Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 71616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71616 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“Thanks, I guess?” What am I supposed to say to that.
“Ready?”
“Don’t you want to, um, brush your teeth or something?”
He laughs outright. “I prefer your taste on my tongue.”
“Okay then.” I shake my head, unsure what to make of this, of him, and wipe my palms on the sides of my dress. “Oh. One sec.” I hurry to the nightstand where I left my phone and unlock it. I make a weird face and snap a selfie, noticing how flushed my cheeks are. I start a knock-knock joke to Wren, telling her I’m going to sleep and will tell her the punchline in the morning. I put the phone into the clutch. “Ready.”
Zeke sets the light cashmere wrap around my shoulders and we walk into the hallway, down the stairs and out the front door where Dex is waiting by the Rolls Royce. I’m nervous. I don’t know why. It’s not like I care that I will probably stick out like a sore thumb. I have a feeling Society folks can smell an interloper a mile away.
But as I get into the car with Zeke right beside me, I remind myself that this is not a date. We’re going to see if Wyatt is the man who broke into my house to steal the laptop. Because that will answer some questions although it will undoubtedly raise new ones.
What will I do if it’s him? If he’s the man who tried to rape me. Rape. God. I shudder at the memory. My heart races and that ringing starts in my ears.
Zeke puts a hand on my knee as if he senses my nerves. His skin is warm, his hand solid.
“Steady, Blue.”
I nod, unsure how he realized where my head had gone. I’m safe, I remind myself. I’m not sixteen anymore. And I’m with Zeke and he’s not going to let anything happen to me. He promised me that and I believe him.
“So do you know everyone there?” I ask once the shrill pitch in my ears settles into a low, manageable hum.
“Know them and don’t like them. Not that they like me or my brother much. I don’t give off warm fuzzies, remember?”
“Why don’t they like you? I thought you were all, I don’t know, connected or bonded or something through your Secret Society secretness.”
He snorts. “Our Secret Society secretness?”
I shrug a shoulder. “Brethren?”
“Well, for one thing, my family, the St. James’s, were not born into The Society. We bought our way in.”
“Wait, what?”
“We bought our way in. Well, my father did.”
“You can do that?”
He shrugs a shoulder. “When you have enough money and enough hate you can do anything.” His eyes go flat momentarily before he blinks and shakes his head. He turns to me. “You don’t slip away tonight, you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” I salute.
“I mean it.”
“Believe me, I don’t hope to run into Wyatt Hoxton on my own ever again. Hell, I don’t even want to run into him with you there.”
“My brother’s wife, Isabelle will be there. I think you might actually like her.”
“As opposed to your brother?”
He grins. “Jericho can be difficult.”
“No!” I feign shock.
“You like me better than my brother then?” he asks, and I think he regrets it the moment the words are out. I don’t know how to answer but just then, we pull into the IVI compound along with a string of expensive Rolls Royce’s. My anxiety rises as the car slows to a stop. Zeke climbs out and Dex opens my door as Zeke walks around. He extends his hand to help me out.
I take it, step out into the breezy night. I tug my wrap closer and look around. We’ve entered on the courtyard side. I’m used to the employee entrance of The Cat House which is not front and center. We step past the line of cars and through the gates into the courtyard. It’s huge, the walls surrounding the compound high. Several trees are hung with lanterns and it’s almost as though the entire area is lit by thousands of candles and the stars in the sky. Flowers add drama at every turn, and the sound of a violin comes from inside the double French doors that stand open. Waiters circulate with trays of champagne, and I wonder what is housed within the buildings. The one I do know, one I heard rumors about in my time at The Cat House is behind me. It’s the circular Tribunal building. I turn to glance over my shoulder and shudder at the imposing shadow it casts. A small window high up, one of few, is the only one with light burning inside.
“Is that really… I mean, do they have trials and… things there?” I ask Zeke.
He nudges me forward. “And things,” he says to me then turns to Jericho. “Brother.”
Jericho reaches us, nods to Zeke and turns his untrusting gaze to me. Beside him is a stunning woman who is smiling wide, her face bright and open and welcoming. The absolute opposite of her husband.