Stefan moved like he was going to hit me again, but Damian shook his head. “I’ll let you deal with his insults after I’m done talking to him. I need him lucid right now so he fully understands what I’m telling him.”
I fully understood that this man was going to die and Stefan along with him. I would find a way out of this. I needed to know if they had Peter or anyone else who was under my protection.
“So, you’ve got a plan? Something that’s going to make me… what? Turn over my kingdom to you?”
“I do. People think you’re cold and hard, but you have weaknesses. Your brother, your cousin, and the pretty boy you’re quite taken with.”
He was right, and I hated it, but I was used to pretending I didn’t care about anyone or anything.
“My brother and my cousin are useful to me. And Peter has been quite entertaining, but you have weaknesses too, like your beautiful young wife and those precious children.”
He slammed his fist against the wall. “Where are they?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. They could have been taken anywhere while you’ve had me here.”
“You know where they would be taken because you give the orders.”
“Not when I’m unconscious. My brother or my father make decisions in my absence. My father is back, you know, and he’s not pleased with your behavior.” Damian and my father had clashed numerous times, and my father had easily come out on top every time.
“I’m not scared of him. He’s old, he’s got a bad heart, and I have more allies now than I’ve ever had because of things you and your father have done.”
I hated that he was right about that too. He’d done an excellent job of pulling in people my family had pissed off, including Stefan, apparently. The cleanup from this was going to take a damn long time. But first I had to get out of here, kill Damian, and then we could proceed from there.
“Are you ready to cooperate?”
“And by that, you mean…”
“Hand over your businesses to me.”
“After which you’ll kill me anyway.”
“There have to be some sacrifices in a war. You know that as well as anyone. I can’t leave you alive to go back and help your family attempt to rise to power again.”
I tugged at the ropes that bound my hands. It was going to hurt like hell, but I could get out of them. I just needed to make them leave the room so I could.
“I’m not telling you a fucking thing.”
He smiled, the fucking bastard. “I think I’ll bring your aunt Sabrina to you first. Maybe I’ll entertain myself with her before I kill her.”
I kept my face stoic. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. Years ago, he’d asked Sabrina out. When she’d refused, he’d gotten aggressive, and she’d quickly put him in his place. If she got her hands on him now, she’d tear him apart. As much as I wanted to kill Damian myself, the thought of him dying by a woman’s hand made me have to fight back a smile.
Damian was clearly displeased with my lack of concern for my aunt. “I could start with Peter. You’ve really fallen under his spell, haven’t you?”
I refused to respond.
“Are you so sure he’s loyal to you? What if I told you he’s been feeding me information? How do you think we found you so easily today? Maybe I should order him to end you, rather than having you watch him die. That might be the best entertainment I’ve had in years.”
For just a moment, I began to doubt myself. What if I were wrong about Peter? I’d been wrong about Stefan and Marco. Maybe my instincts weren’t any good anymore. Then I thought about Peter telling me not to risk myself to save him. I thought about him petting Clover. I was not wrong about him. Damian was trying to manipulate me. I’d been on the other side of this game plenty of times. Peter was not working for him, but the thought of him being told to kill me, knowing whether he did it or not he would die, made me long to be able to rip through my bindings and choke the life out of Damian.
Damian’s phone chimed. He glanced at it, then slid it back into his pocket. “I have a dinner engagement. Think about what I’ve said. Imagine the rest of your family dying in front of you while you wait for your little traitor to slice your throat. When I return, that will be your last chance to save them.”
“I’m going to think about how satisfying it will be to watch you die.”
He didn’t acknowledge my comment. “Stefan, teach him the importance of respecting me, but remember, we need him alive.”