Tainted Reasoning (Dark Sovereignty Book 2) Read online

  Tamara pales, and I realize instantly I’ve said too much.

  “What…What do you mean?” she stutters.

  “Nothing,” both Nicholas and I reply at the same time. My brother gives me a scowl, which says I need to keep my mouth shut about other aspects of our afternoon excursion.

  “No.” Victoria, reaches out and takes her husband’s hand in her own and squeezes it. “I want Tamara to know everything. It’s the only way she can make an informed decision about whether she’ll help us or not. She’s a fantastic lawyer, Nicholas. She’s still learning, but what we are trying to achieve will give her great experience in so many aspects.”

  “I’m not sure I like the sound of this, not when it’s combined with the term organs.” Tamara worries the edge of her lip with her teeth, and I can’t help but think I’d like to sink my own teeth into that plump part of her flesh. What the hell is going on with me, at the moment? Every time I look at this woman, I start imagining her in a sexual way. I don’t do this. Women are brought to me, I do what I need to, to get off, and then they’re taken away again. I don’t do feelings…they’re too complicated, and heaven knows, the thoughts running through my head don’t need any additional distractions. I look away from her and drain my elaborate wine glass, which had been full of the finest Chardonnay.

  “I’ve told you a lot about what happened when my father handed me over to Nicholas. I also mentioned a girl called Amelia to you,” Victoria says, turning her chair to face her friend. At this, Nicholas gets to his feet and walks over to take a protective stance at the door used by the staff. Our employees know of our exploits, but they don’t need to be discussed openly in front of them.

  “I remember. She died during one of the trials. You said that her father had abused her since she was born.”

  “Yes, he’d forced her to practice completing the trials that I had to endure. She didn’t just do them once… he made her repeat them several times, so she would be prepared for whatever Nicholas threw at her. He raped, abused, and degraded his own daughter. I hadn’t realized the full extent of the fragile state of Amelia’s mind until her last moments. The only task she hadn’t completed was to kill a man, and when confronted in the trials with having to commit murder, she simply couldn’t. It was the one that broke her.” Victoria pauses and wipes a tear from her eye as I look over to my brother. His head is bowed, and the guilt of Amelia’s death causes his shoulders to slump. It’s one of his biggest regrets that he couldn’t save her. Her death will haunt him until the day he dies. I’d watched the girl numerous times during the trials, though, and I know she was beyond saving. Death gave her the peace she needed, allowing her to escape from the prison her mind had become. Putting a gun in her hand was the biggest favor Nicholas could have done for her.

  “How can a father do that to his own daughter?” Tamara sits in her chair stunned. Her mouth has fallen slightly open, and confusion glistens in her eyes. “I just don’t understand it.”

  “I don’t think anyone does.” Victoria dabs away another tear.

  “Sometimes, people just have the devil in them. They remain completely unaffected by the damage their wicked actions cause other people. There is no good in them. Evil is a disease that riddles their entire being.” I push my chair back and come to kneel between the girls. “My father had it, and Amelia’s father was the same.”

  “And my father has it,” Victoria adds.

  Tamara lets out a long, slow breath. The realization of what has happened dawning on her. She looks at me.

  “You killed your father when he tried to kill Nicholas and Victoria.”

  “Yes,” I reply without regret.

  Tamara looks over her shoulder at Nicholas.

  “You killed Amelia’s father.”

  Nicholas nods before replying.

  “He died in agony, and his body was given no last rites or ceremony. His death was deserved for the abuses he inflicted on his daughter.”

  “But you had no right…” Tamara starts to lecture, but Nicholas puts his hand up to halt her.

  “I may not have had the right to take his life, but he certainly lost the privilege of breathing with his actions toward his daughter. Too many people have been hurt, killed, or maimed by this society since its inception. I’m the ruler of it now, and I’ll not rest until it’s cleaned of all those who would seek to destroy a human life for power, monetary gain, or simply for sexual gratification. That is the world my father created. People who treated women like slaves. They abused them to the point they were unrecognizable as a human and then put a bullet in their heads. I couldn’t save Amelia, but I will prevent this from happening again in my name. The Duke of Oakfield will no longer be synonymous with evil. He will be a loving husband, father, and ruler of a society helping to empower women.”

  “Why didn’t you go to the police with the evidence of what Amelia’s father had done?” Tamara asks, and I have to chuckle a little at her faith in the law. You can tell she is new to her profession and still believes in the honesty of all those working in it.

  “Because the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was an active member of the society.” Victoria says as she stands up from her seat at the dining room table.

  “What!” Tamara exclaims, and her mouth opens and closes like a fish, trying to find sense in what she’s hearing. “I can’t…He can’t…What?”

  Nicholas comes to his wife’s side and wraps an arm around her tiny waist.

  “His wife suffered a stillbirth of a baby girl when Viscountess Hamilton was pregnant with my wife. If the child had been born alive, then she would have become my property on my thirtieth birthday. She would have suffered the same fate as the other girls I was given. I can only be thankful to god for not allowing another woman to experience the torment the others endured.”

