Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 753(@200wpm)___ 602(@250wpm)___ 502(@300wpm)
It’s when he’s like this. Calm. Collected.
Lethal.
I watch as his jaw sets when he and Vaden share a look.
“Okay, what the fuck is happening?”
“Get in the car, Halen.” War jerks his head over my shoulder. “And go home.”
I stare between him and my car, where River is waiting in the passenger seat and Stella in the back.
He doesn’t let up. “You wanna fight me on this? Do it later. For now? Get the fuck out of here.”
“War,” Priest warns, this time stepping forward and placing his body between us. “Do I need to start asking the questions?”
A tear threatens to fall as I blink past it. “It’s nothing.” I hold War’s stare. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing.”
Priest freezes, but I don’t wait for them to stop their bickering before I do exactly as I’m told and go back to my car.
Vaden’s leaning against my door, a burning cigarette in his mouth.
“Move.”
He holds my stare. One black, one blue.
“Don’t fucking start.”
My brows knit together when he finally moves and I slide into the driver’s seat, ignoring the way my hands feel against the steering wheel. I fire it up and reverse us out, pushing into first and burning rubber to get us out of there.
“You wanna talk about that?” River asks quietly from beside me.
I shake my head. “No. I’m good.”
“I mean, he was cute…” Stella adds from the back seat.
“He was.” I clear my throat.
“—for a Rebel…” Stella adds casually.
I squeeze the steering wheel. “How… how do you know?” I didn’t even know. The Rebels are a lowline bunch who were connected to one of the families that rebelled against the Kings years and years ago—not even during our lifetime. They’re not a threat to us at all. Their families and anyone connected to them have been slowly dropping off the face of the earth for years now. First I’ve heard of one of them being around—ever.
Stella doesn’t answer for a moment. “Because I know men.”
We all fall silent.
Thick trees pass our windows on the way up the drive, and I park us at the front, cutting the engine. The silence is loud, and the blood had long since set on my hands. Every now and then I get a whiff of metal and my stomach rolls. It’s not that I’m precious about death. Far from it. It’s that I wasn’t prepared.
“Halen,” River whispers, but I don’t know what to tell her or Stella. On top of that, I need to check in on Evie. They’d never hurt her. Priest and Evie were good friends at one point. So close I actually accused them both of sleeping together behind my back. I regret it now, because since that outburst they’ve never been the same with one another.
“You know that you can talk with us.” River’s voice is gentle.
“I know.” The handle is in my hand as I push it open. “We’ll talk later. Go home to your beds and sleep.” I quickly make my way out of the car before they can stop me.
I can count how many times we’ve slept alone over the years, and it’s a total of three.
I swing the front door open onto our family driver, Creed, standing in the foyer.
He uses his thumb to swipe below his lip. “Halen.” He checks over me. “After you shower, discard your clothes outside your room.”
I nod, smiling at him before jogging up the stairs. Right now, my batteries are on low. What I feared was happening with my brother is coming to fruition, and I know I can’t stop him.
Do I want to stop him?
I slip inside my bedroom and shut my door, breathing out a long sigh as soon as I’m in the confinement of something familiar.
Ivory walls, beige furnishings.
I count everything in my head. A California king bed is made directly opposite the door, to the right of that, a small leather sofa and makeup vanity, and to the right again, a marble fitted bathroom that overflows into a two-story loft style closet. There are rows of clothes, and a large jewelry safe that’s built into the center. It wasn’t big enough to house my Fabergé eggs, so they’re displayed in a glass cabinet above my bed. Dad buys me a new one for every birthday.
Twenty. That’s how many I have.
I patter my way into the bathroom, stripping off my shirt and reaching behind myself for my bra.
What the fuck are they playing at?
I mean, sure, we’ve all played a little hide-and-seek through the forest, but murder? So plain in sight? The boys are smart. Way smarter than anyone else I know, so I know that what they did tonight wasn’t a reckless murder because someone decided to kiss me. It had to have something to do with the fact that he was part of the Rebels. But they’re not even one of the three organizations that have tried to challenge us over the years. I—