Page 91 of Thorns of Love

“How could you?” I rasped in a voice I didn’t recognize. “Why would you be so cruel?”

He let out a sardonic breath, full of bitterness. “Because your brothers tied up all my assets, attempting to transfer it all to you. It left me with nothing. I had to hide at my aunt’s house.”

“Aunt?” I repeated, dumbly. “I thought you were an orphan?”

“You actually met her,” he remarked dryly. “Remember the superintendent for New Orleans Municipal Cemeteries?” My eyes just about jumped out of my head. “Jane Ford. She’s my mother’s sister. It took me many years to find her.”

Then it hit me. “The dedication message! It was never me. I didn’t make that dedication for your plaque.” He didn’t need to confirm it. I knew it wasn’t me. I wasn’t crazy. This son-of-a-bitch tried to make me believe I was losing my mind. “That’s fucked up, Adrian. Truly! Even for a villain.”

He shrugged.

“I couldn't have it written by me. So I had to assign it to you. My aunt assisted. She has quite a sense of humor.”

I narrowed my eyes on him. There was zero humor in any of this. “And Nikita?” I demanded to know. “How did you get him to betray Illias?”

“He’s my cousin. Nobody knows that. It was perfect. He’s been on my side all along,” he grumbled. “Biding our time until we could bring them all down.”

And they say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Jesus Christ. That didn’t scratch the surface on Adrian and Nikita.

“You’ll fail,” I said with conviction. I wasn’t sure if I meant it or not, but I sure as hell faked it well.

He walked over to me, in that sure stride that I used to admire. His hand came to my neck, gripping lightly. Fear shot through me like adrenaline. I had never been scared of Adrian, but then it turned out I had never really known him.

I held my breath, getting lost in that familiar green gaze. “Thanks for keeping it always on you, pipsqueak.”

Confusion swelled in me and before I could question him on the meaning of it, he gripped the necklace and yanked it in one swift move. The key clinked against the ground and Adrian knelt to pick it up, while still gripping the emerald pendant.

“What are you doing?”

“The chip,” he drawled, swinging the necklace around his index finger. Oh my gosh! That motherfucker. “You had it all along.” Then he raised his other hand, holding the key I had found underneath that tile in our bathroom. “And you even held on to the key. Such a good girl.”

I shook my head incredulously. “I never realized you’re such a sadist, Adrian.” He raised his brow as if shocked by that comment. “Tormenting me during all those months. Making me believe I was losing my mind. Making me the target of every fucking underworld family. How does that make you better than Illias’ father?”

Slap.

The pain across my face was immediate. It whipped my head to the side and knocked the breath from my lungs. My cheek burned and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

It was the first timeanyonehad raised their hand at me.

I swore it’d be the last.

THIRTY-THREE

KONSTANTIN

The image of my wife played on repeat in my brain.

Tied up. Scared. Did he torture her? Touch her?

A red mist covered my vision and the world around me turned to blood. I’d burn the entire fucking world down and tear Adrian limb from limb if there was a single red mark on her skin.

My control rattled the bars of the cage, ready to snap.

I couldn’t handle anything happening to Tatiana.

Adrian hurt her. Because of me. I should have told her everything. I should have told her what had happened that night of the accident and what led us there. Instead, I kept it all in and pretty much sent her to search for answers.

I knew Tatiana wasn’t the type to just accept half-truths. Fuck, I knew it and still I refused to tell her out of fear I’d lose her.