Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 642(@250wpm)___ 535(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 642(@250wpm)___ 535(@300wpm)
The steps I take from here on need to be carefully placed. “They know what I want them to know.”
“And now what?” she asks, repeating my tone.
Hiding behind the curtain of straightened hair, her makeup and eyeliner is darker than usual. With plump red lips to match her fingernails. It didn’t take her long at all to transform into the monster that she is. “This was the plan. You wanted me here, so what are you going to do?”
When I don’t answer her right away, she finally pulls her eyes away from the people outside and comes back to me.
I smirk. “Hunt.”
Her head rests against the back of the chair. “You know you don’t have to. I’m here for good.” Her fingers flex around my thigh. “I promise you she’s not coming back.” She turns my face to hers with the grip around my chin. “Have I ever lied to you?” Her thumb grazes the rim of my bottom lip. “Have I ever kept secrets?”
“Are you suggesting I have?” My brow curves upward.
Laughter bubbles from her chest when she forces me away, flipping the mirror down from the top and fixing her makeup. “Of course not. But I still don’t understand why we have to do this—” She gestures out to the cars in front. Halen, Stella, River—who has been awfully quiet—War, Vaden, Deacon.
Not a single King is missed tonight.
“Because the girls want to see a Hunt.” I reach forward and push her door open. “Get out.”
Chapter Thirty-One
priest
past
Smoke fills my lungs as I inhale the familiar herb, handing it back to War. “There a reason why you’re looking a little more like death than usual?” War is one of my best friends, but he isn’t my closest.
My eyes move to Vaden even though my answer is to War. “Nothing more than usual.”
Vaden clucks his tongue. “You’re evil.”
I shrug, squashing my cigarette with my boot. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder to know that she was behind me with her date.
Her date that she never asked a single question about on why he’s here or who he is. I can feel her. The way her eyes move over the back of my neck. Everyone knew early on what Luna lived with, except for Luna herself. It’s why our fathers spent so much time with her, why my sister hated her, and why I found myself obsessed with her.
Madness and all, Luna is who she is. Soft, demure, gentle. Her, on the other hand, well. She isn’t at all any of those things.
“We better get back inside before your mom decides to punish us by doing something human-like, like I don’t know—” War’s eyes glass. “Taking Halen shopping.”
“You’d love that, what are you talking about?” I scan over him lazily as we head back through the entrance. War’s lucky I’m too caught up in my own head to be more passive-aggressive about his obvious crush on my sister.
As soon as we’re back at our table, the burn of Luna’s eyes aren’t far off. Interesting on her parents’ part, to allow her into my space, placed on my lap, and given to me like food to a starved dog.
I most likely am their last shot at helping her. After killing the Brother of Kiznitch that night all those years ago, Midnight Mayhem had pushed her out, so now she was left on our doorstep. Little did any of them know, this was exactly what my father and Nate wanted.
But she shouldn’t be anywhere near the sector that they’re considering giving her access to. A hit girl with dissociative identity disorder? Yeah. That’s not gonna work. I can almost guarantee it. What could…is her as a wife.
I drink the thoughts, forcing them away as quickly as they come. There’s no point trying to entice her to come back to me anymore. She’s not, and who knows. Maybe Luna worked through her triggers with the fucked up other Brother of Kiznitch, and now her friend doesn’t pop her little head up any time Luna’s in trouble.
“Stop overthinking,” Vaden growls from beside me.
“I’m not,” I hiss through the burn of whiskey, my eyes closing in an attempt to shut out the noise inside my head. But if you did marry her, maybe you won’t have to kill her.
Why the fuck did it matter if I killed her?
I open onto Mom’s smile, catching it in time to watch it slip from her face, thanks to the flashing lights.
She finds me in the crowd, before moving to my father. A woman of poised elegance that’s handcrafted for this world, allows a few seconds of vulnerability to pass before clearing her throat and staring back down to the envelope.
Good to know I can still keep her on her toes.
“The next item we have is an interesting one. It seems one needs reminding who he came from, so for this auction, I’ll start the bid at one million.” She smiles down at me. Maybe the stories I’ve heard about her in her young days are true. “He is his father’s son, after all.”