Page 39 of Vicious Minds (Children of Vice 4)

“So?” I pressed before taking a bite. Not bad.

He took a bite as well before answering. “So isn’t it customary for people to share details about themselves on dates? You already know me, but who are you Calliope, when you aren’t scheming, killing, and pretending to be an angel?”

I stared.

It took me a second to understand what was happening. But once that second passed, I laughed. I lifted my hand to cover my hand over my mouth. He was serious.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Ethan,” I shook my head, not able to contain the laughter, “we really need to work on your date face, you look like you’re planning my execution.”

“I wasn’t before,” he grumbled before frowning. It almost looked like he was about to pout. “It’s not my fault you’re paranoid.”

He’s cute when he’s not in boss mode.

Shaking my head again I took a deep breath and leaned in. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

“Will you tell me everything about you?” I whispered.

“You seem to know a lot—”

“I know what is obvious, or what I’ve read or been told by outside parties. Who are you under the boss?” I asked him.

His eyes narrowed, and I realized he did that when he didn’t trust something not when he wanted to be an ass. “You keep avoiding speaking about yourself. Why? One would think you only cared about getting as much information out of me as possible.”

I smirked at that. “Who’s the paranoid one now?”

“Still stalling.” He ripped into the bread with his hands to eat with the soup. “Suspicious. Maybe I should go back to cold glares.”

I rolled my eyes at that. “Have you ever thought maybe I don’t talk about myself because it’s painful?”

“Obviously it will be painful. People aren’t born monsters, we are molded into them from childhood,” he replied before taking a bite. “So what was your crucible? Ruthless parents?”

; “Indifferent parents,” I answered, reaching for the bread as well. “Unlike yours, my parents didn’t marry for love, and my mother never wanted children but a third one? She hated me the most; I could feel it each time she hit me. My father, he’s an on again, off again functioning drunk. Together they own a fashion and beauty line. My sisters are models and take after my parents. Avena is the future drunk of the family and Bellarose is temperamental and also violent. She hit me a lot too. In fact, I remember one Christmas she pushed me down the stairs in our home because she was jealous of the dress our grandmother got me. She got one, too, but she was upset mine was in her favorite color and I wouldn’t switch with her. I shattered my jaw and two ribs that Christmas. I think that’s why I found it amusing you thought there was some profound sisterly bond between us…there has never been such a thing. My family is a broken mess, but like I said before, you can’t choose the family you’re born into.”

He lifted his glass to his lips, “Do you hate your sister?”

“I’m indifferent.” I shrugged, dipping my bread in the soup.

“Liar,” he said, causing me to look into his green eyes. “If you were indifferent, you would have let her marry the idiot from this afternoon, or you would have made him disappear quietly, and she could pine for him for the rest of her life. Instead you exposed her to ridicule. She won’t be implicated in the crime, but everyone is still going to know her fiancé was murdered while wearing bondage gear, high on coke, with another woman.”

“It’s not like I knew he’d be in bondage gear.” I couldn’t help the grin on my face as I ate the bread.

“You knew I would most likely follow you,” he added. “You wanted me to see you today.”

“I told you not come—”

“Knowing full well it would make want to come even more. That’s your weapon; you make people think they’re doing what they want when you’re really pulling the strings.”

“And here I thought you were the puppet master?” I shot back.

He shook his head. “I don’t think I’m on your level yet.”

“Ethan Callahan, is that humility I’m seeing?” I gasped in mock astonishment.

“Honesty,” he said a with a smile. “You are more committed to the act, while I prefer to stand on the sidelines and watch.”