Tarnished Crown (Gravestone Elite #2)

by Caitlyn Dare

  “Thank you.”

  My head feels like it’s going to explode from all the revelations. Except, they weren’t really revelations, only more pieces of a never-ending puzzle.

  “Tell Bexley I said goodbye.” James gives me a stiff nod before slipping into his black SUV.

  I watch him leave before going to Bexley’s car and climbing in.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Nothing about this is okay,” he grumbles, firing up the engine.

  The ride to Gravestone is quiet, the air thick and heavy with our conversation with James. Bexley is on edge, a dark storm circling him.

  “Bexley,” I say softly, trying to coax him out of his bad mood. His fingers curl tighter around the steering wheel.

  “Bexley, look at me.”

  His eyes flick briefly to mine, two black orbs full of so much anger it stuns me.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Even though I know it’s futile. There is no winning against Quinctus or the Electi. We are pawns in their game, and we have no choice but to follow the play.

  I am Cade’s prosapia.

  One day, I will be his wife.

  One day, I will bear his heirs.

  A shudder rolls through me and I blurt out, “Stop the car.”

  “Mia?” Panic coats Bexley’s voice.

  “Stop the car,” I cry.

  I can’t breathe. I feel like the air is being sucked from the car until my lungs burn.

  Bexley swerves into a rest area and cuts the engine. “Mia?”

  “I hate this.” My hands collide with the window. “I hate this, I hate this, I hate this.”

  I inhale a ragged breath.

  “Hey, hey.” Bexley reaches for me, gently tugging me toward him. He touches his head to mine and sucks in a sharp breath. “You are so fucking strong, Mia. One of the strongest people I know. You can do this. You have to do this… I can’t lose you. I can’t ever lose you.”

  “I kept telling myself we’d find a way out, that I’d figure out something… but there isn’t a way out, Bex. I’m his prosapia. That isn’t going to change.”

  Bexley stiffens, the tether between us pulling taut. The air crackles, shifting and swirling around us.

  Then the tether snaps.

  I don’t know who moves first, but we collide in a blur of tongue and teeth, hands and sighs. Bexley hauls me onto his lap and grinds into me.

  “You’re mine, mouse. Mine,” he rasps, kissing me with big, open-mouthed kisses that trail down my jaw and along the slope of my neck. His hand wraps around my throat and pushes me back against the steering wheel.

  “He can’t have you, because you’re mine. Nothing he says or does will change that. I’m here, Mia.” He presses his hand flat against my breastbone, over my heart. “You fucking own me.”

  A whimper spills from my lips as I dive for his jeans, tugging and clawing at his belt until it comes loose. Bexley lifts his hips, helping me get his jeans down enough to free his cock. I pump him a couple of times, reveling in the moans he makes in the back of his throat.

  “I need you, mouse. I need inside you.”

  I lean up and pull my skirt up, slipping my panties aide, and sink down on him, crying out at the sudden fullness.

  We don’t move.

  We just sit there.

  Bexley hard and ready inside me.

  My hand slides up his jaw, gripping him, and I stare right into his eyes. “Tell me I’ll always be yours. No matter what, Bex, tell me…”

  “Mine,” he growls, thrusting up, making us both moan. His hand tightens around my throat as I start to roll my hips, slow and torturous strokes that build an intense wave inside me.

  Bexley’s other hand digs into my hip enough to leave bruises, but I welcome the pain. I want to feel it all, I want to feel everything with this man.

  My hands curl into the hair at the nape of his neck, and I touch my head to his, anchoring us together. “I love you, Bexley Easton. I’m in love with you.”

  He blinks at me, his mouth parted on a small gasp. “Y-you love me?”

  I nod, fighting a smile.

  “Fuck, little mouse. Fuck!” He takes over, thrusting into me with complete abandon. It’s hard and fast and sweat coats my skin as he tells me with actions, not words, that he feels the same.

