Page 58 of Cinder (MC Fables #2)

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“Enough of this,” Viktor snaps impatiently, and Luca lets me go. “Your silly games take up too much time.”

Luca doesn’t appreciate the interruption and casts a disapproving glare in the Russian’s direction.

“In good course, Mr. Olicheckoff. Remember, it was you who needed me. Not the other way around.” Luca brings his attention back to me. “He’s too serious for his own good. He should’ve tried to enjoy this more.”

“Enjoy what more?”

“All of it.”

Light gleams on the gold ring on his finger as my mind tries to unscramble the meaning behind what he just said .

Amused by my sudden confusion, Luca laughs. “Well, I guess there is no harm in letting you know. After all, the game seems to have reached its conclusion.”

I grit my teeth. “This was a game?”

But I have a feeling I already know.

“This wasn’t about the recipe, was it,” I say.

Viktor looks irritated. “I already have it. I paid an exorbitant amount of money to a man in a white coat to figure it out.”

“Then why did you send me to the clubhouse?”

“It was your brother who wanted you to?—”

Luca clicks his fingers. “Now, now, Viktor. Let Ella work it out herself. We don’t want to give it all away. She’s a smart girl, aren’t you, Ella. Well, according to our father you are, so come on, let’s see you figure it out.”

I look away, trying to piece it all together.

My brother has always made it clear how much he resents me. From the moment we met. Because I grew up with our father. While he grew up very differently. “ You wanted me in that clubhouse.”

“Viktor just let that cat out of the bag. The question is, why did I want you in that clubhouse?”

“Revenge?”

“You’re getting warmer,” he singsongs like a psychopath.

“You wanted revenge on the Knights? But for what? ”

“Come on, sister; you’re a lot smarter than that.” Luca taps his temple with his forefinger. “Think.”

“They did something to you.”

He yawns theatrically.

And then it hits me and heat prickles over my skin. “You didn’t want revenge on the Knights. You wanted revenge on me .”

He winks. “Very good.”

None of this was about Viktor or a recipe or the Knights.

My jaw tightens with rage. This was all a stupid game to amuse Luca . “Why?”

His smug grin morphs into evil seriousness. “So you knew what it felt like to be scared. So you knew what it was like to have nothing. Just like I did for all those years growing up without the protection of the Moretti wealth.”

Apparently, Carolina went through several husbands while Luca was growing up and didn’t let our father see him for many years.

And somehow, her keeping them apart was my father’s fault.

“It was very satisfying to see you living in that fleapit motel room,” he snarls. “Stripped of everything you had. Going without the safety and the money of our father. Just like I had to for my entire life.”

“You did this because… you didn’t have our father growing up? ”

“I didn’t have him all my life,” he screams suddenly, losing control of his emotions.

“And when I finally got the chance, he decided he was going to name you as his successor because he thought you were better suited. He thought you were more of a man than me. He thought you were better than me.” His eyes gleam brightly with menace and every dark emotion coursing through his veins.

“He was choosing you over me, again , and I couldn’t let that happen. ”

I think about the car bomb that killed my father.

My voice shakes. “Did you kill our father?”

He avoids answering the question.

“You both had to pay. I am the rightful heir. I am his first born. I deserve the kingdom.”

I repeat, “Did you kill our father?”

His crazy eyes dart to me. “I didn’t kill our father. But I sure as fuck had fun making your life hell.”

I shift my attention to the irritated pakhan getting more restless across the room.

“How do you fit into this?”

I ask the question to Viktor.

But Luca answers. “When you have something someone else wants, it puts you in a very wonderful position. I didn’t need anything from the Bratva. But they needed something from me. So I thought, why not have a little fun?

“Which has dragged on,” Viktor mutters .

Luca ignores him and keeps his dark eyes trained on me. “They needed to run their guns and their girls down our coastline. I gave them permission.”

“In return for?” I ask.

“Torturing you.” His dark, soulless eyes remind me of a demon. “Creating impossible scenarios and watching you squirm.”

Another piece falls into place.

Despite already knowing the answer, I say, “There was no auction, was there?”

“My bad,” Luca says with an evil grin. “But it was very satisfying to watch you tremble in front of the camera thinking I was selling you to the highest bidder.”

More theatrics meant to humiliate me.

To scare me.

“You had already promised me to Viktor,” I whisper, as the picture becomes clearer.

“He wanted the alliance but felt iffy about the things I wanted in return. The auction to torture you. The quest to pressure you…”

“These games are such a waste of time,” Viktor grumbles.

“But they were important to me nonetheless,” Luca reminds him, then slides his cold black eyes back to me. “So I said to him, give me ten million, help me terrorize my bitch of a sister, and you can have your coastal routes. ”

He sold me to Viktor for the coastal routes. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted Viktor to help torture me. “But why send me to the clubhouse?”

“The first night was a bit of fun. Create an impossible task. Watch you squirm. See you fail. But then you got yourself a job and handed me so many opportunities to torture you further.” His chuckle is cruel and maniacal.

“It couldn’t have worked out any better for me.

I knew I was going to enjoy it. You scrubbing kitchens and living in a filthy motel. ”

I played right into his hands.

I turn to Viktor. “Why did you go along with this for so long?”

“My inside man was becoming unreliable,” Viktor says. “So when I heard you were going to work there, I told him I was sending in someone to watch him. Let him think you were a spy for me so he would step back into line.”

“You told your insider I was your spy?” That would make them wary of me. I think back over the last couple of weeks to see if I can remember who was standoffish toward me. Apart from Annika, no one comes to mind.

“It successfully brought him back into line,” Viktor says.

I drag in a rough breath.

I kept playing right into their hands.

“What happens now?” I ask, trying to keep my tone even.

But Viktor’s cold, harsh voice turns my veins to ice. “Now, it’s time I receive my goods.”