Adrik draws in a deep breath, rolling his broad shoulders that tug the tight black t-shirt stretched across his chest. He lounges back on his stone and metal throne, resting one ankle on the opposite knee.
“Well then, Achilles…” He gestures in a kingly way with his hand. “Speak.”
I glance at my cousin, my brow furrowing.
“Alone, Adrik.”
He flashes a toothy, predatory grin. “I don’t know if this has come up at Drakos family dinners yet, but your cousin is inner circle now with The Reckless. So…” He shrugs. “Speak. Or don’t.”
My jaw grinds as I watch Bella casually climb up onto the dais and lean her hip against the side of the throne.
Adrik smiles wolfishly. “Before you do, though, I have a question foryou.”
My brow furrows. “That's not how this is going to work.”
“Then it's not going to work at all,” he shrugs. “And I’ll remind you that it'sRecklessnight here at The Garrison. Not golden princes of Para Bellum with silver spoons up their assholes night.”
It’s not information that’s widely out there. But I do know from my family’s resources, especially my Uncle Deimos’ spy network, that there’s a reason Adrik’s more volatile and venomous than usual since this semester started.
His mother, the supermodel River Finn, was in a car wreck this past summer, and is currently in a medically induced coma.
The hush-hush nature of it all is less to do with her own fame and more to do with the fact that her husband is Yuri Volkov, arguably one of the biggest players in the bratva world.
The Drakoses don’t have any animosity toward the Volkovs. So when this was discovered by Deimos’ network of little birds, my whole family promised that it wouldn’t get spread by us.
Adrik and I might not be friends, but I can’t imagine my own mother lying motionless in a bed with tubes and machines keeping her alive.
So I’m about to roll my eyes and brush off his comment…until I see Bella casually reach down, pluck the bottle of vodka from Adrik’s hand, and take a sip.
“I have another question first,” I growl. “Are you fucking my cousin?”
Adrik chuckles as Bella shoots me a “what the fucking fuck, you fuck” look.
“Which cousin, Achilles?” he sighs in a bored tone. “I can’t keep track of all you Drakoses and Kildares. You breed like fucking rabbits. But if you mean Lochlan, I’m sorry to disappoint you, baby boy, but I just don’t swing that way.”
I grit my teeth and slide my gaze to Bella. “I think you know who I mean,” I growl.
Bella rolls her eyes. “Are you fucking serious right now?” she snaps at me.
I don’tlovethe fury in her glance. But I return my gaze to Adrik. “I asked you a fucking question,” I hiss, my eyes narrowing as Adrik wraps a tattooed arm around Bella’s waist and glances up at her.
“Well, Ms. Drakos?” he grins. “AmI fucking you?”
Bella levels a withering look at me. “Not that I’m aware of,” she mutters.
Adrik turns back to me and shrugs. “Trustme, she’d be aware,” he says dryly. “Okay, my turn for Q and A.” Adrik unwinds his arm from Bella’s waist and takes a sip of vodka. “What were you doing out with Yelena De Luca the other night?”
Shit.
“BecauseI thoughtyour family and hers were…prickly,” Adrik smiles coldly. “What with this new high rise going up over your grandmother’s house.”
“Great-grandmother,” I growl, glaring at him. “Why were you following me?”
Adrik shakes his head. “Iwasn’t.” He glances to Bella, then winks at me.
“Okay, same fucking question,Cousin,” I growl at her.
“I wasn’tSPYINGon you,” she sighs. “I was just…” She looks away. “Out for a late-night stroll.”
