Page 37 of The Villain

I smirk at his frustration. Looks like Tera is playing a game of her own. I approve.

“You could tell me,” He hints in a darker tone. It’s a seduction when he doesn’t need it. His voice is already a weakness of mine.

“You sound like a serial killer right now,” I point out in a taunt. My glib reply makes his eyes open wide in surprise.

“What the fuck?”

I smirk again, letting him stew on that for a while. I can’t decide if I want this little conversation to keep going or if I should call a halt to it. I have the sneaking suspicion he wants to make them jealous and this is a ploy. Then again, I’ll get to watch how pissed they get when I’m all over him. Maybe I’ll have to ‘defend myself’. Decisions, decisions.

He breaks the silence again. “If I tell you something, can you keep it to yourself?”

I nod because I’m excellent with secrets. I’m all ears. Tell me all about you statue. I’m panting for it and I’ll never tell a soul.

“That was my boss. He said he doesn’t believe you did it.”

“What is wrong with the people in this town?” I mutter. Do I need to make an I’m guilty sign? A shirt? People are idiots but this town is taking it to an extreme I couldn’t have prepared for.

“He thinks I’m trying to weasel my way out of working with the assholes,” he continues but he’s smiling at my question.

“Fuck him,” I sneer and sip my water.

His smile gets wider. “I was just told nothing I did would stop it and to give up.”

“Give me your phone,” I hiss and hold out my hand.

Shade laughs. An open sound that surprises me at its lightheartedness.

Is this some kind of joke? Is he pissing me off on purpose? What game is this?

“I found out about six years ago that my boss is my biological dad.”

I tilt my head in confusion. His boss slash sperm donor is being a dick to him? Why?

“I thought I got away from the drama by joining Ira’s team. Staying out of the main office kind of thing. Less contact, less angst.”

Interesting. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. His need to keep Andi intact makes more sense now. A sibling. I suppose that makes her permanently banned from punishment. That’s a shame.

“While I’ve been gone my mom and the bio have mended fences.” He says the last words with an anger tinged with bitterness. “I’m supposed to be happy that the asshole who wasn’t around when shit got tough is with her.”

Abandonment issues. Tera has the same. His Dad ghosted just like hers. They might as well be actual twins at this point. He became bitter and shut down emotionally. Tera turned everything negative into a positive. If he tells me his mom is a controlling piece of shit the circle will be complete.

“Anyway, they got married last year. I was supposed to walk my mom down the aisle as a sign that I accept the changes they’ve made in my fucking life.”

His eyes meet mine from across the table as his jaw clenches. “I got a flat. Then the spare failed out too. I got it fixed and got to the wedding in enough time to watch my half-brother walk her down the aisle instead.”

“You didn’t call?”

“I called them all. Left messages. I even called his bodyguards. No one believed me about the flats.”

Huh. My brows furrow at that. I know he’s a dick but not one person accepted his version? None of them? What has Shade been doing to people that has them so ready to think he’s a piece of shit?

Then again he is an enigma that lies to save people who don’t need it. Or don’t deserve it. I can understand questioning that. I can tell he’s not the type to throw a tantrum that way. He’s prepared to go down with any ship.

“My mom called me after the ceremony and told me not to bother coming back to see her. I was in the fucking chapel trying to leave with everyone else. She said she wasn’t going to let my hate drag her down. After everything I’ve done. Nothing is ever good enough.”

Even his mom? Full circle, here we come.

“I left and I haven’t heard from her since. She won’t answer when I call or respond to my texts. I get calls from the bio but he’s more interested in pretending to be a disappointed father figure than a boss. It’s fucking me up because he’s turning what used to be a comfortable association into bullshit manipulation and revenge in my mom’s honor. I used to be his right-hand man. Now I’m some dirty street urchin he calls to take a bad mood out on.”

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