Hidden (The Scions Book 1)

by Gemma Weir

Trying not to be too obvious, I search for a glimpse of his face, but the hood is completely shielding him from view. His head is tilted down as he walks, but my heart still beats out of control and my breathing gets a little shallower the closer they get to us.

  Auntie Brandi continues to talk as she walks, pointing out people and introducing him to all of the bikers and their families that make up our huge connected group. By the time they reach our table, her smile is tight and brittle, but firmly plastered in place.

  “Guys, I’d like you all to meet Valentine Miller. He’s going to be staying with us while he attends his senior year at Archer’s Creek High,” she says.

  Auntie Brandi pauses as if she’s waiting for him to speak, but when he doesn’t, she carries on talking. “This is Echo, his wife Liv and their kids. Nova and Zeke are both seniors too and the twins Dill and Leo will be starting their freshmen year.”

  I try not to stare at him, but I can’t help it. His face is tilted down, entirely hidden by his hoodie and aside from the fingers that are tightly wrapped around his bags, I can’t see any of his skin at all.

  I might be imagining it, but I swear I can feel him looking at me and my skin tingles. Hesitantly I smile, but I’m not sure if he responds. I want to push his hood off his head and look at him, but I know I can’t, so I sit frozen to the spot spellbound by a kid whose face I’ve never even seen.

  “Zeke, Princess, why don’t you help Valentine with his stuff and show him up to his room?” Dad suggests.

  Snapping my head to look at Dad, I find his gaze firmly fixed on the boy, who seems even bigger now that he’s right next to our table. Dad’s eyes are narrowed slightly and he seems to be assessing him, even though he can’t see his face.

  Zeke is the first to move. He lazily gets up from his seat and walks to Valentine. “I’m Zeke. Come on, I’ll show you up to your room.” Turning to Brandi he asks. “Where are you putting him, Auntie B?”

  “In the blue room,” Auntie Brandi says, smiling.

  “On it,” he says, then tips his chin to me. “Come on, Sis.”

  My limbs feel heavy when I push myself out of my chair and when I pause next to Valentine, I feel his eyes on me again, even though his head barely moves. Zeke leads the way and I wait, expecting Valentine to move next, only he doesn’t.

  Then his bag twitches in an almost imperceptible gesture for me to walk ahead of him. I fall in behind my brother, glancing over my shoulder to check that Valentine is following and for the very first time I catch a glimpse of his face. A strong chin, part of a square stubbled jaw, and full lips pursed in a tight, angry line.

  Valentine Miller isn’t happy to be here.

  As we leave the yard and enter the house, Zeke slows his pace until he’s level with both me and Valentine.

  “We probably seem completely fucked-up to you right now, but Brandi and Sleaze throw a party every time someone new comes into their lives. Auntie B thinks it’s easier to get the introductions out of the way in one go, rather than having people drop in to meet you every day for a fucking week,” Zeke says, his tone light and friendly.

  “They shouldn’t have bothered. I’m not the social fucking butterfly type,” Valentine says and his voice is deep and gruff, like he hasn’t spoken in a long time.

  Zeke laughs. “Our family is fucking huge and no one is real big on boundaries. But don’t worry, you’re not alone; every kid that’s stayed in this house has been victim to a family and club party. Now, do you go by Valentine or…” he trails off, obviously unsure what Valentine would be shortened to.

  “Just Valentine,” Valentine says, his words angry and terse.

  “That’s cool,” Zeke says, as we reach the stairs. “Auntie B put you in the biggest room up on the third floor; it’s private and far enough away from the little kids that they won’t drive you crazy.”

  “How many other kids are here?” Valentine asks, his voice hardening.

  “Just you, Sabrina who’s ten and Callum who’s eight,” I say.

  Valentine’s intense eyes swing to me and I’m gifted another glimpse of his face when the hood of his sweater slides back a little. His dark eyebrows are knitted together and he’s scowling at me like I just said something offensive.

  Sucking in a breath, I try not to react to him, but it’s hard when I can feel my eyes widening. He’s beautiful in a dark and brooding way; the angry line of his mouth and furrow of his brow doing nothing to diminish how breathtakingly hot he is.

  “What school were you at before?” Zeke asks.

