Page 35 of Reign of Psychos

“I met with my father just before you returned from your little trip overseas.” She cocked her head to one side, arms folded, as she waited for me to continue. The other guys stayed silent, happy to let me dig my own grave. “Among other things, he told me he knew your mother. He said they met at Cambridge back in the day.” From my grimace, she understood exactly what I was hinting at. “Dad suggested this was why your father despisedhim. He seemed to find it amusing that he’d had a relationship with your mom before she married your father.”

Whatever had gone on between them was not a relationship in the normal sense of the word. My father had no emotions. He used women. Fucked them and discarded them. If he had slept with Thea’s mother, it would have been about sex and control. They were the only two things that motivated him. Aside from money, of course.

“So you thought that he, what, got my mother pregnant before she married my father?” It was clear Thea believed I was an idiot for even thinking such a thing.

“From what I understand, your mother left Cambridge not long after Dad married Mom, and you were born nine months later.”

“And are we? Siblings, I mean?”

I shook my head. “No, the DNA test says we’re not related.”

She stared at me for a moment. “Is this why you’ve been treating me like a leper since I got back?”

“I didn’t know how to tell you, Thea,” I tried to say, knowing it was a pathetic excuse, but she exploded before I could say anything else.

“What the FUCK is wrong with you idiots?” I cringed. “One simple fucking conversation could have cleared this up!” She huffed with annoyance. “Do you honestly think my father would have raised another man’s child? He’d have done a paternity test the moment I arrived, and if I wasn’t his, he’d have fucking drowned me in the nearest bucket.”

Dario nodded. “She’s right. No way would Francesco have raised Lucian’s child as his own.”

I turned on him. “I don’t recall you making that point when I first discussed this matter!”

He shrugged. “You didn’t ask my opinion.” Fucking asshole. I knew there was a reason he irritated the fuck out of me.

“Look, let’s all calm down,” Landon said in a soothing voice.

“Enough!” Thea yelled. “I need some time out.” She stormed back out of the apartment, the door banging shut behind her. Before I could gather my thoughts, Kyril punched me in the stomach and I fell to the floor wheezing like an asthmatic pit pony.

“That’s for upsetting my kitten.”

Once I’d sufficiently recovered enough to talk, I rallied my thoughts. Thea was pissed. Quite rightly so. I needed to do better. Be better. If we wanted this to work, we all had to get our heads in the game.

“We need to pamper our girl. Take her on a date,” Landon mused, putting my thoughts into words.

“Like you know anything about dating,” Kyril scoffed. “Your idea of a date is Netflix and blowjobs.”

“At least I treat my ladies with respect! When was the last time you took a girl on a date? Oh wait. That blond ho you were hanging with last year got banged at fight club after you grudgingly brought her a drink. I bet she was thrilled.” He smirked. “Did the poor girl even come?”

Dario sniggered while Milo stared at his phone, seemingly uninterested in our bickering.

“Do youstronzoseven know what Thea likes to do for fun?” Dario asked. From his smug look, I guessed he probably did know. Which made sense. He’d known her the longest, after all.

“She likes to read smutty romances,” Milo said, without looking up from his phone. “She’s been watching the Vampire Diaries recently, too. Eden got her into it. Apparently she thinks Damon Salvatore is hot.”

“Vampire what now?” Landon looked as confused as I felt.

“She also likes classic Bruce Lee movies,” Dario said with a scowl, annoyed because Milo had stolen his thunder.

“And cakes. My kitten adores cakes.”

“There’s a Bruce Lee movie marathon showing at the Picture House tomorrow evening. I’ve booked tickets. We can go for afternoon tea at the Montrose Hotel first. They serve an award-winning selection of cakes, sandwiches, and pastries with champagne or tea.”

“That doesn’t sound very filling,” Kyril complained. “I need more than cake and sandwiches.”

Landon rolled his eyes. “This isn’t about you, dickhead!” Kyril grunted in response but didn’t retaliate. Landon was right, though. We needed to put Thea’s needs first.

“So, this is a group date?” Dario didn’t look thrilled about it. “FYI, I’m not into group sex, in case you have plans to get it on afterward.”

“Scared you won’t measure up?” Lan taunted with a smirk. I smothered a laugh as Dario flushed with rage.

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