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“If you just took those brains and applied them to something legitimate, imagine what you could do. Imagine how you could help people.”
“You always were so naïve. You were always willing to accept those princess dresses and your fancy boarding schools. How do you think those things got paid for?”
I stiffened my back. “You do know that mother was rich before she met Papa, right? You recognize that diamond was hers. The disdain you show for women is disdain you are showing for her.”
“Mother, like all women”—Jakob scooted a little closer to me—“wasn’t bright enough to see the big picture. That’s why Papa couldn’t trust her with what he was doing.”
I just shook my head. “What happened to you? I remember you being bookish and loving to learn.”
“Like you, I was naïve. Now get up. Otherwise, I will use this on one of the children.”
He knew how to get me to go, and I stood easily. “I will not get in a car with you.”
My brother smirked. “Who said we’re going in a car? I believe your penthouse apartment is somewhere near here, isn’t it? You are staying with Rafael DeMarco, right? How does it feel to know that he’s the one who killed Papa? And you let him put his hands on you.”
I itched to slap him… or worse. I could probably get a good kidney shot in before Hans killed me from wherever he was hiding. But I kept my feelings under control.
At the entrance to the park, Hans sat on a stone slab eating a hot dog. He grinned when he saw me. “Diana. You have given Jakob and I quite the fright. We are thrilled to see you again.”
I struggled in Jakob’s grip. I wanted to at least give the appearance of fighting them. If I made it too easy, they would know they were walking into a trap. “Whatever you two have planned, it’s not going to work.”
Hans leaned forward, and I smelled the sauerkraut and onions on his breath. “Oh we’re going to get into that apartment. Because you’re going to walk us right in.”
Jakob shoved me forward, and I almost fell into Hans. With each of them flanking me, I walked along the path that would lead them to the main street, thinking of ways to delay the inevitable.Make it look good, I told myself, make it seem real.Once along the path, I tried to run in the opposite direction. I hoped that didn’t trigger Dylan to spring into action. But nothing happened.
I made it about half a block before Jakob grabbed me around the waist. I kicked a little bit, but the idea was to eventually be caught.
When Jakob brought me back to Hans, my oldest brother tsked. “It is so disappointing that you tried to run, Larissa. If you act like that, I’m going to think you don’t want to spend time with us.”
“Wherever would you get that idea?” I muttered under my breath.
Hans chuckled. “Jakob, I think she’s cross with us. You’re the one who decided to become father’s killer’s whore.” He patted me down and relieved me of my weapons, tsking softly.
Fuck, I was going to need those. “I am not a whore,” I spat.
Hans shrugged. “You’re sleeping with him. You’re a whore. It’s a shame you won’t live through the night. We could easily bring you in on the family business. On the working side, of course.”
I purposely struggled against his hold. What the hell was wrong with him? Why did they hate me so much? “Why are you so horrible? What have I ever done to you?”
Jakob scoffed. “For starters, Father was going to honor the deal with Boris. He planned to hand you over with the diamond when you were twenty-five.”
Hans rolled his eyes. “The original plan was for us to kill Boris and keep the diamond. Whatever happened to you after was of no consequence to us. But then we found out that you and the diamond were payment. That Boris had bought into the family business. After that revelation, we came up with the plan to kill him. He had squandered our future.”
I froze with a gasp in my throat. “You had Papa killed?”
Hans chuckled. “Considering you’re our sister, you are pretty stupid. Yes. We ordered the hit. We called a member of a black-ops team. He presented father as a threat to be taken out to his superiors. Given father’s business practices, the US government sanctioned a hit on him. Best hit we ever called.”
I couldn’t believe it was my own brothers who wanted him out of the way so they could take over. To rob me of my birthright. Three more blocks to the penthouse. “You killed him?”
Hans laughed. “Plausible deniability, of course. But yes. Except Orion backstabbed us and stole the diamond for himself the night before the murder.”
So Orion had absolutely taken it. And that had all been my brothers’ doing. “I hate you.”
Hans laughed, a belly laugh that made his whole body shake. “The feeling is mutual, little sister. I promise.”
When we arrived at the penthouse, I struggled against Jakob’s hold as he forced my hand on the pad for the handprint scan. And then they forced me face up to the retinal scan. Once we were inside the building, they shoved me toward the service elevator that led to the penthouse. I stumbled deliberately, praying that everyone was out of danger. Praying that they were all paying attention to where I was.
When the doors to the elevator opened, I took a deep breath and did exactly as I’d been instructed. I ducked while simultaneously delivering two groin strikes to my brothers.
