke. "What ever is going on or happened between the two of you is between you and him. I want no part of it. One of you is my ex boyfriend the other is an annoying dick who just seems to get in my way."
With my own words I just realised how closely connected too these two I was. That was a dangerous place to be and I needed to start distancing myself from the both of them.
After all I had my own future to think about and having two guys that are on the wrong side of the law wasn't what I needed.
The paparazzi were already on my families cases most of the time I didn't need to add anything else to their hit list.
"I'll tell you what is in the file."
With that one sentence he was able to get my attention completely. Looking at him carefully I tried to work out if he was lying to me or not. Curiously was something that I was born with and I knew it was going to get me in serious trouble someday.
Maybe it already was getting me in trouble seeing as Riker knew just what buttons to push. I give him credit he knew me better than I thought he did.
That was a dangerous thing.
The man in front of me sure knew how to get my attention that was for sure.
We had stopped at a red light and he pulled out a cigarette and was about to light it when I took it off him. He looked at me with surprise before rolling his cloud grey eyes.
"Don't tell me your one of those girls that is going to go on about how it's a cancer on a stick."
Taking the lighter off him I lit it myself and started to inhale a drag. Now this wasn't something I normally did anymore and it was a bad habit that I done for a while. Now though I normally only did it when I had wanted to prove a point. Frankly I did take it off him because the smell of it did bother me but after his comment I just wanted to prove a point.
I just loved doing things that people never expected me to do. It was like a drug I could never get enough of when I seen their reactions.
Of course I made sure to put the window down. If there was one thing that really got to me when I used to smoke was the smell that lingered after. Plus as much as Riker annoyed me I would always respect a car.
He looked at me with a smirk and started to drive again when the light turned green. After I took another drag I handed it back to him.
He took it from my grasp and our hands brushed against each other making me flinch back. I know what those hands could do, I've heard the stories and felt how he touched my bare legs the other day.
There was one thing I did know, I didn't need that kind of trouble in my life.
The thing was I also loved trouble and that was just what Riker is.
"I didn't know you smoked princess." He took a slow drag and I watched as his tight fist around the steering wheel lightened.
It was clearly something he did to relax and I guess I couldn't blame him. There was something calming about the whole process.
"I don't anymore. Not after my brothers wouldn't stop getting on my case about it." It was true they wouldn't shut up how it was bad for you and all this shit. They could be really annoying when they wanted to be.
Which could be all the time if they really wanted to.
"Does Hayden not smoke?" He seemed genuinely curious about the question almost like he was trying to remember something.
Riker probably did have memories of my older brother when he and Ace were close friends. In fact I was pretty sure they were at each other's houses all the time practicing their football skills.
The two of them had a big future ahead of them, unfortunately only one of them succeeded.
"Yea but you know yourself one rule for brothers another rule for sisters." I remarked rolling my eyes knowing it was the truth. My brothers could get away with murder if you asked me.
"I wouldn't know." He shifted uncomfortably clearly not meaning to bring his sister up. That was the thing about me I had a skill of getting people to talk even when I didn't want them too. "I have an older half sister but she threw it all away and now lives her normal life in California somewhere. As far as I know she married and has three kids."
Looking at him I was actually surprised at what he had just said. Growing up I didn't know he had a sister at all. I just thought it was him and his brother Ace, after all Hayden had never mentioned Ace had a sister. Then again he did say older half sister maybe she was a good bit older than them.
"Different moms?" I had to ask out of curiosity.
"Different dads." He surprised me with an actual response. I guess he knew he already let the secret out so there was no harm in saying more. "My mom had Jessica, my sister when she was 16." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and I knew that's when he didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Anyway back to Zane, you need to get rid of him."
Sighing I knew I wasn't going to get out of this conversation easily. Riker knew what he was doing when it came to someone like me.
"And I still don't understand what it is you want me to do. I just can't send someone like Zane Knight away. I don't control him." I let out a mocking laugh as I thought about something. "If you haven't noticed he kind of does what he wants."
What did Riker actually want from me? Like I don't control Zane Knight.
No one did.
"I'm not stupid Lyra. I know he left after you two broke up."
Rolling my eyes I couldn't help myself at his comment. That rumour was annoying and false it was amazing what the student body came up with when they couldn't get the real answers.
"He didn't leave because we broke up. He left because he had to go to London to sort some things for his dad's company. We broke up basically because he was going and he wanted me to go with him. He wanted me to throw my own families empire out the window to help his."
It was the truth and as much as I got along with Zane I couldn't actually say I loved him. Don't get me wrong we were close and we did shit loads of things together but in my head it was just a bit of teenage fun. When he asked me to come with him it made me realise that being with Zane wasn't actually what I wanted.
My families business was what I wanted and I wasn't going to let anything get between me and it. In my head if someone really loved you they wouldn't ask you to give up your dreams just for their own.
That wasn't what being together was all about. You're meant to be a team and grow together and that wasn't what being with Zane was all about.
