Tarnished Crown (Gravestone Elite #2)

by Caitlyn Dare

  "Oh, Miss Cargill, Miss Thompson, Mr. Easton. Mr. Kingsley would like you to join him in the mausoleum as soon as possible."

  The three of us look at each other, unease rippling through the air.

  Whenever I've been down there, something really fucking bad has happened, and I have no reason to think this time is going to be any better.

  "Let's go," I say, striding across the kitchen toward the doors that lead to the yard.

  There's no time like the present than to see what kind of hell Cade is about to show us.

  22

  Mia

  I don’t want to be here.

  I don’t want to step foot in the place where Cade revealed the true depths of his depravity. But we have been summoned.

  And King Cade waits for no one.

  “What do you think he wants?” I ask Sasha over the pounding of my heart.

  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

  Bexley presses his hand against the small of my back, guiding me into the mausoleum.

  “I really fucking hate this place,” he grumbles.

  A wave of nausea washes over me as I remember the last time we were here.

  “Don’t do that,” Bexley whispers. “Don’t let him in.”

  I don’t want to, but as we descend the stone staircase, it’s hard to keep the memories out. If Brook is down here, I’m not sure I’ll be able to contain myself.

  “You’re shaking,” Sasha says, squeezing my hand tighter.

  “I’m fine.” I steel myself for whatever we’re about to find in the den.

  Muffled voices fill the air and fear trickles down my spine.

  We spill into the room, and I smother a gasp at the sight of a guy tied to a chair in the middle of the room.

  “What is this?” Sasha asks, and I’m in awe of the indifference in her voice. She almost sounds bored, as if it’s just another day.

  Everyone is here. Ashton and Tim flank the guy while Channing, Brandon, and Alex stand off to the side, watching.

  “Noah here has something to say to Mia.”

  “Me?” I balk.

  “Yeah, don’t you recognize him, babe? Come closer, get a better look.”

  I step forward, rounding the chair a little to face the guy head on, paling when I do.

  “You.”

  “I-I swear, it was an accident. You were in my way.”

  “Cade, what is this?” I repeat Sasha’s words from earlier.

  “He disrespected you. Now he pays the price.”

  “Cade,” I say more firmly, coaxing him to look at me, “this is silly. It was an accident.”

  “Nobody, and I mean nobody, touches my prosapia and gets away with it.”

  “Easton, show him what we do to guys who touch what isn’t theirs.”

  My eyes flick to Bexley, and his jaw clenches. “I’m not going to hurt him. He didn’t—”

  “I said show him what we do to guys who touch what isn’t theirs.”

  “Please, man… I swear, it was an accident. I didn’t even see her until it was too late. She came out of nowhere, I didn’t… oh fuck. This is crazy, come on. I’m not—”

  “Ash.” The second his name falls from Cade’s lips, Ashton stalks forward and throws his fist right into the guy’s face. His head snaps back on a pained grunt, and I wince.

  “Please,” his pleas fill the room.

  “Your turn, Easton,” Cade barks, but Bexley stands firm.

  “I’m not going to do this again,” he says.

  Again?

  I frown.

  Bexley is keeping things from me. James alluded to that, and Cade just confirmed it. But is he doing it to protect me, or because it proves what I’ve been worried about from the start—that he’s one of them now?

  An Electi.

  Cade’s hand shoots out, grabbing my arm, and he hauls me back against his chest. “You might want to rethink that, Easton.” There’s a warning in his voice as he tightens his grip on me.

  I cry out, unable to stop myself as his fingers dig into my skin, no doubt leaving bruises.

  Bexley’s eyes narrow to dangerous slits, but I shake my head. Don’t do something stupid.

  “This is stupid, man,” he says, his voice calm and composed. “I’m not going to hurt—”

  “Maybe you need a bigger incentive.” Cade rips open my jacket and roughly palms my breasts through my thin t-shirt. I swallow the cry of pain, steeling my spine for Cade’s assault.

  What I really want is to scream, ‘You’ll have to try harder than that,’ but I know a guy like Cade will only see that as a challenge he will gladly rise to.

