Children of Vice (Children of Vice #1)(10)

I spat to my left. “If they all drowned in their blood it wouldn’t be justice enough! Guards! I’m done here!”

“Ms. O’Davoren—”

“I’m not sure what those people have over you but really think of your own health before you come in here trying to sell me snake oil! Guards!” I yelled again, and they came in. This time much more willingly, I outstretched my arms to them.

Callahans…if I could kill them myself I would.





THREE


“As usual, there was a story behind the story, and that is where the truth was hidden.”

~ Kenneth Eade





EVEYLN


“He’s in the dining room, ma’am,” the butler said to me as the maids took my coat off.

Once upon a time, I used to know all the butlers and maids within this home by name. However, death had taught me many lessons throughout my life. The first was to only remember those who only truly mattered. If not, you’d learn that the heart could break infinitely. And the second lesson came almost immediately after…heartbreak happened on different levels and all caused various scars, some so great they never healed. You just learned to manage the pain.

“Nana!”

Turning back, I saw nothing but a blur of dark brown hair before she was clinging to me. Smiling, I hugged her back, placing my hand on her head.

“The princess is back in the castle.”

“Finally, someone who misses me.” She laughed, pulling back, standing eye level with me. Apparently, our heel height was the same today too. Despite the smile on her face, I could see a twig of familiar sadness in her green eyes.

“How was Wyatt?”

“Long story.” She shook her head. “How has it been with the great one?”

“Long story,” I repeated, nodding my head. “Now come on, I’m sure he’ll want to yell at me before dinner.”

“What now?” She groaned, walking with me toward the dining room.

There, all the way at end of the white clothed table, sat Ethan, cutting into his steak, while the butler poured wine into his glass.

“You’re both late,” he stated, his voice almost as emotionless as his green eyes, a trait both he and Donatella had inherited from their father.

“Here we go,” Donatella muttered to herself, walking me to my chair on the left of him. When she kissed my cheek and moved to take her seat at the right side of him, he paused, the marinated beef still on his fork, only an inch from his lips.

“How is Wyatt?”

“Do you care or are you asking just to remind me that I broke your law?”

He pretended to think for a moment. “Both.”

Sighing, I lifted my glass for wine because I sure as hell was not getting through this dinner without alcohol.

“I don’t know, Ethan. Why don’t you call and ask? His number hasn’t changed and you still have it in your phone.”

“So he’s coming back to beg forgiveness then?” He went on, obviously missing her point. Actually no, purposely missing her point. “Because that is the only way he’ll ever get a call from me.”

“Funny, he said the same.” She just had to go stoking the flames.

“Dona.” Before either of them went down this path, I intervened. “Did you hear your brother is getting married?”

Her eyes widened and her face relaxed as she turned to Ethan. “You’re what?”

“Speaking of that, I asked you to go see her, not our damn lawyer. I could have called the damn lawyer.”

“You. Want me. To go to prison to talk to her?” I said slowly, just to make sure I wasn’t killing a child who had lost his mind.

“It is important.”

“Then go your damn self—”

“WAIT!” Dona hollered, glaring at both of us. “Prison? Marriage? What the f*ck are we talking about? Why the f*ck do I not know? And how f*cking dare you let me find out like this?”

“I’m the one getting married. How does that involve you?” Ethan asked her, and I didn’t know if I should cry or scream at his idiocy.

“Ho—how?” She gasped as the server brought out our food. However, in her rage she grabbed the glass and threw it, nearly hitting Ethan in the face, but he didn’t even flinch, letting it shatter on the wall. “GET OUT!”

They ran so fast they almost dropped the food. Pity. I was actually hoping to eat sometime tonight.

Ethan sighed. “Dona—”

“I have a twin brother who hates being a part of this family so much he ran off to Boston to become a doctor. You and your infinite wisdom told me not to worry because he’d be back. Five years later and he’s still not back, Ethan. So whenever I’m feeling a little down, I have to fly my ass to Boston, just so he could tell me he’s busy and only meet up for coffee. I shared a womb with him for eight months and the bedroom for almost twelve years, and now I get twenty minutes over a shitty cup of coffee. You know why it’s shitty? Because I don’t drink COFFEE!” she hollered, snatching the bottle of wine the waiter left on the table and filling her glass. “I do, however, drink wine. Thank God, because if not, I’d actual want to kill you, big brother. You’re getting married? You? The same person who does not allow anyone to touch his skin? Really? How is that going to work—”