Free Lover's Betrayal: Misfits of the Lore Series by J.E. Hopkins

make such threats. Kaden is not responsible for this. We agreed to work together to investigate these killings and find the real killer.”
    “No, Mother, you agreed. I know Kaden is guilty. There’s nothing to investigate. You just refuse to see the truth staring you in the face. I can’t help restore your sight if you choose to be blind.”
    “She refuses to believe your lies, Julian. She knows I’m innocent and it pisses you off that you can’t poison her against me.”
    “Believe me, I know that when it comes to the two of us, she will always choose you.”
    “Stop this!” Olivia shouted. “Julian, I love you both equally. I don’t understand why you think I love Kaden more.”
    “You don’t love him more. You don’t love at all. You are as cold as he is. No wonder you two bond so easily.”
    Olivia grabbed Kaden before he could attack his younger brother. The last thing she wanted was for her sons to fight. They needed to work this out, and she needed to understand Julian’s rage.
    “Those are not your words. They’re your father’s. You didn’t always think that way of me. We were very close at one point. Can you remember, Julian? I do. Every day I think about how things used to be. How you used to look at me with love. I always adored you. For a moment this morning, it was like that time when we could talk and laugh together without all this unnecessary tension. I know I’m far from perfect and that I made many mistakes, but I tried to be the best mother I could to both of you. Please try to judge me for me and not based on your father’s opinion. Our marriage was more complicated than you’ll ever understand. I will acknowledge that I did not love him and he did not really love me. Our marriage was based on obsession, control, and vengeance, but never love. Unfortunately, some of the taint of our marriage spilled onto our children. I regret my role in that. Please know that my feelings for your father have nothing to do with the way I feel about my sons. You two were the only good things to come from my marriage. Regardless of how I feel about your father, I owe him my gratitude for giving me my boys.”
    Julian was overwhelmed with emotion. He wanted to believe Olivia’s words, but they were contrary to everything his father had taught him. “Why didn’t you love him? Why couldn’t you at least pretend to care for him? He did love you, and your unwillingness to love him killed him.”
    Kaden’s ability to control his rage was beginning to fade. “You’re such a gullible idiot. You believe everything that man said. If you could take your head out of your ass for a moment, you would see him for the callous bastard he was. He didn’t love Mom, me, or you. He loved to manipulate us and you were the easiest target. We were all pawns in his game of chess and he moved us around for his amusement. He wanted both of us to hate Mom to punish her, but he couldn’t trick me. I’m too much like him to fall prey to his games. You were the fool he could dupe into listening to his ‘poor me’ nonsense. Only you would feel sorry for an old deceitful geezer like him. You may be the intellectual in the family, but at least I know my head from my ass.”
    Julian reached his boiling point, but he was too drained to verbally spar with Kaden after his earlier confrontation with Corinne. He just wanted to escape. His home was no longer a sanctuary, but a place where the past he thought he left behind years ago had finally found him.
    “I’m going out for a while,” Julian said as he walked to the door.
    “You’re such a coward,” Kaden taunted. “I hurt your feelings, Jules, and now you have to run away. I’m sorry. Do you want me to kiss your wounded pride and make the pain go away?”
    “That’s enough, Kaden,” Olivia reprimanded. She turned to Julian. “Darling, please stay and let’s work this out. Let’s end this feuding once and for all. Help me understand what this is between you two? I