Page 60 of Hupotasso
Whatever she’s about to say is cut short as Viper swings around and stabs a pen into her throat.
Wolf, roaring, pushes him aside, but it’s too late.
She chokes, bubbles up some blood, and is gone.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” Jag shouts.
“I just couldn’t hear anything more from the woman who’d killed poor Mother,” Viper groans, looking at me with sad eyes. “It would have all been Spider lies anyway. You know that, Falcon.”
“She was no longer under his control,” Jag spits through clenched teeth, “you absolute clusterfuck.”
Before he can act I punch Viper in the stomach, sending him to his knees.
“Mother’s not dead, she’s in hospital, which you’d know if you didn’t have your head so firmly wedged up your own ass, and if you weren’t so focused on trying to blame others in order to save it. Get out of my castle and go far, far away for a long, long time. If I see you when I leave this room I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
Viper knows better than to argue, and he struggles to his feet and staggers out the door, leaving Jag, Wolf, and I alone with the corpse.
Wolf wipes the blood off his hands with my proffered handkerchief.
His eyes are deep and troubled when he finishes.
“I believe her,” he says quietly, indicating the Russian. “She’s been a deep agent all her life, and so was Giselle, although apparently to a lesser degree. Her revelation fits with what your mother said about Angie. Jag’s right. Angie was never Spider’s.”
“Yet,” I grit my teeth, “Spider’s been plotting a long, long time to get his revenge upon my house. There’s no telling what other machinations he has in the pipeline. I’ve been remiss in not keeping a much closer eye on him.”
“As for your brother’s involvement…” Jag growls.
The doctor interrupts with a brisk knock on the door.
“My Lord,” he says quietly, “the woman needs urgent medical attention.”
“She got the attention she deserved,” Jag replies, shutting the door in his face.
Wolf chortles and Jag smirks at me as he turns back, and I can’t help but return the sentiment.
“What a fucking mess,” I laugh humourlessly.
“Yes. Are you going to see Angie now? She deserves to be told everything. You’ve been making her life hell for close to a year, and if Viper was telling the truth, Tatyana’s been making her life even more hellish for weeks.”
I shake my head, the thought of seeing Angelina, apologising to the woman I’ve treated like shit since the day I put a ring on her finger…it’s going to take me some time to figure out what to sayand what to do to try and rectify the damage I’d done. In all the madness since the attack I haven’t even really had a chance to absorb what Mother had said and all its implications. Knowing that my wife hates me so much and believes I despiseherso deeply that she wouldn’t even come to me to say she was being tortured by the Russian hurts more than I can say. And I can’t face those eyes, not yet.
I make for the door.
“You go, Jag. I have to get to the hospital.”
45
My heart’s breaking as he walks into the room and looks at me with gentle concern, but like a robot, I do as I’m ordered — I can’t do otherwise.
“Why do you cry?” Jag asks as he strides towards the bed where I sit, head in hands, sobbing.
The sobs, at least, are real. I don’t want to do what I have to do.
“If it’s for Eleanor,” he says gently, “dry your eyes. I’m sure she’s going to pull through. She’s been through worse.”
“It’s not that,” I shake my head.
“Is it the Russian? You don’t need to fear Spider’s minion any longer. Viper killed her.”