  Valentine pulls his hood back over his face and tilts his head in Zeke’s direction. “You wouldn’t have heard of it. It was up near El Paso,” Valentine says, his voice hardening even further.

  “Well our school is fucking tiny. There’s less than a hundred kids in our senior class,” Zeke says, stepping off the final step and turning toward the door to Valentine’s new room.

  “Most of us have been going to school together since kindergarten,” I say.

  This time when Valentine turns to look at me his hood stays in place, but I can still feel his eyes burning into me.

  “Thanks for the info, Princess,” he sneers.

  Zeke’s eyes narrow a little as we pause outside the closed door, but he doesn’t say anything as he pushes open the door and gestures for Valentine to go inside. “It’s a great room. Auntie B doesn’t put locks on any of the doors, but she won’t ever walk in without knocking and asking to come in.”

  Valentine nods but doesn’t speak. I glance around awkwardly as the three of us just stand here.

  “Do you need any help unpacking?” I ask, finally breaking the silence.

  “I’m good thanks, Princess,” Valentine snaps disdainfully.

  “My name is Nova.”

  “Sure,” he replies dismissively.

  “Drop your stuff and let’s go back downstairs. Uncle Daisy is manning the grill and he cooks a mean steak.” Zeke says.

  “Are any of you actually related?” Valentine asks, his voice rising slightly and sounding almost interested.

  “Mostly no. Our Aunt Nikki and Aunt Dove are sisters, but other than that we’re all family by choice not blood. Sounds fucked up I know and it confused the hell out of me as a kid when I’d try to explain to people I had twenty aunts and uncles. I guess you’ve already figured out that Sleaze is a biker. Well our dad is the Vice President of the Archer’s Creek chapter of the Doomsday Sinners, and pretty much all of the guys you met are members too. Once you join, you’re considered a brother, and so we grew up with the entire club as part of our family,” Zeke says with a shrug.

  “Are you pair twins?” Valentine asks Zeke, completely ignoring me.

  “No, Dad knocked Mom up with me more or less straight after Nova was born, so there’s only just over a year between us, but we’re both seniors.” Zeke says. “I can smell the steak, you coming?”

  “Nah, I’m good up here,” Valentine says.

  “Okay, Auntie B will bring you a plate up. First day of school is Monday. She’s gonna want to bring you. Trust me when I say you don’t want that, so I’ll try to convince her to let me pick you up,” Zeke says.

  “I can walk,” Valentine replies dismissively.

  “Your choice, but it’s about five miles. Auntie B will set you up with a cell phone if you don’t already have one. She’s got my number, just let me know if you change your mind,” Zeke offers as he turns and leaves, muttering about steak as he walks away.

  “You should take him up on the ride. Principal Gerard loves Zeke. He’ll let him show you around rather than doing the tour himself,” I say.

  “I don’t need any fucking charity from your brother or you, Princess,” he growls, pushing back his hood.

  I’m pretty sure I gasp. He’s absolutely gorgeous. Thick dark hair covers his head, unruly and unkempt. His eyes are an intense blue-hazel color, hard and emotionless. High cheekbones and full lips captivate me, and I feel myself being unconsciously pulled toward him. />
  Mom’s told me a hundred times about how she was drawn to Dad the very first time she saw him, and until now I never truly understood what she meant. But just from one glance, I want to crawl into Valentine’s lap and kiss him until I’m breathless and my lips are swollen. Heat pools in my stomach and I place a hand over it to keep all of the want inside of me.

  “Get the fuck out,” Valentine hisses, breaking the spell he’s woven on me and making me jolt back in shock. While I’ve been swooning and contemplating if love at first sight is real, his expression has darkened, and he takes a menacing step toward me.

  “Or you could stay,” he says, reaching out and dragging his thumb over my bottom lip. “I bet those fuckable lips of yours would look amazing wrapped around my cock.”

  His words make me flinch. I’m not a prude, but I’ve never had a guy I just met be so crude to me before.

  He laughs coldly and the sound makes goose bumps rise on my arms. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Get the fuck out,” he says, turning his back to me.

  Darting from his room, I rush down the stairs, my pulse racing and my chest heaving. I don’t stop until I hit the floor below, then I lean heavily against the wall willing my breathing to slow.

