Malum part 2

I flop down onto a bar stool as Brantley slides over a cup of coffee. I take it, sipping on the hot drink. “So what have you been doing while you’ve been here? Are you attending your old school until RPA?”

“No, I’ve taken the rest of the year off until I start.”

“Oh, that’s awful. Being stuck in this house with this bossy bastard?”

She shrugs. “It’s not all that bad. Brantley throws platinum cards at me and bought me a shiny new car.”

I smirk at Brantley. “I would call that love in their language.”

Brantley flips me off. “Shut up.”

I giggle, looking back at Bailey. “Have you heard from your parents?”

Her body visibly halts, her face falling. “Yeah once. When I told them that Brantley had taken me in, they apologized for everything and tried to cover what they had done to make me come home. I told them no. I think they were scared, to be honest.”

I snort. “With good reason. Has Brantley told you about the Vitiosis graveyard in the back? Because let me tell you…”

Bailey starts laughing, her little face tipping back. She’s so beautiful. She’s going to own that school, not just with her beauty, but with the Vitiosis name attached to it too.

“Yeah,” she chuckles. “He has. That was the first threat he gave me.” She stands from her seat, just as Bishop and Eli walk into the kitchen. “Oh! I got you a gift.”

I sit up straight. “Me? Why?”

She flushes. “I don’t know. You saved me. I’ll always owe you, but for now…”

She leans over the kitchen island, her perky, young ass in the air for all the boys to see. My eyes go straight to Nate. Bet the fucker is eating it up, but when my eyes land on his, he’s smirking at me. My stomach clenches at the stare he’s giving me.

“Surprised?” His smirk darkens.

Damnit.

Bishop isn’t taking notice, but Eli is. He tilts his head, his lips forming an O.

Brantley shakes his head, laughing.

Bailey stands back up, thank god, and hands me a small Tiffany & Co. box. “Here you go. It’s just something that reminded me of you, because of your tattoo on your thigh.”

My hand comes to my thigh before I flip open the box.

“Holy shit,” I whisper. It’s a rose gold crown with flush white diamonds glistening over every single piece of it. The chain glistens as it hits the sunlight.

I slam it shut. “I can’t accept this, Bailey. It’s too much. I like—”

“—She likes Chinese food,” Nate interrupts, choking on a laugh.

Bailey glares. “Listen, you will put it on and love it because I will be offended if you don’t. It’s nothing. Honestly, and if it makes you feel better, I paid for it with Brantley’s money, so—”

“—That money is yours too, Bailey, it’s a trust fund.”

“Shhhh.” I push my finger to my lips, gri

“Yeah. If only,” she whispers, her face falling.

“Jeez, little cuz, looks like we need to work on your poker face. It’s shit.” Brantley tugs on Bailey and starts to walk her out of the room.

What? What?

“What was that about?” I ask Nate, who is still smirking at me. “Stop fucking smirking at me.”

His smile drops, and his face goes blank. Why. Why does this infuriating, frustratingly beautiful man have to be the bane of my damn existence? His lip kicks up in a smooth grin. “That is none of your business.”

Bishop tosses me a small box. “You need to get in contact with Madison and Elena. They’re both freaking out that you’re dead or gone missing. I told them that you’re fine, but I think it’ll be best if you call her yourself.”

I grip the box that contains a phone. “Really? And what am I supposed to tell her?”

Bishop’s eyes flick to Nate before coming back to me. “Not about Daemon. Just say you’re with us until we’ve sorted something.”

“What’s the thing? And you want me to lie to her about Daemon?”

Bishop glares at Nate.

“Bishop!” I snap at him, sidestepping the view of Nate. “You want me to lie to my best friend about something that will potentially push her over the edge?”

I see Bishop’s eyes harden. “She’s already over the fucking edge, Tillie.” Then he looks to Nate. “You both need to talk with her once this is over. Because there’s a whole lot that she’s not telling you.” He storms off as quickly as he stormed in. My chest tightens. I’m so sick of the dramatics.

Turning around, I find Nate. “Why is this all so difficult?”

I don’t even manage to ask where Abel has gone.

Once I’m back in my bedroom, I turn my phone on, my legs curling under my butt as I dial Madison’s number. I know her number by heart.

“Hello?” Madison answers after the fifth ring.

“Mads?”

“Tillie!” she screams through the line. “Where are you? I’m coming to get you.”

I shake my head. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“Tillie,” Madison purrs. “They’ve gotten into your head. Let me come and get you. You need some clarity.”

Well, if Daemon wants to stay down here, I guess I can tell him that she’s coming, and he needs to stay away. I hated telling him about her. It broke him just like I thought it would. Now I need to find Gabe because I need that book.

“I’m at—”

The door swings open with Nate glaring at me from the other side.

“I’ll call you back.”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he asks, his eyes narrowing on my phone.

“I was going to tell her to come over and just tell Daemon to wait down here.”

Nate tugs on his hair in frustration, making the ends stick up, which in short, only accentuates his sex appeal. “Tillie, she ca

“Nate, I’m going out of my fucking mind sitting here, waiting for God knows what! I’m bored.”

Nate cocks his head, his eyes dilating.

“Nope.” I shake my head. “You stay there. I’m not doing this.”

He saunters in, gripping my arm and pulling me up to my feet.

“I’m getting rather sick of being thrown around like a damn ragdoll.”

“It could be worse,” he murmurs, leading me out of my room.

“How could things possibly be any worse than being dragged around like a ragdoll?”

“You could get fucked like one too. Move. Brantley is throwing a party tonight and I need you to wipe the sad out of your eyes.”

“Hard to do—” I pause, squeezing my eyes shut to blink out the memories. Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies…

My breathing harbors my screams of when I woke and found her threatening to choke me.

“Hey!” Nate’s hands come to my arms.

I rear back. “Don’t fucking touch me.” I shove past him. “Good thing Brantley is having a party tonight. I could do with some distractions.” I stop outside Daemon’s room, pushing the door open slightly. I need something to pacify my rage that brutally rose to the surface.

His bed is empty.

I turn to face Nate, panic seizing my bones. “Where is he?”

Nate stops outside his door, staring between me and the bed.

“Goddammit, Nate!” I shove his chest. “What did you do!”

He falls backward, letting me shove at him. His eyes glass over and his jaw tenses. “He’s gone out. Will be back later.” Then he storms off and leaves me there, with an empty room and untamed thoughts.