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

things up with Remi, pushed her when she didn't want it, but fuck, I'm not sure what I did back then deserves me ending up here and right in the middle of this shitshow.

Sucking in a breath, I force everything to the back of my mind and swing my door open, walking toward the colossal house.

I miss the dorms.

I miss my small bedroom, my twin bed and my tiny closet and old bathroom.

This play, this luxury… it's not me.

I hated all the pretense in Sterling Bay, how my parents lorded it over everyone because they had more than almost everyone else, and I hate it even more here. Maybe because now I've had a chance to live differently, to see things from a different perspective.

Fuck, my life is a mess.

I push open the front door as Mulligan hurries down the stairs.

"Ah, Mr. Easton, would you like some dinner?"

My stomach groans right on cue.

"That would be great, thank you."

"I just delivered Mr. Rexford's up to his bedroom. Would you like—"

"I'll join him," I interrupt.

Mulligan is great. He's a fucking kick-ass chef, but I still feel weird about the fact that he waits on us hand and foot. I've lost count of the number of times I've requested he just call me Bexley since I was forced to live in his hellhole, but he still refuses. Cade's need to reign supreme and be above everyone really does know no bounds.

"Very well, sir."

"Thank you," I say sincerely.

"You're more than welcome, Mr. Easton."

I raise my brow at him, and he fights a smile. It's as if he's paid not to enjoy himself while he tends to our every need. It's just fucking weird.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I follow the sound of music until I get to Alex's door. I knock a couple of times and he immediately calls for me to enter, I assume knowing that it's me.

"Hey, man. How's it going?"

"It's… going," I mutter, falling down onto his bed while he eats at his desk.

"That good?"

The words are on the tip of my tongue to tell him what I've really been up to tonight, who I've been with, but I quickly swallow them down.

"Yeah. You know, assignments," I mutter, feeling the weight of the lie pressing down on me.

When it turned out that Cade and the guys were leaving us behind tonight, I knew it was my chance to talk to Marcus, so I made up some bullshit about needing to go to the library.

"Yup," he mutters, lifting his chin toward his open laptop.

"So, any idea where the guys have gone without us?" I ask, intrigued to find out what Cade is up to.

"No clue, but it sucks. They bang on about us being a part of them now, and then they just drop us when they feel like it." From the tone of Alex's voice, I'd say he's more annoyed about this than I am.

He's been swept away by them, and what he's saying right now doesn't stem my concerns at all.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? Living here, being one of Cade's sheep."

"I'm just making the best of it," he says, nodding to his half-eaten steak.

"But last night…" I start, thinking back to him 'making the best of it' with one of Cade's sluts.

"I was just enjoying myself, man. You should really do the fucking same."

"You barely kissed anyone in front of me since we became friends, yet all of a sudden you’re sticking your cock in any willing pussy in public."

"It wasn't in public," he argues.

"Fine, a room full of pricks."

He shrugs, clearly not seeing the issue I've got with this.

"What were you on?"

"I dunno, some pills Ash had. They were fucking good, man. Felt like a fucking king."

"Yeah, I could see that while you were getting your rocks off."

"You know, you could enjoy yourself too, if you stopped pining after Mia."

Anger surges through me at his suggestion that I could just forget about her that easily.

"That's not… She's not… Do you know what? Fuck you, Alex. You want to act up to the big boys, join their little fucking club, then be my guest. It's your fucking funeral. You just remember who had your back when it counted." I pin him with a look, and he pales as he remembers the night in the warehouse.

Yeah, I was the one who made that kill… for him. No other fucker was going to do it as he choked.

"Next time you need help, feel free to run to Cade like a good little fucking sheep."

I march across his room and have my fingers wrapped around the door handle when he speaks again.

"Bex, I'm sorry. I—"

"Don't," I bark, not ready to hear his apology.

Ripping the door open, I slam it behind me hard enough to make the walls vibrate before storming to my own room and repeating the move.

My mood isn't any better when I wake up the next morning, and knowing that I'm going to have to sit through classes with Mia today doesn't help.

It's like I spend the majority of my time as a spectator in her life. On the edges, looking in, wanting more.

I guess it's how most of the Gravestone U students feel about the Electi. Well, they are more than welcome to come and take my fucking place. I don't want it.

I think back over last night's conversation with James once more and all the things he alluded to. I knew he wasn't going to sit there and spell it all out for us. This town has secrets for a reason. Hell, James has a job covering all of that shit up for a reason. Still, I’d hoped for more than he gave us. Something a little more concrete that we could use to help her get out of this. As it is, I feel like we're clawing after something that is totally unreachable.

Alex looks a little sheepish when I join him and the others in the kitchen where they're all eating breakfast. Unable