  Auntie Brandi and Uncle Sleaze have had foster kids my entire life and most of them are angry or scared or both when they first get here, so his behavior shouldn’t be a surprise. But this is the first time I’ve ever felt any kind of attraction toward someone so hostile. All the guys my age at school treat me with respect, and honestly, most of the time, a little awe. They know that Zeke or my dad would kick their asses if they didn’t.

  Never, not ever, not even when a guy has thought I was going to have sex with them, has anyone told me I’ve got fuckable lips. What does that even mean? I’m not a virgin. I have some experience, but none of the guys I’ve fooled around with have ever spoken dirty to me. A lot of groaning with the occasional ‘Oh baby’ thrown in yeah, but never anything that makes my nipples pebble or my heart stutter in my chest.

  When my heart finally slows and my breathing becomes normal, I push off the wall and make my way downstairs and back to the party. Spotting Emmy on the other side of the yard, I head straight to her. Emmy is Auntie Nikki and Uncle Blade’s daughter. She’s only a few months younger than me and we’ve been best friends, real friends, our entire lives. Considering Auntie Nikki is one of the most confident people I’ve ever met, her daughter is the total opposite. Emmy is quiet outside of our group and rarely speaks to anyone, hiding behind a book most of the time. I’m not sure if she’s really shy, or she just isn’t interested in being social.

  I sit down beside her and she lowers the paperback she’s reading and smiles at me. “Hey.”

  “Hey, what are you reading?”

  Her face lights up. “It’s this amazing new high school reverse harem book. I’ll send you the link. I think you’d love it,” she enthuses.

  “Did you meet the new kid?” I ask, curious to see what she thinks of him.

  “Auntie Brandi introduced him, but he didn’t say anything. His name is Valentine, right? That’s a beautiful name.”

  “It’s unusual,” I agree. “Zeke and I showed him up to his room. I saw him without the hood.” I say, hoping she’ll ask me about how he looks.

  “Yeah, I bet he was pretty warm in that black sweater, it’s hot today.”

  “Don’t you want to know what he looks like?” I ask, desperate to tell her how hot he is.

  “I bet he’s freaking out, coming to this new town and to a house full of strangers. I know Auntie Brandi thinks it’s easier to get the introductions over in one go, but I’d hate to be a scared kid coming into this,” she says, gesturing to the groups of people dotted all over the yard.

  Sighing, I smile at my friend. Emmy is stunning: a natural strawberry blonde with a gorgeous face, perfect thin body with slim hips and not an ounce of fat anywhere. She has absolutely no idea how beautiful she is, and she’d live in her books if she could, the real world be damned. She’s my sister in every way that matters and I’d be lost without her.

  I adore her, but sometimes I wish she acted a little bit more like a normal teenage girl. I desperately want to tell her how hot Valentine is and how much his angry, taunting words affected me. But all my sweet, thoughtful friend is thinking about is how freaked out he must be. Boys just don’t even register on her radar.

  Emmy is warm and sweet and it’s impossible to hate her because she only sees the good in people. I’ve seen the looks guys give her at school but she’s oblivious. She’s loyal and still my best friend even though her life would be easier if she pretended she didn’t know me.

  The kids at school all assume she’s a bitch, like me. Her dad is the President of the Sinners, and where my dad can be scary, Emmy’s dad is downright terrifying. Uncle Blade is a total marshmallow with my bestie, her little brother Phoenix and the rest of us Sinners kids. But the kids at school only see what a total badass he is, how dangerous he looks and they assume his daughter is the same. They couldn’t be more wrong.

  Brit hates Emmy. She doesn’t think she should be popular because it’s obvious to anyone who’s met her that Emmy doesn’t care what other people think of her. Unlike me, she refuses to play the part of popular ‘it’ girl and instead sits and reads while the rest of us post hashtags and act like mindless, teenage drones. Over the years, Brit has tried everything to exclude Emmy from our group, but I need my best friend in my life and she needs me to make sure she doesn’t fall into a book and forget about the real world. Brit might not like it, but she knows if she wants to be friends with me, Zeke, and Griffin, she has to accept Emmy too.

