Page 59 of Hupotasso
“Be clear.”
“I was bitten for The Games but never chosen. So my job became to groom Giselle for The Games. Our mother died when we were small. I was made to raise my sister as Spider’s puppet. Her whole life,everythingabout her life, was aimed at her winning The Games.”
“So, she was following Spider’s orders. No doubt she was planning to kill me after I married her.”
“No, she knew nothing about Spider. It was too risky. She was there to win you. Later she would have become his puppet. She was loyal to me and everything I told her to do. In The Games she was authentic. If she hadn’t been, you would have noticed.”
I want to ask her more, but Jag interrupts.
“This can’t be. Spider would have to know exactly what year you were entering VBG, Falcon. How could he possibly have known that?”
“He was playing a long game,” I snarl. “He planned to kidnap Viper all along and force me into The Games. One generation, two, three, who knows how many girls he bit in readiness. He could have women in every fucking country for all we know.”
“My poor little sister,” Tatyana begins to weep, “my poor malishka.”
“Shut the fuck up, and focus,” I snarl. “When were you ordered to kill my mother?”
“After The Games,” she sniffs loudly. “When Giselle lost I was told to contact Viper and arrange an invitation.”
I stiffen.
“VIPER!”
My brother steps into the room from where he’s been told to wait outside.
“Yes, Brother?”
I notice he studiously avoids looking at Tatyana as he stands beside her, hands nonchalantly in pockets,. He cocks his head to the side, looking at me for all the world like he has nothing at all to be worried about.
By fuck, he’s wrong.
“Why did you invite this bitch into my castle?”
“Ourcastle, brother. And I didn’t invite her. Angie did.”
Jag lunges forward and grips him by the jacket lapels, giving him a rough shake.
“Enough, Jag,” I snap.
“It’smycastle, brother” I snarl. “And I trust Asumpta in this matter. Angie didn’t know you were inviting the Russian, so stop talking shit and answer truthfully or you’ll be the one strapped to the fucking chair.”
“Honestly,” he shrugs off Jag’s hands. “You’re making it seem like I’m the guilty party here….”
Wolf steps forward, fists clenched, and Viper flinches, raising his hands.
“Alright, alright, if you must know, I invited her to torment Angelina.”
I’m speechless for about thirty seconds, until Jag hisses.
“What?”
“Well,” Viper shrugs, “she’s hardly the loving wife Falcon hoped for, and it’s obvious he doesn’t want her. I don’t like the uppity bitch, and the hot Russian wanted revenge for her sister. I’ve been bored of late,somuch of my fun has been curtailed since the whole Spider shemozzle. I thought it might be amusing to watch the new Lady Dragonspur get knocked down a peg or two.”
“Are you telling me that these past three weeks or more this Russian cunt has been hurtingmywife?”
He shrugs.
“I did it for Giselle,” Tatyana suddenly blurts, “but Viper is really the one hurting her. He’s….”
