My heart stops, slamming abruptly against my ribs.
“A problem?”
Peter answers only with a slow dip of his chin, his eyes on Ezra. I glance his way, trying my best to keep my poker face, which I’m sure he can see right through.
“Nico,” Ezra responds to my question, before turning his attention back to Peter, who claps his hands together like a proud teacher whose student finally got the answer.
“What’s the problem with Nico?” I ask, swallowing hard and forcing down the lump forming in my throat.
“I can’t have him meddling in my things, Shiloh helping him,” Peter says, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Really put a damper on my plans. He was supposed to take the fall for June’s death, and now I have more bodies in the place of one.”
My eyes bulge at the realization. My brain feels like it’s filling up with air, the pressure impossible to escape. The words wash over me like ice-cold water. Why is he talking about June’s death like that…Unless…
My head shakes slowly at first and then faster, trying to rattle the thought loose before it settles. But it’s too late. The words are already inside me, poisoning me. Nico…
He was supposed to take the fall for June’s death. The way Peter repeats it, like it's simple logistics, like it’s a line item on a spreadsheet, and not the death of his sister. Once again, I find myself glancing over at Ezra, but he doesn’t flinch. The only indication of life is the steady rise of his chest; otherwise, I would assume he was dead based on the empty look on his face. He just stares ahead like he’s already made peace with the devil.
“You knew?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper, pathetic and breaking. Ezra doesn’t answer, and all I can do is stare at the stranger who wears the face of my best friend.
Peter leans back, satisfied. “I need Nico gone, and Shiloh wearing my ring and neutralized. You two can make that happen.”
I shake my head. “She’s already yours?”
Peter grins and then falls into a scowl. “Would you want your future wife sleeping around with filth?”
He chuckles as he pours himself another drink. I feel sick. My eyelids twitch from the stress. I don’t respond, the ringing inside my head intensifies, making it hard for me to hear. My vision tunnels, and all I can do is drop into the seat beside Ezra, afraid my knees will give out. My mind continues to spin—June, Nico, Shiloh. Fuck, the bodies are just gonna stack up like poker chips, and we are all in Peter’s hand.
My stomach turns.
“We will get it done. I have a plan. I just need time,” Ezra answers, rising to his feet and walking towards the bar behind Peter. His eyes track his every move, his lips curling and thinning in a sickening rhythm. From the outside, he looks cool and collected, but the shake in his hand doesn’t lie. Something is off. Something he’s definitely hiding from me, and still, I can see the thin fracture in his composed armor.
“How much time?” Peter asks, unable to mask the annoyance in his tone. Ezra removes the glass cap from the bottle and pours himself a drink, only stopping to look dramatically at him and, with a grin, responds. “The end of the semester.”
Peter sits back, adjusting his collar. “Why so long?”
“I have my own problems within the team.” Ezra drawls, “I need to figure out who the mole is within us. And Zayden..”
The mention of his name has me glaring at my friend, my fist clenching so tight my nails dig into my skin.
“Well, we need him for Costa Mar. He won’t help us if we harm his best friend.” His gaze clashes with mine as the last word leaves his lips, and I never wanted more than to silence him with my fist.
Even as the truth continues to poison me, my mind continues to find a solution. A way out where Zayden and Nico walk away scot-free, and all of it narrows down to me. I need to be the one who stands between them, even if I have to become the very thing they grow to hate. “I’ll handle Zayden.”
Peter's lips spread into a wide smile, exposing his perfectly straight white teeth. “I knew I could count on you,” he says with a shake of his finger. “Your dad is a shark, and I can only imagine what you will do with time. I knew you’d come around.”
I can feel Ezra staring into the side of my face, but I don’t turn to look. My gaze remains locked at the man in front of me, as I accept that June’s true killer wasn’t Brad. Or Wesley, how I imagined. The order came from the top–her brother—which means the real killer is in this room.
My eyes widen at the haunting realization that steals my breath, and the truth lands a devastating blow to my stomach, leaving me winded and pained. Peter's voice continues to fill the space as he drones on and on about the future of Velarium. How marrying Shiloh will grant him more seats, even give him a claim to one in Costa Mar. While also making it stark clear that he wants Nico dead, not just gone, and in that moment, I’m sure my mind spaced off.
I don’t remember leaving… or the ride to Velarium. I don’t even remember sitting in this room as the neon lights blink on and off.What am I even doing here?My eyes scan the room, landing on the red fucking door. I remember now. I should feel disgusted with myself, disgusted with all of it. I just can’t seem to find it in me to care. Right now, all I want to do is feel those perfectly pouty lips wrapped around my length as I fuck his throat and my mind into oblivion. To a place Velarium can’t touch. What can I say… I am, after all, the villain of the story.
Hooking my finger between my collar, I tug it loose. My pulse is reaching an all-time high, as my mind keeps replaying today's event, making the need inside me grow heavier the longer it festers. I look down at my hands, noticing my bloody knuckles, and I can’t even recall how the fuck that even happened. My phone buzzes from somewhere in the room. I scan, trying to track down the source of the vibration. With a groan, I leanover the bed, reaching towards the phone that sits on top of the nightstand.
Anonymous:
Tick. Tock. Tick.
My stomach sinks, my finger hovering over the video before deciding to hit play. The sounds of skin slapping against skin fill the screen, followed by Allison, on full display. Perky tits bouncing as she takes backshots from Mr. Roberts. Something like relief spills over me, the brightness shining down on me at this very moment. I blink away the pressure, but still, it does nothing; the tightness just keeps on pressing. Laughter builds deep in my chest, working its way up my throat. The feeling is euphoric, and I fall into it. Placing the phone to my ear, I listen to the moans…