"You know about his dads Empire?" Asked Riker almost carefully. He was trying to work out how much I knew without actually straight up asking me it.
If their was one thing I could do it was being able to read people.
Right now I could read Riker like a book.
That wasn't something he wanted to let me do.
"Of course I probably know a lot more than you think." My statement fell us both into a comfortable silence and I knew Riker was trying to work out where to go from here.
It wasn't everyday you came across a girl that knew things about your enemy.
Pulling up to the gates the guards stopped the car and I waved out to them knowing that it was ok. With a nod they opened the gates for Riker's car as he reved the engine. I could see the questions in their eyes wondering why Riker Kennedy was bringing me home. More importantly what had happened to my own car.
As Riker drove up my long driveway he seemed to be taking everything in. Finally he stopped near the front doors of my home.
The gardeners were out watering the plants and tending to the large and vast garden. Richard our head butler was standing on the front porch talking to my mother. Groaning I slid down in my seat hoping that she hadn't spotted me.
There wasn't a brain cell in my head that wanted to deal with her shit right now.
Riker laughed slightly as he looked at my mother and back at me clearly catching on to the situation. "You and your mother really don't get on do you?"
"That is the understatement of the year." Knowing there was no chance of me getting g out of this I opened the car door mentally preparing myself for her presence.
Even though there was nothing in this world that ever prepared me for her.
"Lyra!" She shouted happily as I walked around the car. Ignoring her I bent down to the window on the drivers side and talked to Riker.
Riker just looked amused about the whole thing and honestly I couldn't blame him. If it was the other way around I probably would've been living life right now.
"I will do what ever you want if you just get her out of my house." He raised his eyebrows at me almost making sure what I was saying was the truth. When I nodded I showed him I was deadly serious and he finally made a move to do something.
He pushed the button on the car and his drivers window went all the way down and finally he called out to her. "Rachael." My mother turned her attention to Riker almost seeming surprised. "We should go home, dad is probably wondering where you are."
"Oh yes!" She shouted almost like she just remembered something. "Me and your dad are going to a meal tonight I better go home and get ready."
"It would take more than a few hours to fix that face." I whispered under my breath making Riker laugh under his breath at my comment.
My mother started to walk over to the passenger side of the car but before I could move out of the way Riker spoke under his breath.
"You owe me."
Before I could ever reply my mother went to hug me but I just side stepped and moved out of the way. I knew she was going to attempt this from a mile away. She wanted to show off in front of Riker that she was close with her kids but I was pretty sure at this point Riker knew the truth.
After all that dinner we all had with each other was enough to show the truth of that matter.
My mother didn't look offended when I dodged her but called back to Richard our butler.
"We will talk about the rest of the details later Richard!" She called out and got in the car making me frown in question at her statement.
What the hell was she playing at now now.
As I walked up the front steps I didn't look back as I heard Riker's car roar to life and drive back down the driveway.
There was no way I was giving either of them a second glance.
"Where is your car Miss Lyra?" Richard asked me curiously looking around like it would pop up somewhere. I couldn't blame him for his question it was rare that I would go out without my car and it was definitely even rarer I would come back without it.
Walking up to him and gave him one of the biggest hugs ever knowing I needed one. He wasn't even surprised and hugged me back patting my back like a father would do to one of their children.
Richard was one of my favourite people in the world. He was off on holiday for the last few weeks and honestly I didn't know how the place didn't fall apart without him. He was a older man in his 50's and had been serving our family for decades. He was basically another parent to me.
Pulling away first I started to walk into the house with him. Wanting to dodge the question about my car I asked my own question. "What was my mother talking to you about?"
Richard sighed knowing just how annoying my mother could be when she set her mind to it. "She is planning your brother Chase's birthday before he goes back to work, Miss Lyra."
"Of course she is, she's probably trying to make up for all the birthdays she has missed." I handed my school bag to one of the maids and said thanks. She then nodded and took it up the stairs for me.
"Don't you think it's time to get along with your mother?" Questioned Richard but we both knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.
"Me and my mother will never get on and I think that's clear for the world to see." Then I thought back to my car and thought I might as well tell him anyway knowing I'd rather talk about that than my mother. "As for my car it's sitting in the car park with the door ripped off it."
He looked at me with an amused smile on his face as he seemed to piece everything together. "I go away for two weeks and your car door gets ripped off and I find out that the house got trashed and had to be redecorated."
Grinning at him I started to walk towards the kitchen. "What can I say Richard, we fall apart when you're not here."
Walking into the kitchen I seen my dad talking on his phone looking pretty serious. Frowning I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and walked over to him as he hung up.
"Your mother has set a date for her wedding and wants us all to go."
Letting out a laugh I looked at him let he was joking. Judging from the look on his face he wasn't and that enough to take my laugh away.
"You can't be serious. Why would I go to her wedding?"
