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They glance between themselves before Zade finally gives it to me straight, a pain clear in his tone at having to tell me this, and I’m left wondering what the hell could be so bad. “My name is Zade DeVil,” he starts. His surname makes me gasp, realizing he doesn’t just own this penthouse, but the whole damn hotel. “And the four of us are part of an organization by the name of Empire. We’re the largest and most powerful secret society in the country, built on blood, power, and sacrifice.”
I arch a brow, not impressed in the slightest. “You mean a group of asshole college bros who couldn’t get laid so they formed some exclusive club. Virgins united?”
Zade gives me a blank stare. “I don’t care how you perceive our organization, but you know damn well that’s not at all what we’re about. You saw last night’s event, and you saw the familiar faces in the crowd. You’d be a fool to belittle our reach.”
I hate that he’s right. I did see the faces in the crowd. Politicians, cops, judges. This organization is probably bigger than I could ever wrap my head around. “So, what?” I ask, playing ball. “You’re a bunch of over-privileged rich pricks who have the ability to influence things within the community or politics.”
Dalton nods from the edge of the counter. “That among other things.”
“Okay. So when you say you have reach, just how far does that go?”
Zade shakes his head, not willing to discuss the type of strings Empire can pull.
“Alright then, tell me this,” I say, accepting there’s a line drawn in the sand and that he won’t tolerate me trying to cross it. I lift my gaze to his, my heart starting to race. “Have you killed people for this organization?”
He doesn’t respond, but I see the answer clear in his eyes.
I nod, starting to grasp just how powerful this group really is while the knowledge of his callous nature really starts to sink in. He’s killed before, maybe multiple times, and the fact that he’s standing here before me means that he’s gotten away with it every damn time. “And Empire allows for you to be able to do things like that without getting caught?”
He nods. “More or less.”
Well, shit.
“Okay, so you’re this big, powerful organization, but what the hell does it have to do with me?” I ask, glancing between them. “I’ve never even heard of Empire before, and I’m sure as hell not some undercover politician with a secret agenda to assassinate the competition. I’m just some normal girl, trying to pay her way through college without getting my ass grabbed at work.”
Zade raises his chin, his gaze narrowing and becoming suspicious. “That’s what we thought you could help us understand,” he says. “Your name was given to me, as you saw from that photograph in my apartment. I’ve been tasked to protect you. Only, I can’t figure out why.”
I shake my head, my heart dropping right out of my ass. “What are you . . . are you saying someone wants me dead?”
“Seems that way, doesn’t it?”
My chest heaves, and I feel a panic attack coming on. This is the type of shit you see in movies, not in real life. Besides, I’m a fucking treat, who would want me dead? I mean, I’m not great at paying my taxes, and I’ve been known to park in no-stopping zones, but surely that doesn’t qualify for the death penalty.
“I . . . I swear, I—” I cut myself off, the fear making my eyes water. “What do I do?”
Cross scoffs. “You don’t show up to balls you had no right being at for starters.”
I stare at my hands on the table. “I thought you guys sent me that invitation. I found it at work when I was clocking in. It was like someone had been waiting for me to show up then stuck it there as though they knew I’d be the first to see it. You guys literally follow me there every shift, plus I found that calling card with that photo of me, so was it really such a stretch to assume it’d been from you?”
“If you thought it was from us,” Sawyer says, narrowing his gaze on me. “Then why did you still show up without trying to let one of us know you’d accepted the invite?”
“Because I didn’t want you to know I was going,” I snap back at him. “It was my one shot to try and figure out who you were and what you were hiding from me. If I’d known it was sent from someone who wants to serve my head on a silver platter, then no, I probably wouldn’t have shown up. And you know what? That’s on you assholes too. You could have been open and honest with me from the start. Instead, you wanted to play your twisted little games.”
“We did what we had to do,” Dalton says, clenching his jaw. “That night we were locked up, these bastards were taking out the hitman who was sent to put a bullet between your eyes.”
I gape at him. “What do you want from me? To drop to my knees and worship at your feet because you took out some asshole who’s just as much the monster that you guys are? Perhaps you’ve forgotten that in the normal world, kidnapping someone and holding them hostage in a fucked-up little cell isn’t normal. It’s fucking terrifying. But what you did, Dalton, leading me into Zade’s trap like that and pretending to have my back . . . that’s just sick.”
Guilt flashes in his eyes, and I stand from the table. “Is that everything I need to know, or are there more sordid details you’re keeping from me?”
Zade shakes his head. “Unless you have any light to shed on the situation, then no. That’s it.”
I narrow my gaze on him, not believing him for a second, but for now, that’s more than enough information. So much so that I feel as though I’m drowning in it. All that matters is that someone is out to get me. Someone in this fucked-up organization wants to take my life, and despite how much I despise them, these four assholes are my only chance at survival.
Letting out a sigh, I fix a sharp glare on Zade. “The guy who was working the door at the ball. When I gave him my name, his head snapped up as though he was surprised, and after checking the list and confirming my name wasn’t on it, he still let me pass. Maybe he knows something,” I suggest. “I doubt an organization as put together as yours would allow a random stray in off the street during such a big event. Plus, when I was walking around, a few people were giving me weird stares, like they recognized me but couldn’t figure out why. But that’s all I’ve got.”
Zade clenches his jaw, his gaze shifting to Cross. Something passes between them that I can’t even begin to understand. When they don’t give me any sign of a response, I press my lips into a hard line. “I’m assuming you’re not about to let me walk out the door?”
“No chance in hell,” Zade tells me.
