Read Online Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon
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masturbate in private.”
Growling in fury, his uncle closed the distance between them to shove an electronic ledger in his face. “What’s this?”
“A ledger.”
Arturo slapped him with it.
Darling clenched his fist, but stopped himself before he struck back.
“Were you feeding that other butt monkey with my money?”
His rage snapped into place and it took everything he had not to crush Arturo’s throat… one hit and he could end all his problems.
Don’t do it. You won’t die alone…
So he struck back with words. “Last I checked, it was my father’s money, not
yours
.”
That got him a vicious punch to the jaw. Pain exploded through his head.
Damn, that hurt. Good thing he was used to it.
Arturo kicked at him. “Do you know what your father would think of you if he could see what you are? He’d be even more repulsed by you than I am. If he were still alive, you’d have been thrown out on the street years ago. Something I should have done the first time I caught one of your butt nuts coming out of your room.”
But they both knew why Arturo couldn’t really throw him out. Only a full-blooded, legitimate governor could disinherit a full-blooded heir. That had been one nuisance law his uncle had been unable to overturn. No matter the threat or violence, the CDS refused to budge on the original thirty-five Unification Laws that had been drafted and ratified when the Caronese Empire was first founded 3,408 years ago. Those laws were the bedrock of all others and deemed to be sacred and above contestation or revocation.
Thank the gods for that.
Not to mention, if Darling was thrown out, his uncle couldn’t monitor him.
Or kill him under mysterious circumstances.
Even if Arturo did manage to toss him out, once Darling turned thirty, as a full-blooded heir, he could return and overthrow the bastard.
And all because his uncle was the by-blow of a prostitute Darling’s grandfather had elevated to royal mistress status. Arturo could only rule so long as Darling and Drakari lived, and were deemed by law to be minors or incompetent.
Should both of them die as things currently stood, Arturo would lose all power, and the ruling family would be chosen by the CDS (probably after much bloodshed) from one of their primary full-blooded male cousins.
The only other way Arturo could hold his current power was if they were dead, and he could produce a son with his blue-blooded wife, but only if the CDS ratified that son’s inheritance.
That being said, Arturo’s rule would end the moment his son turned thirty.
It was why Darling’s father had made the mistake of trusting his much older half brother. Since Arturo couldn’t rule for the whole of his lifetime, his father had never conceived of the treachery it would take for Arturo to kill him and then seize control of his sons.
That had been his father’s greatest act of blind stupidity.
Arturo grabbed Darling by the neck and pressed him against the floor.
Darling locked his hands around his uncle’s wrist as he glared up at him. He could break his uncle’s arm so easily.
A single punch to his throat or nose and he could kill him…
It would take so little pressure, and Darling had killed enough men that way to know exactly how easy it would be.
One punch. He wouldn’t even feel guilty about it.
Stand down.
You can wait one more day.
Keep your temper.
Think of Maris, Lise, and Drake.
Hating himself for loving them, he loosened his grip and wheezed, forcing himself to stay limp while Arturo choked him.
“I should do your mother a favor and kill you. Then she wouldn’t have to cringe every time your name is mentioned by others.”
Little did Arturo know his mother didn’t cringe. She was so grateful he was a protective idiot that she was more than willing to live with the shame of a gay son than to be dead from her numerous affairs.
“Really, Darling, how dare you complain. Am I not entitled to one single moment of pleasure in this
Growling in fury, his uncle closed the distance between them to shove an electronic ledger in his face. “What’s this?”
“A ledger.”
Arturo slapped him with it.
Darling clenched his fist, but stopped himself before he struck back.
“Were you feeding that other butt monkey with my money?”
His rage snapped into place and it took everything he had not to crush Arturo’s throat… one hit and he could end all his problems.
Don’t do it. You won’t die alone…
So he struck back with words. “Last I checked, it was my father’s money, not
yours
.”
That got him a vicious punch to the jaw. Pain exploded through his head.
Damn, that hurt. Good thing he was used to it.
Arturo kicked at him. “Do you know what your father would think of you if he could see what you are? He’d be even more repulsed by you than I am. If he were still alive, you’d have been thrown out on the street years ago. Something I should have done the first time I caught one of your butt nuts coming out of your room.”
But they both knew why Arturo couldn’t really throw him out. Only a full-blooded, legitimate governor could disinherit a full-blooded heir. That had been one nuisance law his uncle had been unable to overturn. No matter the threat or violence, the CDS refused to budge on the original thirty-five Unification Laws that had been drafted and ratified when the Caronese Empire was first founded 3,408 years ago. Those laws were the bedrock of all others and deemed to be sacred and above contestation or revocation.
Thank the gods for that.
Not to mention, if Darling was thrown out, his uncle couldn’t monitor him.
Or kill him under mysterious circumstances.
Even if Arturo did manage to toss him out, once Darling turned thirty, as a full-blooded heir, he could return and overthrow the bastard.
And all because his uncle was the by-blow of a prostitute Darling’s grandfather had elevated to royal mistress status. Arturo could only rule so long as Darling and Drakari lived, and were deemed by law to be minors or incompetent.
Should both of them die as things currently stood, Arturo would lose all power, and the ruling family would be chosen by the CDS (probably after much bloodshed) from one of their primary full-blooded male cousins.
The only other way Arturo could hold his current power was if they were dead, and he could produce a son with his blue-blooded wife, but only if the CDS ratified that son’s inheritance.
That being said, Arturo’s rule would end the moment his son turned thirty.
It was why Darling’s father had made the mistake of trusting his much older half brother. Since Arturo couldn’t rule for the whole of his lifetime, his father had never conceived of the treachery it would take for Arturo to kill him and then seize control of his sons.
That had been his father’s greatest act of blind stupidity.
Arturo grabbed Darling by the neck and pressed him against the floor.
Darling locked his hands around his uncle’s wrist as he glared up at him. He could break his uncle’s arm so easily.
A single punch to his throat or nose and he could kill him…
It would take so little pressure, and Darling had killed enough men that way to know exactly how easy it would be.
One punch. He wouldn’t even feel guilty about it.
Stand down.
You can wait one more day.
Keep your temper.
Think of Maris, Lise, and Drake.
Hating himself for loving them, he loosened his grip and wheezed, forcing himself to stay limp while Arturo choked him.
“I should do your mother a favor and kill you. Then she wouldn’t have to cringe every time your name is mentioned by others.”
Little did Arturo know his mother didn’t cringe. She was so grateful he was a protective idiot that she was more than willing to live with the shame of a gay son than to be dead from her numerous affairs.
“Really, Darling, how dare you complain. Am I not entitled to one single moment of pleasure in this
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