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She allowed Hector to pull her away from Ossian, but her movements were slow and mechanical, as though her very limbs were stunned. I knew better than most the extent to which Marcia despised her husband, so it wasn’t his spite that had shocked her numb.
“Vivian,” she whispered as she passed me. “Can I see her?”
I sighed helplessly. “I’m not sure that would help right now.”
Marcia held out a hand. “I don’t care about him – only her…”
“I know that,” I assured her. “But… she’s not doing so good.”
Ossian snorted from across the room, but Hector tugged Marcia through the doorway before she could wipe the smirk off his face.
I leaned my weight on Dax as I stood and towered over Ossian from ten feet away.
“Why did you do it?”
“Why do you think, Rupert? Your little whore defied me when she got on that boat and scurried back to the mainland.”
My bones stiffened at his words.
“I knew she’d be back. She can’t stay away from you. Fuck knows why. You’re a spineless, bollockless cretin who couldn’t run a drug lab if it came with fucking instructions.”
Dax’s arms tightened around mine. “Don’t listen to him,” he growled behind me.
“If it were just the fact you were still fucking her, I could let it slide, but you did it all behind our backs, didn’t you? Against Mother and Father’s wishes. You were filled with so much hatred for everything we stand for.”
“Not everything we stand for,” I lied. “Only you. It’s impossible not to hate you Ossian. Everyone hates you.”
“Yes, well,” Ossian said, shifting on the floor, “it’s a good thing I don’t give a shit what anyone thinks.”
“How did you know Vivian was down here? In this room?”
“That blue-haired bitch isn’t as quiet as she’d like to think she is. As soon as I heard your little whore was on her way down here to wait for you, I couldn’t believe my fucking luck. All those moves your precious Candy taught me could finally be put to good use. It was perfect really. Couldn’t have planned it better if I’d tried.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “It’s my wedding day.”
He snorted again like the pig he was. “I know. Like I said. Perfect.” He finally lifted his arm and wiped his bloody nose with the back of his hand. Streaks of red snot clung to his sleeve. “Just wait ‘til Father hears your little witch came back. I doubt she’ll ever leave the island. She had her chance to get away and she blew it.”
I rounded on him, narrowing my eyes. “What makes you think Father will care? All he cares about is marrying me off to a Cartwright. I’ve done him proud. In fact…” I tipped my head, the thought making me feel at once smug and uneasy, “I’m guessing I might be his favourite right now.”
Ossian huffed but I sensed the doubt behind his conviction. “You won’t be when he finds out.”
Dax released me and I folded my arms. “Finds out what?”
His face contorted into a patronising grimace. “That you never loved Elspeth. You’re still infatuated with that cheap piece of mainland meat.”
I fought every urge to knock his head off and instead forced a sugary smile. “But that’s simply not true, brother. Sure, I wanted to fuck Vivian, once upon a time. Hell, you have it on tape. Good for you. But I’ve been nowhere near her for six months. In that time there has only been Elspeth.”
Ossian’s eyes flitted between me and Dax. “Fucking liar. You never wanted Elspeth,” he said, finishing with an unconvincing smirk.
“Who do you think is going to care?” I said with a shrug. “Father certainly won’t. I didn’t invite Vivian here and I haven’t laid a hand on her. You, however, did. What do you think Father would have to say about that? He’s already had enough of you fucking anything that moves on this island. Why do you think I gave you Candy’s number? So, you could get your extra-marital kicks out of sight.”
Ossian chewed his tongue and his eyes morphed into those familiar venomous bullets.
“Go ahead,” I said. “Tell Father anything you like. I’m the one standing here in a wedding suit, marrying his best friend’s daughter. You’re the one creeping round a freezing crypt, only managing to feast on a woman because she thought you were someone else.”
Ossian for once had the dignity to look as though I’d slapped him, when in actual fact I’d done much more and hadn’t finished either.
Dax stepped to my side. “What are you going to do with him?”
