Page 55 of Cruel King

He sounds even angrier than yesterday. I shrink back away from him, turning to leave, when his father speaks up and says, “I asked for her.”

His voice barely reaches a whisper, and its softness makes him sound so frail. The man I’ve always thought of as so powerful now seems so small and weak.

Matthias shakes his head as he glares at me with pure hatred in his dark eyes. “You shouldn’t use your time left speaking to her.”

God, every word out of his mouth hurts more than the last one. I don’t even get a name. I’m just her, and the way he says that word makes it sound like a curse.

But Mr. King still possesses some strength and says, “I’m fine. I want to speak to Ava in private, if you don’t mind.”

Matthias turns to face his father and then me, and if looks could kill, I’d be dead right here in Mr. King’s bedroom. His rage unnerves me, and it takes every ounce of confidence I have in my body not to run out of the room.

Furious, he storms out, slamming the door so hard it shakes the pictures on the wall. I stand there embarrassed at how much he loathes me, even as I honestly can’t be sure what I did to deserve this much anger.

Mr. King gives me a feeble smile and lifts his hand to wave me over to the chair beside his bed. “Come here, Ava. I want to talk to you.”

I do as he asks, still ashamed by how his son made me feel. Even more, I feel sad for Mr. King. A dying man shouldn’t have to deal with that much rage in his final hours.

“I’m sorry for that. My son’s behavior stems from the stress of what’s about to happen, I’m sure,” he says, but I don’t think either one of us believes that excuse.

“I’m sure he’s under a lot of pressure as the eldest son. I just don’t know why he hates me so much.”

Mr. King gives me a tiny smile and reaches for my hand. “I do, but that’s for another time. Just know Matthias has had to sacrifice more than anyone knows.”

Although I don’t say it, I’m not sure he’s seeing things clearly when it comes to that son. Matthias has lived a charmed life, wanting for nothing. If he had to sacrifice at all, I’m sure he was compensated more than enough with even better things.

“Now I don’t have much time left, so let me explain why I asked you to come see me.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Matthias

I waitfor Ava to come out of my father’s room for nearly thirty minutes, my anger inching higher and higher until I swear I want to put my fist through a wall. What the hell could he want to say to her? She’s only the daughter of his estate manager, a man who’s going to be out of a job and a home the second I’m the one in charge of this estate.

Little Ava Sutton definitely has a way of weaseling herself into this family. My brother can’t make a move without her since he’s gotten back, and now my father is using some of the precious final moments of his life to talk to her.

Well, whatever she thinks she’s doing, I’m going to put a stop to it.

I march down the hallway to his room, but right when I’m about to throw the door open and put an end to whatever the hell she’s up to, she walks out and nearly runs straight into me. For a second, I look down into her brown eyes and see the sweetness I saw that time we spent together five years ago.

But it doesn’t take long for me to remember that sweetness isn’t who she really is. “What were you two talking about?” I ask, wanting an answer before I go back in to speak to my father.

She doesn’t respond and instead tries to push past me. No way. She’s not getting out of this house until I get some answers.

I grab her by the arm and force her down the hall and into my room. Slamming the door behind us, I block it so she can’t leave. I will know what that little conversation was all about, and I’ll know right now.

Ava stands in front of me, a tiny thing I could break in half if I chose to, but in her expression I see defiance. So much for the sweet little Ava act she puts on for the rest of my family.

“I asked you a question. What were talking about with my father?”

“He asked for me, so I went up to see him. That’s it.”

She tries to step around me to open the door, but I push her back by her shoulders. “No, that’s not it. What did he say to you?”

Tilting her chin up, she stares up at me, and I swear I see a hint of a smile as she answers, “That’s something you’ll have to ask him. I don’t think it’s right to share what he told me in confidence.”

I feel my blood pressure rise like the top of my head is about to blow off. “In confidence? What the hell could he have to say to you that I can’t hear? You’re not family. Hell, you aren’t even one of his goddamned employees. You’re the child of one of the help, even though no one else in this fucking house can seem to remember that fact. So I’ll ask you again. What did you and my father talk about?”

She opens her mouth to answer me but then closes her lips like she decides against it. I loom over her like a beast since I’m twice her size, but she never looks away or backs down.

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