Page 17 of Twisted Kings

“If you’d bothered returning my messages or calls, you’d know,” he sniped.

“I’ve been busy.” Not quite a lie. I had been busy.

Busy working out in the basement gym. Busy thinking of strategies to kill my father in a non-suspicious way. And very busy wishing I’d been born to some middle-class Karen on a suburban housing estate in the Midlands instead of fucking Lucian Fucking Forsyth.

God knows life would be a lot easier if all I had to worry about was whether Karen-Mom would let me borrow the Audi to take Cheryl to Wetherspoons this weekend.

“Busy feeling sorry for yourself,” Milo correctly surmised.

“Fuck off.”

“No, can’t do that, Cassian. I have shit to do. So, are you ready to listen now?”

After checking the library door was firmly closed, I slumped down on the chesterfield next to the fire. The heat warmed my toes, but did nothing to ease the tight band of tension across my chest.

“Fine. Spill it, asshole. I’d dying to hear why you’re willing to forgive and forget the woman who tried to fuck me over.”

“She was coerced, dickhead.”

“Course she was. And I’m Madonna and Brad Pitt’s love child.” I rolled my eyes and swallowed some more gin.

I heard scuffling in the background, and then Kyril came on the line.

“Thea is the eldest daughter of Francesco di Luca, Italian mob boss,” Kyril said.

“And? No idea who he is.”

“Di Luca makes my father look like a fucking choir boy, and his second, Torrance Asaro, is a psychopath.”

“Boo hoo. So she has daddy issues.” Dad would be back soon. “Look, I don’t have time for this right now—”

“Cassian, get your head out of your ass and fucking listen!”

“Fine. Five minutes and then I need to go. Dad is due back shortly and if he finds me with a burner phone, he’ll lose his shit.”

Kyril muttered something in Russian, probably an insult, and then continued.

“Dario has filled us in on why Thea was at college.”Dario? Color me intrigued. The Italian bastard had made it more than clear how much he hated Thea.

“Dario is the one who ratted out Thea, so why do you believe any shit he’s told you?” It made no sense. None of it did.

“Dario was working for Thea’s father. It’s a complicated mess, but he thought Thea betrayed him when they were teenagers.”

I snorted derisively. Yeah. I could relate. That shit burned. Kyril ignored me and continued.

“That’s not important right now, but whatisimportant is why Thea felt she had to do what she did. Firstly, she was told to plant drugs, but she didn’t do it, as I’m sure you are aware, given the police raid found nothing.” OK, so he made a good point. “She wasn’t responsible for the sex tape. That was on Dario. Asaro instructed him to place cameras in your hotel room as backup, in case Thea didn’t go through with planting the drugs. He suspected her allegiance had shifted since she arrived at college.”

“OK, fine, but none of that changes the fact she lied about everything!”

“Thea’s been a victim her entire life, Cass. Her father keeps her younger sister locked in an attic and uses her as leverage to ensure Thea does as she’s told. He’s abused and beaten her since she was a kid. Forced her to do awful things. Molded her into a weapon. I get you’re pissed off but take a step back for a moment. Yes, Thea wasn’t honest about who she was, but she had no fucking choice, Cass. She got rid of the drugs Asaro gave her. She was trying to protect you!”

My heart thawed a little. I hadn’t forgiven her, but some of the shit Kyril said resonated, especially the bit about using a loved one as leverage. God knows my father was an expert at that shit. He’d held my mother’s safety over my head for years. And he’d continue to do that as long as he needed me to toe the line.

“So why does she need rescuing? From what I’ve seen, that girl can rescue herself.”

“Asaro took her from campus the night you left. We’re not sure exactly what happened but cameras picked up him carrying her while she was unconscious. Dario has spoken to his father, who says di Luca has organized a wedding between Thea and the head of the Romanian mafia, a guy called Konstantin Marku.”

“Maybe she wants to marry this guy?” I pointed out. Perhaps this Marku was her one true love.

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