Page 206 of Heartless Sinner

Cory wiped his bloody palm down the back of his neck, leaving another red smear on his skin. “He told me that he’d leaked information to Sterling to give to the journalist to make it look like you’d done it. He and I both swore an oath to the Sons. I don’t go back on my word and have no respect for those who do.”

I’d wondered how Sterling knew about that, given he was never a Son. I’d blamed it on rumors he’d possibly overheard.

“He also admitted to ordering the hit on you since I was too pussy to do it myself,” Cory went on. “The men who shot at you and Daphne while driving back to SVU?” He nodded toward his father. “His.”

“All this to make you king?” I asked.

“He couldn’t get Princess Marjorie to fall in love with him to become king. He put that failure on my brother and me. That was all we ever heard, growing up.”

“I understand that pressure.”

“Look, I care about Daphne.”

I turned so fast my shoulders knocked into his.

“Not like that,” he hurried out, rubbing at his red eyes, painting even more blood on his face. “As a friend. I respect her being your Fawn.”

I kept my glare on him. “How did an argument about being king end up like this?” I motioned toward Bellamonte’s body.

He glanced down at his hands, as if no longer recognizing them as his own. “He told me what a failure I was … said the wrong twin died. I punched him. We started fighting. He pulled out the gun. I grabbed the knife off the minibar. I knew it was either him or me. I chose me.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

We turned back as Enzo entered the room.

I’d called him and the other Sons for backup before coming here. After what Bellamonte had pulled earlier, I hadn’t trusted Cory to meet him alone. I hadn’t known where his loyalty was. Now I knew exactly where his loyalty didn’t lie.

Enzo walked between Cory and me to get a better look at the carnage. “I thought I loved violence, but can’t I get one fucking day without having to deal with a bloody fucking body?”

Emeri came in next. “It’s an easy cleanup.”

Nico stepped to Emeri’s side. “I fucking hate cleanup.”

Cory reached into his pocket and held out a blood-smeared phone. “My dad’s.”

I took it with my gloved hand. Everyone except Cory also wore gloves.

“Passcode is 0-0-0-0,” Cory said. “I went through all his texts. Everything you need is in there. Idiot didn’t try to hide anything. He even talked about having me killed because maybe it’d give him sympathy votes to make sure he stayed PM.”

I wiped blood from the screen and unlocked the phone, and Enzo leaned over my shoulder as we read the texts. They confirmed everything Cory had said.

Bellamonte hadn’t just wanted Cory on Calira’s throne. He’d wanted to control Calira through his son and had spent his life trying to make it happen. He had known that if I had Daphne, that dream was over.

I handed the phone back to Cory before leaning toward Enzo. “Did you take care of it?”

I shut my eyes, knowing I’d never forget the pain of leaving Daphne in that motel room.

Enzo nodded. “She’s on a plane back to Calira. I told her to never come back.”

I nodded back in thanks as relief settled inside me.

I might’ve hated Daphne again, but I wanted her safe.

No, I was forcing myself to hate her again.

My father had agreed to leave Daphne alone on one condition: she had to leave the country.

“Are you guys talking about Daphne?” Cory asked, apparently having the ears of a damn dog.