A Promise of Torment (A Violent Agenda)

“It was easy to find out once I knew your last name. Just tell me you’re not fucking related, and I’ll walk away. I won’t bother you anymore. He can have you. You both fucking deserve each other.” It doesn’t take a well-trained assassin to see the fear in him. It’s in the way he grips the steering wheel, the way he clenches his jaw and keeps his eyes narrowed and staring straight ahead.

I cock my head. If I say we’re not related and that there’s nothing going on, will he believe me? My mind flits back to the file I found on Dante in Adrien’s study. Dante must not know what’s in that file. But now is not the time to unpick dark secrets. I’ll deal with that later.

I turn my attention to Lorcan who is staring at me with dark eyes filled with pain. “Adrien isn’t his real father and his mother is dead.”

“So, you’re fucking him then?” he asks.

“No,” I say.

“But you want to.”

There’s a longing inside me that wants to lie down and have Lorcan wrap his arms around me like he used to when he’d sneak into my room late at night. Those are the moments I miss.

Weak moments.

Out of control ones.

Ones where I share secrets that aren’t mine to tell.

I’m better off alone.

In answer to his question, I get out of the car.

“Fucking coward,” he says under his breath, loud enough so I can hear it.

I pause outside the door, letting the rage simmer in my bones before I respond. Then I duck down so I can look him in the eyes. “You say that, but it didn’t take you long to replace me.”

He gives me a side look and shakes his head. “So fucking rich coming from you,” he says.

I don't know what to say to that, so I don’t say anything. I can't even slam the car door because it's a fucking gull wing.

It closes by itself, and he roars off back out the way he came.

Why did I say that? Where the hell are these infuriating emotions coming from?

The house is just waking up as I storm through the building. Staff are coming and going with breakfast trays. The dogs are going nuts as they get their morning feed. I make it to my room without seeing anyone else and slam the door. I lean against it, breathing, allowing my heart to get back to normal.

He’s a distraction.

Forget about him.

After a few minutes, when my hands are no longer shaking, I retrieve my phone from its hiding place. I promptly check for messages, and I’m relieved to see there’s a new addition to my document from Dante.

No sign of Rebecca.

On my way back.

He's coming back, which is great timing since the party is later today. I could do with some support after the morning I’ve had. Adding Dante to the list of an already crazy selection of guests could be the end of me. But I need him. It scares me to acknowledge that.

Tonight is also the engagement announcement. I’m not stupid to think I have any control over who Adrien sells me to. There will be a closed bidding system of some kind, offering the family things he can’t buy easily, like connections.

Unless Lorcan steps up to the plate, Kristian will probably win. I still haven't decided how I'm going to navigate this one. My father marrying me off isn’t new. It’s the reason I ran away in the first place. The weight of the anklet reminds me that’s not an option now. Unless I find some way of getting this off, I’m trapped.

Dante might have a way.

Or I could just kill my father and be done with this whole fucking thing.

Plenty of options.