Vicious Minds: Part 2 (Children of Vice 5)

I laughed softly to myself but stopped when I got outside to find Sedric glaring at me. “What’s his problem?”

“Because he stuck his nose in, he’s basically been pushed to the side by Ethan, and now, Darcy is the one standing next to Ethan and Wyatt.”

My mother came up beside me, frowning as she looked at me. “When will you realize that your actions affect him, too? You owe him an apology as well.” She walked down the stairs, smiling and placing her hand on his shoulder.

I looked at my dad, and he just made a face. Like…I can’t help you with this one. He did make a fist and mouth “fighting” before walking toward the car.

This was going to be a long fucking day.

HELEN

Wyatt winked before offering my mother his arm, leading her to his Range Rover. She got in on the driver’s side as I stood with my father next to the Porsche.

“So, the plan is to divide and conquer?” my father muttered to himself.

“Are you really going to be this way, Dad?” I asked him.

“Be what way?” he asked, opening the passenger side door for me.

I frowned, and he just smiled back. Sighing, I got in carefully, tucking my skirt underneath me. I waited for him to go around to the driver’s side and take his seat behind the wheel before just coming out and saying it. “Do you want me to die an old maid?”

“You’re being dramatic. He isn’t the only man in the world—”

“He is the only one I love, though.”

He froze for a moment, his mouth twitching in annoyance. Sighing, he nodded. “I prefer you being an old maid.”

“Dad!”

He chuckled, taking my hand. “I’m just kidding.”

“You’re only partially joking,” I muttered back, pulling away and crossing my arms. “And it sucks, Dad. This sucks. Having to be on my toes all the time around you both. I don’t like it. I love you, Daddy. But I’m in love with Wyatt. I want to be with Wyatt. Could you imagine how you’d feel if your dad hated Mom?”

“He did,” he whispered as he pulled out of the driveway.

“What?”

He glanced at me. “Sedric, Liam’s father, my uncle and adoptive father, hated your mother. Why? Because we are a family of tradition. Or at least we were. He didn’t care about her per se, but he cared about how my relationship with her would affect the other families' views of us. Do you know what she did?”

“What?”

“She got Sedric to accept her. She got all of us to accept her. After Evelyn, who do you think is going to the matriarch of this family now? The men of this family need to be able to do more than just—”

“Don’t say that,” I grumbled.

“Are you worrying about Wyatt or me?” he asked because, apparently, it was evident on my face.

“Both.” I didn’t like the thought of anything happening to him or Wyatt.

He sighed before saying, “I’m going to make Wyatt’s life hell, and you need to just accept that—”

“Dad—”

“Because I am doing it for you,” he said sternly.

I gave him a look.