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“Common, Zeno. I’ve got more class than that.” He waggled a finger towards me like I was a child who needed patronizing. “In fact, I’ve bugged every single office in the estate. Yours. Yves’s…Shit, even Darla’s office. Not that there’s much talking happening there.” He tilted his head and scoffed with dry amusement. “I never would have pegged her for a screamer.”
“Say another word about my wife,” I growled and advanced towards him, ready to throttle him to death. “I fucking dare you,fils de pute!”
He spoke so disgustingly about Darla in those messages yet, in front of her face, acted like the sweetest brother-in-law. It sickened me to know he was so close to her vicinity while harboring such malicious intent.
Benjamin tutted and pulled out his gun from his suit pocket, aiming it my way. “I would stay put, Zeno. The only thing stopping me from taking my rightful position as seigneur is a bullet into your chest.”
I stopped, knowing I had to thread carefully.
“When I saw Armel touch Éva at her birthday party, it was obvious you’d murder him. A fact proven when I heard you and Yves discussing your plans behind my back. I knew it was the perfect opportunity to take you down.” Benjamin gestured with his gun. It was the same one he received after his initiation all those years ago. “There were only two options. One, you go to jail and get shanked by an inmate ‘accidentally’. Or two, I play with your mind the same way you like to play with all your opponents before going for the kill.”
“You are, without a doubt, the vilest piece of shit I have ever met.” Disgust coated my words. “Using joker cards and Pierrot as an alias, knowing I would suspect Antoine Toussaint and kill him instead.”
Antoine Toussaint may not have been an innocent soul, but he did not deserve to die at my hands.
Benjamin must have planted all the fake evidence in Antoine’s laptop and suitcase prior to us visiting the Toussaint residence. And he obviously snapped the picture of Antoine himself and made it look like Bazoli sent it to him.
My little brother was more cunning than I expected.
“Toussaint was just a way to kill two birds with one stone.”
“Why did you let me believe it was him?” I asked through gritted teeth.
Benjamin’s laughter boomed in the stables. It was a crazed sound. Then he stopped altogether and looked disappointed that I didn’t get the punchline. “Because I hated him too, Zeno. Are you really that daft?”
“What did he ever do to you?”
“Well…” Ben drawled, taking a drag of his cigarette like we had all the time in the world. Gun still aimed at me. “He also took something I wanted.”
“Do enlighten me,mon frère.”
He clicked his tongue and cocked his head. “Starts with V and ends with E.”
His statement pronged my mind and my jaw slackened.
“Violette.” The realization sank into the pit of my stomach like dread. “You wanted her.”
Benjamin never gave an inkling of feeling more than a platonic connection towards his dead best friend.
“I did. I was in love with the little bitch for years. But no matter how much affection I gave her, she never reciprocated. She spread her legs like a whore for everyone butme.”
Not only did Ben loathe me because I was the heir, but I also screwed the girl he was in love with.
In some fucked-up way, I felt like I was watching a series finale to the worst soap opera.
I had to give credit where it was due; Ben acted completely placid in my office when I delivered the news of my relationship with Violette.
As well as her incestual one with Antoine.
He must have already known and practiced schooling his expression for when the moment arrived.
While Ben secretly pined for her, he was plotting Antoine’s and my demises like a fucking jealous psychopath. He probably held me accountable for Violette’s death too.
“I presume taking me out of the picture was your way to avenge Violette’s death?”
“You think I wanted to avenge her death?” Ben threw his head back and laughed again. Hard and menacingly. “Why would I avenge her death…when I’m the one who killed her, Zeno?”
I swayed back a step, the ground beneath my feet malleable.
