Gypsy Moon (Page 51)

It takes a while, but Marta nods at Violet, and Violet looks away like that’s all she was waiting on. She hands the doll back to her mother. Marta tucks it into her bag, along with the sewing kit, and Violet puts her hand out in front of Marta, as her lips start moving too fast for me to try and guess at her words.

Marta takes the knife, and I watch with the other breath-holding alphas, as Violet chatters animatedly. Marta does that pointless trick of stabbing the spaces between Violet’s fingers at a rapid, hard-to-follow pace, as though she’s a traveling freak show.

Violet just carries on talking, as Marta focuses all her attention on not hitting Violet’s hand. Violet leisurely relaxes, still chatting like she’s making idle conversation, or filling her mother in on some less tense things.

Marta rolls her eyes, never missing a beat with the blade, and stops abruptly when Violet stops talking.

Marta takes her bag, opens her mouth and closes it, as Violet’s expression changes to a daring little look. Then Marta glares at us once more, before moving toward the door.

“We act like nothing she says surprises us,” I tell the others, seconds prior to Marta exiting the box.

I finally take a seat in one of the non-dusty chairs off to the side as she slowly approaches.

Violet stays inside the room, casting an annoyed look at her mother’s back, while Marta stops in front of all of us. Violet averts her gaze when Marta gives us a vicious, scathing look.

“You’re handling this much better than expected,” Damien says like the dick who can’t shut up, as he grins over at Marta, timing the words to come out just as the door to the soundproof box shuts.

“I may not can get rid of you just yet, but you will never be able to get rid of me, so long as my daughter is in your lives. Think about that,” she tells us very darkly.

Not the most warming thought.

Now’s not the time to tell her about Edmond. It’s not like he can truly kill Violet or her, so Idun is the more pressing matter. Idun can’t kill Violet either, but she can make Violet wish she could die.

That’s not going to happen.

I’m not going to let that happen.

“You’re supposed to be the one incapable of wrongs on this level,” she goes on, glaring over at me. “My daughter,” she adds on a harsh, choked whisper, as her teeth grind.

“What did you have your daughter agreeing to before there are even rules established for her very existence?” Arion drawls like he’s only mildly interested.

She gives us all a dry look. “What she agreed to is between the two of us, unless you’re okay with her sharing the secrets she’s discovered about you. She wouldn’t give me that offer without giving it to you as well. After all, Violet’s only fair.”

I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean, and Marta just darts a look around, a slow smile curving one side of her mouth.

“I guess that’s why she spent so much time talking about resurrecting a dead ghost,” she says, only confusing me farther. “None of you really know my daughter at all, even though she honestly thinks you’re making the effort.”

A cold washes over me. I perused diamond rings on my damn phone, just curious what’s popular on the market these days, and Violet is under the impression we’re simply making the effort to get to know her.

I wasn’t planning to propose just yet, not with everything that’s going on, but it’s still a harsh gap in mindsets…

“Just one generalized comment on that, then? No one stood above the others? Perhaps someone meaning a little bit more than that?” I ask her, narrowing my eyes.

“Even I know it’s bloody wrong to ask Marta for a leg up in her daughter’s romantic entanglement, Vancetto,” Damien says like he’s taking Marta’s side, when she casts a disgusted look in my direction.

“He didn’t ask who our sweet Violet prefers in bed,” Arion drawls with a grin. “He just asked a mostly innocent question, since he had her all to himself for two short days and now gets some extra attention,” he adds.

A collective fog rolls out in our next breaths, and Marta visibly stiffens. But her ire crystalizes our next breaths, small shatters raining through the air, as the temperature drops substantially.

“Careful right now, Arion,” I caution, eyes darting to Violet, who stares down at her nails as though she finds them fascinating.

She frowns at her foggy breath and glances our way.

I’ve never seen Arion so agonized over a decision, because Marta Portocale has a weakness he can finally extort. She’s giving herself away by simply glaring as if she wants us all truly good and dead over this.

