Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“I don’t want to make things harder for you,” I whispered, bowed over the doorknob.
“You’re not.” His footsteps faded down the steps. “I’m making it harder for myself.”
I wasn’t sure if he said it, or if it was what I wished he said. I spun around but he was already far enough away, it was possible I misheard.
Tossing my head, I knocked the memory of my afternoon with him into the farthest corner of my mind and locked it away. Even if Victor could be okay with it. Even if Rafael and my Rogues didn’t mind sharing me. There was no amount of acceptance from them that would make Adonis into anything other than my professor.
We couldn’t have more than a friendship, and even that could risk his job. The man lost his family, his fiancée, and a future with biological children. I wouldn’t be the reason he lost his last love.
“What are you doing?”
I jumped, almost falling off the step. “Wilder, don’t do that. You scared the mess out of me.”
“Come inside,” came his voice through the intercom.
I went in and found Rafael, Lucien, and Wilder at the end of the hall, waiting for me. They looked like they’d been up all night— Scratch that, they looked like they hadn’t slept all weekend. I trudged forward and fell into the first pair of arms that fell open for me.
Lucien held me close, breathing in the salty spray lingering in my hair.
“How are you?”
“Not good,” I said honestly. “Mom and I finally had it out. I told her I wasn’t leaving Regalia U until Winter was avenged. She told me nothing from the closed door I walked past when I left this morning.” My throat clogged. “I don’t know if she’ll ever speak to me again.”
“Course she will.” A warm hand stroked my back. I melted under Rafael’s touch. “It’s raw right now. She’s scared and doesn’t know how to protect you. But she’s doing all of this because she doesn’t want to lose you. She wouldn’t cut you out of her life for good. That’s just losing you in a different way.”
“Please be right.”
He kissed my cheek. “I’m always right, gorgeous.”
“You should get some rest, Luna,” Wilder said. “We can talk about Natale and that night later.”
“No.” I straightened, wiping my eyes. “No, we don’t have time to waste. Lucien said the other guys just learned what happens to those who talk. We can guess what they did this weekend too. Made their plans. Got rid of anything connecting them to Giovanni. Thought up lies and cover stories. They’ve been ahead of us all this time. I’m not letting them get any farther.”
“I don’t have anything.” Frustration laced Wilder’s growl. “Thasher, Thompkins, Hill, Natale, and Scott. I’ve hacked into everything under their name, and there’s nothing. No mention of T.O.D. Club anywhere.”
“I might have a place to start.”
I told them everything Professor Anthony said about the club and how it started. At some point, we ended up in the living room with three pairs of narrowed eyes on me.
“A frat house club started in the seventies,” Rafael repeated. “Shut down by John Wilson. Or so he told his son.”
“Why would he lie?” I asked. “John warned him to get the hell out if they were still playing these sick games.”
Wilder, Rafael, and Lucien shared a look.
“What?” I flicked between them. “What is it?”
Rafael put up his hands. His hair was tousled and shirt wrinkled from a few long nights. Bloodshot eyes did nothing to lessen his handsomeness. “I credit the man with not being such a shit-covered cockroach that he’d be okay with the Dirty Dozen. Fair enough, the club got out of control and he kicked those bastards out.
“But John Wilson didn’t get where he is today by being soft. The rivalry between his family and the Burkhardts is the foundation of this town. Every generation has tried to push the other down to bring themselves up,” he said. “The Burkhardts aren’t number one because they have more money—though fuck knows they’ve got a continent load. They’re number one because of what you saw on that chart Saylor showed you.”
Lucien nodded along. “Control. More families have ties to them than they do the Wilsons. Ties the Burkhardts turn into nooses whenever it suits them. If this club is all about secrets, control, and collecting more ties—”
“John Wilson would have every reason to want in,” Rafael finished. “Luna, I’m not saying he would’ve been cool with those rapey pricks, or his son being involved with more of the same. I bet nearly every part of that story is true. I’m just asking myself if when young Johnny used his power to overthrow the guys in charge and make the others pay, if he shut down T.O.D. for good, or if he brought it under new leadership.”