Page 24 of Twisted Kings

“Don’t fucking move,” Torrance hissed in a low voice.

“I need to go to Verity!”

“No, you stay here with me. If you cause a scene, it won’t end well for her or you.”

Mrs. Gia sat pale and shaking, her hand gripping Verity’s shoulder like she was afraid someone would snatch her away. Given the circumstances, her fears were valid.

In the years I’d known Mrs. Gia, she rarely, if ever, looked anything other than immaculate. Her day uniform comprised a crisp white blouse, gray skirt, and sensible shoes, with her hair pinned back in a smooth chignon. She’d always reminded me of a kindly old-fashioned governess.

I’d once asked her why she never wore more casual clothes. Verity loved to fling food and paint around when she was younger, so poor Mrs. Gia was forever cleaning up after her. She’d replied that her training had drummed into her the need for a professional appearance, and even though my father insisted Verity stayed in the attic apartment, Mrs. Gia liked to keep up appearances.

In the time I’d been gone, it was plain a lot had changed.

The Mrs. Gia I remembered was a stout woman. Her appearance now was in stark contrast to the smiling woman I’d said goodbye to a few months ago. She looked like she’d barely eaten a thing for weeks.

Had my father forgotten to send food up to the attic? Verity seemed the same. Physically, at least. I desperately wanted to rush over and hug my sister, but Torrance had hold of my arm so tightly I had no chance of escaping without causing a commotion.

Verity still hadn’t seen me. As I watched, she slumped in her chair, completely out of it; barely conscious.

Like me, she wore a dress, only hers was pink, not white. It somehow made her look younger, even though she was nearlya teenager and growing fast. Her hair was a tangled mess, and when she looked up, her eyes were glazed and unfocused.

“Have you drugged my sister?” I asked Torrance in disgust.

Torrance rolled his eyes and ignored me. Before I could say another word, my father appeared, a broad smile on his face as he strode over.

“Daughter! What a pleasure it is to see you again!” he boomed. A few heads turned around. Eyes widened when they saw me, or rather the dress I wore. I suspected they assumed someone had hired a hooker for a last-minute stag party.

Had my father had a personality transplant? He never normally looked happy to see me.

“Really? Is that why you threw me in the dungeon for a week when I got here?”

The smile slipped and his jaw ticked with anger, showing me the monster hiding just below the surface of his carefully constructedloving fathermask.

Dad pushed me back out of the drawing room and into the corridor, away from curious eyes. Then he scanned me from head to toe. “The ladies did a good job,” he announced with satisfaction before turning to Torrance. “Make sure they don’t leave.”

“You’re not letting them go?” Those poor women didn’t deserve to die because of me.

“No. I don’t want news of this wedding spreading beyond our guests.”

“And Father Raphael? Is he taking an expedited trip to the Afterlife, too?”

It was clear from my father’s expression he didn’t appreciate my sarcastic tone.

“Father Raphael is a long-time friend of the family. He knows better than to make waves.”

“And he likes his supply of Bolivian marching powder too much, eh?” I quipped, watching as the priest imbibed more drink from his hip flask. At this rate, he’d pass out before the vows.

A hand shot out and gripped my throat. “A word of advice, dear daughter. It’s very important to me that this ceremony goes off without a hitch. If you make things difficult, I guarantee you won’t like what happens next.”

I received his warning, loud and clear. If I failed to cooperate, he’d make sure something bad happened to Verity. Not that she was safe, even if I did cooperate. The fact he’d sold her off to Marku meant she was far from safe, but at least if she stayed with me, I could try to protect her.

“Is Mrs. Gia coming with us?” I asked, biting back all the nasty retorts I wanted to throw at him.

“No, Mrs. Gia’s contract is about to end.”

Oh no. Rage and sorrow obliterated the last vestiges of good sense remaining.

“You’re a fucking monster!” I spat in his face. A globule of spit landing on his cheek before sliding down. We both froze for a few seconds before he slapped me across the cheek. While I struggled to remain standing at the force of the blow, he pulled a silk pocket square from his blazer and wiped the spit away.

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