But it’s not just her weakness.

The true Marta Portocale slips back into place, as a dark, sinister expression crosses her features. “I just have to be patient, boys,” she says with that smile I hate so much. “All it will take is for one of you to fuck it all up. My money’s on the vampire, because that will be Violet’s breaking point.”

Arion rolls his eyes. “The more people question me, the more I want to prove them all wrong, Marta. You’re doing little more than fueling my undying obsession with your daughter.”

His grin only grows, as the fool vampire starts toward her trap without even seeing it. I casually glance back, seeing Violet still in the soundproof box, while she calmly and collectively gathers her things, including the red coat Arion had waiting for her when the clown car finally caught up to us.

Marta simply smirks far too confidently, not even rattled in the moment.

“Here’s something for you all to think about while you’re gloating over this as a win in our very long score book,” she says as she glances into her purse, lifting a small handkerchief that is hideous, which means Violet made it.

She actually tries to wipe the smirk off her face, as though it’s a reaction she doesn’t wish to share, which makes this slightly more worrisome.

“You think you know Violet. Sweet, lovely, precious Violet. She’s shown you her bite, but her lack of bark confuses everyone,” Marta says in a taunting manner.

“We’ve seen her monster’s bark and bite,” I argue.

She lets out a small laugh before looking away, clearly unconvinced. “No. You haven’t. Because there is only bite. Even her warnings are bites. You’re all too numb to this world to realize it, and she’s resilient enough to survive you, so I simply just have to wait.”

We’ve certainly been too numb, because the growing concern in my chest is almost unfathomable. Just having Marta—the enemy mother—too close to Violet is driving me insane. What the hell happens when Idun—her Neopry alpha—steps too close? It’s as though the gravity of our situation has finally resonated and is truly settling onto my shoulders with its pressing weight. A prickle of hot awareness shoots up my spine.

“She’s very reasonable, and will allow you to step on her from time to time, not pushing unless it’s truly worth bothering with. Usually she doesn’t mind it, if I’m honest. People confuse that with assuming she’s a doormat, something she’s certainly not,” Marta prattles on, clearly a little more numb than she realizes, if she’s not also feeling the mounting dread.

It’s as though a timer has just been started, and we only have so long until it goes off.

Her sinister gaze and twisted lips remain in place.

“I’m quite accustomed to compromising with my daughter, since I raised her as human and she thinks very human,” Marta says with a shrug. “Tell me, Alphas, how easy is it for you to put aside your nature and see yourself as equal to an omega? Can you truly do it?” she asks. “Because that’s what I raised her to expect. It assured me you’d always be a non-issue,” she goes on.

“You foresaw us with Violet?” Emit asks her incredulously.

She laughs humorlessly once again, almost hysterically.

“No,” she says, wiping the tears from her eyes now. “No. No. No,” she says again, walking away as she only laughs harder. “It’s unbelievable that you even imagine a world where it’s possible,” she carries on through her fit of laughter, never turning back.

“That woman is more insane than ever,” I note as she cackles her way up the stairs.

“She wants in our heads,” Emit says just as Violet opens the door and walks out, having intentionally avoided our arguing, most likely.

The arguing hasn’t even started yet.

Everything always gets postponed when Idun’s in town. Our war with Marta is sure to come.

My eyes rake over Violet, as she sighs and runs a hand through her hair, eyes meeting mine. When Marta makes her move, Violet will be caught in the crosshairs.

The focus starts coming in very sharp, and I quickly walk out of the room, going to once again view that clip, as something new and determined stirs inside of me.

I don’t always hate the Van Helsing curse. Not when it works for me instead of against me.

CHAPTER 25

VIOLET

“Are you staying with one of us or her for now?” Damien asks, tucking an errant lock of hair behind my ear. “I’m sure you’d like to spend some time with your mother.”

I’m currently putting a very big pin in all my emotions and thoughts regarding my mother, because that’s what she asked me to do. And because I can’t deal with all this right now.