AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What? You two getting soft?” I give them a shit-eating grin that pisses them off even more.
“Fuck off. We can’t all be sociopaths like you.” Ben glares at me from over by the sink.
“Don’t blame me for my lack of empathy.” I shrug. “But I suppose I will concede the killing had been at an all-time high since we made our move on Ever. Guess if anything, it confirms she is the one.”
“Well, we fucking knew that anyway, you complete asshole.” Damien snarls, getting affected by the pissy moods of the other two.
“Jesus, you all need to calm the fuck down. I’ll go and see if she’s all right.”
“Ever is fine,” Alistair clips out in that Duke’s tone where what he says is gospel. Although, in this case, I guess he’s not farwrong. She seemed okay despite everything. But I still want to check on her.
“We need to have a serious conversation about this shithole,” he adds, pouring himself a scotch and glaring at me over the glass.
“Shithole? Your dad will be shaking his fist at you from his grave.” I snort, amusing myself if no one else.
“This was an inside job,” he declares. “That little fucker with Alex’s face has been here and knew how to get to us. To Ever.”
“Yeah,” I agree, sobering up. “It’s not good.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Damien murmurs. “North-West is jeopardising everything.”
“It’s not his fault,” I murmur, weirdly taking the kid’s side, but I see things for how they are. I’m not above a good ass-kicking when it needs administering, but this isn’t Alex’s fault.
The tension between us ratchets up a notch.
“We need to tighten security,” Alistair says after a big gulp of scotch before he starts pacing, his mind no doubt sifting through variables and strategies. “More cameras, more alarms, fucking moats if it comes to it.”
“Moats?” Ben snorts, but it’s hollow. “We’re not living in a medieval castle, mate.”
“In case you haven’t noticed,” I interject sharply, “our little elite Academy life is starting to resemble Game of Thrones meets The Godfather. We might as well embrace it.”
Damien leans back against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “All that is a given, and a moat wouldn’t go amiss. But I’m more concerned with Ever right now. Do we think she’s up there digging up dirt on Crystal and Stanley?”
“Obviously,” I retort.
“She’s playing her part.” Alistair stops pacing and glares at each of us. “Let her do her thing. Information is a weapon shewields well. We handle the rest. She is the brains, and we are her protectors.”
“We are failing badly.”
All eyes land on me, and I shift uncomfortably. “What? I’m right. She has snuck out of here three times and been left vulnerable while we caught up. The cams are useless. She is dodging them like a fine art.”
“Well, I don’t disagree with that, but I think she is starting to come around.”
“Okay, so we let her investigate,” Ben concedes with a sigh. “But what about Alex? He’s compromised. It’s only going to get messier from here.”
“We protect him,” Alistair states firmly. “Alex is one of our own, no matter how twisted and convoluted this shit has become. We find the twin, whatever his fucking name is, and we cut those strings by whatever force necessary.”
I nod, knowing that Ever’s research might just lead us to whoever is holding this leash. She’s got a mind sharp enough to cut through the bullshit and find the truth hidden beneath.
“Then it’s settled,” Damien says, his voice cutting through the tense air. “We circle the wagons around Alex, support Ever’s digging, and level up our defences.”
“This faction has made its presence known onourterritory. They think they’re the big shots because they stormed our castle. Fuck that,” I state. “They have no idea the shitstorm they’ve just unleashed.”
“Precisely.” Alistair’s glare is approving.
“This Crystal has pissed me right off,” Damien blurts out. “Who the fuck does she think she is?”
“A little bitch who is about to end up in the ground,” I growl, also highly pissed off. How did this cunt simply appear on the scene with no prior warning? All indicators lead to Stanley. So, who is she? It has to be family, but how?
