Page 73 of A Taste Of Darkness

I looked at my cousin and my hands turned into fists once more as anger poisoned my blood. “Are you behind all of this?” I asked, fury in my voice. “Was this your plan all along? Pretending as though you’re helping me when in reality you were keeping an eye on me to make sure they could find me more easily if needed?”

Arlo chuckled. “Seriously? If I was helping them, you think I would’ve cared to make friends in Toronto?”

“To keep your cover, yes.”

“Milo, I did not spend the past seven years away from my wife just to keep an eye on you for them,” he said. He sounded serious for once in his life. “Yes, they very obviously knew that I knew where you’ve been all this time, but I wasn’t aware of that. I was sticking around for you. In case that something like this happened, you’d have someone you know is on your side. I’ve got your back, Milo. I’m not here to lead you into some trap. No one, and I mean no one could’ve convinced me to stay away from Dahlia for seven years just to make sure they wouldn’t lose track of you.”

My eyes narrowed at him; mistrust wanting me to run away and return to Sterlie before anything even worse happened.

But this was Arlo… I never felt like he lied to me before. Even when we were kids, he was the one I trusted. In fact, Arlo was the only one who helped me prevent Sterlie from getting raped by my uncle.

“Fine,” I said as I pulled out my pocket knife to cut through the vines. “But if this is a trap, Sterlie will tell Flora, and Flora will tell Kai, and while Kai might not be very fond of me, if he has to choose between you and his wife, you’re dead.” Of that I was sure.

As my best friend, I knew Flora wouldn’t let my death go without getting justice. If justice was wanting Arlo’s head—and I was sure they’d figure out it was Arlo who betrayed me—not even Kai had a chance to stop Flora. If he did anything but help his wife, only God knew what she would’ve done with him.

My cousin held a hand right over his head, gasping. “I can’t even have friends anymore these days. No matter what, you’ll always find a way to use them against me. It’s so cool but so unfortunate for me.”

37

DAHLIA

Milo Marucci

The house was quiet.

Most of the lights were turned on, but no sounds were coming from any room. Their silence meant one of two things.

One: They were all out, but that seemed unlikely.

Two: The right-hand men of my father were in his office, discussing their next steps.

I wasn’t sure they believed that my cousins died in a plane crash, or if they suspected that I was keeping them hostage at Tartarus, but I knew if they wanted answers—and me back—they’d have to find a way.

They certainly weren’t going to leave me alone.

As much as I wanted to sneak my way toward the office first so I could listen in on them to prepare myself, Arlo had other plans. So, I now stood in Dahlia’s living room, frowning at that kid in its crib.

Kids creeped me out. They were so unpredictable; they loved to grab things without permission. They were nothing but a nightmare.

Good thing Viola was sound asleep at this time.

Or so I thought until her eyes ripped open and she started to cry like a maniac.

Within seconds, Arlo picked her up, talking all sweetly to that kid like it was supposed to understand a single word he said.

“And you wanted that—her on purpose?” I asked Dahlia. Obvious disgust was still visible on my face.

The only kid I could imagine accepting was Sterlie’s, and even more so when it was ours. Any other kid? No, thank you.

Dahlia sighed. “It’s always nice talking to you, Luca.”

I squinted my eyes at her. “You did that on purpose.” Dahlia knew I wasn’t going by Luca anymore. She’d been the only one inside this house who knew I was very much alive—aside from my sister, that is.

Arlo insisted that he couldn’t possibly lie to his wife, so I had no other choice but to let him tell her.

It turned out to have been a good thing because she kept Arlo up to date, which meant I was up to date with whatever was going on. And thanks to her, I had the chance to exploit my family.

My lifestyle required money, and she was the one who could get it for me. In the beginning, I just needed some to buy my penthouse and the building for Tartarus, but I quickly realized that I needed more than initially planned.

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