Read Entangled (Vice Games) for Free Online Page B

another butler came out with a silver platter. Anna immediately moved behind me and when I turned, I saw what it was that terrified her – it was eight little brown bottles. The butler placed it down on the table as the first butler disappeared and returned with a pitcher and glass for the water.
    Elliot Vice and his wife entered the room shortly after. Elliot Vice was a man in his sixties, his hair completely gray and wore a tailored dark grey suit. He and Tristan shared the same eyes, except the elder’s was stonier and colder than his son’s. It felt as if he was incapable of feeling any empathy towards his daughter. Karen on the other hand, she looked old enough to be Tristan’s older sister. She was a woman in her early thirties and I began to wonder how young she was when she married Elliot Vice. Her face was frozen and plastic, her breasts artificially enlarged, her hair set into perfect golden curls and her body tightly wrapped in a red bandaged dress. She would have been beautiful if it wasn’t for the cruel calculating red painted pout on her face.
    I couldn’t see how this woman manages to convince a man like Elliot Vice to do her bidding. It was unfathomable. But then my eyes were drawn to her rack and I began to have some ideas on how she went about it. Men seemed to have a weakness for physical appearances of women. Perhaps Elliot Vice liked his woman to be the plastic trophy sort.
    ‘Father,’ Tristan coldly acknowledged. The temperature in the room dropped and I felt Anna’s cold fingers wrap itself around mine. I gave her a reassuring squeeze.
    ‘Son,’ said Elliot. It was clear that the relationship was not a warm or natural in any sense.
    ‘ As we discussed last night, I’ve hired someone to take care of Annabelle. She has taken up residence at my house and there’s no need for Annabelle to return here.’
    Elliot Vice looked at me with his cold eyes. I lifted my chin and held my ground against his assessment.
    ‘What are your qualifications?’
    ‘I have none that you would think of as relevant,’ I found myself saying. Tristan seemed to freeze at my answer. ‘But I possess a quality that you desire.’
    Elliot Vice was not moved by my reply. ‘And what is this quality?’
    ‘The ability to command obedience,’ I said. ‘Your daughter will listen to me and it has come to my attention that she refuses to take her medication.’
    Anna began to panic. She tried to pull her hand away from mine. It was as if my words betrayed my promise to her. But I held on tightly and gave it another s queeze. She needed to trust me. Elliot’s eyes momentarily glanced over his daughter and Karen narrowed her gaze towards us.
    ‘Prove it,’ she said. The young stepmother walked towards the table and took a pill out from each prescribed medicine bottle. Anna began to breathe heavily and took a step away. I sensed the onset of a panic attack and immediately spun around to face her. I placed my hand on her face.
    ‘Hey,’ I whispered. ‘I need you to trust me, okay?’
    ‘But the pills, I don’t want to take the pills,’ she began to cry as she shook her head. I glanced over my shoulders and saw that Karen had placed the pills into a small dish.
    ‘I’m going to need a minute,’ I announced and quickly led Anna out through the door. I pushed her into the nearest room and closed the door.
    ‘You said I wouldn’t have to take the pills,’ she sobbed. ‘You lied to me.’
    ‘Hey, you haven’t taken them yet. Look, the only way to get your father to agree is that you do as she wants,’ I whispered.
    Anna shook her head and attempted to run out but I blocked her path.
    ‘Listen to me, I’m not finished yet. I only said you have to take the pills, it doesn’t mean you have to swallow them.’
    That got her attention. ‘What?’
    ‘Have you seen the size of those things? They’re miniscule. Take them and hide them under your tongue. It’s a test. If you do as they expect you to do,