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

the hall, I wait a second, and when I hear nothing, I slip into the part of the house I’ve yet to explore. All three of the doors are ajar, and I discover a small library and two smaller sitting rooms, but it’s the door at the end of the hall that piques my interest. It’s closed unlike the others, and when I try to open it, it won’t budge.

I try again, more forcefully this time, only to realize it’s locked.

My brows furrow. Why would only this door be locked? I try it again, willing it to open. Now it’s off-limits, my mind fills with possibilities as to why it’s locked. Obviously to keep people out. People like me. Which can mean only one thing.

Whoever locked it wants to keep the secrets it holds inside.

9

Bexley

The sound of raised voices stops me on my way to the kitchen the morning after the party. My head is pounding from the amount I drank after Mia walked away from me. I was already well on my way to drunk just from watching her dance with that fucker, but having her rejection playing on repeat in my head sent me straight to the bottom of the bottle of vodka that was still in my room.

I slow my steps, wincing as the sound of Cade's booming voice fills my ears. My fists curl at the possibility of it being Mia his anger is aimed at. Coming to a stop in the doorway, my chin drops when I find Cade and Channing squaring up to each other in the middle of the living room.

"For fuck’s sake Cade, be reasonable," Channing begs.

I only just about manage to smother my laugh. Cade reasonable. That'll be the fucking day.

"I am. This is where you belong. You're one of us," Cade grits out.

"I'm not, though. You have Alex now."

"I don't give a fuck. This is where you belong," Cade repeats, the muscles in his shoulders pulling tight with frustration. “With us.”

"What if it's not where I want to be?"

"What?" Cade bellows, getting right in Channing's face, his fists clenching as if he's about to take him out.

"I don't want to fucking be here, alright? This was never meant to be my life."

I stare at Channing as he confesses, and it's like the weight of the world is lifted from his shoulders. That relief only lasts a second though, because his back slams up against the wall while Cade's forearm presses against his throat.

They're nose to nose as Cade breathes in Channing's face. Channing's eyes are wide, but he doesn't look anywhere near as scared of Cade as most would in his position, I'm sure.

"You don't have a fucking choice," Cade growls.

"You don't fucking need me."

"Hey, how's it going?" I ask, walking into the room as if nothing is amiss.

Cade's anger only increases as his dark eyes turn on me. "What the fuck do you want, Easton?" he spits at me.

"Channing and I have something to do. Right, Rexford?"

Channing looks at me, his eyes narrowing in question before turning back to Cade. "Yeah, do you mind?" He tries to shove him off.

Cade's chin drops in shock. "Since when the fuck are you two friends?"

I panic, fighting to scramble for an answer, but Channing is faster.

"We're just going for a run together,” he says. “Don't get your panties in a twist."

Cade looks over at me, his eyes dropping to my gym shorts and sneakers. The last thing I want to do right now is go for a fucking run, but something tells me Channing needs an out, and let's be honest, I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to piss Cade off, hangover or no hangover.

With a growl, Cade releases Channing and marches into the middle of the room. "We're not done talking about this, Rexford."

"We've got a meeting with Q in the morning. How about we continue then?"

Cade pauses with his hand in his hair and spins toward us. "You want to talk to Q about this?"

"Yeah," Channing states.

"You actually want out?" Cade's eyes bore into Channing, disbelief filling them as if he really can't understand why everyone doesn't want this life.

"This bullshit doesn't run in all our blood, Kingsley," Channing scoffs before marching past me.

Not wanting to get stuck with Cade, I hightail it after him and out the front door. I have no idea if he was planning on going for a run, but he seems to be going anyway.

"Channing, wait," I call when he's already halfway down the driveway.

"You didn't need to do that," he mutters when I catch up with him and he begins walking again.

"I know."

Silence falls between us as we get to the end of the driveway, but before we pass through the gates, Channing takes a left and we walk along the perimeter edge.

"You really want out?"

"Don't you?"

"I never wanted in in the first place."

"I'm not the Rexford heir now Alex is here. They can let me go."

"You think it'll be that easy?"

He shrugs. "Probably not, but I want to try. I'll keep all their bullshit secrets, I just…" He trails off.

"You just?" I encourage.

Ever since he came and got us last weekend to ensure we didn't miss our own initiation ceremony, I've started to question exactly whose side Channing is actually on. This is just another thing that points toward the fact that he's not on Cade's.

"I can't have what I want while I'm part of this shit."

"What the fuck does—" Realization dawns. "You want Sasha." It's not a question. It doesn't need to be. I've seen the way he looks at her. The way he tries to protect her. "But Electi heirs aren't allowed to be with Electi siblings."

He blows out a long breath, neither confirming nor denying my assumptions, and remains silent as we approach the lake.

Fuck. That first night here with Mia feels like a lifetime ago now. Everything was so simple then. I was just a guy embarking on college and trying to figure out the rest of my life. Now, here I am, part of those I tried