Page 31 of Enemies in Ruin

I close the door gently behind me. My stomach twists with a mix of fear and determination. I’ve dedicated my life to the family, and I can’t throw it all away for a woman, no matter how much I love her.

And yet… “You had me kill her brother,” I say, voice low. “And now you would have me stand aside and let them kill her, too.”

“When we step into our roles in this world, the weight of them is heavy. Not everyone can bear the burden.” My father leans back in his chair. “But you, my son, and you alone, are made for this. It’s our family’s legacy that now rests on your shoulders.” He joins his hands together. “Sacrifices will always have to be made. It goes hand in hand with power. You just have to know which sacrifices to make and when.”

The words sit heavily on me, and I can’t help but think of what it will mean if I do nothing and let Carina live.

My father rises. We have never bonded or had a father-and-son relationship. He’s the boss first and foremost, always. He makes the decisions, and we have to fall in line.

“You will restore our legacy,” he states, only a few feet away from me.

I want to ask what will happen if I say no, but I’m not a child. I know what will happen. We lose everything we hold dear.

“I have a lot to think about.” My words are as dry as matches, but with the right strike, they would catch fire.

My father assesses me for a moment. “Very well, have your thoughts.” He doesn’t sound happy, but as he returns to his desk, I know that’s my dismissal. “Just don’t think too long.”

I take my departure but don’t leave the mansion. Instead, I return to my old room and step out onto the balcony. I lean against the balcony railing, my eyes fixed on the bustling city below. Carina and I made love on this balcony years ago. The memory makes my heart ache, but I know what I have to do.

Having Carina back is a test of whatever weakness I have left in me, and that weakness needs to be sliced out. I can’t let my feelings for her cloud my judgment or distract me from the task at hand. The family’s safety comes first, even if it means sacrificing the woman I love.

But as the seconds tick by, my resolve begins to crack. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m making a mistake, that I’m throwing everything away for a misguided sense of duty. Carina is different. She’s not like the other women I’ve been with. She’s wild, unpredictable, and passionate, and I can’t help but feel drawn to her.

You will restore our legacy.

The Don’s words ring in my head. I take a deep breath and straighten, my mind made up. I won’t let my emotions cloud my judgment, but I won’t forget them, either. They’re a reminder of what I’m fighting for, of the sacrifice that’s required of me.

I walk back into my room, my heart heavy with the weight of my decision. The pieces will fall where they may, and I’ll have to bear the weight of my choices. But I won’t forget why I made them.

I won’t forget Carina, even if it means letting her go.

Chapter 12

Carina

Seventeen Years Old

DearDiary,

My twin is gone.

I knew it before they came to tell us, before I heard Mother keening in the foyer. I felt this hollowness settle in my chest last night, an empty sensation where there was once…something. A presence. An awareness. I don’t know how to describe it.

All I know is that I knew.

When I heard that explosion of Mother’s grief, I crept from my room to the landing. The household staff was standing there… it was like we were rubberneckers driving by the scene of a car accident, everyone slowing to get a good look.

They had his body in the foyer. It will haunt me, Diary. I wish I had never seen it.

No, I take that back. I’m glad I saw it. I cataloged every bruise in the seconds-long glimpse I got before Sarah, the housekeeper, dragged me away. I marked each one, and one day, I’ll have revenge for every one of them.

I swear it.

Peoplethinktheyknowme. I’m so outspoken, so good about saying everything that’s on my mind that they make the mistake of thinking I’m an open book. That everything there is to know about me has already been stated right from the source.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Every woman—even the talkative ones—has her secrets, and most of mine are painful.

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