Page 59 of Cruel Knots

“I need to try,” I say, despite being aware of the risk. “My dad’s not safe with Callum. There’s no one to protect him. I won’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to him.”

The easy expression on her pretty face vanishes. “You’re going to regret it. My brothers won’t forgive you for your betrayal.”

At this point, my entire life seems like a series of regrets. My brother is a predator and the boys I loved so much have turned into monsters.

Apart from my life, there’s nothing else left for me to lose.

When I look up, Lilja has already walked out of the room. The door stays open just as she promised me.

I don’t want to be a captive anymore. This is my last chance to take control of my life and I’m going to take it despite the risks.

Getting up from the bed, I step through the door.

17

Damien

Mikhail sits on the other side of the table, looking grim. His ash-blond hair is a mess from being ruffled each time he runs his fingers through them in frustration.

Leon stands closer to me, leaning against my desk.

“Get going,” I say in a commanding tone. “Lucia will be here when you get back.”

“I know,” says Mikhail, looking disturbed. “It’s just that I want to confront her about everything.” He punches the couch’s armrest in frustration. “Did you see the way that asshole treats Lucia? As if she’s his bitch. As if he’s used to her obeying his every command.”

I give a grim nod. He’s not aware of it because he’d been standing far from Lucia during the confrontation but I noticed the way she reacted to her brother. He scares her. There were times she clung to me, a monster, for support.

“Callum Baldwin isn’t going to sit back and take it,” I say. “He’s probably already busy recruiting every gang and army-for-hire he can get. We gave him a glimpse of our power. He knows where we live. He’ll be coming back with reinforcement. We need to know about his allies in time to plan out our defenses.”

Looking toward Leon, I say, “Get inside the homes and offices of these people on the list.” Sliding a sheet toward him, I rest my elbows on the table. “You need to get out there too, Mikhail. Find out what’s happening among the street gangs. They’ll be the first to respond to Callum’s call.”

Leon’s eyes gleam in the firelight as he gazes at the list in his hand. “You’ve been thorough,” he comments.

“Can I at least see her before leaving?” Mikhail whines.

I don’t like the way he’s getting attached to her. We still need to find out the truth about her relationship with Callum. A single confrontation cannot reveal everything that’s buried under the surface.

“She’s not going anywhere,” I remind him again. “You need to stay focused on your job. A single mistake can cost us everything.”

My brother’s expression turns somber. “I understand,” he says with a nod. Getting to his feet, he gestures at Leon. “Let’s get going.”

Leon glances at me before following Mikhail out of the room.

I lean against the backrest of my chair. Lucia’s face rises before my eyes the moment I allow myself to relax.

The innocence in those emerald-green eyes hasn’t faded. She was able to guard her heart despite the way her brother treated her all these years.

Guilt weighs heavy in my gut as I think of the way we treated her when she was going through her heat. We should’ve made her more comfortable instead of letting her stay in that dark basement.

How could you have known about her relationship with Callum? I ask myself, hating the guilt spreading through me.

My mind wanders over to the moment when she’d looked at me earlier. She squeezed her eyes shut when I got closer. Lucia is still disgusted with me despite knowing that it was her brother who disfigured my face.

She owes me a lifetime of confinement in this isolated dark manor. I can never step out in broad daylight. A mask or a veil could hide my monstrosity but they’d also attract more attention to me.

To avoid the inconvenience, I’ve been forced to hide behind these ancient walls my ancestors built. Callum not only stole my face, but he also stole my freedom.

Stealing Lucia’s virginity is nothing compared to the curse I’m suffering. Had I been a true monster like her brother, I’d have inflicted the same treatment on her and cut up her pretty face. I’d have shed her blood until she was on the brink of death too.

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