Page 40 of The Heart of a Villain

In fact, Dad flat out forbade him from coming to the island after they had a huge fight that resulted in my uncle being escorted by security from our property.

My father couldn’t be called a saint, and I sure as fuck will never forgive him for what he did to Mom and us, but he was a smart and intuitive man.

If he despised his brother, then there was a good reason for it.

One of the reasons I took Lavender from him right away, but it was too late, as the damage had already been done to her.

I lean back in the chair, reaching for my coffee mug, and take a sip as his cheek twitches in anger at my prolonged silence and indifferent face. “I can use women as weapons.” A beat passes. “But I will never harm one under my roof.”

And isn’t that ironic?

Because all the moral code I follow to a dot is courtesy of the man I intend to kill.

“Her pain would have affected Lachlan.” He grips the chair’s arm, his knuckles turning white while his eyes glaze with joy. “He’d probably weep at the sight of his daughter lying in a pool of blood, struggling for a breath.”

I barely restrain myself from wrapping my hand around his throat and choking him to death for even voicing something so horrible happening to her.

My beautiful girl will never lie in a pool of blood, not as long as I live.

Fuck.

This morning, I was intentionally rude to her so she’d stay away from me and ease this unfamiliar tightness in my chest whenever she’s close that makes me think about life beyond revenge.

A life where the need to survive in order to fulfill a promise to my dead mother doesn’t exist. Instead, I’m free to choose a girl who, despite her stubbornness, somehow wants me even if she hates herself for it.

Letting her go is the best protection I can ever give her.

Why then is it so difficult, and why did the hurt crossing her face at my words while she held back tears rip me to shreds from the inside?

I’m like a boy with his first crush. To be fair to me, though, I’ve never fucking wanted anyone before her.

“Her pain would have fueled his anger and made him more determined to kill us both,” I reply, my voice lacking any emotion, and he once again huffs in displeasure. “Monsters are very emotional creatures, Uncle. Poke them hard enough, and they will retaliate in ways you’d never expect.”

“He’s old now.”

I chuckle, finding the idea really hilarious. Once a monster, always a monster, and Lachlan can kill people in ways the younger generations can’t even dream of.

“Why are you here?” I decide to change the subject, steel coating my tone, and he sits up straight. “I warned you to stay away.”

“How can I be away from my family, when we are finally so close to getting justice?” He puffs more smoke before leaning forward and pressing the butt into the ashtray. “Plus, you’ll need all the help you can get once that backstabbing son of a bitch gets here.” Our gazes clash. “God knows Rafael will not lend you his hand.” There is almost satisfaction in his words, as if he gets off on the fact that our bond has been permanently broken.

He’s right, though. Rafael will never participate in any crime because according to him, we must follow the law, as none of us has the right to judge when it comes to another person’s life.

Ah.

What a fucking privileged asshole.

“I’ve told you many times, Uncle Jade. This vengeance is my business and no one else’s.” He grits his teeth while anger flashes on his face. “My parents died because of Lachlan, so this revenge has nothing to do with you.”

“He was my brother.” He slaps his chest, his breathing speeding up. “My blood. And I want to see the man responsible for it pay.”

Enough with this bullshit.

“And yet you were too much of a coward to face him on your own, weren’t you?”

He stills at this, red smudges appearing on his cheekbones while he shifts uncomfortably.

“Save all your bravado for someone who cares. If you want to keep your life, get the fuck off my land. Don’t ever disobey my orders in the future.”

---