Страница 51 из 97
“I’ve always loved older cars. God. This is so hot. Your grandparents were bad asses.”
Everything seems too new, too updated. Where are my grandparents anyway?
I flip down the visor and push the button to open the garage door.
“Saskia the bad bitch dragon!” Val chuckles, and I turn to face her, seeing her phone facing me again.
Wriggling my eyebrows, I blow her phone a kiss. “I forgot my smokes!”
Val brushes me off, ru
“I’m not usually.” I put the car in drive and tap the accelerator. “I use them as a coping mechanism and when I’m drinking.”
“Some would say that’s not healthy,” she jokes, flicking off the bottle of vodka.
We drive to King’s and I park out front. “Hey!” I reach for Val before she slides out of the car. “You didn’t tell me what was going on with you and Maya?”
Val rolls her eyes so hard I almost think they went to the back of her head. “She’s—well, she says that she was only having fun. That we’re only having fun.”
My face falls along with my shoulders. Val has a rough personality, and she’s not easy to be friends with, but I’ve come to learn that when she truly considers you a friend, her roughness softens. “Have you guys hooked up a lot?”
Val shakes her head, her straight platinum blonde hair falling over her shoulders. “God no. I was straight—completely straight until her. She’s the bisexual one. She’s had girlfriends before, two, to be exact, but never any boyfriends. We all knew it was because she was holding a torch for Kill.”
I nod, urging her to continue. I’m not worried about Maya, or even Callan. The truth is that if I walked into that house tonight and sat on Killian’s lap, I doubt he’d push me off. I pause my thought process. Maybe I shouldn’t have driven. It’s obvious that he’s livid about something.
“Anyway, so being with her, she was my first girl, and it felt right with her, you know?”
I didn’t. Not really. So maybe I did…
“Sure, and you told her how you felt?”
Val took a long swig from the vodka bottle she’s holding between her fingers. “Sure did, and she said ‘it was just fun, Val. Nothing serious.’”
“Bitch,” I mutter under my breath. “I don’t know her very well, but Perse loves her, you do, and Killian does. I don’t see it. Not right now.” It’s not that she’s strange—because she is. I love diversity in characters and prefer them over normality, but it’s how she silently sits there.
Judging.
Watching.
Or maybe it’s just me she’s like that with.
“You’ll get along with her. A lot. Once this whole Killian thing blows over.”
A bang on my window jolts us out of our small chat. Turning, I see Keaton peering in with his arm pressed against my window. I wind it down.
“Killian’s drinking.” His dark eyes press against mine.
“So?” I answer, grabbing my keys and phone. I slip out of the car and Keaton’s tattooed hand wraps around my arm.
He pulls me into his chest until I feel his warm breath falling over my lips. “Fix it, since it was the two of you who set him off.”
I shrug out of his grasp. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Keaton growls as I walk away. “The fucking Instagram photos and videos. Stop acting dense.” Shit. Shit. Shit.
I ignore Keaton, passing Kyrin who is leaning against the front door, a bottle of Scotch between his fingers. He’s wearing jeans, a black T and leather jacket. Kyrin is classically pretty. He’s a hefty combination of handsomeness and viciousness.
Val is hooking her arm in mine as we make our way toward the house when Kyrin glares at us as we pass. “Fucking waste.”
I pause for two seconds. I could turn around and press him on whatever it is that he’s talking about, or I could ignore it for now and be there for my friend who is obviously dealing with raging woman issues.
“Don’t let their cryptonyms get to you. Look at what it did to Perse.” Val gestures toward the living room “Let’s get fucked up.”
I need to be there for my friend. To be here for her. If it was up to me, I wouldn’t be here. I would have happily stayed home and soaked in a bath with candles and wine.
I can hear music thumping loudly, spilling into the extravagant foyer of the mansion, directly through the floor-to-ceiling doors in the back lounge.
“We leave any time you want, okay?” I say to her, searching her eyes.
“Yes, Little Dragon. Now, come on!” Her hand grasps mine as she tugs me toward where the music is coming from. I shake my head and laugh off her relentlessness. Passing by a long rectangle table, I swipe up two shots each and hand one to her. “For some courage before we head outside.”
She takes two off me and we both pound them back with a hiss after each one.
“Tequila!” My face scrunches.
“Oh, that was definitely Perse!” Val scolds, swiping her mouth. “Her and her nasty taste in alcohol.”
Sliding the empty glasses back onto the table, we head outside through the open doors, where the music is playing. The electric sound of Five Finger Death Punch roars through the dark night as people dance and talk. On the patio there’s another large rectangle table where a whole group are sitting, chatting. I don’t want to look long because I know that Killian is amongst them. Out of the corner of my eye I watch as their heads turn to me and Val, just as we see Perse, Rose, and King standing near the bonfire out on the grass. They’re talking with a few men wearing suits, men I recognize slightly. The Four Fathers and others.
Strong arms wrap around my torso, lifting me off the ground as Kenan’s lips press to the back of my neck. “You look like a whole fuckin’ snack, Saskia.”
I laugh, my head tilting back. Wriggling out of his grip, I turn around to face him when he puts me back down to my feet. “Are you drunk already?” I cock my head.
Kenan leans in so close. Close enough that his lips touch mine. “Maybe.” I shove him backward playfully. Kenan always tests his limits with me and although he’s cute, that’s just it. He’s… cute. Killian would eat him for breakfast, lunch, and di
Kyrin comes up beside Kenan. “Care for a walk?”
My smile falls slightly. I barely speak to Kyrin, and if I haven’t said it enough, he’s terrifying.
“Sure,” I answer, side-stepping away from my clingy best friend. I turn to face Kenan. “Keep an eye on Val while I’m gone.”
“Well we ain’t go
Ky starts dragging me down the stairs and toward the bonfire. He grabs a couple of drinks on our way. We move to the side, behind the fire but far enough away for people to not hear us talk.
He hands me my drink and I take a sip. Whiskey. Figures.
Kyrin studies the fire before turning to face me. “You know, when we all first saw you, we had a hard dick for you.”
I swipe my mouth from the alcohol, slowly lowering my glass to my lap. I squeeze it tightly. “Ah…”
Ky laughs, turning over his shoulder. I follow his line of sight—heading straight to some commotion happening on the patio. He rolls his eyes and brings them back to me. “We know more than you know we know.”
I shake my head. “I’m confused.”