Grabbing the back of my neck, he forced me to look at him just as he always had since I was a child. “I’vewon? One of my top commanders is nearly dead because of you?—”
“Don’t pin this shit on me,” I muttered. “Heprobably did it because of how much he despises you for killing his men.”
His jaw feathered, a scoffed chuckle leaving him. “How adorable. You really are naïve.” Squeezing tighter, he sneered. “Where’syournecklace?”
“Destroyed,” I answered.
“Due to your own carelessness, I’m presuming?”
My laugh was anything but humorous. “Playing ignorant?” I pointed at Thorne, wishing he’d wake up so I could strangle him. “Hebroke it based on your orders. You told him everything, and guess what? It worked. I’m broken, worthless, a pathetic stain on your life, so if you have anything else you want to add, tattoo it on me.”
His soulless gaze lifted to Thorne before returning to me. “Oh, good. It seems his time with me was sufficient.” He squeezed my neck once more before shoving me away from him. “I’m glad to hear you’ve come to see your true colors in this world. Your mother’s pregnancy with you was the start of her sickness. Your childhood years? Poison to her soul, toourmarriage because shechoseyou over her treatments.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, but he was right. She’d probably be alive if she’d never had me. I only brought her pain in the short span of life she’d been granted.
“Agreed,” I simply stated, my lip unable to stop quivering. Crying in front of him would earn me a bullet to the head. I’d have to do it back in my room.
“Bland. Baseless.” His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth. “Exactly as I’ve wanted you to be. Now, is there anythingyouwish to tell me,soldier?”
I settled the emotion welling in me before staring into eyes that mirrored mine. “Just that I commend you for setting all of this… all of this shit up. Having Thorne play to my emotions was next level, even for you.”
Another feigned smile. “Happily.”
“But did youhaveto manipulate my sexuality, too? He’d already won the moment he smashed her necklace. The kiss wasn’t necessary.” Even for Dad, it was too much, and I hated both of them for setting this up. “But you know what was the weirdest? He acted like all of it, everything you’d inflicted on him, was against his will. That he wanted nothing more than to avoid breaking me. Smart, even for you,” I settled on, flicking my gaze to the ceiling.
A laugh, an actual, genuine laugh, fell from him. “Oh, youstupidboy. I hadnothingto do with this weekend. But it seemsmycommander was rather reckless in multiple ways.”
“What… What do you mean you didn’t have anything to do with this weekend?” That wasn’tright. Everything Thorne had done was because ofhimand his orders.
“Must I always fucking repeat myself withyou?”he snapped, shaking his head in a clear display of disappointment. “You’ve given me everything I needed to know. You’reexcused.”
“Yes, sir.” Opting to remain quiet used to be hard, but maybe that’s why Thorne agreed to everything. It was easier to let someone else command you, to pick your personality and attributes. “Like… From the room or?—”
“Get. The.Fuck. Out.”
I gave my father a quick nod before storming out, not wanting to talk to him longer than I needed to. He finally had the son he’d always wanted. A silent, obedient soldier he could manipulate and mold to his liking.
Me?
All I wanted to do was go back to my room and rot, but I was sure Simon or Liam wouldn’t let me. What if I just…didn’treturn? Found a place to do exactly what Thorne had done, but better?
It’s not like I’d have someone like Matthew who’d?—
Rounding the corner, my shoulder collided with someone. I prepared to be yelled at, punished for my lack of attention, but when my gaze lifted, I found the exact man I’d been thinking about.
Matthew.
“Oren?” His brows furrowed, genuine confusion coating his expression. “What’re you doing here?”
“Oh. I dropped flowers off, but I was just leaving,” I said, unable to hold his gaze. For someone so intimidating in stature and presence, he was anything but that when he spoke.
He offered a half-hearted smile. “Oh. Come on. Don’t shut down on me.”
I bit my lip, a horde of statements flooding my brain, but I shoved them back. “I’m fine,” I replied. “Just going back to my quarters.”
He gently grabbed my shoulder, his gaze softening. “I’ve run interrogations for years, Valens, and I can see it in your eyes. You are anything but.”
“I’mfine. If you want details, ask your friend when he wakes up.” I was a minute from sobbing, and I didn’t want to unleash that in front of him.
