Empire of Sin(Empire #2)(73)

The only person who stood with him through it all was Agnus. That man can be mistaken for a mute and Elsa calls him a psycho to his face, and honestly, he does have antisocial tendencies, but I knew early on how much he cared for Dad.

In fact, he only took care of us in his absence for Dad’s sake.

What surprised me, however, was when Dad invited the three of us to a family dinner and announced that he and Agnus were in a relationship.

While I always assumed Agnus was fluid orientation-wise, Dad is the straightest person I know. And he still is, I guess.

He once told me that Agnus is the only man he’s attracted to. It’s not about his gender, it’s about him.

So for the first time in his life, he has stability with the one person who understands him the most. The fact that there’s bad blood between his only biological daughter and his husband has always sat wrong with him.

And in hindsight, I shouldn’t have brought their animosity up, so I redirect the convo to a topic Dad likes—praising his husband.

“By the way, I got the annual report of the portfolio Agnus handled for me, and the profit tripled.”

A rare smirk tugs his lips. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“Obviously. I have more money than I can ever spend.”

“You could start your own firm.”

“Not yet. I need to get a few more years of experience first.”

He fixes me with a glare.

I search my surroundings, then focus back on him. “What?”

“Did you send Agnus a thank-you gift for tripling your profit?”

“He doesn’t like those.” I resist the urge to mention that Agnus is a bit antisocial.

Okay, a lot. I’m a million percent sure that he would’ve become a serial killer if he hadn’t met Dad early on in their childhood.

“Send it.”

“Fine. Is he coming over here later?”

“No, he’ll spend the night at the hotel.”

“Why?”

“I told you, for work.”

I squint. “Since when does Agnus choose work over being your shadow?”

“It’s a special type of work. Drop it.”

“Hmm.”

Dad pauses mixing the soup and stares at me. “What?”

“I’m curious, is all.”

“And I’m curious about your girl and the reasons why you didn’t introduce her to us. Is it not serious with her?”

My spine snaps in a line at his swift way of changing the subject and putting me in the limelight. I take a moment to think, then say in a low tone, “It’s not that. It’s…different.”

“Different as in, you don’t wrap it when you’re with her?” A smile tilts his lips, amusement shining in his eyes.

“How did you…? I’m going to fucking kill Daniel.”

“It was Ronan, actually. He animatedly told the story to approximately thirty people at a party. It was entertaining.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Please tell me Teal and Elsa weren’t there.”

“They were the first in line.”

“Fuck.”

“It’s due to that piece of information they decided to tag along.” He continues mixing the ingredients slowly, taking his time with the task.

Dad has always been the type of person who doesn’t rush into anything. Whether it’s business or his personal life. He’s steady, almost never provoked, to the point that it’s creepy sometimes.

“Are you going to define “different,” Knox?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. I guess I feel more at peace when I’m with her, a little less perturbed, maybe. Just…not stuck in my head or with my shadows or in the past.”

“Interesting.”

“Do you think that’s normal?”

“Depends on your reasons for feeling that way.”

“What if I don’t know those reasons?”

“You do. You just don’t recognize them yet, which is to be expected considering you closed yourself off for decades.”

“I…didn’t close myself off.”

“Yes, you did.” His voice takes on a more soothing tone. “The first day I met you, you were this scrawny kid with protruding bones and marks all over your body. You were obviously hurt, hungry, thirsty, and scared. You were so scared, you shook with it, but even then, at eight years old, you pushed Teal behind you and came out first. Even though it seemed like your brain told you to run, you didn’t. You stood there, head held high and eyes never looking sideways. It was as if you were giving the world the middle finger and telling it that you wouldn’t run anymore, you wouldn’t hide. You wouldn’t be told what to do. From that point on, you’d fight. For yourself and your sister. You had a fire in your eyes, one that rose from the ashes of sealing your past. That fire is the reason I decided to raise you, Knox, but I always knew it hid a deeper layer, a layer you refuse to face, even as an adult.”

My grip tightens on the knife and I take a deep breath to slow down the fucking pounding in my chest. “What do you want me to face, Dad? My whore mother who sold us out for some drugs or the father whose identity she didn’t even know? They’re both gone, and it’s pointless to think about them.”