Page 114 of Heartless Lord
“Do you know what this is about?” I asked Gage who stood beside me with his arms crossed and a bored expression on his face.
He gave a lazy shrug. “No fucking idea, but I was in the middle of studying for a psych test.”
“These bastards pulled me out of football practice.” Axel tore into a protein bar like a savage beast. “This had better be good.”
Slate grinned and flicked ebony locks out of his face. “I wasn’t doing anything, so this was a happy surprise.”
“You need a hobby.” He opened his mouth, but I interrupted him. “One that doesn’t involve sex and practical jokes.”
“Quiet, everyone,” Bass barked, his nostrils flaring and blonde hair unusually ruffled. “We have an issue, and I want everyone to shut the fuck up and listen.”
Gage arched a pierced eyebrow at Bass’s stressed state. My stepbrother agitated was never a good thing.
“A Neophyte failed to complete his initiation task and has gone missing.”
Shocked murmurs rippled through the brothers. An initiate into Serpents & Daggers had never vanished—unless they failed their task andwedisposed of them. This wouldn’t look good to the Inner Circle, and it would fall on my stepbrother’s shoulders.
His jaw clenched, those blue eyes like icy daggers. “I want Micah Preston located. Search the campus and the whole damntown. If you see or hear anything, come to me with the information immediately.”
Of course, I’d expected this reaction from Bass once he realized Micah was gone. He’d try his hardest to locate the Neophyte before having to alert the Grand Domnus. Micah had better stay far away from Copper Cove.
If they ever found him, he could run his mouth about why he failed his task, and the whole organization would be gunning for Lexiandme.
“You’re all dismissed, except for Killian.” He jerked his chin for me to follow him to the corner of the room.
My expression remained neutral as I slowly made my way to Bass, the gas lanterns highlighting the beads of sweat forming across his forehead. “What do you want?”
“Doesn’t it seem a little odd that the Neophyte I tasked with eliminating that girl suddenly disappeared?” He dragged his fingers through his hair, his eyes bloodshot and glassy, scotch scenting his breath. “The same girl you refused to find.”
“I didn’t refuse shit. You passed the assignment to someone else when I didn’t move fast enough.” I shrugged. “Clearly, Preston wasn’t cut out for this world if he couldn’t handle one girl.”
My stepbrother gripped my shirt and shoved me against the rough-hewn wall. “Your stench is all over this, Killian. You just happen to leave school for a few days while he mysteriously vanishes?” His fists dug into my chest, the fury around him palpable. “Did you sneak Micah out of town? Did you help him escape?”
I forced Bass off, sending him stumbling into the altar withFratres Super Omniacarved above. “Stan knows exactly where I was. He asked me to take care of something for him.”
Technically, the truth. I just omitted the part about bringing Lexi.
“Bullshit!”
“Call him.” I smoothed the wrinkles in my shirt. “It’s not my fault you picked a dud to invite into the Serpents & Daggers. This is all on you, and eventually, you’ll have to tell your father.”
Bass wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm, the tiny muscles in his jaw jumping.
“You better hope I don’t find out you had anything to do with this, Kill. The only reason you’d risk your position here is to protect Lexi, no matter how much you claim to hate her.” A grin curved his mouth, sending ice down my spine. “If she turns out to be the one I’m looking for, I won't just kill her. I’ll personally serve her a special brand of punishment.”
CHAPTER 38
SICK, TWISTED DESIRE
Lexi
I stared at the duffel bag I’d shoved in the corner of my dorm room and let out a pathetic sigh as I belly-flopped onto my bed. I’d been back at Stonewall for two days, but I still couldn’t summon the energy to unpack. Maybe because there was too much mental shit to unpack along with it.
That trip to the Dominican Republic had been a complete disaster.
Not only had I nearly been murdered, but I’d let Killian fuck me. Multiple times. Which was about a thousand times worse.
And even more disturbing, I couldn’t get him out of my head. He’d gone radio silent since our return, which should’ve been exactly what I wanted—only now, it wasn’t. He’d promised he’d look into Stan, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he really was or if he’d just blow it off. I was sure there were dozens of sorority girls who’d let Killian Davenport fuck them for free, just like he’d said.