  My hand flies out, slamming against the window as I meet him, thrust for thrust. “God, Bex… God…”

  “That’s it, Mia. Take me, take all of me and show me who you belong to.”

  My legs begin to quiver as the pleasure drenches every inch of me, and I shatter.

  “Fuck, that feels good. Squeeze me, Mia. Just like that.” Bexley groans my name as he falls over the edge with me, spurting hot jets of cum inside me.

  Our chests heave between us as we ride out the aftershocks. He buries a hand in my hair and cups the back of my neck, leaning in to flick his tongue over my lips. “I love you, Mia. I don’t know when or how it happened, but I do. I love you so fucking much.”

  Contentment fills me as I collapse against him, and we sit there, basking in the moment, pretending that when we get back to Gravestone things will be different.

  After we cleaned up, Bexley drove me home. I didn’t want to leave him. I forced myself from the car and watched as he drove away. Dad still wasn’t home, but Mom was back, waiting for me.

  “Mia, sweetheart, where have you been?” she asked, and I fed her some lie about going for a walk.

  I don’t know if she believed me, but she didn’t push. She’s been too busy asking me questions about Cade and the Electi, about what it’s like being his prosapia.

  “We need to find you a dress for the Coglio,” she says as we sit at the breakfast counter.

  “You know, I still can’t believe it. My baby, Cade Kingsley’s prosapia.” Pride washes over her, and it makes my stomach lurch.

  She’s so blinded by the town’s ways. I wonder what she’d say if I told her the truth.

  But I don’t.

  Maybe out of fear that she won’t care, or maybe because I’m too ashamed to admit what Cade has done to me. Either way, I sit there, stuffing down the truth and playing the role of quiet, meek daughter.

  “I’ll book an appointment at Stella’s.” Stella owns a boutique downtown. She’s verus like us.

  “Sure, Mom.”

  “What is it, sweetheart? What’s wrong?” Her brows furrow.

  “Nothing, Mom.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” She reaches across and pats my hand. “You’re feeling nervous about the union ceremony. It’s completely normal, Mia. But Cade is a fine young man. You’ll be in good hands.”

  I manage to force out some garbled reply, and her frown deepens.

  “Mia, did something happen? You can tell me, sweetheart. You can tell me anything.”

  But the sad fact is, I can’t.

  And that kills a little piece of my heart.

  A piece I know I’ll never get back.

  21

  Bexley

  The guys still aren't back when I pull up at the house with my head spinning later that evening.

  I hated leaving Mia while she looked so confused by everything we'd learned tonight.

  Gregory Kingsley was killed by Q.

  Does Cade know this?

  I shake my head at my stupid thought. Of course Cade knows. Cade knows everything.

  "Fucking hell," I groan, slamming my hands down on the wheel of my BMW in frustration.

  Is this all karma for the way I fucked up in Sterling Bay? I know I screwed things up with Remi, pushed her when she didn't want it, but fuck, I'm not sure what I did back then deserves me ending up here and right in the middle of this shitshow.

  Sucking in a breath, I force everything to the back of my mind and swing my door open, walking toward the colossal house.

  I miss the dorms.

  I miss my small bedroom, my twin bed and my tiny closet and old bathroom.

  This play, this luxury… it's not me.

 
; I hated all the pretense in Sterling Bay, how my parents lorded it over everyone because they had more than almost everyone else, and I hate it even more here. Maybe because now I've had a chance to live differently, to see things from a different perspective.

  Fuck, my life is a mess.

  I push open the front door as Mulligan hurries down the stairs.

  "Ah, Mr. Easton, would you like some dinner?"

  My stomach groans right on cue.

  "That would be great, thank you."

  "I just delivered Mr. Rexford's up to his bedroom. Would you like—"

  "I'll join him," I interrupt.

  Mulligan is great. He's a fucking kick-ass chef, but I still feel weird about the fact that he waits on us hand and foot. I've lost count of the number of times I've requested he just call me Bexley since I was forced to live in his hellhole, but he still refuses. Cade's need to reign supreme and be above everyone really does know no bounds.

