A Promise of Torment (A Violent Agenda)

“Legacy?” I snort.

“All of this. It’s yours, you know.”

I look around. “Why would I want a dump like this?”

“Maybe not the house, but the money, the assets. Your inheritance.”

“I don’t want any of it.”

“Oh, but you will. And there are men that would die to have you along with it.”

“We were never yours,” I say. A futile remark. He’s not even listening.

“When you ran away, I knew where you’d gone. Dante watched over you for me. Kept you from harm. You needed to leave the nest to grow, but now it’s time for you to come back. Take your place with me in our empire.”

“Fuck the empire,” I say with a smile.

“What I want to know,” says Kristian, picking a grape from his plate and peeling it. “Is why you’ve kept this delightful creature hidden all these years. If she’s your heir, why have you not let her out to play until now?”

Adrien nods, wiping his mouth after finishing his food. “She was in training.”

Training. The care home I was beaten at. The foster home that abused me. Dante. Polina. Even the boys. I’ve no idea what’s real or what was designed by my father to make me what I am now.

Maybe my father knew where Rebecca was all along.

Dogs bark in the distance, so I know someone has arrived. They’re the same dogs trained to rip me to pieces should I try to run. Killing them would be the simple option but just like children, I can’t bring myself to lift a finger towards animals.

I would rather let the dogs eat me.

The next course is venison. Another of my father’s favorite dishes. I can’t bring myself to taste the meat, so I ignore the plate in front of me while the men dig in.

The door to the dining room opens. My heart almost stops fucking beating when I see who it is.

Dino Vice.

Lorcan Duke.

And Finlay Baron.

Like one big fucking happy family.