  His fingers twist into my hair, wrenching my head to the side. He licks my exposed skin, grazing his teeth along my jaw. “She tastes so fucking good,” he rasps, his words meant for only one person in the room.

  Bexley’s eyes shutter as he inhales a deep breath.

  “What’s it going to be, Easton?”

  “If I do this, you’ll stop?”

  A tremor goes through me.

  “I only want to make him pay for hurting our girl.”

  Our girl.

  My stomach drops.

  “Please, man,” the guy cries as Bexley stalks toward him, “I don’t deserve this. I swear, I didn’t—”

  “Hit him,” Cade orders, his hand still on my breast. “Hit him and make it hurt.”

  The guy is crying now, big fat tears that roll down his cheeks and onto his thigh.

  “I’m sorry.” I see the words form on Bexley’s lips right before he cocks his arm and sends his fist flying into the guy’s nose. Blood sprays into the air, splattering all over Bexley.

  The guy shrieks with pain, thrashing against his restraints, and my stomach churns. “God, no… no… no…” He repeats the words over and over.

  “Wanna take a shot, Rexford?” Cade taunts Alex, who freezes up. “No? Shame. Guess Easton will have to take your place. Again. Hit him.”

  “Cade, man,” Channing interjects, but Cade’s head whips around.

  “Something you want to say?”

  “He’s done.” He motions to the bloodied guy tied to the chair.

  “He’s done when I say he’s done.”

  Bexley lets out a strained breath, flicking his eyes to me. I shake my head again, but I know it’s futile.

  “Again,” he barks.

  Bexley drops his head, defeat rolling off him.

  “Why do you continuously push, Easton? I’ll always push back ten times as hard. The sooner you realize that, the easier it will be. Mia is mine. Anyone who hurts her or disrespects her will pay. Surely you can’t disagree with me on that.”

  “I’ll do anything…” the guy splutters. Blood pours from his nose, running over his mouth and dripping from his chin. “Anything, please… just let me go…”

  “Should have thought of that, Noah, before you put your hands on my fucking woman.”

  The venom in Cade’s words shocks me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him sound so out of touch with reality. This poor guy didn’t hurt me. He didn’t mow me over or shame me in the hall. It was a simple mistake. Yet Cade is acting like he deserves to die.

  Another shudder rolls through me. “Cade.” I try to twist in his arms, but he has me in a vise-like hold. “You don’t need to do this. I’m fine, see?” Desperate, I take his hand in mine and gently press it over my beating heart. “See?”

  He tucks his body behind mine, pressing his lips to the sensitive skin beneath my ear. “This is what happens, Mia. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he says darkly. “Easton, I suggest if you don’t want me to fuck Mia right here in front of everyone, you do as I say, and... Make. It. Hurt.”

  Bexley doesn’t hold back this time. It’s like a switch flicks inside him as he lets it rip on the defenseless guy. Punch after punch, his fists rain down on him. The sickening sound of bone crunching against bone echoes around the room, setting my teeth on edge. At some point, Cade hands me off to Sasha, who wraps an arm a
round my waist as I bury my face in her shoulder until Cade declares, “Enough,” and I finally peek over at Bexley. His hands are coated in blood, his head lowered as he inhales ragged breath after ragged breath. The guy is unconscious, a sticky, bloody mess. His face is completely mangled, no longer resembling the guy who bumped me in the hall. Silent tears roll down my cheeks as Channing moves Bexley out of the way so they can untie the guy and haul him out of the chair.

  “You know what to do,” Cade says dismissively, as if he didn’t just give the order for Bexley to beat him to a pulp. “I knew you had it in you.” He claps Bexley on the shoulder like they’re two old friends. “You just needed a little nudge in the right direction. I’ll have to remember that. You should go clean up. And try not to get blood all over the carpet.” Cade smirks. He actually smirks, as if anything about this is funny.

  Bexley’s gaze moves past me, his skin pale and eyes blown with adrenaline.

  “Come on.” Alex approaches him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Bexley flinches but lets his friend lead him out of the room.

