Page 162 of Poison Aches

For some reason, this feels different from the other night when we met in Italy.

This stare is not as indifferent as before…

Everything has completely changed, which means one thing we’re both aware of at the same time.

This is war.

If he thinks Angel will choose him, he’s got another think coming.

“Wow,” Angel breathes, looking around. “All my life I was wondering what was wrong with me that I would be abandoned, but it turns out that I’m just a buck for your political bank!”

She glares at Governor Hughes and then she shifts her gaze to look at her mother.

“And you,” she chokes and falls silent, then she turns to look at my Grandfather. “I don’t know what’s going on here, sir, but I want no part of this. I have no parents. I’m an orphan raised by my grandparents. Now, if you would excuse me.”

And with her head held up, shoulders straight, she slides past me as she gets out of the car and she struts down the driveway toward the gates without a care in the world.

I watch her go and give Ty a nod. He goes after her.

As soon as Angel is gone, chaos breaks out.

The Hughes family want to drag Angel back here, but I ignore them all and step closer to Grandfather.

“Well played,” I mutter to Grandfather.

“I still have a few tricks to teach you,” he says cheerfully. “Did you think I didn’t know you were keeping a secret weapon to use against my friend?”

I don’t bother replying.

“Now, if you want to be the new don of the Family, that girl is the only key,” Grandfather says. “But from what I heard, she hates you and it seems your cousin has a more accurate gauge on that than you do.”

I turn back to see Vaughn running down the driveway, obviously going after Angel.

“Lesser men make a great effort,” I say, looking pointedly at Grandfather.

He’s made an effort to unravel my plans.

Vaughn is making an effort to go after Angel.

But all of them have already lost.

Angel is firmly in my grasp.

She’ll choose me and then I’ll make Grandfather pay for even putting us in this fucked-up situation.

“Take me home,” Grandfather says.

I nod, knowing that it’s best for me to do as he says.

After all, with Grandfather, one has to be very careful. I still need him on my side.

Grandfather and Governor Hughes’ father shake hands.

“See you at the wedding then, my friend.”

“Of course.”

It’s clear that they’ve been foes with benefits for several decades. How I missed that is damn annoying.

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