Page 8 of The Devil's Torment

“Every fucking day.” I grimace, scratching myself again and wondering if I’m suddenly allergic to the material, or if the staff member in charge of laundry has switched detergents. Or, more likely, my lack of progress on who planted the bomb is manifesting itself as a physical reaction.

“And if that happens?” He leaves the question hanging in the air.

My father knows my personality all too well. I’m relentless, and I have trouble knowing when to quit. Xan and I are similar in that regard, although we have different motivations. He’s determined to find out what the key Imogen found a few weeks ago in a snow globe that belonged to my mother opens, whereas I don’t care all that much about a dumb key. Elizabeth’s death is my top priority. Myonlypriority.

“I’ll cross that bridge if I get to it.”

Dad adds a spoonful of sugar to the china cup before stirring it thoughtfully. “Brace yourself for the frustration if you never find out what happened.”

“You thinking about Annabel?”

My father’s eyes mist over the way they often do when his mind travels to the past. “No. Unlike your brother, I believe we found out who killed your sister and they were duly punished. I’m referring to your mother and how we’ll never know what she was thinking when she took her own life.”

Mum didn’t leave a suicide note—something that’s haunted Dad for years. As for me, I know exactly why she did it. She loved Annabel the most and couldn’t bear to live the rest of her life without her firstborn daughter. But I don’t share those thoughts with Dad. What’s the point in hurting him more than he already has been? The man’s been to Hell and back, and he’s still standing, as strong as ever. He’s my fucking hero.

“I met with the Montagues a couple of days ago.”

“Oh?” I expected Elizabeth’s passing would have severed Dad’s connection to the Montagues. It’s severed mine. I don’t plan to see Phillip or Laura, and especially Victoria, again. Not voluntarily, anyway. Given her friendship with Imogen, she may stop by on occasion. If that happens, I’ll simply keep out of her way. She said her piece at the funeral, and I said mine.

It’s a fucking relief to know it’s over. I’ve never met a single person who can get on every one of my nerves like Victoria Montague.

Simultaneously.

I may lack patience, but I have control in spades. Although when my temper flares, it burns hot, and with that woman, it’s at risk of going off like an erupting volcano.

“Did I ever tell you why I made the agreement with Phillip for you to marry one of his daughters?”

“I don’t believe you did, no.” And I hadn’t cared enough to ask. Growing up in this family, we’re all aware of what’s expected of us. We marry for convenience, not for love, although occasionally it works out. Like it did for my parents and has for Alexander. But I’d accepted my marriage to Elizabeth wouldn’t be a love match, which was fine by me. I wasn’t looking for love, just a mother for the kids I’m expected to have and a wife who wouldn’t give me a hard time. That’s something I don’t have the patience for.

“Hmm.” He sets down his cup and steeples his fingers beneath his chin. “For quite some time, I’ve been trying to persuade Phillip to sell his company to me, but he’s stubbornly refused.”

I frown. This is news. “Why on earth would you be interested in Phillip’s company?” It’s a decent size, affording him and his family a luxurious life by many standards, but it’s small fry compared to our extensive portfolio.

“I’m not interested in it, per se. I’m interested in a particular piece of IP his research department recently developed. Surveillance software that’s groundbreaking. It’s in the early stages and needs serious investment to advance it further, but it could be a game changer for us, and for The Consortium.”

“You could threaten him.” I grin, only half kidding, but all my father does is shake his head.

“Phillip is a good man, and Laura is a fine woman. I didn’t want this to get ugly, which is why I agreed to a compromise. He’d allow me to buy a controlling share in Montague Tech, and in return he’d remain on as CEO, and you would marry either Victoria or Elizabeth. The benefits for Phillip were that he’d get the capital injection needed to push the research to the next level, and secure a future for one of his daughters, as well as his own. Not to mention as your father-in-law, his position in society would step up a level.”

“And I agreed to marry Elizabeth.”

“Indeed.” His brown eyes land on mine, one brow arching, waiting for me to catch up. A creeping sense of foreboding slithers down my spine, and a raft of goosebumps spring up on the back of my neck.

I narrow my eyes, waiting for my father to continue. When he doesn’t, it forces me to ask the killer question. “And because of what’s happened, he’s reneging on the deal?” I don’t care how good of a man my father thinks Phillip Montague is. I’ll rip him a new arsehole. Dad is more patient in striving for retribution. I’m a shoot between the eyes kind of guy in a cold, calculating, sniper kind of way. Both strategies work, except mine gets faster results.

“Not exactly.” Pensive, he runs a forefinger along his bottom lip, studying me. Studying my reaction. “He’s agreed for the deal to go ahead. Theoriginaldeal.”

What does he mean, the original deal? That deal died with Elizabeth. I don’t get it. Am I missing something obvious? Frustration claws at me, the muscles in my back tightening.

“Okay, Dad, catch me up. I don’t get how the original deal can go ahead. Elizabeth’s dead.” Stating the obvious is not a tack I usually favor but seemingly necessary on this occasion. My gaze sharpens as I home in on my father’s body language. He seems… anxious. Dad doesn’t do anxious. He’s one of the coolest people I know, chill under even immense pressure.

Before he can speak, I figure it out.

No. Absolutely fucking not.Victoria? The most defiant and annoying human being I’ve ever had the misfortune to know.A week ago, I told her she was the most intractable woman I’d ever met, and I pitied the man she ended up with. Never in my craziest nightmares did I think thatI’dbe that man.

“You can’t mean Victoria.” Even though I know he does.

Dad nods. “Victoria.”

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