  My heart is in tatters, watching him leave. Bile swishes in my stomach at the blood on the floor.

  “Come on, Sis.” Brandon motions for Sasha to follow him. She hesitates, silently asking me what I want.

  “Go,” I say. “You should go.”

  They leave, taking the air with them. Cade watches me as I stare at the chair.

  “That was completely unnecessary.”

  “He disrespected you, and he paid the price.”

  “He bumped me in the hall because you pushed—”

  He’s on me in a second, his hand wrapped around my throat as he walks me backward and pins me against the wall. “Don’t push me, Mia.” His lip curls with dark intention. “You won’t like what happens.”

  I refuse to look away despite the fear uncoiling in my stomach. “You can’t hurt everyone who looks at me funny.”

  “I can do whatever the fuck I like,” he grits out.

  The air is charged around us, buzzing with tension. He’s unstable, seduced by his own power and lies.

  “I could take you right here,” he snarls, “up against this wall, and no one would stop me.”

  I try to swallow over the lump in my throat, but my mouth is too dry.

  “But Quinctus wouldn’t like it.” His eyes widen, and I continue. “They like tradition. What do you think they would have to say if I told them that you forced yourself on me, all because you couldn’t wait a few more days?”

  His eyes turn black as his hand tightens against my throat. “You wouldn’t dare…”

  “Are you really prepared to risk it?” I suppress a shudder, dangerously aware of his fingers wrapped around my neck. “Just so you can take me when we both know I’ll be yours in less than two weeks?”

  I have him. I have Cade right where I want him. He might lord over Gravestone U like a king, but he’s still just an Electi. And he’s scared of Quinctus finding out the truth about just how far he’s willing to bend the rules.

  But then his whole demeanor shifts. “Mia, Mia, Mia… You think you’re so fucking clever, don’t you? But you forget one thing.” Grabbing a fistful of my hair, he pushes me to my knees, trapping me between the wall and his body. His other hand snaps his belt open and pushes his pants down his legs. Palming his cock, he pushes it against my face. I try desperately to turn my head and resist, but his fingers grip my head in a vise-like hold.

  “Open wide, baby.”

  I shake my head, fear saturating my veins as my heart races in my chest. This can’t happen…

  “Open your fucking mouth.” He presses the tip of his cock harder, forcing it past my lips and into my mouth. I gag around him, overwhelmed at the intrusion.

  I manage to get my hands to his thighs, trying to push him away and let me up for air. To stop this madness. But it only encourages him to slide deeper until I’m choking around him.

  “Fuck, your mouth feels good on me.” Tears stream down my cheeks as he starts fucking my face. Hard and brutal, he pistons in and out, rubbing my tears all over my cheeks with his thumb as if I’m nothing more than a toy. His plaything.

  “By the time I’m done with you, Mia, there’ll be nothing left. And that’s a fucking promise.”

  But it doesn’t sound like a promise at all.

  It sounds like a threat.

  One he’s going to enjoy making come true.

  23

  Bexley

  "FUUUUCK," I bellow as Alex pushes me into my room.

  My fists fucking kill, but it's nothing like the pain in my chest from the memory of Mia's face as I followed orders.

  That guy didn't deserve that.

  All of this is fucking Cade's fault. If he was paying attention to what he was doing in the hallway earlier, then it never would have fucking happened.

  "I need to go back for her," I seethe, turning on my heels and attempting to push Alex out of the way.

  "I really don't think that's a good idea."

  "Fuck you, Rexford."

  "No, Bex. You need to get a fucking grip. If you walk back down there and go after him, you'll be the one needing a fucking grave digging, not that asshole."

  "He didn't even do anything wrong," I shout, my arms flailing around.

  "That's not for us to decide."

  "Fuck me, Alex. You really are turning into his little fucking lapdog, aren't you?"

  "No, I'm fucking not. What he did was wrong, but we have no fucking chance of convincing Kingsley of that. His word is law around here, and if you want an easy life, you just follow suit."

