Page 82 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2
I should feel angrier at the insinuation. I should be saying that there's no way Bastian could be capable of something like that, but I can't find the words. "I don't know," I say instead.
"Look, I'm not saying that Bastian will have planned it all. If he had, then I suspect it would have played out very differently. But he might have taken advantage of a situation that presented itself. How was his relationship with Thomas?"
"It wasn't really anything," I admit. "He thought Thomas was beneath him, but most of his fight is with Bella. And you."
"Maybe he couldn't get to either of us."
"No. I'm sorry, I can't believe that." I get to my feet and start pacing. "Bastian has a temper, but he wouldn't kill someone."
"He has killed someone, Bea," Linc says softly.
I start to protest, but realise I don't have any way of doing that. "I just can't believe he'd do it because he was angry at someone else. He's my brother." My voice cracks as I say the words.
Linc gets to his feet, getting protests from Pip, who has been using him as a pillow. He steps closer to me and reaches out to pull me to him. "I know. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."
I sigh and relax into his arms. "I can't," I whisper. "Because there's a part of me that fears you're right."
"I'm sorry," he murmurs, pulling me closer and kissing my forehead. It's an intimate gesture, and one that I appreciate, considering the turmoil within me.
"I can't trust Bastian, can I?" The thought squishes my heart in a way that's deeply unpleasant, but it doesn't stop the truth of the words echoing through me.
Linc reaches out for my hand and laces his fingers through mine. "Have you ever been able to trust him?"
I want to say yes, but stop before I can. Because Linc is right. Have I ever been able to trust Bastian? He brought me to Castle Sanulieon instead of letting me die, which is something I appreciate. But he even did that with deceit, using my lack of knowledge about the situation to try and control me.
Just like he always has.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, and frustration towards myself grows within me. "How could I let this happen?" I murmur.
"You didn't let anything happen," Linc assures me. "You're not the one who handed Bastian the knife that killed Thomas."
"Not that." I shake my head. "Everything about my relationship with Bastian. How did I let that happen?"
"I'm not sure what you're talking about."
I reach out and scratch Pip's head, thinking of all the times she acted as a comfort for me when I felt like I had none. "Everything. I spent my life before coming here doing everything I could in order to keep Bastian happy. I was trying to survive, but surely I could have had a life of my own too? Maybe I could have found someone to love?"
Linc swallows hard, but nods anyway, making me appreciate him even more than I already do. I know it can't be easy to hear me say that's something I would have wanted to do if I'd been outside of my brother's control, but it's true.
"And since coming here, he's tried to control me at every turn. He promised me I wouldn't end up married off, and yet here we are. Not that I'm complaining."
"I know you're not," he assures me. "But I see your point."
"And even though he was the one who agreed to that, he's now angry that I've found someone I can actually care about? And can care about me. Shouldn't he be happy for me?"
"He should," Linc agrees. "Marcus is happy for us."
"Mmm, don't tease me with your saint of a brother."
He laughs. "I can assure you that Marcus isn't a saint, unless we're measuring him against Bastian, and then maybe."
I grimace. "It might be too soon for that kind of comment."
"Fair enough." He rubs a hand up and down my back. "But I really think you should get some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning. Even when it comes to dealing with Bastian."
I let out a sigh. "All right."
"Good." He turns around and frowns at my dog. "We're not going to get the bed to ourselves for the rest of the night, are we?"
