Page 83 of The Heart of a Villain

No.

It can’t possibly be…

“Lachlan?”

Rafael nods, snatching out a cigarette from his back pocket and offering me one, but I shake my head. “He took me to a nearby restaurant and let me eat while informing me to stop feeling guilty for not saving you because you were alive and well.” My chest physically aches from yet another betrayal, and I slam my fist into the bumper, hating myself for coming here in order to listen to Rafael and ask him why he thought diaries might hold the truth. But this just proves once again what a deceiving asshole Lachlan was all this time, right?

He let me spend hours upon hours searching for my family, when he already found them all!

“I wanted to see you, but he said it was impossible. According to him, you could not psychologically handle such a reunion at the time.”

At fifteen, I was learning how to be a killer while controlling my impulses to snap at whoever came into contact with me. Seeing Rafael… I’d probably destroy him so he could share my pain.

“Why did he find you then?” I guess I might as well get all the answers while I’m at it.

“He offered me a deal I could not refuse.” Since I say nothing, he elaborates while I do my best to control my hotheaded temper from screaming at him. Why the fuck was he striking deals with strangers? Just how bad was his situation anyway? “He created a trust fund for me with two million dollars in it that I would get once I passed the bar. Bought me an apartment in a good building, paid for all my tutors, and enrolled me in school. And paid for my degree while giving me an allowance to survive on, with one of his psychos touching base with me every other week. Turned out I was pretty smart, so I finished school quicker than anticipated.” This explains his career accomplishments as well.

To my knowledge, Lachlan cared a great deal about his protégés and provided them with everything they needed. God knows he had enough wealth. But he never involved himself in anyone else’s problems.

Rafael was not a protégé. Why did Lachlan give him all these opportunities?

“Once I started college, I got a job, and the allowance stopped. As long as I followed the conditions, the trust fund was mine.”

“What were the conditions?”

“I was to live in Boston and never set foot in New York until I passed the bar. And…”

“And?” I prompt, too curious.

“To never make up with Jade. In fact, be hostile with him and do my best to take Lavender away from him. He even helped me in the custody battle, but the lawyer was a stupid asshole, so we lost.” He crooks a smile. “If it had been me, I would’ve won.”

Right.

Rafael never loses. One of the reasons it costs a fortune to hire him—because his presence means victory by default.

“Lachlan believed Jade hid a secret and suspected he wasn’t good, but all his searches came up blank. I think he tried to provoke him and used me as a pawn in his game.”

Now this sounds more like the man.

Every deed, good or bad, has consequences.

Thousands of thoughts fly through my head as I put all the pieces together—Jade’s hatred toward Lachlan, and Lachlan’s desire to provoke Jade.

What would be the reason for their mutual dislike if Jade never crossed a line?

I delved as deep as I could in the past, and all the child trafficking documents led to my father and never his twin.

“Anyway, everything was working well, but we didn’t count on you switching sides.”

I straighten up as more thunder booms in the sky while harsh wind slaps us both in the face. “Because Lachlan killed our mother.”

Something akin to sadness mixed with pain flashes in his gaze, quickly covered by determination. “Yeah, I saw the stupid evidence that proved nothing.”

“It proved everything!” I shout at him. Clearly, he has more loyalty toward the guy who saved him than our mother.

“It proved what Jade wanted you to see. Think, Rush.” We stare at one another, our bodies vibrating with anger and stubbornness. “I’ve been playing our past like a carousel in my head over and over again all these years. Seen all the photos. People don’t change without previous signs.”

“I’ve seen enough monsters in my life. They know how to hide their tendencies until their victims are trapped.”

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