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

"It's been a while since I was here," he mutters as we make our way down the long hallway.

"I thought these meetings were monthly?"

"They are, but it's usually only Kingsley that gets the royal invite."

"So why are we all here?"

"I guess to welcome you two, but Q can be as unpredictable as Cade at times, so your guess is as good as mine."

10

Mia

Sasha finds me sitting out on the terrace, drinking my second coffee of the morning.

“They just left?” she asks me.

“Yeah.”

After discovering the locked room yesterday, I’d taken a quick shower then gone to join everyone for breakfast. But Cade and Channing’s raised voices had startled me, so I doubled back to her room and we’d stayed there most of the day, eating our body weight in Mulligan’s cookies and watching movies. Sasha had been quiet. Too quiet. But I hadn’t wanted to push her.

I hadn’t wanted to stay another night in the Electi house, but when she asked, I couldn’t refuse.

“I have something to tell you… but it’s kind of a big deal.” Sasha’s eyes dart around me.

“Is it about the guy you were with all night after the party?” My brow arches. “Who was he, anyway?”

“Channing,” she breathes. “I was with Channing.”

“What?”

She nods, a mix of lust and confusion swirling in her eyes. “He practically dragged me off Rhett and to his room. I wanted to tell you yesterday, I just didn’t know how…”

“What happened?”

“What do you think? We painted each other’s nails and talked.” A faint smirk traces her lips and I roll my eyes. “It was amazing. He was… oh my God, I’ve never come so hard before. It was like he didn’t care about anything but touching me…”

“I’m happy for you, I am. But what about Cade and your brother?”

“Why do you think he told Cade he wants out?”

“Oh my God, he’s leaving… for you.”

She nods again, a small smile tugging at her lips. “It’s crazy, right? I told him it won’t work, that Cade will never let him walk away, but he wants out, Mia. He chose me over all this.”

“Do you really think they’ll let him walk away?”

Concern pinches her brows. “He isn’t the Rexford heir. Alex is. It makes no sense for him to remain Electi.”

“But he knows things, Sash… he’s seen things…”

“It’ll be okay. It has to be.” Hope flickers across her face, but it’s snuffed out as her expression falls. “I love him, Mia. I’m in love with him.” Tears spring from her eyes.

“Shh.” I reach over and grab her hand. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out. Maybe he can be like Ashton.” He isn’t true Electi. The same rules don’t apply to him the way they do the rest of them. “I’m sure Brandon will understand,” I add.

Sasha settles, draining the rest of her coffee. “What a pair we are, both lusting after guys we can’t have.”

“Yeah.” I swallow the ball of emotion lodged in my throat.

“You did good at the party,” she adds. “You almost had me convinced.”

I frown, and Sasha chuckles. “You’re learning to play the game.”

“Isn’t that what I need to do?”

“It is. Just be careful, Mia. I don’t know what you’re up to but—”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” I say. “I’m okay.”

I think back to Bexley pulling me into his room Friday night. It would have been so easy to give in to him, to my feelings for him. But I won’t be so reckless again.

“What does Cade’s mom think about all this?”

“Melanie Kingsley? She’s still the grieving wife.”

“But didn’t Gregory Kingsley die years ago?”

“Yeah, but she never got over it. Spends her days over at the Kingsley Estate off her face on a cocktail of Xanax and vodka. Why do you ask?”

“Just trying to understand Cade, I guess.”

She snorts. “Don’t try to find reasons where there are none. Cade is a misogynistic, power hungry, depraved asshole who thrives on using people and playing games. He’s sick, Mia.”

“Yeah, but what does he want?”

It’s the question I’ve been asking myself a lot. He’s on a power trip, there’s no doubting that. But he’s still human, driven by something. He wants to see Bexley fail, to give in. But I still don’t know where I fit into all of this. I was no one to him until my name was pulled from the calix.

“Where is your head right now?” Sasha eyes me with mild curiosity, but it’s the concern in her expression that makes my stomach sink.

“I’m just trying to… I don’t know. I just can’t willingly accept that this is how it has to be.”

The more I think about it, the more things don’t add up.

“I know it sucks. Trust me, I know.” She flashes me an apologetic smile. “But you’re his prosapia. Once the Coglio takes place… you’ll be his fiancée. There’s no going back on that.”

Like she needs to remind me.

“What exactly happens at the Coglio?” My voice cracks, betraying my nerves. It’s easier to ignore what the future will bring than to overthink any of it.

“There’s a dinner at Gravestone Hall. I guess you could say it’s like an engagement party. And then you and Cade will… you know.”

“Sex.” The word is like ash on my tongue.

“Yeah.”

“It’s always a full moon. You know how Q likes its moon rituals.” She rolls her eyes.

“It’s such bullshit,” I hiss. “I saw Cade at the party, fucking some girl.”

“Babe, he’s a manwhore of epic proportions. This whole town reeks of double standards. Gravestone is a man’s world, and we’re just along for the ride.”

“Awful pun.” I grimace. But then we share a long look and burst into laughter.

“That’s the spirit, Mia. You can’t overthink this stuff, it’ll drive you insane.”

Just then, we hear the rumble of engines.

“Looks like they’re home.”

“They haven’t been gone long.” I stand, nervous energy vibrating inside me.

All the blood has drained from Sasha’s face as she sits frozen in the chair.

“It’ll be okay,” I say. “Whatever happens, you have me.”

“It’ll be fine.” She shakes