The Complete Inferno Series by Yolanda Olson

Author:Yolanda Olson [Olson, Yolanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-07-10T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

Dinner has officially been over for half an hour, but Pater has insisted on dessert. For himself, not us; we haven’t earned dessert yet, according to him.

“But you will,” he promised us with his sideways grin sitting deviously on his handsome face.

It’s been silent for at least ten minutes while Pater eats his pie, but I’m so numb at the revelation he made to me less than an hour ago that I’ll probably end up staying awake all night anyway.

“Listen, I know you’re all confused and probably pissed off right now,” he finally says, glancing at me. “But Vaughn didn’t really know until he had to go clean up Eloy’s mess. And to be honest Joce, you can’t be angry at me. That waste of a pussy has lived in this neighborhood ever since I kicked her out. She could’ve come over any time she wanted. Well, that’s not entirely true, but if she was as concerned as she fucking acted, then she would have.”

Pater’s words mean nothing to me. I’m too busy glancing at the knife sitting between us. All it would take is a series of quick motions to leave him choking in his own blood. I could slit his throat before he would even have the chance to realize what had happened.

But what if I failed? What if he managed to stop me as soon as I grabbed the knife? Then what? Vaughn would surely pay for another act of failed bravery. And then it would just be Pater and me.

Unless...

“You know Joce, I admire you,” Pater says suddenly. “You’ve got more balls than either of your brothers, always looking for a way to kill me and whatnot, but I thought we agreed we were done with that game?”

My eyes slowly move from the gleaming blade, to the hilt, and then up to Pater. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Vaughn slowly moving for the knife placed between him and Pater, and in that moment, I know it’s a trick.

“Don’t,” I say to him softly.

Pater raises his eyebrows curiously as he turns his attention toward Vaughn, who’s letting go of the knife.

“You kids really like to test my patience, don’t you?” Pater asks with a sigh. “It’s okay. If it were me, I’d try the same thing, but remember something. Without me, you’re both nothing. You’ll be forced out into a world you don’t understand; a world that will reject you before you can even set a foot firmly into it. I’m not the bad guy here. I’m not the one who threw you kids away; I’m the one who’s loved you and cared for you your entire lives. You want someone to hate? Hate your incubator. She gave all three of you up without a fight.”

Vaughn puts his face in his hands and begins to gently cry. He believes Pater, and it’s breaking his heart. He believes there’s nothing better than this life for the both of us, and he can’t accept it like I’ve been trying to.

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