Page 85 of Deviant

“Not anymore.”

“No,” he mutters. “But the damage is done, isn’t it? You let me in long enough to have some fun.”

“What does that mean?” I growl. It’s true I’ve been stupid, I should have seen it sooner, but the man was clever, very fucking clever. Unlike so many before him, he didn’t try too hard, didn’t compliment me too much, he played the perfect game, right up until the last damned moment.

“Your brother,” he says. “You think we didn’t have a hand in all that?”

My eyes narrow, it could just be false bravado, him twisting the past to make himself look more impressive, but I always suspected there was more to it, more to Devin’s downfall. After all, one girl could not be so capable of such destruction. She had to have help. She had to have powerful friends. But why Devin of all people? What was the point in going after him? And does that mean Paitlyn is Esau, too? Is she one of them?

“How’s your whore, by the way?” he asks, bringing me out of my head. “Has her arse recovered yet? Bet you had to stitch her a whole new one after the damage I did.”

More anger hits me at those words. Not because of what he did, but because I allowed it, I stood there, letting a traitor play with my most precious possession, completely fucking oblivious.

That image flashes in my head, of her there, in Oblivion, surrounded by my friends, pleading, as he’s brutalising her body. I’d meant to prove a point, to show her that my mercy is worth seeking, that without my favour all she can expect is pain.

But I guess the entire time, Issac was making his own point, wasn’t he? Is that why he did it, is that why he was so aggressive with her?

Blind rage hits me, I raise my gun and though there’s a million reasons why I should keep this man alive, I don’t give a damn, I don’t care. I pull the trigger, delighting in the way his skull seems to explode and his brain splatters on every surface.

A scream rings out, his wife comes flying out the room, prostrating herself over the still twitching body, covering her pale silk nightdress in the blood, and the brains, and the gore of it.

“Husband, husband,” she wails as if her voice alone could call him back from the gates of hell.

“Get up.” I order.

She looks around, her eyes settling on me and that once pretty face morphs into a sneer. “You,” she spits. “You really think you’ll get away with this? You really think there won’t be consequences?”

“Oh there will be,” I retort, dragging her to her feet, “grave consequences for you in particular.”

“I’m a Brethren Lady.” She cries, echoing that same arrogant bullshit that Anthony had displayed so many months ago.

“Let’s see how much of a Lady you’ll be in Oblivion.” I state.

I can feel the way she quivers, the way she reacts.

“You can’t take me there. I’ve done nothing wrong. The Senate will never allow it.”

“I can do what I like.” I smile, hoping she feels the full hate behind it.

It’s true, at this moment, with the Chapter Lord dead, there are no rules, no leader, no one to hold me accountable. And besides, no one will give a damn what happens to an old bat like her. No one will even remember she exists.

“Wait,” she cries, jerking more violently in my grasp as if I give a shit what she has to say. “Wait.”

I all but shove her into the waiting guards and wave my hand to have her dragged away, but she starts screaming out hysterically.

“She didn’t do it. Paitlyn, she didn’t do it.” she screams louder.

The guards pause, they stare at me as if they have any idea what the significance of those words are.

“What?” I reply, keeping my voice as calm as I can.

“She, she didn’t do it.” she repeats, gasping as if the fight is finally gone. “She was set up. She didn’t murder him. Guthrie knew, they all knew.”

“Who is ‘they?’” I snarl. What conspiracy is this? What the fuck happened all those years ago?

She draws herself up like she suddenly has a bargaining chip. “They wanted to bring you down, they thought Devin would be an easy target.”

“So what changed?” Because something had to have. If they were truly after me, then there would be no way I would have gotten away with keeping such a thing secret.

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