Page 63 of The Heart of a Villain

My mother was never a doormat and stood her ground with Dad, so I can’t even imagine her agreeing to whatever he said.

I wish I could ask her all these question right now, but I can’t, so there is no point in dwelling on them.

Knowledge that my dad and family aren’t just murderers soothes me. I guess I found my justification.

Pressing my head to the wall harder, I watch the ocean waves soaking the sand as moonlight reflects in it and think about the painting I just saw. “You said you lived on this island.” I lick my lips. “What happened to you?” Darkness settles on his features, and he looks away from me. “Your painting… is it your pain in it?”

“It’s the pain of the boy I once was.” Our gazes clash as he looks over his shoulder, the ocean becoming more restless while the raining intensifies, the wind freezing and whooshing so hard my ears start to hurt. “A boy who was dumped on this island to fend for himself by his family.” Lightning flashes. “When we grew up together, with Rafael, I thought nothing could separate or shake us. We were unbreakable. And yet when your father burned this place to the ground and killed my mother, resulting in everyone else fleeing from this place, but me falling from the boat… my twin didn’t come back to look for me. In fact, he didn’t give two shits about his brother.”

Oh.

This explains his behavior toward Rafael, but… “Weren’t you just kids? What could he have possibly done? You put a heavy weight on his shoulders.”

He laughs, although it lacks any humor, and pushes up from the banister, his feet slapping on the wet floor as he walks back inside and pulls me right along with him. He shuts the door just in time for thunder to boom even louder as small rocks scrape against the window.

“When Rafael wants something, nothing can stop him.”

“So you are very much alike.”

“No,” he snaps, wiping his hair with a clean towel before picking up a lighter and lighting countless candles spread all over the perimeter, while warmth slowly soaks into me. “I would have done everything to find him. I wouldn’t have abounded him.” Despite how much he wants to hide it, the anguish rings clearly in his words, and my soul cries out for the little boy who had to count only on himself. “That’s the difference between us, though. Rafael does what is right. I do whatever is necessary to achieve my goal and protect those I love.”

Our shadows appear on the walls as the glowing candles fill the room, bringing attention to books lying around along with newspaper spreads.

And several guns and knives.

“And killing my father protects who?”

He stills at my question, the lighter burning with an orange-blue flame not yet reaching the candle before he resumes his actions. “It’s revenge for my mother. And Lavender.”

My brows furrow in confusion. “Lavender?”

“Before Uncle Jade told me the truth and I took her away, she lit herself on fire.” My jaw about drops to the floor at this because what? Does he blame Dad for this as well? “Because she couldn’t stand the sight of him, and Rafael left.” A beat passes. “That’s when she started acting crazy as well, losing touch with reality.”

“She hates him. Even now, she’s afraid of him.” How can he see that and still allow the man to come here?

“She hates our father. You know why? Because she read our mother’s diary.”

“What?”

“She read how abusive he was and found a photo. That was enough for her to merge two images together and forever despise Jade.” Does he even hear himself? What kind of crap is this? And I don’t believe for a second she read any diaries; otherwise, his twin would have known that. “So Rafael’s quest of getting his hands on the diaries in hopes of it shining truth on the past is fruitless. Our father was a monster who hid his nature for the first six years of marriage, but all darkness has a tendency to come out sooner or later.”

I shake my head in disbelief at this bullshit, and anger swipes over me, making my fist clench. Some uncle shows up out of the blue based on my assumption considering he had been happily living in New York with my family, and he just takes his word over my father’s?

“I think this is ridiculous, and the fact that you don’t see that tells me you’re blinded by hate and cannot think rationally when it comes to my dad.” I throw away his jacket and head to the door, but he grips my elbow, tugging me so hard my shoulder bumps into his chest as our gazes clash. “Have you ever gone to him and asked him?”

“No. I saw photos, videos, conversations, and documents. What was the point of going to a man who I considered a hero? He’d lie to my face.” His breath fans my face as we both vibrate with anger. “He even found me on purpose. Do you know that? I thought he saved me by chance, but instead, he searched for me. I guess he thought that as long as the enemy’s kid grew up with him, he wouldn’t be a problem in the future.”

“If you really believe that, then you’re an idiot.” Something flashes in his orbs, and his fingers dig deeper into my flesh, but I’m too furious to pay attention to it. “My dad is not a saint, but you said yourself that he has never killed an innocent. With all his experience, which I assume is vast, do you really think he’d allow a woman and her children and anyone else living in this castle back then to be collateral damage?”

I might have doubted my dad for a second earlier, but I no longer do. No matter what, I know him and my uncles. They aren’t guilty of whatever crime Rush considers them to be.

“You don’t know your dad well. When he sets out to destroy someone, no one can stop him.”

“Wrong!” I shout at him, breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling. “My dad would never harm children. He just wouldn’t.”

“Is this why you agreed to Rafael’s request? You hope my mother somehow wrote down what really happened, and your father is innocent?” He leans closer, turning me so my chest presses against his rigid six-pack. “So once again, you can justify his actions?”

“No! So that you can see how your anger is misplaced. I know my dad didn’t do it.” A beat passes while I gather my thoughts. “Maybe then you can focus all your energy on the man who truly killed your mom, who probably roams this world freely.”

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