Tarnished Crown (Gravestone Elite #2) by Caitlyn Dare (books like beach read TXT) 📕

Alex gasps before heaving as I drag him into the dark room.

The smell… I don't even know what the smell is.

Death, I guess.

I cover my nose and mouth with my arm as we walk deeper into the room. The stench still filters through my nose, and my eyes burn.

Piss. Shit. Puke. Drugs. Blood.

It all mingles, making my stomach turn.

The bed is covered in dark red blood, and right in the middle is a woman. She's completely nude, her body battered and bruised, her arms bearing the scars of years of drug abuse.

But it's none of that which holds my attention.

It’s the deep slash across her throat.

"What the fuck are we meant to do with this?" Alex manages to get out through his dry heaves.

"What's in the bag?" I ask, assuming that Cade knew exactly what was inside this room and ensured we were fully equipped.

Alex rips the bag open and shows me the contents.

"Okay," I say calmly, dragging up all the things I've watched in movies for how people deal with disposing of dead bodies. "Let's wrap her up, strip the sheets, and then start cleaning everything."

"You're not fucking serious? You want me to touch her?"

"Would you rather deal with Kingsley's wrath when we fail to do this?"

If it's possible, Alex pales even more at my words.

"Exactly."

We work in silence as we do what we need to do. We've got the poor woman bundled up and we're almost done stripping the bed so we can take the sheets and burn them when Alex suddenly stops dead.

"What's wrong?" I ask

"Listen."

I do, and, for a few seconds, I don't hear anything. But then flashing lights illuminate the darkness outside the window. My heart jumps into my throat, pounding so fucking hard I can feel it in every inch of my body.

"T-there not here because of this, are they?"

I walk over to the window and peek out. What I see makes my blood run cold.

"They’re pointing up here."

"We need to get the fuck out of this room, Bex." The panic in his tone doesn't make this situation any better.

"We can't. They're right out there."

"Bathroom window?"

"Fucking hell."

We storm through to the bathroom, taking in the fucking tiny window. We're on the second floor. If I'm lucky enough to even fit through it, then I've still got to deal with the fall.

"You go first, you're smaller than me."

"But—"

"You really want to choose now as a time to argue with me?"

"But that…" He points to the murder scene behind us.

"Fuck that. Not our problem."

"Fuck my life," Alex mutters, wrenching the window wider than it's meant to go and climbing through. "This is a really fucking bad idea."

"So is getting locked up. Now fucking jump."

He does, and everything goes silent.

I follow his lead, and, just as I jump into the thick bushes below, I hear the motel door get kicked in.

6

Mia

I hide out in Sasha’s room for the entire evening. Mulligan, Cade’s cook, makes us tacos and delivers them to her room. It’s all very five-star, but nothing surprises me where the Electi are concerned.

“I’m glad you came,” Sasha says as we clear the plates away.

“Me too.”

“It’s nice to have a girl to hang out with here.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why do you stay here sometimes but not others?”

“Home just isn’t home anymore since Ashton, Brook and their mom moved in.” She shrugs. “Brandon talked Cade into letting me have a room here. Officially, I don’t live here. But unofficially, I sleep here more than my room at home.”

“I’m sorry.”

She gives me a weak smile. “It isn’t your fault. Just another thing I have to accept without question.”

“It must kill Brook, knowing you have a room here and she doesn’t.”

“Yep. Which is why I like to rub it into her face at every opportunity.”

We share a chuckle. “I really don’t like that girl,” I say.

“Join the club.”

“We should get matching t-shirts.”

“Hashtag Brook is a bitch.” Sasha grins. “We could sell them around school. I’m sure we’d make a fortune. It’s getting late, I should probably give you a ride back to campus.”

“Okay.” I climb off her bed and wedge my feet in my sneakers. “We should make this a weekly thing.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Are the guys still around, do you think?”

“Beats me. They could be anywhere, but as long as they’re not annoying me, it’s all good.” Her lips curve with amusement. “Come on.”

We leave her room and make our way downstairs. The house is steeped in silence, nothing but the chime of the grandfather clock opposite the foot of the stairs disturbing it. It’s a relic but looks to be in perfect working order.

We’ve almost reached the front door when it flies open and Bexley appears, panting for breath.

“What happened?” Sasha asks.

“Ask Kingsley,” he grits out, his sharp gaze going to mine.

“Is Al—”

“Hey.” Alex steps inside too, as breathless and flushed as Bexley.

“What did they have you do?”

“You don’t want to know.” He holds Sasha’s gaze until her lips press into a disapproving smile. “Cade left us. He fucking left us there to get caught.”

“He doesn’t play by anyone’s rules but his own, but he won’t allow you to get caught. The whole thing would have been a setup—you know that, right? Just one big game to the high and mighty Cade Kingsley.”

Bexley’s jaw pops as his teeth grind in frustration.

“What are you all talking about?” They aren’t making any sense.

“Nothing.” A hard expression slams down over Bexley’s face.

“Fine, forget I asked,” I clip out. “Will you give me a ride now?”

Sasha nods, glancing between me and Bexley. The air has turned thick between us.

“Let me just grab a snack.” Her eyes drill into Alex’s face and his head whips up.

“Say what?”

“A snack… you should help me.”

“Sasha, I don’t—”

But it’s too late, she’s already taken off toward the kitchen with Alex in tow.

“Real stealthy.” Bexley’s lips pull into a half-smile. “How are you?” He looks like he’s about to step forward but immediately changes his mind, inching back instead.

“I’m okay. Where were you two just now?” They’re both dressed