Page 38 of War and his Queen

“That’s me…” I answer, flicking the bottle cap off and swirling the liquid around inside. “Who are you?”

He isn’t that great to look at, but the boy exudes confidence, and sometimes, that’s all a man needs to get attention.

He leans against the car behind him.

“Maserati?” I raise a brow, and although our conversation is loud enough for the rest of his group to hear, they don’t pay us any attention.

“Impressed?”

I hold his stare. “Not even close.”

He chuckles loudly, his head tilting back. “Huh. Didn’t think the daughter of Bishop Hayes would be impressed by much of anything.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised…” I joke, and I’m not flirting. This guy is weird, but if they’re here, my brother would know so they must be fine. No one sets foot in any of their parties without their approval.

“I have to admit,” his long finger taps against the side panel, “I haven’t seen you here before.”

“A race?” My head tips back and I fight with myself to not be offended. “You must be new here.”

His laughter dies off almost sarcastically. “Ah, if only that were true.”

Someone whistles from the side and a shrill of adrenaline rushes through me.

I glance up to my group and notice them all watching my encounter with the new guy.

“You should probably go back there…”

“Is that a threat?” I ask, my patience with him wavering.

“Never.”

I swipe my bottle and take slow steps as I make my way back up to the platform. Stopping when I notice everyone watching me, I widen my eyes. “What?”

“Sit the fuck down, Halen.” War points to the chair I was just on, disregarding me.

“Who are they?” I point behind me with my thumb, well aware they know who I’m talking about. I know they know who I’m talking about, since they’re the reason why they’re here.

Priest doesn’t move his eyes from me, and I know that whatever he’s about to say, I’m not going to like. I never seem to lately. He’s my twin and I love him, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was a void deep inside his cold heart that not even I could warm. One that I don’t think anyone could, no matter how close they were to him.

War and Vaden included.

“I’m not sheltering you anymore, Hales.” Priest lifts a cigarette to his lips, biting down the trunk and lighting the end. When he does that, he looks like Dad when he was his age. It’s creepy.

He jerks his finger toward me, leaning back on his chair. “You all wanted in, so let this be your first night as a King.”

I hear a faint growl from behind me, but I don’t move. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Goosebumps rise over my flesh, and I step backward on shaky legs. I’m not as sheltered as they think I am, but I am starting to get the feeling that their version and mine are different.

Worlds apart different.

A side of me hates that Dad removed me at a young age and pushed so hard for me to finish school and live a life outside of them, because now I feel like an outcast in a group that has always been family, but another part of me likes it. It means that I get to walk in with fresh eyes. I see through the scope, not just the vision that I’m primed to see.

“It means that I hope you can run in those heels.” I turn, just as War blows out smoke rings, before his lip curves up in a cold grin. “Because you’re gonna need to be able to do that.”

“I can run just fine.” I fall onto the sofa, clutching the bottle of whiskey, only Vaden’s foot connects with the base and he kicks it out of my hand. “V!”

He shrugs. “Probably won’t help you tonight, little one, and after last night, we need a few to recover.”

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