  "Very well, sir."

  "Thank you," I say sincerely.

  "You're more than welcome, Mr. Easton."

  I raise my brow at him, and he fights a smile. It's as if he's paid not to enjoy himself while he tends to our every need. It's just fucking weird.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, I follow the sound of music until I get to Alex's door. I knock a couple of times and he immediately calls for me to enter, I assume knowing that it's me.

  "Hey, man. How's it going?"

  "It's… going," I mutter, falling down onto his bed while he eats at his desk.

  "That good?"

  The words are on the tip of my tongue to tell him what I've really been up to tonight, who I've been with, but I quickly swallow them down.

  "Yeah. You know, assignments," I mutter, feeling the weight of the lie pressing down on me.

  When it turned out that Cade and the guys were leaving us behind tonight, I knew it was my chance to talk to Marcus, so I made up some bullshit about needing to go to the library.

  "Yup," he mutters, lifting his chin toward his open laptop.

  "So, any idea where the guys have gone without us?" I ask, intrigued to find out what Cade is up to.

  "No clue, but it sucks. They bang on about us being a part of them now, and then they just drop us when they feel like it." From the tone of Alex's voice, I'd say he's more annoyed about this than I am.

  He's been swept away by them, and what he's saying right now doesn't stem my concerns at all.

  "You're enjoying this, aren't you? Living here, being one of Cade's sheep."

  "I'm just making the best of it," he says, nodding to his half-eaten steak.

  "But last night…" I start, thinking back to him 'making the best of it' with one of Cade's sluts.

  "I was just enjoying myself, man. You should really do the fucking same."

  "You barely kissed anyone in front of me since we became friends, yet all of a sudden you’re sticking your cock in any willing pussy in public."

  "It wasn't in public," he argues.

  "Fine, a room full of pricks."

  He shrugs, clearly not seeing the issue I've got with this.

  "What were you on?"

  "I dunno, some pills Ash had. They were fucking good, man. Felt like a fucking king."

  "Yeah, I could see that while you were getting your rocks off."

  "You know, you could enjoy yourself too, if you stopped pining after Mia."

  Anger surges through me at his suggestion that I could just forget about her that easily.

  "That's not… She's not… Do you know what? Fuck you, Alex. You want to act up to the big boys, join their little fucking club, then be my guest. It's your fucking funeral. You just remember who had your back when it counted." I pin him with a look, and he pales as he remembers the night in the warehouse.

  Yeah, I was the one who made that kill… for him. No other fucker was going to do it as he choked.

  "Next time you need help, feel free to run to Cade like a good little fucking sheep."

  I march across his room and have my fingers wrapped around the door handle when he speaks again.

  "Bex, I'm sorry. I—"

  "Don't," I bark, not ready to hear his apology.

  Ripping the door open, I slam it behind me hard enough to make the walls vibrate before storming to my own room and repeating the move.

  My mood isn't any better when I wake up the next morning, and knowing that I'm going to have to sit through classes with Mia today doesn't help.

  It's like I spend the majority of my time as a spectator in her life. On the edges, looking in, wanting more.

  I guess it's how most of the Gravestone U students feel about the Electi. Well, they are more than welcome to come and take my fucking place. I don't want it.

  I think back over last night's conversation with James once more and all the things he alluded to. I knew he wasn't going to sit there and spell it all out for us. This town has secrets for a reason. Hell, James has a job covering all of that shit up for a reason. Still, I’d hoped for more than he gave us. Something a little more concrete that we could use to help her get out of this. As it is, I feel like we're clawing after something that is totally unreachable.

  Alex looks a little sheepish when I join him and the others in the kitchen where they're all eating breakfast. Unable to stomach their little gathering, I refuse Mulligan's offer of cooked food and instead grab an apple and cereal bar and excuse myself.

  "Was it something we said?" Cade calls after me when I don't bother muttering a word to them and instead walk straight out of the house.

