“I don’t have stalker skills like you, Parker. I have to do what I have to do to make sure they don’t have her.”
The truth rings inside me, and it pushes me to keep going. If I learned anything from my piece-of-shit brother, it’s that the founding families are the first and last ones who want to screw us over. My hands ball into fists, restless energy bursting through me searching for an outlet. I hate being in this house, but even more so when I should be out there looking forher.I should have known that the five of us wouldn’t be able to keep someone like her, but I truly never expected my own brother to be the one to ruin everything.
He didn’t even want her and he rejected her in a way that made me lose her. While it all seems so obvious in hindsight, it still burns. I saw who and what she was the first day she arrived at Bellthorn. Defiant. Resilient. And I let Soren, of all people, chase her away.
“What if he asked them to get rid of her?”
“Soren? He wouldn’t dare.”
His conviction and faith in my brother is too much, and a thundering bellow leaves my mouth raw in its fury, scraping my throat. “I’m taking care of this myself. I’m finding her right now.”
“You’re throwing a tantrum,” he says behind me, but it’s too late.
CHAPTER 6
ORION
“Calm down,Orion! This isn’t the right way to do this,” Parker says, easily keeping stride with me as I try to lose him in the hall. The staff jump out of my way as I march through the mansion. Parker tries his best to dissuade me, but he might as well be one of the many ghosts haunting me. My sanity slips through my fingers and dissipates behind me. There isn’t a chance in hell I’m going to calm down.
“Why would Soren ask them to do this? Why would they agree?” Parker sounds so exhausted with me, but maybe I’m the one who’s tired of the rest of them.
“Soren is the golden boy. When are any of you going to understand? He’s the true Rook. I’m the spare.”
Parker winces. He knows my words are true because he’s the spare too, after all. My dad would jump at any opportunity to make life easier for Soren, because he’s the firstborn, but me? He couldn’t care less. I pass one of the many mirrors my mother likes to line her halls with, and catch myself. I’m thinner, my eyes sunken and deep set after so many nights without any sleep, but I still look just like him.
That fucking video still may as well bemeviolating Sable’s trust and fucking that bitch Arabella. Parker’s face reflectsalongside mine, and I refuse to admit to myself that his expression is covered in concern.
I haven’t even seen her this year. I can’t keep doing nothing.
My father’s study sits a short way down the hall, and my determination builds. I shove the double doors, but they're locked. I turn to Parker with an expectant look. He’s quite the talented lockpick, and he’d better start carrying his weight.
“I’m not,” he argues.
“Do it, or I’m breaking the door down.”
“Why the fuck would I care if you’re the one?—”
My shoulder crashes into the door, but it’s better built than I imagined. “Fuck,” I groan. I need to get back to eating regularly if I want to break down the doors. Parker must take pity on me because he stops me before my second attempt, and he pulls out his kit. My limbs shake as I try to exercise patience. Can’t he do this any faster?
“This is a really fucking bad plan,” Parker informs as the door opens. His disapproval doesn’t seem to mean much when he follows me inside rather than leaving me to my own devices.
“Can you at least handle this tactfully, please? He probably has cameras, but in case he doesn’t, it would be great if he didn’t notice we were here.”
“He has cameras in the hall, but not in here as far as I know.” I look around, deciding where I should begin. Soren has been in here more than I have, and once again, I curse the fact that he could be helpful.
“So he already knows we’re in here, goddammit,” he curses.
“I’m sure the staff told him immediately,” I tell him over my shoulder as I start to flip through things and look for proof of his involvement. “He’ll be here in no time.” I guess he was right when he said this was a bad plan, but it’s too late to turn back now. Rather than taking things gently as he requested, I grab some things and start tossing them around.
“This isn’t funny,” he says.
“Agreed.” The certainty I carried all the way here starts to wear off. I’m hoping to prove him wrong when I sit down at his computer. I’m not finding anything that’s helping in his desk drawers, and I’ve tried so many wrong passwords that the computer has locked me out for a couple of hours.
“Orion, seriously, we should go.” Parker’s voice pitches with anxiety.
I’m about to argue, but a voice I recognize answers well instead. “He’s right, Orion. You should go.”
My father stares at me from the doorway, face bright red with his fury. His eyes run over both of us, calculating as he takes in the scene. Did he leave his work just to come here and stop me? How interesting, I’ve never gotten so much of Daddy’s attention. I should know that trying to make him proud would never be enough, what I had to do is stopping giving a fuck, just like my brother.
