by Caitlyn Dare
A wicked smirk curls at Kingsley's lips and my stomach knots. I knew this wouldn't be as simple as picking up a few bottles and stripping the bedsheets. The look in his eyes tells me that we're nowhere near ready for what we're about to walk into.
"In the trunk, you will find two bags containing everything you need. Do what you need to do. I'll be here when you're done."
"Why don't you come help?"
"Not my job."
I hesitate for a few seconds, my eyes watching a young kid kicking a ball against the end wall of the building.
"You in? Or do I have to tell Q that you're a pair of pussies?"
"Fuck off, Kingsley." Throwing the door open, I climb out. Alex quickly follows, and, after throwing the bags over our shoulders, we follow the signs to the room.
"What the hell are we about to walk into?" Alex asks as we climb the stairs.
"I wish I knew. Something tells me it's not going to be pretty."
We come to a stop in front of the door. The curtains are drawn on the dirty window, giving us no clue as to what's waiting inside.
"Ready?" I ask.
"No."
Despite his words, I reach forward and throw the door open.
"Oh my God," Alex gasps before heaving as I drag him into the dark room.
The smell… I don't even know what the smell is.
Death, I guess.
I cover my nose and mouth with my arm as we walk deeper into the room. The stench still filters through my nose, and my eyes burn.
Piss. Shit. Puke. Drugs. Blood.
It all mingles, making my stomach turn.
The bed is covered in dark red blood, and right in the middle is a woman. She's completely nude, her body battered and bruised, her arms bearing the scars of years of drug abuse.
But it's none of that which holds my attention.
It’s the deep slash across her throat.
"What the fuck are we meant to do with this?" Alex manages to get out through his dry heaves.
"What's in the bag?" I ask, assuming that Cade knew exactly what was inside this room and ensured we were fully equipped.
Alex rips the bag open and shows me the contents.
"Okay," I say calmly, dragging up all the things I've watched in movies for how people deal with disposing of dead bodies. "Let's wrap her up, strip the sheets, and then start cleaning everything."
"You're not fucking serious? You want me to touch her?"
"Would you rather deal with Kingsley's wrath when we fail to do this?"
If it's possible, Alex pales even more at my words.
"Exactly."
We work in silence as we do what we need to do. We've got the poor woman bundled up and we're almost done stripping the bed so we can take the sheets and burn them when Alex suddenly stops dead.
"What's wrong?" I ask
"Listen."
I do, and, for a few seconds, I don't hear anything. But then flashing lights illuminate the darkness outside the window. My heart jumps into my throat, pounding so fucking hard I can feel it in every inch of my body.
"T-there not here because of this, are they?"
I walk over to the window and peek out. What I see makes my blood run cold.
"They’re pointing up here."
"We need to get the fuck out of this room, Bex." The panic in his tone doesn't make this situation any better.
"We can't. They're right out there."
"Bathroom window?"
"Fucking hell."
We storm through to the bathroom, taking in the fucking tiny window. We're on the second floor. If I'm lucky enough to even fit through it, then I've still got to deal with the fall.
"You go first, you're smaller than me."
"But—"
"You really want to choose now as a time to argue with me?"
"But that…" He points to the murder scene behind us.
"Fuck that. Not our problem."
"Fuck my life," Alex mutters, wrenching the window wider than it's meant to go and climbing through. "This is a really fucking bad idea."
"So is getting locked up. Now fucking jump."
He does, and everything goes silent.
I follow his lead, and, just as I jump into the thick bushes below, I hear the motel door get kicked in.
6
Mia
I hide out in Sasha’s room for the entire evening. Mulligan, Cade’s cook, makes us tacos and delivers them to her room. It’s all very five-star, but nothing surprises me where the Electi are concerned.
“I’m glad you came,” Sasha says as we clear the plates away.
“Me too.”
“It’s nice to have a girl to hang out with here.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why do you stay here sometimes but not others?”
“Home just isn’t home anymore since Ashton, Brook and their mom moved in.” She shrugs. “Brandon talked Cade into letting me have a room here. Officially, I don’t live here. But unofficially, I sleep here more than my room at home.”
“I’m sorry.”
She gives me a weak smile. “It isn’t your fault. Just another thing I have to accept without question.”
“It must kill Brook, knowing you have a room here and she doesn’t.”
“Yep. Which is why I like to rub it into her face at every opportunity.”
We share a chuckle. “I really don’t like that girl,” I say.
“Join the club.”
“We should get matching t-shirts.”
“Hashtag Brook is a bitch.” Sasha grins. “We could sell them around school. I’m sure we’d make a fortune. It’s getting late, I should probably give you a ride back to campus.”
“Okay.” I climb off her bed and wedge my feet in my sneakers. “We should make this a weekly thing.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Are the guys still around, do you think?”
“Beats me. They could be anywhere, but as long as they’re not annoying me, it’s all good.” Her lips curve with amusement. “Come on.”
We leave her room and make our way downstairs. The house is steeped in silence, nothing but the chime of the grandfather clock opposite the foot of the stairs disturbing it. It’s a relic but looks to be in perfect working order.
