Page 14 of Vicious Knight

“I do say so. Night, boys.”

Lucian leaves and Caspian gives me his undivided attention. Now his curiosity has morphed into worry.

“What did my father say?” He sits up straighter.

The viper tattooed on his neck looks like it’s ready to pounce at me. He got it after high school. I got the dragon on my neck at the same time.

The emblem was as fitting for me as the viper was for him. Both are deadly animals, but when dragons strike and breathe fire they obliterate, leaving nothing behind.

I release a heavy sigh but my lungs still feel tight with pressure.

“Your old man is putting me on an assessment for my internship, and he wants to talk about the marriage contract. He wants one in place so I can say I do come graduation day.” That doesn’t mean I have two years to find a wife. It means the wedding itself will be in two years, so that prick could sign my life away tomorrow.

Caspian’s face reddens, then he leans forward with balled fists. “What the fuck are you saying to me?”

“You heard me, cousin. Aleksander Ivanov strikes again, showing who’s boss.”

“You can’t let him fuck with you like that.”

“Let him?” I raise my brows and give him a sharp stare. “You know I would never let anyone do shit to me. Even him.”

“But it sounds like you’re going to do what he wants.”

I inch closer to make sure that only he can hear me. “He’s getting even with me, Caspian.” We’ve had no end of run-ins with Aleksander, especially recently, as he attempted to keep his secret affairs secret from me. “It’s clear he wants to exercise more control over me to hide whatever shady shit he might be up to, again. Keeping me under his thumb will ensure my allegiance to him.”

If anyone were to hear me utter such words about my uncle it would be as bad as treason. And it would be so much worse because of who I am.

“He already has your fucking allegiance.”

I tilt my head and shake it. “We both know that’s not true, Caspian.”

Caspian’s chest caves and his shoulders slump. He knows full well what I’m talking about. It’s called the obvious truth. The type that no one can refute or change.

Although his father might have raised me with his sons and could be said to have raised me like his own, my allegiance is not to him.

“You have my allegiance, because I owe you my life. You got my loyalty the night my family was taken and my father’s enemies took you instead of me.” I don’t usually speak about the past, or so plainly.

The tension in Caspian’s face loosens but it’s still there. “You don’t owe me, cousin.”

“But I do.”

We were eight years old. Not old enough to be able to think so fast in the face of danger, but he did. Thinking on his feet, he told me to hide and swapped places with me so they would take him.

As close as our fathers were, it was protocol that the direct heirs to the Ivanov line mustn’t fall. Meaning priority was always given to Caspian’s father as he was the firstborn Ivanov son, and his sons.

At that young age Caspian knew that if those men had taken me, no one would come looking for me. Him, on the other hand… yes.

And that’s what happened. It took ten months for his father to find him, but he found him.

“You’re the reason I’m here today.” I will always acknowledge that. “We became brothers the moment you chose to sacrifice yourself to save me. That was when I decided I would always have your back. Your father knows that and hates me for it.”

Aleksander hasn’t allowed me to forget how lucky I was to keep my life. Every time shit happens, that motherfucker goes in hard on me.

Years ago, when Zak, Caspian’s brother, was killed, Aleksander took out his frustration on me as if it was my fault and even told me that I didn’t deserve to be alive. He’d been telling me fucked-up shit like that since I was eight, so by then I was used to it. That’s the kind of asshole he is.

“I can’t let him screw with your life, Thorne.” Caspian lands a fist on the table so hard it shakes. “I’m going to speak to him.”

“That will make it worse. And I need to take the reins on this.” I’ll never allow anyone to fight my battles.

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