Page 107 of The Heart of a Villain

She shouldn’t have had to be strong, but that’s also something I cannot change.

It seems I’m destined to disappoint the women in my life. Even Emmaline called me an unbearable asshole who should be locked up.

Her exact words.

“You’re pathetic,” Lavender addresses me and taps on her chin. “And you keep hurting yourself. Love shouldn’t hurt.”

“Yeah? What makes you an expert?” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, but Rafael just rolls his eyes while Lavender grins wide.

She usually gives him the cold shoulder on most days, still harboring a grudge against him for—in her mind—leaving her, but roasting me is something they both agree on.

The fate of the oldest child—uniting your siblings.

Truth be told, I’m surprised myself how we all handle living under the same roof without killing each other. There weren’t big confessions or a heart-to-heart. In fact, I think we always expect the other shoe to drop when it comes to each other, and yet we continue our weird-as-fuck arrangements.

Or maybe we just don’t want to make Lavender choose, although her choice is quite obvious.

George and William decided to take a much-needed vacation, while Jesse and Mark watch over the island, with a few townsfolk helping us restore the house.

“Will you go after her?” She decides to ignore my question, and I do the same, sipping my drink. “I heard they came back to New York. Her friend Elena has a birthday.”

She dishes out the information like I don’t already know about it and didn’t travel to France on my private jet to be close to her when she visited her grandfather’s grave with her mother and brother.

“Good for her.” I finish my drink and put it on the table, where it rattles loudly. “That’s how an eighteen-year-old should live. Enjoying this life.”

“I guess.” She looks at Rafael. “Did you enjoy your life back then?”

A bitter laughter slips past his lips. “I did many things at eighteen, but trust me, joy had nothing to do with it.”

Yeah, after closer examination into his past, I discovered things I wish I never read or saw.

“I need to find friends. Maybe I should enroll in a dance class.” Then she hops on another subject again; we’re used to it. She can never focus on one topic at a time, and while there are some meds to help her with concentration, for now, Phoenix is against them. She says Lavender’s mind and body first need to adjust to her new reality, and then they could start prescribing stuff for her. “Emmaline told me she will take me shopping next week.”

The penthouse elevator dings, the sound echoing through the space and announcing someone’s arrival.

My twin’s wife must have cut her practice short.

However, heavy footsteps thumping on the marble make me get up and grab Lavender’s elbow, forcefully pushing her upward and placing her behind me, ready to face whoever came here right now.

“What in the hell?” my sister grumbles in time with the blue-haired man entering the hallway, his black attire only intensifying the danger emitting from him in spades.

Arson.

Of all the people I expected to see here, he wasn’t one of them.

“We have guests, it seems.” Rafael shakes his glass. “Want to drink?”

The steely eyes flick for a second to my twin and then focus back on me, giving complete indifference on his face so none of us can read his mood. One of his specialties. “I’d like to speak to Rush.” A beat passes. “Alone.”

“Oh, you saved my life when you killed that guy,” Lavender says excitedly and walks up to him. “Thank you! I really appreciate that.” With this, she dances off, probably to her room, not even questioning his authority.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Rafael chuckles while Arson lifts his brow, clearly expecting him to follow the order as well. “This is my territory, and I decide when to stay or leave. You don’t like my rules—you can get the fuck out of my penthouse.”

A ghost of a smile flashes on Arson’s features, but it passes so quick I think I’ve imagined it, and he finally speaks up. “Fair enough.” Then he flips his coat backward before sitting on the chair Lavender occupied, resting his elbows on its arms.

We follow suit as I throw out my question. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s been three months.”

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