AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I dip into the bathroom and scrub through a shower. Once I’m dressed, in yoga pants and a tight V-neck shirt, I find Wicked and Wolf downstairs, watching TV. Royce is opposite with Khaos next to him. The room is filled with leather, and usually that would probably annoy me, but for right now, I need to be with Papa.
Lowering myself onto the floor, I tie the laces to my Converse, watching every few seconds as Wolf keeps his eyes glued on the TV.
My phone starts vibrating on the carpet, and I see Mikhail’s name flash over the screen. I look up at Wicked, making sure he didn’t notice. How is it that I feel like I’m cheating on Wicked with my damn fiancé?
Swiping to answer, I bring the phone to my ear. “Hi.”
“I just heard,” he says coldly through the phone. “We’re heading to meet your father.”
My blood turns cold. “No. Not without me.”
“Last I checked, I don’t need to answer to you or oblige to your demands, Lala.” He pauses and hope tingles my fingertips.
“You’re right, maybe we should—”
“—but, we both made a blood oath and promise to our families. I intend to keep it.” Those tingles fizzle out. “I’ll call you once I finish with the meeting but, Ruby, you will need to start deciding what you are bringing to my house after the wedding.” My phone slips from my ear and I hit the end call button.
“What?” Wicked asks, but I push myself up from the floor and move into the kitchen, opening the cupboards to find my coffee pods. I need coffee. Now.
The elevator doors part open just as I’m closing the lid and pushing the button. Val enters, his hands shoved into his pockets and his eyes dipped in with concern.
“What is it?” Wicked repeats, coming into the kitchen and ignoring Val.
I look between the two of them. “That was Mikhail.”
Wicked chuckles, leaning back against the fridge and crossing his ankles. He’s still shirtless, with nothing but a clean set of sweatpants. I’m guessing Royce or Khaos brought them for him.
“Fuck,” Val sneers, entering the kitchen further. “I’m sorry, Ruby. I don’t think he’s going to let you out of it. Even with your father back, we still need that bridge of peace between the two families, or we both risk a war that either side could possibly lose.”
I hold my hand up, stopping him from talking as I turn back to the coffee machine, pull down a mug, and pour the dark java into it. Leaning against the counter, I inhale, exhale, and take a sip. I feel my muscles unknot as the caffeine hits my blood. “I know. He has just made that very clear.” I refuse to look at Wicked when I answer, keeping my eyes on Val. “I need you to take me to where they’re meeting.”
“I can’t, Rubs. I have strict orders to keep you here, and since he’s home now—”
My eyes close and I take another large gulp, this time burning the hairs on the back of my throat. “I get it.”
Val steps closer to me, but a safe distance away. I feel the energy in the room shift the closer he gets. “I’m sorry about your mama.”
“Yeah.” I blink up at him. “Me too.”
The night was dark, and I ran through the clearing of the forest, running and running until my legs couldn’t fucking run anymore. Through the splitting of the trees ahead, I could see it. The white, abandoned building. Abandoned, at least from what people knew. Flickering of lights forged on through some of the windows, and I stepped forward, squinting to see up ahead.
He stood there with a dark robe and blood-red tie around his waist. I couldn’t see his face, but I could feel the anger pulse through my veins the closer I got to him. There was a city car parked at the front, tinted windows and headlights beaming. Skully removed the hoodie from his head and leaned into the car.
The back doors swung open, and I watched as he carried a girl’s body out, cradling it in his arms.
I fell backward slightly, wiping the sweat from my forehead.
A hand came to my back, shoving me forward. “You’re not going anywhere.”
I spun around, coming face-to-face with Jordan, one of the other members. “She looks young.”
“She is young,” Jordan answered, stepping to the side and moving the branch out of the way. I was fine exercising out on my own, but as per usual, Jordan liked to ride my dick about everything. We all knew it was jealousy. “She’s also different. I feel like to Skully, this one is different.”
We both made our way through the trees, and I paused when I was about to pass the front of the car. His eyes locked on mine, and for a brief moment, I wanted to launch my fist in the car.
“Come on, fucker!” Jordan called out ahead. “Or you don’t eat.”
I dragged my eyes away from him, jogging up the withered old steps and to the front entrance. It was extra quiet tonight, and I wondered in the back of my mind if it had anything to do with her. I hadn’t even met her yet, nor did I know her, but Jordan was right. There was something about her that Skully needed—no—wanted. I just hoped it wasn’t what I thought it would be.