  “Phoebe’s having a party tonight. You could come over to mine and we could get ready together,” I say hopefully.

  “You should go with Brittany,” Emmy says.

  “I don’t want to go with Brit. I want to go with you.”

  “Parties aren’t my thing,” she sighs, lifting her book again as if she’s trying to dismiss the idea.

  “They might be. You wouldn’t know because you never come to any. It’s the last party of the summer, Em. On Monday we start our senior year, our last year together at high school. Come on, be wild with me for a night,” I coax.

  Lowering her book again, she turns to fully look at me and I can see she’s actually thinking about it. “Nova, you hate parties almost as much as me, why don’t we just stay home?”

  I hate that she’s right, but maybe I’d be okay if she came with me. “I don’t hate parties.” Emmy doesn’t know about my moments, nobody but Zeke does. But she knows that the person I pretend to be to the kids at school isn’t who I really am. She knows I hate how fake all of the hiding makes me feel.

  “Are Zeke & Griffin going?” She asks.

  “Don’t they go to all of the parties?” I say dryly. Where Emmy is a natural introvert and I pretend to be someone I’m not, my brother and Griffin are one hundred percent naturally the life and soul of the party. They love to be surrounded by people and everyone is drawn to their exuberant natures.

  “I’ll ask Dad,” Emmy says resignedly, her tone letting me know in no uncertain terms that she’s not happy about this.

  “Yes,” I shriek, jumping up and pulling her up after me. “Come on.”

  Sighing, she stands up and lets me pull her across the yard to where her mom and dad are sat with Uncle Daisy and Auntie Dove.

  “Hey, Daddy,” Emmy says, when I push her toward him.

  “What’s up, baby girl?” Uncle Blade asks her, his expression softening the moment his gaze lands on his only daughter.

  “Err, Nova wants me to go to a party with her tonight,” she says cautiously. She’s almost eighteen, but she doesn’t go to parties, so she’s never had to do this before.

  Uncle Blade’s eyebrows furrow and I fully expect him to say no, then I see Auntie Nikki reach over and place her hand on his leg.

  “Whose party is it?”

  “Phoebe Sneide
rs,” I say quickly.

  Uncle Blade’s eyes glance from me to Emmy. “Are Zeke and Griff going?”

  I nod.

  “Zeke, Griffin, get over here.” Uncle Blade shouts.

  A few moments later Zeke and Griffin appear by my side each carrying plates loaded with steak and chicken. “What’s up, Pres?” Zeke asks.

  “I’m not your Pres,” Uncle Blade says, his amusement obvious.

  “Not yet, no, but we’re legacy, Pres, it’s only a matter of time.” Zeke says with a cocksure grin.

  “Well, hell, I don’t even want to argue with you, ‘cause you might be fucking right.” Uncle Blade says looking between the two boys. “You too,” he says to Griffin.

  “Absolutely, Pres,” Griffin replies with a cocky smirk.

  “Shit. Okay, if that’s what you want. If you can convince your old man and your brother to let you, then your first job as almost prospects is to look after Emmy at this party tonight.”

  “Emmy’s coming to the party?” Zeke splutters, his eyes swinging to her. “You’re coming to the party?”

  Her skin flushes a pretty shade of pink and she fidgets with her hands, obviously uncomfortable under everyone’s scrutiny. “It’s the last party of the summer,” she says quietly.

  “We’ll look after her,” Zeke says, his lips pursed into an unhappy line, his gaze still fixed on her intently.

  “We’ll keep her safe,” Griffin agrees.

  “Baby girl, you can go, but I want all of you back before midnight. Do you all understand?” Uncle Blade orders.

  “Yes, Sir,” we each say in unison.

  Reaching forward, I grab Emmy’s hand and squeal lightly. “Come on, you can pick something out of my closet.”

  “Wait,” Uncle Blade says.

  Spinning back around, I hold onto her hand tightly.

  “My baby girl isn’t gonna be prancing around wearing fucking nothing, Nova May Stubbs. You hear me?”

  “Don’t be silly, Uncle Blade. She can pick out a pretty dress or something. I promise it won’t be too revealing,” I say, leaning forward and dropping a kiss on his cheek.