“You have a weird effect on her, my friend,” he adds, and puts the cigarette in his mouth, lighting it up. “One might assume she doesn’t like you.” He glances between us. “Both of you.”
“That’s because he has a crush on her.” My best friend sighs dramatically and pats my chest, only to laugh when I punch him in the gut, earning myself a cough. “He’s a bit sensitive on the subject.”
“Well, he should have thought about his little crush before he did what he did at the engagement party.”
They all whistle when fury fuels my blood at the reminder of what happened. Instead of showing them an ounce of emotion, I stay silent, and they both shake their heads.
I should have chosen better friends. Then again, one might say I didn’t have much choice in the matter. We were all stuck together since our parents consider each other one big family.
So we were inevitable, although not in a way our parents probably expected.
Heirs to the thrones who indulge in vices that scare most people, but then again, if we indulge in them in the darkness, do they really count?
It’s all a matter of perspective.
One might even say hunger for blood runs through our veins.
“If by crush you mean unhealthy obsession that screws with our lifestyle, then you’re on point,” Kane grits through his teeth, joining us and scowling at me, which earns him indifference, as always. “You need to do something about it and soon. I don’t need the Wrights knocking on our doorsteps during the auction.”
Now, Kane here?
He’s never been part of my family. Von found him hiding under the bleachers searching for food years ago. He lived in their town with an alcoholic mother and a good-for-nothing stepfather who beat him until he turned blue. As a result, the Campbells practically adopted the guy, and his stepfather magically disappeared.
And in our world, it usually means death.
Our dads aren’t known for being patient with useless cowards.
“I must have missed it,” I say, leaning back on my motorcycle and crossing my arms. “Since when do you havethe authority to order me around?” Ice drips from my words as I hold his gaze. His face darkens, the energy shifting around us, cracking with barely contained anger that always simmers between us.
Once upon a time, I showed my generosity by accepting this fucker into our small circle and giving him a chance to prove himself.
And how did he repay me?
The fucker spat in my face and betrayed me.
He’s alive only because Von’s loyalty to him is absolute. That’s a story for another time.
His tone matches the coldness of mine when he replies, “Someone has to, since all of you are too preoccupied with your dicks to pay attention to what really matters here.”
I fish out the lighter from my pocket, turning it on and focusing on the orange-blue flames entwining in perfect harmony, deadly to humankind.
Familiar screams fill my head.
“Run.”
Tightening my grip on the lighter, the burning sensations flicking my skin and bringing a much-needed sting that doesn’t let the memory overshadow my present, I reply, “It wasn’t one of us who got caught with two naked groupies.”
The most hilarious part about that scandal is that Kane doesn’t even care about sex. He’s still a virgin, so what the fuck he was doing in that bathroom still remains a mystery to us.
“After all, you never think about the consequences. Somehow it’s always our job.”
The tension escalates after my words, and Kane smirks, although his eyes stay void, a warning in itself if only I gave a fuck. “You should really let go of your grudge. You’re starting to sound like a little whining bitch.” I hit Kane right in the face,and he stumbles back, covering his nose with his hand and laughing while blood seeps through his fingers.
The girls gasp in the distance while Von grabs Kane by the shoulder, steadying him and pulling out the handkerchief from his back pocket, pressing it to his nose. “Children, please.” He rolls his eyes, and Kane fists the handkerchief, licking the blood from his lips.
Unfortunately, the fucker enjoys the taste of his own blood, so my punches just feed his constant desire for violence. One should see him with a blade in his hands as he glides it down his victims’ throat before cutting them swiftly, causing the red liquid to pour from the arteries, smearing everything around him.
Kane always, and I do mean always, aims for the arteries. Heinous and fascinating sights, indeed, and I think that’s the only reason I let him live.
