Page 101 of Vexatious Queen

“Yes, Mr. Genovese,” she said with a nod of her head before she disappeared.

“Marcus, for god’s sake, come sit down. You’re always looming like a shadow in corners.”

Marcus smirked, and it made me smile to see their friendship.

“Are you sure? I can leave you to⁠— ”

“Nonsense, you’re family.”

“In that case, pour me a drink,” he said.

Dad laughed and grabbed the decanter while Marcus took off his long coat.

Two guns were in a leather holster hooked over his shoulders like in a mobster movie.

I shouldn’t have been surprised to see multiple weapons concealed, but it brought home the reality of just how much danger we were always in.

“Before dinner is served, I would like to talk to you about my behavior the other day. I should not have barged into Wayward the way that I did. It was a very emotional moment for me, and I’m ashamed to say I handled it poorly,” Dad said.

“I thought it was awesome,” Nash said, getting a laugh from Marcus.

Dad waved his hand at them.

“It was a show of strength, yes, but the repercussions run much deeper, I’m afraid. Not only have I lost the element of surprise, but I have put Paul in some hot water with the Curators.”

I shifted forward to the edge of the couch.

“Is he going to be okay? They won’t go after him, will they?”

He tapped his glass.

“I don’t it, but it has put me in a much weaker position. It may have looked awesome, but I shot myself in the foot.”

I pulled the letter from Vadin out of my purse and held it out.

“This came for me a few days before Vadin arrived. I didn’t share it with you because I never thought he would just drop in the way he did, and I didn’t want to start anything. I was under the impression that he wanted me to call him, and I’ll be honest, I was tempted. But I’m sorry that I didn’t keep you in the loop, and I feel responsible for Vadin showing up.”

Dad took the letter and read it over before handing it to Marcus. Then he stood and walked over to the fireplace.

I swallowed the dryness in my throat.He took a moment, staring into the flames, before slowly turning to look at me.

“I don’t want you anywhere near him. I understand your curiosity. You were either not born or too young to remember all that happened. I can also accept why you want to believe the words he sent. But he is a liar, before anything else. You cannot trust what he says. The man is not capable of love how you know it. There are always strings, conditions or blood attached.”

The pain that my father kept locked up tight burned as brightly as the reflection of the fire in his eyes. I left Nash on the couch and went to my dad.

“What happened between you, Mum, and Vadin was a long time ago. What if he’s telling the truth and feels regret for what he has done?”

Eddie’s lip curled up in a snarl, but he was calm when he spoke.

“There are some things in this world that will never change, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. Vadin is one of those things. His entire life, he has betrayed, stomped on, and crushed his opponents to get what he wants. Companies fold at his feet, families have been destroyed when they stood up to him, and he’s never had an ounce of remorse. Not for them, not for stealing Renata from Dimitri, and certainly not for what he did to his daughter—your mother.”

He set his glass on the mantle and placed his hands on my shoulders.

“Your grandfather did not wake up one morning and regret all that he has done. I know you want to see the best in people, but this is one of those moments where your kindness can be your weakness. I do not say this to hurt you. I say it because I’ve kept an eye on his dealings and nothing has changed in all that time.”

My gaze dropped to the floor as I processed this additional information.

“Then why is he here? He didn’t know you were my father. So what does he want, if not to reconnect?”