We’ve almost reached the front door when it flies open and Bexley appears, panting for breath.
“What happened?” Sasha asks.
“Ask Kingsley,” he grits out, his sharp gaze going to mine.
“Is Al—”
“Hey.” Alex steps inside too, as breathless and flushed as Bexley.
“What did they have you do?”
“You don’t want to know.” He holds Sasha’s gaze until her lips press into a disapproving smile. “Cade left us. He fucking left us there to get caught.”
“He doesn’t play by anyone’s rules but his own, but he won’t allow you to get caught. The whole thing would have been a setup—you know that, right? Just one big game to the high and mighty Cade Kingsley.”
Bexley’s jaw pops as his teeth grind in frustration.
“What are you all talking about?” They aren’t making any sense.
“Nothing.” A hard expression slams down over Bexley’s face.
“Fine, forget I asked,” I clip out. “Will you give me a ride now?”
Sasha nods, glancing between me and Bexley. The air has turned thick between us.
“Let me just grab a snack.” Her eyes drill into Alex’s face and his head whips up.
“Say what?”
“A snack… you should help me.”
“Sasha, I don’t—”
But it’s too late, she’s already taken off toward the kitchen with Alex in tow.
“Real stealthy.” Bexley’s lips pull into a half-smile. “How are you?” He looks like he’s about to step forward but immediately changes his mind, inching back instead.
“I’m okay. Where were you two just now
?” They’re both dressed all in black, like they’re about to commit the heist of the century.
“Electi business.”
“So that’s how it’s going to be now?”
He lets out a thin breath. “What other choice is there? You ended things, Mia… you did that. We’re all just pawns in Kingsley’s game of life, right?”
Silence falls over us again. There are so many things I want to say. But I can’t. No words will change the fact that I’m Cade’s prosapia. Unless I can find some leverage to get myself out of this mess, I am his. Just as Bexley is.
“Fuck, this is so fucked.” Bexley runs a hand over his head and down the back of his neck. “All I can think about is kissing you, little mouse.” He finally takes a step forward, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his body.
“You can’t… don’t.” I put my hand up between us, barely touching him. It’s enough to make him shudder, though. “It’ll get easier,” I whisper as the cracks in my heart splinter wider.
The longer we’re apart, the longer we bury our unresolved feelings for one another, the easier it’ll be.
At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.
My heart breaks all over again as I step away from Bexley and wrap my arms around my waist.
“Mia?” His voice cracks, but I don’t meet his intense stare. If I look at him, I’ll break. And if I break, nothing good can come from that.
“Tell Sasha I’m waiting outside,” I say, slipping around him and out the front door.
To my bittersweet relief, Bexley doesn’t follow me.
The next day at school, my worst nightmare comes true. Cade is waiting outside my morning class to walk me to their secret dining room. And when he ushers me inside, I find Bexley, Alex… and Brook, all sitting there.
“What is this?” I ask, swallowing the ball of emotion stuck in my throat.
“The whole gang together.” He chuckles. “Easton and Rexford are Electi now. They’re going to be around a lot.” Cade takes my hand and tugs gently, forcing me to stop. “Is that going to be a problem?”
“Not at all.” The lie rolls off my tongue. “I was referring to Brook.” My lips purse.
Amusement glints in Cade’s eyes. “I know you two don’t see eye to eye.”
“Understatement of the year,” I murmur. “She wants you. That’s a problem.”
“Hmm, I like it when you get all possessive, babe.” Cade closes the small distance between us and brushes his hand along the side of my neck. “But I’m not hers, am I?”
He’s testing me.
This is a test.
And I walked right into it.
Crap.
I feel them all watching. Feel their stares of curiosity and concern and jealousy. Cade wants me to prove my loyalty in front of them. He wants me to claim him.
“No, you’re not,” I say without missing a beat.
“Better prove it then.” He smirks.
But I almost feel relieved that I figured it out.
Wrapping my arms around his broad shoulders, I lean up on my tiptoes and brush my lips over his. Once. Twice. A third time. I can’t bring myself to really kiss him, but I know the second he bands his arm around my waist that he’s going to make this into something more.
Cade plunges his tongue past my lips as he pulls my body into his. He likes this. Dominating me. Destroying me. I feel the evidence of his arousal pressed up against my stomach as he kisses me like he’s trying to devour me.
“Yo, asshole,” Ashton yells. “We’re trying to eat.”
“Maybe I’ll eat you.” He murmurs against my swollen lips. “Maybe I’ll lay you out on the table and feast on your traitorous little pussy. I bet Easton would love that. I know Ash would. They’d want to touch you, Mia. They’d want to taste what’s mine… but you wouldn’t let them, would you, babe?” His fingers close around my throat as he breathes the dirty words into me. “I’d make you come so fucking hard you forgot Easton was ever inside you.”
My legs quiver slightly as my body heats at his words. I should be repulsed. I am repulsed. But knowing that Bexley is watching us, knowing that Cade is out of his mind with jealousy because Bexley has had me and he hasn’t… well, it does things to me. Dark, twisted things.
