35
Patrena
Tywin and I followed the man to a poolside patio area with a table large enough to seat at least ten. An infinity pool the size of a football field merged into the distant blue ocean water, providing a tranquil vibe that took the sting off my revved-up nerves. I took deep relaxing breaths to calm myself further.
The man sat at the head of the table and gestured to the chairs nearest him. I took the seat adjacent from his and Tywin sat beside me.
“My sister has decided that she would like to join us,” he said, taking one of the glasses of ice-cold lemonade from the tray a maid had walked out carrying.
I took a glass from the tray to be nice, but my heart was set on receiving information and updates. Tywin took a glass absently from the tray and froze in his seat when something caught his attention. His grip on the glass started to tighten, squeezing so hard that I was afraid it would break.
My eyes followed his line of vision, searching for what had lured him into such an upsetting state. It was the woman strutting her way onto the patio who had captured his attention. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of him and a look of genuine shock registered before she swept it away and replaced it with a teasing smirk.
Her gaze locked on Tywin as she drew closer. She was middle-aged, probably in her early forties with a light tan on her fair skin and a striking resemblance to the man claiming to be my father. This was his sister.
“Tywin and Patrena, this is my sister, Sophia,” Gemini introduced. The sight of Tywin’s reaction to the woman put a hint of concern on my self-proclaimed father’s face.
“Hi, Tywin, it’s nice to see you again.” Sophia cast him an unmistakable teasing smirk and offered a half-handed wave. “My, my, my, how you’ve grown,” she continued to address him, but she had dropped the teasing and picked up a suggestive aura with her body while her eyes ate Tywin up from head to toe.
Tywin stood at the greeting, making me stand along with him. His face had registered surprise at first, then knowing, and finally seething anger. His body trembled with unchecked rage at the sight of the woman.
“You fucking evil bitch,” he forced out through gritted teeth. The glass in his hand exploded, sending broken pieces, ice, and lemonade to the exquisite terracotta tile below.
“Tywin!”
“Mr. Vallin!”
Me and my supposed father yelled out, but Tywin’s gaze continued to follow the woman. When he began to take a step with that terror-fueled expression on his face, I placed my body in front of his.
“Tywin,” I whispered, reaching up and cupping his cheek. His angry spell was broken by my tender stroke, and he glanced down, aiming a finger at the woman.
I did a quick check of his hand, turning it to make sure he wasn’t injured.
“That’s why the door welcomed me back, and I felt that sense of familiarity about this place. This is where she brought me and locked me away for nearly a year. The only reason that fucking monster is breathing is because of Arlo. Innocent kid he is, he actually loves that fucking reptile.”
The pieces all fell into place at once and caused me to cast a mean glare across the table at the woman who had taken her seat and was sipping lemonade like she didn’t have a care in the world. She was the reason why Tywin had suffered the most horrific event in his life, and she had gotten away with it because of who she was to their syndicate.
I gently rubbed up and down Tywin’s arms, hoping to ease his tension as much as I was fighting to ease my own.
“Sophia, what is he talking about?” Gemini’s facial expression was a mix of accusation, anger, and questions.
She didn’t answer right away and although she had wiped it away quickly, fear had flashed in her eyes at her brother’s question. I don’t believe she anticipated this situation nor had she expected her brother to question her.
“I know this is Arlo’s father, but did he become his father of his own free will?” Gemini asked. He demanded an answer, and his sharp-eyed glare was boring a hole through his sister.
She brushed away his question with a wave of her manicured hand, but the stress of her dirty laundry being aired out allowed me to see more tension ripping apart the armor she boldly stepped onto the patio wearing.
“We’re not here to talk about me. I’m here to meet my niece and for you to reunite with your daughter after that bitch stole her away and kept her hidden from you all these years.”
She was deflecting, but it was too late. I don’t believe she was expecting Tywin. Gemini stared at me and Tywin with unmistakable embarrassment embedded in the tense creases set on his face. His jaw ticked so hard that I was waiting to hear the crunch of teeth.
“I’m sorry you had to hear that harsh accusation,” he said, rolling his eyes at his sister.
“Patrena, I can assure you we are not all, beasts who take without giving. Your mother and I had a loving relationship for eighteen months. Mr. Vallin, on behalf of the Bishop family, please accept my deepest apology for what you went through.”
Before Tywin could respond, Sophia went into a rant. “You were her target. She didn’t love you. That’s why I take what I want.” She glared at Tywin without an ounce of remorse in her.
“You speak out of turn one more time, and I’ll carry you away from here myself,” Gemini warned Sophia, his tone calm but as cold as liquid ice.