Page 94 of Bed of Thorns

“The information you were willing to do anything to keep.”And I want to send your soul straight to hell.While I didn’t say the words, all the years of hell I’d been put through rushed to the forefront of my mind. All the thoughts I’d had about his ultimate demise, ripping him apart became overwhelming. I took several deep breaths, trying to concentrate.

You’re here to protect the woman you love.

He’s not worth it.

The nagging words mattered little. I wanted nothing more than to put a bullet between his eyes. I moved closer, keeping my hand firmly locked around the pistol. He shifted his gaze from my face to the weapon, his chest heaving as he realized I was deadly serious.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t fuck with me, Father. I’m not in the mood. You have information that could bring them down.”

Snorting, he laughed again, this time the sound haunting. “You stole from me. Where is it? I need it.”

“If by that you mean a good portion of the names, numbers, extensive data on various extortion deals they made, then you’d be right.”

“How? You didn’t have anything. I’ve searched. You fucked with me! Do you know what you’ve done? They will kill me.” He was getting desperate, as if the clock was ticking down to one huge explosion.

“None of my concern. However, I want the information.” When he hesitated, I yanked out my weapon, leveling it at his head. “I suggest you realize just how serious I am,Father.”

“Why the fuck do you think I’d give it to you?” he asked, his voice barely audible, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“Because you owe me, Pops. You stole my life. My life!” The bitter, shouted words mixed with another hard crack of thunder, the storm moving closer. I took one giant stride closer, the barrel of my gun only a foot from his face. Dear God, I wanted to pull the trigger.

“I should never have trusted you,” he said almost in passing as he slowly slumped into his chair.

“Maybe if you had, none of this would have occurred.” As I stared at the broken man, I turned my head away briefly, my thoughts drifting to everything Mercedes and I had talked about. This wasn’t what she would want.

“Be the man I knew all those years ago.”

“Don’t let hate ruin your life.”

“I love you, Edmond. Please come back to me.”Her last words when I’d said goodbye at the hospital, her eyes imploring.

Fuck. Fuck!

“Why? Tell me why you did it?” I snapped, my arm shaking as I lowered it a few inches, my finger still itchy. “Tell. Me.”

“Because I loved your mother,” he snapped, his face twisting in fury and frustration. “I loved her with all my heart. Then she got sick and… I couldn’t do a damn thing. Don’t you understand? Don’t you?” He smashed his fist on the desk, gasping for air. “I know you don’t believe me, but I loved her with all my heart. She was the light to my darkness.”

Dear God. Just hearing his comments reminded me of everything I’d felt with Mercedes. I was exactly like my father.

A monster.

“What I understand is that in selling your soul, you destroyed her.” Even after issuing the words, they didn’t make me feel any better. Beads of sweat rolled down both sides of my face, the rage making every muscle tense. “You did that. You took from her. She hated you for what you’d become. That’s what killed her!”

“No!” he snapped, his rage breaching the surface. “They killed her. That’s why I was determined to destroy them.”

“How so?” I half laughed.

He slumped down even further, staring at his desk. “They’d promised me the finest doctors, which they provided. Then they decided she wasn’t the right fit.”

His words registered, the conversation with Markus shifting into my mind. “What are you talking about?”

“They had her killed. Oh, the doctors said she was too weak, but she’d been doing so well. There was no cancer left in her body. I found Markus Collingsworth standing over her. I argued, forcing him out of the room. But it was too late. Whatever that man injected her with killed her.”

A series of ugly flashes pulsed in my mind, my throat closing. I had no words.

“Everyone who pushes against them dies, Edmond. They took my beautiful wife away from me. I was destroyed.”

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