He sighed frown lines forming on his forehead knowing how this conversation was going to go. "Lyra she's your mother."
"Yes my mother, not my mom. I don't have a mom. She's nothing more than a gold digging bitch who thinks she's out smarting the man, when really he's going to take us for everything."
The words that came out of my mouth were cruel but I couldn't help it when I knew it was the truth. I didn't think my mother could actually love another human being the way she loved money.
"That's why we have to go to keep the peace Lyra. My lawyers are working on trying to get the part of the empire your mother owns back to us but they need time and we need to give them that time."
"Fine." Snapping I glared at my father knowing he was right but clearly showing I wasn't happy about the situation.
None of us were but sometimes you just had to do what you had to do to come out on top.
That was something he had taught me.
"Now back to you. Why was Riker Kennedy giving you a lift home?" One of the guards at the gate had clearly informed him that a Kennedy was on our land.
"It's a long story." I didn't really feel like talking to my father about that. Nothing good would come of it so I didn't see the point in getting him involved.
"What about the fact that Zane Knight is back in the country? Along with his family."
His voice was questioning, almost like he was asking if that had something to do with me. Clearly nobody wanted the Knight family back in the City and I couldn't really say I'd blame them.
"Now that one has nothing to do with me." And it was the truth I had nothing to do with Zane Knight or his family.
That ship had sailed a long time ago.
My father placed his hand on my shoulder and give it a light a squeeze. "Lyra when I say this I mean it seriously. Stay away from those two boys. They will bring nothing but trouble into your life and definitely don't get in the middle of them."
I think it was a little to late for that advise dad.
***********
Walking into the games room I heard Damon shouting at the TV. There was a football match on and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Damon used to play for the school team and he loved it but he stopped not that long ago and no one knew why.
Though judging how he was never really in the house these days I was starting to think he just didn't have time.
"Have you found out anything." Referring to find out about Riker's family. For some reason my brother has been a bit slack on that information and it was starting to tick me off.
Damon was normally the best one at finding out stuff but he kept dodging the topic every time I brought it up. Now don't get me wrong I love him but he was really starting to piss me off.
"Shhhhhh." He said keeping his focus on the TV. All that did was piss me off even more, my boot was about to go up his ass any second now.
"Damon." I warned giving him one more chance to talk to me.
He sighed and turned to face me there was something on his face that told me he wanted me to drop it. "Lyra, I'll talk to you about it later."
Taking the remote I turned the TV off knowing that would get his full attention. "No you will talk to me now."
He clearly knew something and he didn't want to share. That annoyed me more than it should. Me and Damon were extremely close and it didn't sit right with me knowing he wasn't telling me something.
"Lyra turn it back on!" He shouted, almost like a child who just lost their sweets.
Sometimes I wondered what age he was.
"Tell me!" I snapped finally losing my patience with him. It was rare that the two of us would push each other's buttons like this. It was normally the both of us tag teaming up on someone else.
"His family is rivals with the Knight family!" He grabbed the remote off me and turned the TV back on. He was clearly hoping that was enough information to get rid of me but it wasn't.
Of course I knew all about the Knight family and I knew Riker's family weren't saints. What I didn't think about was how the two of them were a lot more closely related than I thought.
"What?"
Finally my brother sighed sounding defeated and looked up at me.
"Lyra, Riker Kennedy is the Heir to crime family just like Zane's. That's why they don't get on at all. Their business rivals over guns, drugs and gang land." He then turned his attention back to the tv. "Now if you don't mind leave."
There was something else he wasn't telling me. Something he thought I wouldn't like because what he had just told me was stuff I already knew.
A part of me didn't believe him. "But Riker's family has shares in every tech company in the country."
"It's a cover up Lyra. Think about it does Zane's family not do the same thing? You never see them with other shareholders or butting into their investments because they don't care. They have other things to worry about. It's all just a cover up."
With this something else popped into my head. What the hell did they want with our mother then.
"Then what about them trying to get our mothers shares from this marriage?"
"That's just so they can cover up the more money they are getting from their illegal dealings and what better Empire to share money with than ours."
Fuck, he was right. The amount of money they were probably bringing it was probably something I couldn't imagine. They would need something big to cover it and what better way than to have shares in our families Empire.
"How do you know all this?" I questioned knowing that it wasn't really what was important right now but wanting to know anyway.
He seemed unsure for a moment but if I knew my brother it was the fact he would crack at some point and tell me everything. He seemed to know this too because soon he sighed and say forward in the seat.
"Lyra, if I tell you, you can't tell dad." His eyes were pleading almost like he didn't want to keep secrets from me but at the same time he didn't know if he could trust me or not and that hurt slightly.
Nothing hurt more than thinking your siblings couldn't trust you.
"What is it?" My voice was a reassuring, letting him know I wouldn't say anything. Why would I anyway. He was my twin brother and nothing would change that.
"I've been working in Zane's family business for a while now."
What the actual fuck.