  Tamara looks down at the floor, and I can see tears forming in her eyes. Reaching out, I take her hand in mine – it’s warm to the touch, despite the chill in the air, resulting from her stark realization regarding the malevolence of some people in positions of respect and trust.

  “How can they get away with this?” Tamara asks.

  “They have the power,” I respond. “It’s the reason no one questioned the fact I disappeared after my autism diagnosis.”

  “I can’t understand this. It’s too much.”

  “It’s a lot to take in,” Victoria offers with sincerity and concern for her friend.

  “What did you do to Amelia’s father?” Tamara asks.

  “No details,” I tell her.

  “Please. I need to know.”

  I look up to Nicholas, and he nods, affirming I can give her more details.

  “I’m going to take Victoria to freshen up. I’ll ask for dinner to be brought into the lounge. We can eat it in front of the TV.” Nicholas places his hand on my shoulder before leaving with an arm wrapped around his wife to support her.

  “William,” Tamara pleads with me. “If I’m going to be here and get involved, I need full details of what you are doing. I want to help Victoria in any way I can. She’s my life…my best friend, but everything is so scary, and I know nothing of this life. It’s dark, horrifying, and alien to me.”

  “I know.” I pull myself up and take a seat on Victoria's vacated chair. Scraping it along the wooden floor, I bring it nearer to Tamara, so I can still keep a hold of her hand while I talk to her.

  “Nicholas and I captured Amelia’s father and tortured him. We made him suffer by cutting off any distinguishing marks he had: moles that sort of thing. We removed his fingers, toes, and masculine parts before killing him. He needed to die that way to allow Amelia to rest in peace.”

  Tamara gasps and pulling away from me, she looks down at my hands in horror.

  “You did it yourself? How can you do that to another human? Why not order someone else to do it?”

  “I guess I have some of my father’s darkness in me. I can’t explain it. I wish I could. I understand if you want to lea
ve here now and never come back. We won’t stop you.”

  “Will he be the last one to die?” she asks with a quivering of her bottom lip

  “I can’t promise you that. I don’t know what Nicholas wants to do with Viscount Hamilton.”

  “Victoria’s father?” She gasps, bringing her hand to her mouth.

  “Yes. He gave Victoria to Nicholas. Although he behaved better than the other fathers. At least he kept Victoria protected while she was growing up rather than abuse her. We will ensure he is ruined for his part in the society, but he’s not as bad as some.”

  “These are people’s lives you are playing with. Taking things into your own hands like God.” I can see she’s struggling to understand the motivation behind our actions. This evil world has only been revealed to her through tales of darkness. It’s never been something she’s experienced, felt, or thought about. She hasn’t lived a life like the one Nicholas, Victoria, and I have endured.

  “I wish I could explain it better to you. Victoria’s father bought a girl during the trials. We’ve not seen or heard from her since that day. We don’t know if she’s alive or dead. He told us she was for Victoria’s brother to marry, but as far as we are aware, he’s still single. There is so much more going on, Tamara. These people are bad men. If they learn you are involved with us, they’ll take, rape, and abuse you until the pain is so great that death is the only way out of the suffering. This is why we take the law into our own hands. Why we do what is necessary to put an end to the society we grew up in. It’s the only way in our eyes. The people we are talking about are beyond the law in so many ways, but using what we know, we can restrict them and ruin them, so they can never rise again. The police chief is corrupt, so we’ll find some incriminating evidence and use the law against him. Please, we don’t want to kill anyone else unless they truly deserve it. That’s why we need your help.”

  “I don’t know. I’m still learning. I don’t have the clout you think I do. I’ve not even completed the bar yet.”

  I shake my head.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I reassure her. “Faith in your abilities is all you need. Just as Nicholas and I have in ours, even if our skills are a little different. This society’s influence reaches everywhere… we need to destroy it!”

  “I need to think about all this. Try to get my head around the truth that if I help you, then I’ll have to look past the fact you and your brother kill people. It’s not something I’ve been trained for or ever could be.” When Tamara stands, I let go of her hand, and she walks toward the door.

  “I understand.” I remain seated. “Would you like food sent to your room?”

  “No,” she says as she turns to face me. “I want to talk to Victoria some more. I need to understand exactly what she went through. I’ve heard the pain in her voice as we’ve spoken about her experiences, but I need to also see it expressed in her face, visually, the way you and Nicholas have.”

  Pushing to my feet, I come to stand before her.

  “I promise you, if there were any other way, I wouldn’t do this either. The only reason it doesn’t bother me more is because, I fear, I’ve been damaged due to the years of being in total seclusion.”

  “It hasn’t damaged you, William. You showed the kindness within you by protecting and helping those girls as much as you could.” She leans up and presses a chaste kiss to my cheek. “You helped save my best friend. I owe you silence and respect just for that, let alone for everything else you’ve told me today.”

  Bowing my head to her, I watch her turn to leave. Those familiar urges of sexual need rise within me again. I need to get this under control if we are to work together. Bad thoughts are what I need to focus on. My father… that should be enough to dampen any ardor.

  Tamara gasps, drawing me out of my thoughts.

  “What is it?” I step forward.

  “My mother?”

  It takes me a few moments to register who her mother is, and what she’s asking.

