Panic threatened to consume her once more, but Devon forced it back down. When the magick finally lost its hold on her—which it eventually would—he’d feel that she was in danger. She could only hope that it happened before Leticia had a chance to kill her, which she clearly intended to do.
Realization hit Finn, who also appeared unable to move, and his eyes widened in horror as he stared at his woman. “No.”
Leticia gave him a smile filled with mock pity. “Oh, yes.”
“Why?” he demanded, voice cracking.
“You really need to ask that question?” She sniffed. “That doesn’t surprise me. You never really saw any wrong in the things you did over the years. So many women you cheated on me with,” she mused, circling him. “Cheating was one thing, and I made you pay for it every time. But impregnating another woman? Giving her something that you refused to give me? I don’t want any more children, you said. Three is enough, you said.”
His nostrils flared. “It wasn’t planned.”
“Oh, I know.”
“I agreed to try for more. We tried.”
“And then I found out you’d had a vasectomy,” she spat, venom in every syllable. “You knew there was no chance of us having more children unless you had the operation reversed, which you didn’t. You let me think that the problem was me. And let’s not forget the other lies you told. ‘I love you more than life itself’ is probably my favorite. But you told me there would be no more cheating if I came back to you. You promised me. You lied.”
“Leticia—”
“All those years I stuck by you. Forgave you again and again. But did you ever declare me your mate? No. No, you wouldn’t share your precious power, would you? The only reason I stayed with you is that I thought you one day would. You owed me that.”
“And then you would’ve gotten rid of me,” he accused. “You’d have ruled the lair alone.”
“Only until Spencer became old enough to take over. I’d say that time has come.” She looked down her nose at him. “My son will be better at ruling than you ever were.”
The steel-like weight around Devon fluttered against her skin, and then it loosened ever so slightly. Not enough for her to move or send out any tendrils of power, but enough that a cautious hope flickered to life in her belly. She didn’t let that show on her face; just continued to watch the spectacle before her play out.
Finni inhaled deeply. “Leticia, please listen to me.”
“You have nothing to say I want to hear,” Leticia clipped. “I promised myself I’d never go through what my mother went through; never fall for a man who didn’t love and value and respect me. But you’re no better than my father, are you? A cheating, lying bastard. Pamela was right in what she said about you. She had herself a lucky escape, in my opinion. Didn’t save her from a shitty life, though, did it?”
“What does that mean?” The question burst out of Devon.
Leticia turned to face her. “Ah, so Pamela never told you. You weren’t the unlikely product of a one-night stand between strangers, Devon. He and your bitch of a mother had known each other for a long time. They used to date when they were teenagers. But she wouldn’t commit to him; said there was too much potential for sin in him. She was certain he’d hurt her over and over.”
Devon could only stare at the other woman, utterly stunned.
“You hear that?” Leticia snarled. “She gave. Him. Up. She could have had him, but she let him go. I found him. I gave him the children he wanted. I was his advisor and more as he worked his way to the position of Prime. She had no right to have a for-old-time’s-sake fuck with him—a man who had a family. He belonged to me. But she fucked him, and then she had you.”
“Leticia, please listen to me,” Finn beseeched. “I hurt you. Took you for granted. Cheated on you. But that cheating ended after you came back to me, I swear I—”
“You were planning to leave me, weren’t you?” It was a quiet accusation, and it made Finn stiffen. Leticia fingered the button of his shirt. “I found out about the little slut you keep in that condo in New York. It was bad enough you were up to your old tricks again. But then I realized you weren’t just having an affair with her. It was more. Hmm, I wonder if she knows about all the other sluts you keep housed all over the US.”
Leticia went nose to nose with him. “If you think I’ve put up with years of your bullshit, years of humiliation and betrayal and pain, only for you to leave me … Well you’re very much mistaken. I paid my dues with you. I had hoped that Knox or Jolene would kill you for me but, alas, that did not happen, so I’ll take care of the matter myself.” She lifted her chin. “I say it’s time to clean house. All those sluts you have secretly tucked away for when you’re on business trips will all be meeting untimely deaths. Some already have. And, of course, your illegitimate child will do the same.”