Page 97 of House of Lies
“You refuse to see what’s right in front of you, and that’s why I don’t particularly like you. He wants you here.”
“He wants me here for selfish reasons.” I’m slowly losing my patience. “He decided I was coming back with him without bothering to stop and ask how I felt about it.”
“How do you feel about it?”
Like I want to strangle someone. I need a moment to realize that his question is genuine. He’s not mocking me. Vanya might flash around this impenetrable attitude, but he cares about his cousin. There’s a soul somewhere beneath that six-foot, tattooed, muscular exterior.
I won’t be here long enough to make him accept me into his life. I’ll never truly be a part of this family, Kazimir’s family. But I don’t want to constantly look over my shoulder for the next six months. I don’t want to be afraid anymore. I’m already dealing with enough by being here.
“Walk a mile in my shoes, then tell me how I feel, Ivan. Maybe nothing I say will make you accept me, and that’s fine. I don’t need your approval to be here. Your approval doesn’t matter either.” I laugh bitterly. “Believe it or not, I care about Kaz. And I’ll be a part of his life for the next six months—your life. Now, we can continue fighting or find a compromise.”
“I don’t compromise.”
His response doesn’t surprise me. I didn’t expect this to be easy. It’s frustrating. His eyes are devoid of life as they pierce deep into my soul, deliberately making me uncomfortable.
“Fine. Don’t compromise if that’s what you want.”
It’s a battle I won’t win today. I haven’t even decided if it’s a battle worth fighting. Standing up, I leave the living room. Kaz wanted to speak with his grandfather immediately after we arrived. I have mixed feelings. I wish he hadn’t, but I’m relieved he did. I can’t rely on him to make things easier for me. Nothing will make this easier for me.
CHAPTER 63
Kaz
I left Dedushka’s house three days ago. By now, I should have been back home with Caelia. And although nothing should be more urgent than returning to her, this couldn’t wait. She won’t try to run away. She can’t this time. My place is heavily monitored, even if she’s unaware, and an army of guards secures the grounds. Even if she attempts to escape, she won’t get far. Vanya is an asshole who refuses to make things easier for her. I understand his lack of trust in Caelia. He may not comprehend my obsession with her or my need to protect her, but now is not the time for him to be a pain in the ass. I may be his cousin, but I’m still his superior. I’ve instructed him to provide her with everything she needs and asks for.
It’s been over seventy-two hours since I last slept, and I can feel the exhaustion in every fiber of my being. My mind is spinning, thinking about how I should have stayed with her for at least a week. I should have given her a phone, bought her some books, and shown her around. But I can’t seem to think clearly. I didn’t want to return to Mattia so soon. I wanted my men to torture him for a while, but I can’t risk keeping him alive. I can’t afford any more mistakes, like someone else turning against me and setting Mattia free again.
“Where’s Sevastyan?” I ask my twin, whose life hangs by a threat.
We’ve been at this for a while. Mattia’s wrists are bound, and he hangs from a chain, struggling to maintain his balance as he slips in and out of consciousness. His feet barely touch the ground, forcing him to stand on his tiptoes.
“I don’t fucking know!” He spits at my feet.
He’s strong. I’ve been torturing him for the past three days, yet he still stands defiant. He’s been cut, electrocuted, and beaten. Soon, I’ll move on to severing his limbs, one by one. His fingernails have already been ripped out. Perhaps I’ll present his fingers to Caelia. Or maybe his tongue. It would fit, given the venomous words he’s spoken to her.
I’ve lost my excitement yesterday. No amount of torture will erase what he did to her. It won’t make her forget the way he treated her—my stupid twin brother. I wonder how things would have turned out differently if Fiona had kept or sent both of us to Alexei. He messed up a lot, but he’s not weak. He’s not afraid. I recognize those traits in myself. Nothing I do will break him.
Well, perhaps that’s not entirely true. Nothing I’ve done so far has broken him. Ultimately, Ermanno raised him well, although cruel and violent. It’s necessary in our lives, but he should have reserved such behavior for business dealings only, not within his own home and not with his wife.
“Did you enjoy fucking my whore?”
I won’t let his words get to me. I’m past that. I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me react.
“Do you mean your wife? She has the most heavenly pussy I’ve ever fucked, Mattia. Not that you would know since she was never wet for you.”
“You can keep her.”
“Don’t worry, I will. I’ll fuck her every day for the rest of my life, making sure she won’t even remember your fucking name.”
She’ll get there. Slowly. He curses me in Italian. He should know better. I’ve had to learn his language to pretend to be him. I’ve spent far too much time learning to be him, all for nothing.
“You see, Mattia, I’ve been thinking about all the ways I could torture you, but I know you won’t break easily. You will eventually, but I don’t have that much time on my hands. Your wife is waiting for me in my bed, all needy, her pussy dripping for me.” I shove my hands into my jeans, taking a step closer to him. “So you’re going to feel exactly what she felt.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
I smile, nodding toward one of my men, who silently exits the basement.
“You’ll find out in a minute.”