Dark Lies (House of Sin 2)

“Really?” He makes a face. “So that’s it? This was your plan?”

“It wasn’t,” I reply, “but she changed my mind.”

His nostrils flare, and he holds up the book like some sort of preacher. “You signed this in blood.”

“I did,” I reply. “I won’t deny that.”

“Then what do you intend to do about it?” he growls, obviously upset because I broke another rule.

“Ignore it.” I raise a brow.

His jaw slowly drops as though he never contemplated that was actually possible, and I have to admit that I didn’t consider it either. Until her. “That isn’t—”

“An option? Sure it is, if we make it one,” I retort.

Rules aren’t just there to decide our fate.

They are meant to bend according to the one who wields them.

All these years, they gave me guidance when there was no one else. But I failed to realize they were just holding me back.

My father always told me rules could never be broken.

But they were made to be broken.

And I refuse to let my father and his brainwashing chain me up any longer.

Tobias shakes his head along with the book. “You disgrace the rules. I can’t let you do that. You cannot ruin everything we’ve built for so long.”

“We didn’t build this house. We kept it going,” I reply. “I’m not ruining anything by simply leaving. You have taken over now, and I trust you to make the right decisions for this House.” I pat him on the shoulder a few times, but he still looks angry. “Rule it as you see fit.”

“So what? You think I can just forget that you made this?” He opens the page right to where I put my fingerprint in blood.

I take in a deep breath.

“What … is that?” Amelia asks.

“Eli made a vow.” He glares at her now. “You are to become his wife and have his child, or he dies. Those are the rules.” He throws me another damning look. Is he truly intent on making me see this through? “And you made your choice.”

“No.” Amelia quickly jumps in front of me. “I did. I made a choice to run.”

“I know he let you go,” Tobias says, throwing daggers with his eyes.

“Out of love,” she replies steadfastly. “And I still intend to have his baby and marry him. Doesn’t that count?”

My eyes widen, and I grab Amelia’s shoulders and make her turn to look at me. “You would do that for me?”

She nods with a smile on her face. “If it means you get to live …” She places her hand on top of mine, and I am utterly moved by the love she exudes. And I want nothing more than to swoop her up in my arms and run off.

“You would do that for him out of your own free will?” Tobias asks, his stance growing rigid.

Amelia nods.

“What changed?” he asks.

She smiles at him. “He chose to do the right thing.”

His face tightens and softens all within a second. As though he’s astonished this can even happen and that it would influence her decisions too.

He licks his lips and lets out a breath. “What about the House then?”

“We will leave it to you,” I say. “It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“It doesn’t matter where we go or where I have the baby, right?” Amelia asks, throwing a look at Tobias. “Or is that in your little rule book too?”

I love the little bit of added sass.

“There is no rule for that, no,” Tobias sneers. “There should be, though.”

I understand how he feels. I’ve been guided by these rules for so long that it’s hard to let them go. But I must. For her.

He snaps the book shut. “I guess it’s settled then. So what now?”

“Instead of dying, I continue to live,” I reply. “That’s it.”

“Okay …” He rubs the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. “I should’ve known this would happen, considering your history.”

“At least my history brought me some valuable insight,” I rebuke.

I know he’s talking about my father, but it doesn’t hurt me any longer. Nothing he says can touch me as long as I have Amelia’s love.

Tobias narrows his eyes at me. “Do whatever makes you happy.” He turns around and walks back to the living room. But right before he goes inside, he glances at us over his shoulder. “But don’t ever come back because this rule changes now.”

I nod, and he nods back. A hint of a smile perks up the side of his lip.

It’s not just a threat.

It’s a promise.

A promise to make my life miserable if I ever choose to leave her.

Not because he hates me or because he’s jealous.

But because he wants me to succeed. Because he wants us to make it out alive and live out our days with love and happiness … because, after everything we’ve done and been through, that is what we deserve.