The Isle Of Sin And Shadows - Keri Lake Page 0,177
You’re ruled by yet another man in your life.”
“I may have little in common with the righteous, but I share the same burden as Mary did when she bore Jesus. What pressure to be the only son chosen.”
“Please tell me you’re not comparing your son to Jesus.”
Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she tries to hide a smile. “Adolph bears the mark.”
“What mark?”
“There’s a long-standing prophesy in our beliefs, that the infernal father would choose a mortal son, who would serve as the eyes of the underworld. A spy. An innocent child chosen not for his faith, but his loyalty. In exchange, he would grant the boy whatever he desired most in the world.”
“This sounds like bullshit to me.”
Ignoring me, she keeps on with her story. “The poor soul was burdened by the darkness bestowed upon him. He was, after all, mortal to the core. But it’s said he gained favor of his father, when he bore witness to a false god and burned down the temple with the fires of hell.”
“You think Adolph is the devil’s son.”
“I know he is. He was sent here to test our faith in Antitheus.”
This woman is nuttier than an almond tree. “What makes you so sure?
“He wears his father’s sigil. A tattoo on the inside of his wrist.”
“You think a tattoo marks him as some prophet of Satan? I’m sorry, Antitheus. A second ago, you told me an innocent child was chosen. Your son doesn’t sound so innocent to me.”
“Adolph was a difficult child, no doubt, but he wasn’t inherently evil. And so long as he remains true to his Father, he will be rewarded with whatever he desires most. Whether it’s power, wealth, perhaps even love.”
“Newsflash: psychopaths don’t fall in love.”
“They must. I’m fairly certain my father fell in love with me. As did my husband. Once.”
Gun still trained on her, I shake my head, chuckling. “Do you have any fucking idea how crazy you sound right now?”
“Do you have any fucking idea how boring you sound right now? Our kind have existed for centuries, persecuted by the same religious dogma that has you questioning my sanity. It isn’t about good, or evil. It’s enjoying life without hypocrisy. I spent the better portion of my childhood being made to feel guilty that I was a sinner, all while my self-righteous prick of a father was raping me two rooms down from my mother. You tell me who’s crazy.”
“So, Adolph … he’s the famous Le Bouc Noir.”
“He’s made quite a name for himself over the years.”
“And you think I’m going to let him live after tonight? Kiss your dreams of grandchildren goodbye.”
“Or not. He did bear one child. Your half sister.”
Her words take a second to sink in as I sit staring at her, trying to straighten their meaning in my head. “What did you just say?”
“Adolph is Frannie’s father. I am her grandmother.”
The moment she says it, my head flips back to that night, nearly ten years ago. The blond kid rutting against my mother, perhaps no more than mid-twenties back then. He was one of three who ultimately raped my mother.
“There were three of them.”
“Oh, c’mon, Thierry. Two of those men were Mexican. Tell me, does Frannie appear to have a lick of Mexican blood in her? She’s as white as a ghost.”
I will my hand to remain steady, to keep from giving away the anger festering inside of me. If the woman thinks she can snake beneath my skin with this story, she might believe she has the upper hand.
“I didn’t know about her until years ago, when the information sort of fell into my lap. She was my only granddaughter, that I was aware of, so I paid an exorbitant amount of money to have her tracked down. That’s when I found her back at that godawful facility. Don’t get me wrong, they were the best in the state. I don’t fault you for sending her there. But the building was not the best, so I decided to become an investor. To update and modernize the facility, while looking out for my dear Frannie. My sweet little girl.”
All these years, it never made sense to me why Jude hung around the place all the time. A woman with her money. Why she seemed so invested in my sister. It’s possible she’s telling the truth. “Your son raped my mother.”
“And a beautiful child blossomed as a result. Could you imagine a life without Frannie?”