Page 50 of Twisted Kings

Tempting.

Only I knew damn well he’d never let me leave Blackwood. Mom was stuck here, too.

I couldn’t take her with me if I left. She spent most of her time in a drug-addled stupor. The drug regimen Dad had her on made it hard for her to function normally.

When I questioned why she needed to be medicated so much, he told me Dr Lassitor had advised him the drugs were necessary to control her mood. I was not at all convinced. The man was a snake oil salesman who made money from manipulating rich families into paying his exorbitant fees.

Not that anyone ever manipulated my father. I strongly suspected he sent Mom to Dr Lassitor because the man was corrupt and therefore happy to prescribe whatever Mom needed to ensure she stayed compliant.

“I have to go.” Before Kyril could say another word, I hung up. No doubt my friends would have a fun Christmas without me. Lan and Kyril were already fucking Thea. Milo was uninterested in sex, but he had become attached to the girl. And from what I’d deduced from watching Dario, he was obsessed with her as well.

My presence would only complicate things.

It would be better if I stayed here.

The sound of my bedroom door opening woke me up. When I opened my eyes, Mom stood over my bed like a fucking ghost. I sat up in a panic. Had she started sleepwalking again? It wouldn’t surprise me if she had.

“Mom? Are you OK?” The beginnings of a headache pulsed at the front of my skull.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Talk? Mom, it’s, like, 2 AM! Can’t this wait?” She shook her head and perched on the side of the bed. Her hair hung in waves. Despite the puffiness in her face caused by the drugs she took, Mom was still a beautiful woman. I could see why my father had fallen in love with her.

If he everhadloved her. That was up for debate. Part of me suspected the only reason he’d married her was because she brought with her a significant family fortune and also connections to the upper echelons of the English aristocracy.

“No, my darling, it can’t wait.”

“Let me pull some clothes on.” She sat back while I scooted out of bed and tugged a pair of sweats on over my boxers. The room was cool, but I didn’t bother with a tee. “Are you OK? Do I need to call Miranda?” Miranda took care of mom’s healthcare needs, making sure she didn’t mess up her meds. I wasn’t much of a fan, but the woman seemed competent.

“No!” She grabbed my wrist forcefully. “I dropped a sedative into Miranda’s tea earlier, so she wouldn’t wake up and alert your father.”

“I think he’s out.”

Mom’s lip curled with derision. “Yes, he has a woman in the village he sees sometimes.” My heart broke for her. How humiliating it must be for her, knowing her husband kept a lover in the nearby village and there was nothing she could do about it. Then my brain snagged on her comment about sedating Miranda and my eyebrows shot up.

“Why did you drug Miranda, Mom?”

She half-smiled. “Because she’s a tattle-tale, and I knew she’d wake when I sneaked out to see you. I can’t have her reportingback to Lucian.” She looked up at me, her lovely blue eyes alert for once. “You need to leave, darling. Tonight.”

“Leave? I can’t leave you! Dad said…” My voice trailed off. Mom didn’t need to know what Dad had threatened to do.

“I know.” She squeezed my arm comfortingly. “Trust me, I know exactly what he’s capable of.” Her jaw tightened as she looked away for a moment. Then she turned back, her mouth set in a hard line. “He wants to get you more involved in his activities.” The way she phrased it as if she’d inadvertently swallowed the bitterest, most vile drink in existence, told me all I needed to know about her feelings about Dad’sactivities.

“He said as much.”

“Yes, I knew it was coming, but I had hoped he’d wait until you graduated.”

“I think the,err, video made him change his mind.” I wasn’t sure if she was aware of the sex tape. Hopefully not.

“Yes, Cassian. That definitely did the trick. He was furious about it.” There wasn’t much light in my room as I hadn’t bothered switching on a lamp, but there was more than enough illumination from the window to see the look of amusement on her face.

How embarrassing. I cringed.

“But your extra-curricular activities are not important. What’s important is that you leave before he drags you deeper into his fucked-up world.” My jaw dropped. Mom never swore. Like ever. Who was this woman?

“I can handle him.”

“No, darling, you can’t. If he has his way, you’ll become too involved to walk away. That’s how he ensnared me all those years ago.” She sighed. “I was young, foolish, and in love.”

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