Page 10 of Pretty Poison

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, dismissing me with a wave of his hand.

It’s safe to say that everyone needs some form of release for whatever reason, and this is his. Inflicting pain is his specialty, and he finds peace in that.

∞∞∞

“How was the clinic?” I ask, keeping my eyes on the file in front of me as Kat brings Liana into my office. “How did everything look?”

“It was as good as it could be, I guess,” Liana says, pausing near the couch in the corner, though I can tell something is off. She isn’t nearly as bitter as she should be considering the day she’s had. I expected more of a storm from her.

“Mama was hopeful,” Kat adds. I lift my head and she looks at me before excusing herself.

Making himself known from the right corner of my office, Red goes to stand at attention in front of the door. His hands are placed in front of him, his left over his right, and his eyes fixated on anything in front of him that isn’t her. His black hair is combed back yet still messy as per usual, and his suit is more casual than most days. Liana doesn’t spare a glance in hisdirection, almost as if she knew he was there all along. She glares at me with nothing but resentment hidden in the guise of numb eyes.

Reading people is what I do best, and as much as she tries to hide things from me, I read her like an open book. Every page of her is either a well-rehearsed lie, a facade that’s for show or the brave face she’s had on since her arrival. Either way, it’s a pleasure to tear it apart and set fire to it while she watches.

“What’s the verdict then?” I ask, closing the brown file and placing it aside.

“Mrs C says everything looks good. She’s… hopeful. Only time will tell, though.” Her answers are short and infuriating. From what I’ve read in the papers, magazines and articles online, courtesy of her father being the man he is, I’m not seeing any of that spitfire attitude they claim she has.

“I appreciate you going, Liana. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“I didn’t think I had a choice.” Her statement comes off as a question laced with an intricate amount of sarcasm and hatred.

“You’re right, you didn’t. But you went with no argument, not spoken, anyway, and I appreciate that.”

She clenches her jaw so tight that she’s one wrong move away from breaking a tooth or two. Taking a step forward, she grabs the hem of her dress and curtseys with a tight, forced smile on her face. “It was my pleasure, your highness.”

“There’s no need for that, Liana,” I tell her in a firm tone.

She subtly rolls her eyes, trying and failing to disguise it with a gentle hair tussle. “Well you’re already up on your high horse, I thought I’d show you the respect and admiration you think you deserve.”

“Did you grow a pair of balls on your way to the clinic?” I query, squinting my eyes at her, a smirk playing at the corner of my mouth.

“I did,” she says in a chipper tone. “In fact, they’re probably bigger than yours.”

A laugh threatens to escape, but I swallow it. “Maybe not bigger, but I’m glad you’ve found some. You’re going to need them.”

“To live with and marry you, I’m going to need a will, not strength, Dario.”

“Au contraire, little one, you’re going to need every ounce of strength you could imagine. Working alongside my brothers is a treacherous task, one you’ll need a mask of braveness for.”

I watch as her mind works wonders trying to decipher my words. I can practically hear the cogs turning, her attempts proving to be futile as she says, “I’m not working for anyone, especially not your brothers. They’re all psychotic, like you.”

“You’re right, you’re not working for anyone. You’ll be working with them, side by side as an equal. And they’re not psychotic, Liana, they’re merely relating back to how they were raised. My father passed on his upbringing to us.”

“Then he’s just as psychotic, isn’t he?” she laughs.

“Don’t let him hear you say that,” I taunt. “He might very well show you how much he hates that word.”

She sucks her teeth and tilts her head back to the ceiling, exhaling a shaky breath before recomposing herself. “I tried so hard to save face, but you make it that much harder to keep my composure, Dario. You’re an asshole, and you love to remind everyone, don’t you?”

I flash her a smile. “Always, little one.”

Tilting her head to the side, a weak crack sounds throughout the air and while he doesn’t move, Red side-eyes her and clenches his jaw. I can tell his patience is wearing thin with her in here.

“This job you speak of,” she continues. “What does it entail, anyway?”

I crack my knuckles with one hand before switching and doing the same with the other, finally clasping my hands together. “I’m sure Kat has told you what Silas does?” She nods once. “Good, that’s one conversation off the agenda, then. Well, he’s taking riskier and longer jobs, meaning he’s away from home for extended periods of time. That also means the jobs he’s needed for here are being neglected.”

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