  "Oh, that's what you're doing? When you flake on pulling the trigger or even punching that guy? You following fucking orders then?" I bellow in his face.

  The second he pales, I back down slightly. Alex wasn't made for this kind of life. Hell, I suspect he's never even been in a real fight before, let alone held a gun.

  Thankfully—or maybe not—my pretentious parents ensured we went shooting a few times a year with all their fucking annoying friends, so at least I know one end of a gun from the other.

  "You need to man the fuck up if you're going to survive this, Rexford."

  There's only a breath between us as we stare at each other. I've got a few inches on Alex and a hell of a lot of muscle, although I have noticed him starting to bulk up recently thanks to the gym downstairs.

  "Go on, Rexford. Try out that right hook. Hit me."

  "No."

  "Fucking hit me," I bark, spittle flying from my mouth.

  "Bex, I'm not going to—"

  My hands lift, my palms slamming down on his chest, making him stumble back. "Hit me," I demand once more.

  "You're fucking crazy."

  "No, Kingsley is fucking crazy. I'm just fucking angry. You wanna learn how to do this? Now's your fucking chance."

  He stands to his full height in front of me, his fists clenching at his sides.

  Maybe he can follow orders after all.

  "Go on. Make it hurt," I say, using Cade's words. Hell knows I need the pain right now.

  Cocking his arm back, he plows it into my cheekbone. "Fuck, fuck," he barks, shaking his hand out like he just hit a brick wall. "Fuck."

  "Again."

  "Nah, you're done," he mutters, staring down at his inflamed knuckles.

  "You're a fucking pussy, Rexford." Spinning on my heels, I march through to my bathroom to clean up my own hands.

  I stand over the basin and stare into the mirror. My usually blue eyes are dark with anger and frustration, my cheek is burning red from Alex's attempt at a decent punch, and my shirt and arms covered in that poor guy's blood.

  Hanging my head, I clench my fists and wince as my knuckles split open.

  Turning on the faucet, I place my hands under the running water and watch it turn red before it swirls down the drain. Like my life. Resting my palms on the edge of the basin, I squeeze my eyes closed, but all I see is Cade's harsh grip on Mia, and my anger resurges.
/>
  We've got to find a way to get her out of this before the Coglio. There's no way I can let her attend that thing, knowing that Cade is going to claim her in all the ways he's been waiting for.

  I do the best I can with my busted knuckles and dry them off before ripping my door open and walking back into my room. I expect to find it empty, so I startle a little when I find Alex sitting in my chair with his elbows on his knees and his head hung low.

  "I'm sorry," he mutters without looking up.

  "Nothing to be sorry for," I reply, dragging my shirt over my head and finding a clean one.

  "There's plenty. If it weren't for you then…"

  "It's fine, Alex. You're my friend, I'll do whatever I can to make this easier. Hell knows it fucking sucks ass at the best of times."

  "Yeah, I hate it."

  I think back to him off his head and balls deep in that girl the other night, but I refrain from saying anything. He's just trying to deal with the hand life has dealt him. I get that.

  A bang from outside makes me dart toward the window, and when I look out, my heart drops into my stomach. "Mia," I breathe as Sasha and Channing carry her from the mausoleum.

  She looks… broken.

  What the fuck did that cunt do to her?

  "Oh shit," Alex says, coming to look over my shoulder. "Bex, no. Don't, please," he begs, clearly sensing where my thoughts are at.

  "I'm going to fucking kill him."

  "Bexley," he cries as I march across the room.

  "If he's laid a fucking finger on her, forced her to… I'm going to fucking kill him."

  "You can't, Bex. She needs you. She needs you alive, for fuck's sake." His hand wraps around my upper arm in a pathetic attempt to stop me, but my strength is no match for his.

  "Get the fuck off, Alex," I bark, ripping the door open and marching down the hall.

  Voices filter up from the stairs, and when I round the corner, I find the three of them climbing up.

  Seeing Mia up close only makes it worse.

  She's got tears streaked down her cheeks, her body is limp as Sasha and Channing hold her up, her shirt is ripped, and she's got angry red marks around her throat.