Page 73 of Poison Vows

“Even when you know everything, you’re still doing this?”

“Absolutely!”

Something clicks in my head just then.

“You did it all on purpose then? Finding her, luring her out, and then egging your little friend on to provide an ample opportunity to declare it to everyone that night,” I state, calling him out. “I don’t believe it was a coincidence that you just happened to be there that night.”

He keeps smiling, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

“I only saw an opportunity and grabbed it. I wasn’t going to pass up on a bitter family reunion,” he says with a shrug.

“And how did you do that?” I grit out.

“By breaking through all the layers that were hiding the girl, of course.”

Fuck, I knew it!

I knew it wasn’t possible for that airhead Melissa to just find Angel. Not with mine and Spider’s efforts to keep Angel hidden all these years.

“Where is he?” I demand, striding forward to block his path. “Give him back!”

He looks up at me, clearly enjoying my agitation. “Who are you talking about?”

I glare at him, knowing better than to go into details about Angel’s missing brother.

It’s clear this old man is not happy with me. He’s suspicious and wary of me, and he’s about to act, to remind me of my place.

Which means he’s about to punish me…again.

The first time was when I knowingly derailed a plan he had put in motion for years to marry Eli Beaumont’s daughter, Astraea.

That was never going to happen, ever, but I had a role to play to ensure that Astraea remained safe for two reasons.

Alex King is my friend. I’ve always known he was in love with Astraea since we were kids.

And two, I needed to ensure a formidable strong tower for someone who will need to be protected after I seize from existing among the living.

I ended up losing my father, gaining Grandfather’s almost unendurable wrath, and having to fight for my survival in the trenches as penance for my rebellion of not marrying Astraea after this cripple ordered me to do it.

But I’ve never been one to tolerate mistreatment.

I never take Grandfather’s punishments with a smile.

I always fight back and he hates that.

“Why the girl?” I demand.

“She’s special,” he says simply. “You already know that.”

“If you’re planning t?—”

“Let me stop you right there. My goal has been the same from the moment you were born, and I’ll continue doing everything I can to uphold that goal to my last breath.”

“To make me into your minion?”

“Is that how you see it?” he counters, but I remain silent. “Actually, it doesn’t matter how you see it. What matters is the future.”

The future? Please. I don’t have a future.

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