Shattered Legacy : A Dark Bully Romance (Gravestone Elite Book 1) by Caitlyn Dare (red seas under red skies TXT) 📕

I sit down beside her, and finally Cole does the same.

"So… um… your dad d-died in a car crash, right? His wife, your—" I shake my head to stop that train of thought.

"My mom is my mom. She got pregnant by Richard Easton and ran before anyone found out."

Her lips part before she closes them again, having found no words.

"Mom lied to Dad and me this whole time. Somehow Marcus found out and the timing was perfect, because my parents were more than ready to pack me up and send me away.

"I did almost a year there with no idea who I was or what all of it meant.

"And then came the new moon ceremony and—" She sucks in a deep breath and covers her hand over her mouth.

"Bexley, you're Electi initium." It's not a question. It doesn't need to be.

Pulling my shorts up higher on my thigh, I show her my still red scar from the blood sacrifice they forced on me.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Cole barks, clearly not understanding anything we're saying. I get it, it took awhile for it to make any sense to me too.

I look from Cole and back to Hadley.

"Yes, Bex. Always," she assures me, answering my silent question as to whether we can trust him or not.

Hadley very quickly skims over the details of Gravestone. She misses a ton out, so I can only assume that Cole already knows some of this twisted shit.

"Bexley is now one of the most important people in the town. But don't think that's a good thing. Because in my opinion—sorry, Bex—it's a death sentence."

"Don't worry, I feel the same right now."

"He gets initiated in. Tasks are set by Quinctus and the other Electi. They can be brutal. Guys have died in the past, trying to claim their rightful place."

Cole frowns, clearly having a hard time understanding why anyone would put themselves through that. "Just walk away."

"He can't. That's an even bigger death sentence."

"Marcus wants me to take down Cade," I blurt for the first time, and it feels so good to let it out.

"Oh?" Hadley's eyes widen. "But he's…"

"King? Yeah, I got that fucking memo." I scrub my hand through my sweat-damp hair and look out to the sea. "According to Marcus and your… father," she sucks in a breath at the mention of him, "he's getting out of control. I can't help but agree with them after the shit he's put us through."

"Us?" Her eyes narrow and I chastise myself. "Is someone else initiating with you? And what's my father got to do with this?"

"I… uh… I've just had a chance to talk with him about it, that’s all."

She holds my eyes, clearly sensing that I'm not telling her the whole truth. But like fuck am I going to sit here and tell her she's got a new brother. That is not my place.

"You should come back, Hads. Visit your parents. Things have… things have changed recently and—"

"Do you know why I left?" she asks, cutting me off.

I shake my head. "I've heard rumors. Nothing concrete."

"I fell in love with Tim," she admits, much to Cole's irritation if his curled fists and white knuckles are anything to go by. "He got me pregnant."

"Jesus, Hads." I scrub my hand down my face as I let this new information sink in. "But Fawn is his prosapia."

"Exactly. See my issue?"

I think of Mia, of the thoughts I had about my biological father and my mother on the drive here.

This is another thing pointing to the fact that whatever is growing between us will never work.

She's not mine, and I can't have her.

I bend my legs and drop my head to my knees. "This is such a fucking mess," I mutter as Hadley's warm hand lands on my back.

"I wanted to kill you for what went down with Remi, Bex. But this… I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

"I was lucky, I guess. My father found out the truth and I was exiled. It worked out perfectly for me. But I know that things are very different for male heirs. If I were a boy and this happened then… I can only imagine what they'd have done to me. I guess it's good that I never had a brother."

I tense at her words.

She needs to know the truth.

I turn to look at her.

She looks happy. Really fucking happy.

"Shouldn't you two be at college or something?"

"We're both at Colton U. Cole is a Colt."

Of course he is. Cole Jagger is a killer running back, so it’s not surprising a team like Colton picked him up for college football.

"We just came back for the weekend for James' birthday."

"About the Jaggers," I start, knowing there are some pieces of the puzzle I’m still missing. "Where do they all fit into this?"

26

Mia

By the time we get back to campus, all the relief I felt confiding in Annabel melts away, and I can’t help but wonder if I did the right thing or not.

But in that split second, I needed to tell someone. All the secrets and lies are slowly killing me, and since it appears Bexley is ignoring me, I turned to the only other person I could.

Of course, I swore her to secrecy. But after my emotional breakdown as I confessed to her, I think she knows how important it is that she doesn’t breathe of word of it. To anyone.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Annabel pauses as we arrive outside my dorm.

“Yeah.”

“And I’m here, Mia. If you need anything.”

Her eyes say everything she doesn’t, and I reach for her hand, squeezing it.

“Thank you, for everything.”

“Of course.”

I slip inside and close my door, breathing a sigh of relief. For as much as I’ve enjoyed Annabel’s company, I’m glad to have some space.

Kicking off my sneakers, I flop down on the bed and grab my cell from my pocket, bringing up my messages to Bexley. They all show the little read sign, so I