My brother blocks the punch, fisting my hand and holding it against his stomach. “I let you have one, but that’s it.” His cool demeanor pisses me off, and I growl. “Don’t make me hurt you, little brother.”
I bark out a harsh laugh as I glare at him. “Too fucking late.”
I detect motion at his wrist, spying him clicking something tucked underneath his shirt sleeve. “Quick,” Baz says, his entire expression changing. “We don’t have much time.”
“What did you do?” I yank my arm back.
“Scrambled the connection so the camera feed goes down. It won’t take them long to fix it.” He grips my shoulders. “I know you hate me, but I was only trying to help. As was Dad.”
“Yeah, it sure looked like that.”
He taps my temple. “Use your fucking brain, Jase, and stop thinking with your dick. Dad promised you we would protect the girl, and he meant it. Walter Salinger was next in line. He’s who should have fucked your girl. Dad went out on a limb to hack into the system and mess with the intel. It could still come back to bite him. Salinger is suspicious and salty as fuck he didn’t get to screw her.”
“Oh, and I suppose you offered yourself out of the goodness of your heart.”
He shakes his head, stepping back from me. “You are an idiot. Love truly has blinded you.” He pauses for a couple of beats. “I found that old heir’s right rule so it would be me. Or would you rather it had been Dad? Ashley understood I was trying to help.”
“You fucked my girl in front of everyone! You made her come, and you came inside her. Do you have any idea how much that hurt both of us?”
His features harden with anger. “I’m not going to apologize. I was helping you, and it’s not like I had any choice. You’ve been attending initiations since you were ten. You know how these things go. Get over yourself, and start worrying about the important stuff.”
“Like?” I rub a hand across the back of my neck.
My brother and I have never gotten along. He thrives on this shit while I have spent my life rebelling against it. It’s not like he has ever done anything for me or tried to understand my perspective, so sue me if I have a hard time believing he did this to help me or Ash.
“Like finding a way to be with your girl, and I think I have the answer.”
Shock splays across my face. He glances at his watch and curses. Grabbing my head, he whispers in my ear. “The cameras will be back online any second. Knock her up, brother. It worked for her mother. It got her out of marrying that piece of shit. They’ll be mad, but how bad can the punishment be? You’re both luminaries, the child will be pure-blooded, and they can’t kick you out. Not with the precedent they set with her mother.” He waggles his brows as he takes a step back. “You can thank me later.”
ChapterThirty-Seven
Ashley
Standing outside the Luminary HQ entrance, waiting for my ride, I have never been more grateful to see the back of a place. Although, it’s only the first of many such visits I’ve been told. My head is about to explode with all this new knowledge. I got a rundown of the history-slash-origins of The Luminaries, a crash course in Latin, and a high-level breakdown of the Luminary structure, each family, and their businesses.
I’ve also been sick with worry over Jase. When Rhett took me into the observation room and I saw what they were doing to him, I threw up everywhere. No one will tell me anything about him. I couldn’t get past security at the lower level to visit him, so I’ve been going out of my mind.
I hardly slept a wink all week, concerned about what they were doing to punish Jase, troubled over all these new expectations of me, and worried about Chad. I have no cell, and they wouldn’t give me access to a phone. The Wi-Fi only works for approved websites so I could complete my assignments. It wouldn’t connect to social media or any communication sites, so I had no way of contacting my boyfriend. I assume my parents spoke to him, but I have no idea how they explained my absence or what they told the school. I’m less worried about the latter now I know The Luminaries actually own the entire campus. It’s not like I’m going to get kicked out.
“Temptress.”
I spin around so fast I almost trip over my feet. Jase stands behind me, looking much better than the last time I saw him. He still has the remnants of a black eye and some bruising around his nose, but boy is he a sight for sore eyes. “Jase,” I rasp, stepping toward him and wrapping my arms around his waist. “I have been so worried.”
“Me too.” He presses a lingering kiss into my hair before removing my arms and putting distance between us.
Pain spears me through the chest at his rejection. “Do you hate me now?”
“Never, baby,” he says and then mouths “I love you” before subtly jerking his head at the camera tucked into the corner of the entrance.
We’re being watched. I hope that’s all it is. Part of the reason I haven’t been sleeping is worry over what went down with me and Baz and whether Jase and I will ever be able to get past it.
“Here comes our ride,” he says, and I turn around in time to see my SUV pull up in front of us.
My eyes startle in happy surprise when Bree hops out of the driver’s side and races toward me. She envelops me in a gentle hug, careful of my brandings. She knows from personal experience they take weeks to heal. Mine have only just started scabbing over, and they are still sore. I hug her back, grateful to see a friend after a week spent with strangers and scary men with crazy expectations.
“Missed you,” she says, squeezing me one last time before letting me go so she can hug her brother. “Missed you too, little brother. Still living up to your PC2 moniker, I see.” She gives him a thumbs-up.
“What’s that mean?” I ask, recalling Jase referring to her as PC1 on another occasion.