  “Nicholas has checked on her, and she’s safe, as far as we’re aware. She believes Victoria fell for Nicholas in the conventional way. Victoria has tried to get her to come and work here, but she refused out of loyalty to the Hamilton’s.”

  “I have to see her.” Tamara’s eyebrows draw together. I can feel the fear rippling from her now. “Please, William. I have to make sure she’s alright. If you say Lord Hamilton has a woman held captive and gave away Victoria in the manner he did, then she could be in danger. I need to check to make certain she’s unaware of everything. She’s all I have. I don’t know who my father is. Please.”

  “Ok, you can go see her, but I’m going to come with you.”

  “What? You can’t.”

  I take hold of Tamara’s hand, probably a little too tightly, but the urge to protect her is surging through my body like a runaway freight train on steroids. I won’t let anything happen to her.

  “You want to see your mother, then I’m coming with you. No arguments.”

  Chapter Four

  Tamara

  The chauffeur opens the door for me while William comes around and offers me his hand to hold, so I can ease myself with ladylike dignity into the car. William’s palms are clammy, and when he comes to sit beside me, I can see the trepidation etched on his handsome face. His jawline is square, dotted with the stubble of a day-old growth, and his dark brown hair is trimmed short at the sides and shaggy on top. His brother has the air of pristine grooming, but William is more natural. He’s the type of person who can roll out of bed, have a quick wash, clean their teeth, and look catwalk ready. At the moment, though, he looks ready to climb out of his own skin. His left hand is flicking at his ear, then the top of his head while his legs bounce up and down in a rhythm known only to him.

  “William,”–I reach out to take his right hand– “Is everything ok?”

  He gives me a wry smile.

  “You can talk to me,” I offer a little more reassurance, but he won’t look me in the eye.

  “The world moves so fast in a car,” he says, staring out of the window. Turning my own head to observe the lush green fields of the countryside change into the densely populated suburbs of west London, I hold my breath while we weave down the once familiar streets toward my childhood home. I guess it does move fast, changing so quickly. The calmness I’ve been feeling disintegrates into nerves.

  “You’re not used to traveling like this, are you?” I ask. Victoria has told me a great deal about William. For most of his twenty-eight years, he’s been hidden away, rarely leaving his bedroom let alone his home. To suddenly have all this freedom must make him feel agoraphobic as the intensity of the different sights, sounds, and smells overwhelm him. I’m aware of his autism diagnosis and how that can heighten his senses in comparison to those not on the spectrum, leaving him with a fear of unknown danger in these sorts of situations.

  “No. I’ve been in a car only a handful of times in my life, and I can’t drive one.” He looks toward the driver who is indicating to make a right turn. William’s eyes narrow with the ticking of the indicator as if the noise is too loud for him even though it’s barely audible to me. “The first time I left with Victoria to rescue Nicholas, I didn’t really think about what I was doing other than getting to my brother. But the second time, they had to virtually tranquilize me to get me to our destination…there’s too much stimulation. I don’t think I want to drive a car. I’d prefer to have my driver do it. With all the noises and movement, it’s a lot to concentrate on, and even though it’s easing, I still feel nervous.”

  “I can understand that. I don’t like driving in London anyway. The drivers are too unpredictable. They could turn left while indicating right…I’ve had that happen to me before. It’s not something you should be scared of, though. Sometimes, car journeys can be beautiful, and at other times insightful. You see different things, which can help you learn and study the world we’re living in. For example, take the fields we just drove by… at the mo
ment they are green, but travel the same road in summer, and they will be scorched yellow with the heat of the sun.”

  I stretch out my arm and point to some buildings being constructed. They are halfway to completion, and workmen are sitting on the top of the scaffolding with steaming cups of tea or maybe coffee. “Look at those buildings as well. The last time I came down here there was an old run-down factory from the seventies. It wasn’t really in keeping with the area, so they decided to replace it with luxury accommodation for London’s elite. I remember the Viscount being up in arms about the houses, wanting me to find some legal bylaw or statute to try and stop them being built. He wanted to have the factory demolished and the land converted into green woodland to match the forest area at the back of his property. Unfortunately, the council had a target they had to meet, and this was a perfect opportunity for them.” I chuckle at the thought of Victoria’s father being outwitted for once. When I hear William also emit a soft laugh, I look up at him. He points out of the window at another factory close to the entrance of the long driveway, leading to our destination.

  “Maybe I should get Nicholas to purchase that factory and turn it into accommodation for London’s not so elite!”

  “Yes!” I exclaim with an evil snigger. “I know everything must be new and overstimulating to you, but truthfully, what you did for Nicholas and Victoria has already shown how strong you can be.”

  “Thank you.” William replies and squeezes my hand in gratitude. “How do you want to play this with the Viscount, if we see him?”

  My blood runs cold at the mention of the man who willingly sacrificed Victoria to hell on earth. I’m not entirely sure I’ll be able to keep my calm around him. But for the sake of my mother, and a promise I made to Victoria in relation to keeping her brother, Theodore, in ignorance of all matters, I will bite my tongue. If I get time alone with him, though, he’ll get a piece of my mind.