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By the time he’s finished, all three of us are staring at him, slack-jawed. Even Emilia, so I’m guessing she didn’t know about any of that.
“That’s… a lot.” Emilia finally says after the car had descended into another round of tense silence.
Hawk looks like he’s about to explode. His face is thunderous, his hands clenched in tight fists, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s about 0.5 seconds away from launching himself at Wilder and choking him out. The only reason he hasn’t is that he appreciates how important family is and can understand why Wilder would want to get to know his—even if they do sound like deranged lunatics with their heads lodged up their own asses.
“I don’t even know what to say to you right now,” Hawk grinds out.
Wilder nods, but the devastation is plain to read on his face. I know how much Hawk, Hadley, and the others mean to him.Theyare his family, which is why it surprises me that he would betray Hawk for people he doesn’t even know.
When my eyes drift to Emilia, and I see guilt shining in her eyes, it clicks. He only did it because she showed up, and Wilder probably felt like he was losing his family when she and Hawk got together.
Fuck.This is one chaotic mess.
“Let’s put a pin in this for now,” I suggest. “We can talk it all out tomorrow, and maybe look into who these King’s Elite are.”
Emilia nods, latching onto that escape for right now. "That sounds like an excellent idea." Holding both Hawk and Wilder’s hands in each of her own, she gives them both a squeeze. "We’ll figure it all out. Besides, there are only a few months left of college, and then you’ll be done with it all."
Wilder doesn’t look as though he believes that to be true, but when she looks up at him, he smiles at her, hiding his doubts. It’s odd to see him looking at her with anything other than hatred, but the way Emilia’s smile broadens beneath his soft gaze, I can tell she’s happy with this new arrangement. She truly seems to believe he’s turned over a new leaf. I, however, will be keeping a close eye on him for the foreseeable future, just to be sure.
"Everything’s going to be fine," Emilia says again, meeting each of our gazes. Her eyes land on Hawk last. "We have each other, and nothing can come between us. If we can defeat Mel, then we can overcome anything else that comes our way."
Forcing a smile, Hawk leans in to press his lips to hers.
“You’re right, Little Sparrow. Nothing will stand in our way.”
Epilogue
THE KING
Slamming my hand down on the desk, I bellow, “Where the hell was he?”
“I-I don’t know, Sir. He hasn’t been seen since yesterday afternoon, and his phone has been switched off.”
“This is unacceptable. You assured me you had him in line.”
“I do. I did.” He grimaces. “T-there’s this girl.”
I snarl.Of course, there’s a fucking girl.
“Who is she? What do you know about her?”
“Not much. She’s a substitute teacher. Just started this year.”
"Well, get rid of her. This has been years in the making, and I won’t let some slut of a teacher ruin it for me."
“Yes, Sir.”
The pathetic weasel scurries from the room, leaving me alone to stew in my anger. I pour myself a measure of twenty-five-year-old whiskey and drop in two ice cubes before taking a seat by the fire. I lose myself in my thoughts as I stare into the dancing flames. I was convinced I had him reeled in. He was right on the cusp, ready to give himself over to me. Years of manipulation, moving pieces around the chess board, cashing in favors, all so I could mold him into what I needed him to be and then place him within reach.
When he took his vows, it should have guaranteed his commitment to us—to me—but apparently, I was wrong.
The cubes of ice clink together as my hand clenches around the tumbler. I should have known he’d be a wild card. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, after all. However, I don’t tolerate disloyalty, and if this cunt is blinding him to his true purpose, then I’ll simply remove the distraction.
A slow grin crawls across my face, my anger finally subsiding as a thought dawns. Perhaps she is the final twig that needs to be snapped. The last thread to Wilder’s humanity. Cut that, and he will give himself over to the darkness. He’ll become everything I’ve been shaping him to be. He’ll finally be mine—to manipulate, to use, to exploit.
With him at my disposal, I’ll bring in a new era. No more pulling strings behind the scenes. I’ll stand front and center, and just like the King’s Elite, this country will bow before me.
Novus ordo seclorum