Shame washes over me.
One of his hands skates down my spine and cups the curve of my ass.
“Cade,” I warn.
“This ass is mine, Mia. And one day, I’m going to—”
“Kingsley,” Channing calls. “Put the poor girl down and let her eat.”
Cade inhales a ragged breath, and for a second, I think he’s going to go off at Channing. But he doesn’t. Instead, he grabs my hand and tugs me over to the table. “Can’t help it if my girl looks good enough to eat.” He shoots the table a wicked grin.
Brook huffs something under her breath but doesn’t make a scene.
“Here.” Sasha pats the chair beside her, and I sit down.
“Thanks.”
Are you okay? her eyes ask me, and I nod. I can’t explain it, but I feel strong. I feel determined to see this thing through and take back my freedom.
But I have to play my part.
I have to make Cade believe I want him.
“So what do you think of our little setup here?” Cade asks Bexley and Alex, keeping one hand firmly on mine.
“It beats eating with the masses,” Alex replies, helping himself to another fry. But not a regular fry. One of those rustic, triple cooked fries.
“Easton?”
A ripple goes through the air as Bexley glares at Cade. “I think I prefer eating elsewhere.” He shoots up and looks at Alex, but he doesn’t follow as he storms from the room.
“You made the right choice, Rexford,” Cade says. “Easton can keep fighting, but it’ll only make things harder than they need to be. Brook, why don’t you make sure our boy is okay?”
“Sure thing.” She dabs her blood red lips with a napkin before shooting me a smug smirk. “He’s probably just a little tense. I’m sure I can find a way to help him relax.”
Cade and Ashton chuckle. Brandon is too busy hoovering down his lunch to notice the tension. And Sasha and Channing both watch me with pity in their eyes.
“Where’s Tim?” I ask, noticing his absence.
Cade immediately stiffens, and I file that nugget of information away for another time.
“He’s dealing with Fawn,” Ashton says.
“Dealing with Fawn? What the hell does that mean?”
“It means don’t ask questions you might not like the answer to.”
Silence befalls the table, and I don’t push. Tim is a sore point. Or rather, Fawn is.
“So Rexford, you ready to party with us Electi style on Friday?”
“Hell yeah.” Alex puffs out his chest, and I’m surprised how readily he’s accepting all this.
“Right answer.” Ashton claps him on the shoulder. “Maybe we’ll make an Electi of you yet. What about you, Mia?” His eyes find mine across the table. “Are you ready to party Friday?”
“Ash,” Cade warns.
“What? It’s just a question. Now we’re one big happy family, what could go wrong?”
“I’ll need a new dress,” I say.
“Sasha will take you shopping. Take your friend, too… Annabel, was it?”
“Oh, I’m not sure—”
“Take her.” Cade squeezes my knee under the table. “She is your friend, isn’t she?”
“Yeah, but—”
“So take her. You can have a girl’s trip.”
“Okay. I guess.” I study him, trying to figure out his angle. Because I know Cade.
And he doesn’t do anything without an ulterior motive.
7
Bexley
Our first week in the Electi house is bullshit.
After we got back from the setup, Cade denied all knowledge of who might have called the cops, but his amused smirk said otherwise.
He does
n't want me here, that much is obvious, but he's going to need to try harder if he wants to get rid of me. The gauntlet has been laid down. I'll remain right here, under his feet, reminding him at every possible moment that I hold more power than he ever has for as long as it takes for me to get what I want.
Mia.
I don't care about tradition or rituals.
She's mine.
And one way or another, I'm going to find a way around all that prosapia bullshit. I'm going to release her from Kingsley's claws even if, in the end, she doesn't want me either.
My chest aches at the prospect of that being my reality after what happened with Brook. Hell, I deserve it, even if I had no clue what I was doing.
"You all set for tonight, Bexy?" Ashton asks, throwing his arm around my shoulders as we make our way to the parking lot after class on Friday.
Fuck knows where he appeared from, but he can fuck right off back there again. I might be able to tolerate some of the guys, but Kingsley and Moore are not them. If anything, I wonder if Ashton is worse than Cade. Just the thought is terrifying.
"No. But remind me, why exactly are you always hanging around like a lost sheep? You know your blood means fuck all, right?"
His lips thin in anger. "I'm as fucking important as you are."
"Only because Kingsley thinks so. You need to know that when all this is done and I've stolen his tarnished crown, you're going to be out on your ass where you belong."
"And that's exactly why Cade is going nowhere, Bexy."
"Stop calling me that."
He smirks, telling me that my words just fell on deaf ears. "You don’t have the grit, the determination, the level of ruthlessness that Cade has to see this through. You're weak, Bexy. You let a fucking chick in here." He taps harshly at my head and then my chest. "And that was a fucking mistake, let alone the fact that Mia belongs to Cade." He tuts as we continue walking.
"Are you about done?"
"We're going to end you," he warns.
"If you think forcing me to fuck your whore of a sister is going to get me to back down, then you really need to think again." He has me up against the side of my car with his fist in my shirt in the flash of an eye.