Page 76 of Wicked Tricks

No one flinched or moved a muscle.

“That’s what I thought.” I spat, storming out of the room, “get the fuck out of here,” I called over my shoulder.

They all scurried to exit, leaving to go to their own homes, often forgetting that this was mine. I wanted an empty house, for once. And instead of complaining, I put my foot down and ordered them out. For so long, my mother wanted me to be tougher. I understood what that meant now. Not in the way she wanted me to, but in my own way.

No longer was I taking orders or taking suggestions.

No longer would I attempt to fill my fathers shoes, because I had no desire to.

I didn’t want to be anything like the man. I would run the business, and I would do it my way. I stopped and gave my mother a look, gesturing with a tilt of my head for her to follow me. She obeyed and followed me up the stairs to my office with her arms crossed, watching me carefully.

I stood by my desk, shaking my head as she closed the door behind her.

“Why?” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose and frowning.

She scoffed, “don’t be ridiculous. I did what needed to be done for this family, you certainly weren’t.”

“How did you find out?” I ignored her jab.

“That young blonde girl,” she waved, dismissing me, walking to the liquor cabinet and pouring herself a drink.

“Whichyoung girl?” I said through gritted teeth.

“I don’t know,” she sighed, “Sara, or something.”

“Sierra?” I raised an eyebrow.

Rome’s roommate?

“That’s her,” she nodded once.

So, it wasn’t my fault?

Sierra had betrayed Rome, and she didn’t even know it yet.

My first instinct was to run to her and tell her, to tell her that everything could go back to how it was just a day ago.

“And why would she give you that information, mum?” I asked, folding my arms and leaning against my desk. She shrugged again, sipping at her drink and not looking at me. With the fury in me building once again, I stormed over to her, ripping the glass from her hand and hurling it into the corner of the room.

The glass met the wall with a loud smash and she flinched, her eyes falling to the floor and focusing on her shoes. I retreated a few steps back, putting space between us.

I didn’t want to scare my mother, this isn’t what I wanted to do.

“You offered her money,” I said flatly, already knowing the answer.

“More than Diana could ever pay her,” she scoffed quietly.

I groaned, and strode to the other side of the room to pace, desperately needing to let out the rage coursing through me before I exploded.

“I was trying to protect you Antoni. This girl, she was fooling you the whole time! You were getting played, letting your feelings distract you, all for this girl - an outsider nonetheless. I was helping you, and one day, you will see that.”

“Why?!” I persisted again, “why did you do this to me? If you saw that I had feelings for her, why do this? I’m your son!”

“You are not my only child!” she snapped, “You’re not the only one that this Family serves. This was your Father’s life. This is the only memory of him we have left, and I will not let you ruin it for some girl!”

I shook my head, looking to the ground, “I’m never going to be like him. I’m never going to run this business the way he did. I have zero interest in being anything like that man. Why would I want that? He beat me, burned me, made me do unspeakable things at an age when I should’ve been sheltered from that. You want to talk about your other children?”

I stalked towards her, searching her face for even a hint of remorse.

---