  I'd rather be sitting in class early than hanging out with him.

  The day passes slowly, classes even slower. Until we get to economics.

  I don’t walk inside like I have done since I discovered the truth about mine and Mia's lives. Instead, I sit on the bench outside and wait for her.

  Sure, it'll piss Cade off, but right now, I don't really give a shit.

  I want to be close to her. I need to be close to her.

  My heart jumps and my stomach twists the second I see him escorting her to class like she's unable to be left alone for even a second, but before they approach the door, someone calls Cade's name and he stops and looks over his shoulder, pulling Mia by the hand with him and right into the path of another student.

  I wince as I watch the two of them collide, and Mia lets out a shocked squeal as they crash into each other.

  The guy plows into her with such speed that she goes stumbling back. Reaching out, he grabs her by the waist to stop her from falling to the floor, but while I see that as him protecting her, Cade seems to see it very differently.

  "Get your fucking hands off her," he bellows, causing the entire hallway to be silenced as he forcefully rips the guy's hands from Mia.

  Sure, the idea of another man touching Mia—namely Cade—makes my skin boil, but it was clear that he was only trying to help.

  "I'm… I'm sorry, man. I-I didn't mean—"

  Cade takes him by the throat and pins him up against the wall. I can't see his eyes, but I've got experience with just how dark and crazy they probably look right now.

  The guy against the wall looks about ten seconds away from pissing his pants.

  "Cade, stop it. Let him go. It was your fault," Mia begs, pulling at Cade's forearm in a futile attempt to make him stop.

  "My fault?" he balks. "That guy plowed straight into you."

  "Because you put me in his way."

  "He fucking touched you."

  Cade's grip on the guy's throat must get tighter, because his eyes widen in fear.

  "Go to class, Mia."

  "No, I won't let you—"

  "I said go to fucking class."

  "But—" she argues, clearly wanting to help the guy out, but I fear he's already in too deep.

  "Go to fucking class before you end up next to this cunt," he spits in her face.

  I'm up before my brain has caught up with my body.

  "Let's go to class,"
I say to her, wrapping my hand around her upper arm.

  She startles at my contact, her head twisting to look up at me, but I keep my eyes firmly on Cade and a scowl on my lips.

  "Bex, we can't just—"

  "Mia," I drop my voice, pleading with her just to go into the classroom.

  "Fine, fine. But if you hurt him…" she warns, narrowing her eyes in Cade's direction.

  "You'll what, babe? Hold out on me?" He laughs like a man possessed as the guy in his hold whimpers in fear.

  "Come on," I whisper before gently pushing her toward the door.

  "Bex, we can't just—"

  "We can. Nothing we say will stop whatever Cade has in his head right now."

  "But—"

  "Mia, you can't save everyone. Especially when the devil is involved."

  "This is all my fault," she cries, dropping down into a chair I direct her to and putting her head into her hands.

  "No, it's Cade's. He caused it."

  "Y-you were watching?"

  "I was waiting for you."

  "Bex, you can't—"

  I raise a brow at her as our professor walks in to begin class.

  Leaning in, I whisper in her ear. "You're mine, Mia. I can do what the fuck I like."

  She squirms in her seat, pressing her thighs together. The sight of her fighting with her desire makes my cock hard as a fucking rock.

  If it weren't for the eyes that Cade has in every inch of this college, I'd drag Mia out of class right now and show her just how much I mean what I just said, but I can't put her in danger like that.

  After class, we walk toward the parking lot together. But instead of her getting in my car, she heads toward where Sasha is waiting for her.

  I want to stop her, to demand that she gets in my car, but I know I can't. Us turning up at the house together would be suicide, even if Cade did watch me escort her into class earlier. I have no doubt he'll make me pay for that move before long.

  I follow Sasha's car back to the house to find everyone else already here.

  The three of us walk into the kitchen to find only Mulligan there, preparing dinner.