Page 33 of What Doesn't Kill Us

He snorts, walking closer as he explains. “Well, you likely don’t know shit being raised halfway around the world by that snake, Angelo. He only ever had his own aspirations in mind when he agreed to take you on. Keeping you away from your true family was only the beginning of his deception.”

She yawns. “You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. Get to the fucking point.”

He glares at her, coming to a stop in front of her. “I’m the baby who died in childbirth when you were a toddler. I wasn’t dead; I was taken and hidden away until the time was right to push buttons on the entire operation. Then your stupid fucking sister went and got herself tied up with that fucking twatbag and ruined all my plans.”

He points at me like he wants to stab me in the heart for getting with his sister. But this means he’s been lurking around far longer than the last six months.

I step closer to him, leaning in so I’m in his personal space. “And when exactly did you find out I was tied up with Toni?”

He gives me a humorless smile. “When is not important. But that bitch ruined my plans more than once, and retribution is at hand.”

My entire body tenses at his words and I restrain my urge to reach out and choke the life out of him at the mere inference that he means to harm Toni.

Agatha gives me a pointed look, and I ease back, putting some space between us before I give in to my urge to end him for good. It’s important that we make sure he’s the one at the top before eliminating him. Because if he’s not, he may be the only link to the person attempting to destroy us.

Agatha gives him a patiently annoyed look. “You’re going to have to be more specific, Vince. Toni has fucked up a lot of plans for many people, but I don’t see anyone else wasting incredible amounts of time and money attempting to hunt her down. So that means you either have a much bigger axe to grind, or you’re just a dumb motherfucker. Please tell, which is more accurate?”

Vincent’s jaw clenches, and he steps closer to Agatha, raising his hand as if he’s going to strike her. I step forward, grabbing his wrist and yanking it back down. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

He turns his furious eyes on me, his lip curling in disdain. “Or what? You’re going to step in and protect her?”

“Hardly,” I say with a snort. “Believe me when I say Agatha can protect herself perfectly fine with no help from anyone.”

He frowns, but his arm relaxes enough that I finally release my iron grip on his wrist. He steps back a bit, his gaze suddenly shifting behind me, and his face blooms into a huge smile. “Well, well, well. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?”

I groan, and Agatha curses beside me. “Toni, turn around and leave right now.”

Toni glares at her. “Not without Darius.”

Agatha rolls her eyes, groaning in frustration. “What is with you two and your distinct lack of self-preservation?”

I open my mouth to respond, but Vincent interrupts. “Now, now. Let’s not scare our beloved sister away just yet. We have so much to talk about.”

I glance behind me, the look of shock and horror on Toni’s face clear as she remains frozen in place. Lilith is a few feet from her, a wary expression on her face as she takes in the scene before her.

I look back at Toni, and she appears to be zoned out, staring at Vincent as if he’s a ghost.

This can’t be good.

Toni

My fucking brother.

How is it even possible that I have an adult brother I never knew about?

I look at Lilith, who’s shaking her head at me, her hands coming out in front of her as she shrugs helplessly. “I had no idea, Toni. I was always told the baby died. He must have taken him and sent him away like he did all of you.”

I take a shaky breath, attempting to clear my head of the riot currently taking place in my brain. There’s a stabbing pain, like a lightning bolt up my spine, and then white-hot heat settles behind my eyes and at the base of my skull.

He’s running his mouth again about his lovely sisters and how nice it is to finally be in the same room together, like a family. His words and the look of maniacal rage on his face don’t match at all, and the more he speaks about siblings, family, trust, and loyalty, the more I keep thinking about Lilith and her shortlist of rules for engaging with an enemy.

One of the first rules Lilith taught me was to never go into a dangerous situation and let the enemy speak.

Once you get your sights on them, once you have confirmation of who they are, you never give them time to speak. Because the time an enemy takes to speak is more opportunity for them to turn the tables on you.

That’s all that’s in the back of my head as I’m staring at this fucker, watching his lips move, yet I’m unable to make him stop.

I’m not a good enough shot to hit him from this angle. Lilith might be, but she’s on the wrong side of the room. Tony and Matt still aren’t here, and I keep praying with every itty-bitty ounce of me that may believe in a god that one of them will drop from the ceiling and shut that motherfucker up. Still, for now, his mouth keeps moving, acidic words falling from his lips and polluting the air, cutting us all down with their poison.

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