Arranged love

MIA

DILLAN DRAGS ME down the hallway to a set of glass double doors and pushes me inside. It’s got a long, black table with a skull carved out of it along with Kingdom at each end. He pulls out the chair at the head of the table and ushers me into it.

“What are we doing in here?” I ask.

“Having a meeting. The others will be here any second,” he answers, checking his watch.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

I look up as the door opens and the rest of the Kings enter. It’s the first time I’ve seen Grave since dinner last night. I hate how much it bothers me that he doesn’t like me. As if I have to prove myself to be in his circle. The sad part is that I want to.

“What’s going on?” Cross asks, entering behind Titan.

Dillan waits for everyone to get in and settled. Haven sits next to me, holding on tight to a water bottle. Dillan grips the back of the chair I sit in and leans over it. “I just spoke to Marsha. My plan last night backfired.”

“How so?” Grave asks. Sitting up straighter, he has his attention on his brother.

“How bad?” Cross inquires.

“Pretty fucking bad,” he answers, pushing off the chair. I look over my shoulder to see him crossing his arms over his chest. “An anonymous caller informed her of who Mia was.”

Titan frowns. “How is that bad? We wanted her name out there.”

Dillan goes on to add, “True, but this caller also mentioned that Luca was in the hospital due to a gunshot wound.”

Titan snorts. “We’ve got NDAs all over that place. She’s reaching …”

“She had someone follow Haven last night when she stormed out of the restaurant. They are aware that she went straight to see him, and that Nite was there.”

Haven lowers her face, letting out a sigh, feeling bad for her reaction last night.

“Fuck.” Grave slams his fisted hands down on the black surface of the large table.

“So the question is, who the fuck is this anonymous caller?” Cross demands.

“Has to be one of the Bianchi boys,” Grave assumes.

“No,” Dillan argues. “They said a gunshot wound. Not wounds. Whoever called in doesn’t know the truth. Just a part of it.”

“Well, that makes sense, considering we’re not even sure it was one of the Bianchis.” Cross shrugs.

“We’ve had tight security on Luca. He hasn’t had any visitors other than those in this room.” Titan is the one who speaks. “Besides Nite, and we all know he’s not speaking to anyone.”

Everyone looks at me, and I stiffen. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Who else knows you exist?” Grave arches a brow, sitting back in his seat.

“No one,” I rush out.

“Bullshit.”

“Grave,” Dillan snaps at him.

“What about the auction?” Titan offers. “You said you bought her in New York. There had to be people there who saw her.”

Dillan shakes his head again. “No one there would say a word. It’s too tight-lipped. Everything was anonymous. If someone recognized me and decided to speak, they would be killed. They wouldn’t risk their lives for her name.”

“There was that one guy,” I say, and everyone looks at me once again.

“Who?” Dillan growls.

“He was there. In that house you took me to afterward.” I vaguely remember a guy in that room that Dillan dragged me into.

“Where the hell did you take her?” Grave snaps at him.

He sighs. “That was Tristan Decker, and he wouldn’t say a word to anyone.”

“So now what?” Cross asks, everyone obviously agreeing with him because no one argued the fact that this Tristan guy might be the anonymous caller.

“She thinks I’m hiding a better story,” Dillan answers.

“There’s nothing else to tell.” Grave tosses back his energy drink in one gulp. “We could move Luca-”

“Too risky.” Dillan shakes his head, not even allowing his brother to finish that sentence. “She gave me twenty-four hours before she went public with the story. I told her I had a better one but to give me until Friday. She agreed.”

Silence falls over the room, and I feel the temperature change. I rub my sweaty hands on my jeans and bite my bottom lip.

Grave is the one who breaks it. “What the fuck are you going to give her, Dillan?” He growls his first name, and I watch his body stiffen. I have a feeling they don’t call each other by their given names often.

“Friday night …” He looks at me, and I hold my breath. “Mia and I will announce our engagement.”

BONES

“ARE YOU FUCKING insane?” Grave shouts, jumping to his feet.

I ignore him, keeping my attention on Mia. She looks terrified right now. Eyes wide, bottom lip trembling, shoulders shaking. “No, Dillan. We don’t have to do this,” she whispers.

Grave snorts, still convinced she’s playing me.

“I think it’s a great idea.” Titan nods his head.

“Of course, you would,” Grave growls at him.

“The anonymous caller outing Luca’s health jeopardizes everyone a lot more than an engagement. She needed a better story. This is better. Bigger,” Titan explains.

Grave gives a rough laugh. “A better story would be that you and Bones both fuck your wife.”

Haven bows her head, and Mia’s wide eyes go to Grave. He notices and smirks. “Oh, your soon-to-be fiancé hasn’t told you that?” She looks back at me, and my teeth clench. “Yeah,” Grave goes on, and her eyes swing back to his. “Bones started fucking Emilee in high school and throughout college …”

“Grave,” Titan warns.

That doesn’t stop him. “Then she ran back here because she was in trouble and started spreading her legs for Titan, who was nice enough to share her with Bones-”

“That’s enough!” Titan shouts, getting to his feet.

“You know what.” Grave throws his hands up. “You all do whatever the fuck you want, but leave me out of it. I’m not losing what I’ve worked my ass off for because of pussy, and I’m sure as hell not dying for someone who doesn’t give a fuck about us.” He turns around and walks out, shoving the glass double doors open so hard I’m surprised they don’t shatter.

“I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but are you sure this plan will work?” Cross asks me, ignoring Grave’s outburst. He looks over at Mia, who is now staring at the table, and adds, “The last one didn’t go so well.”

“Yeah.” At this point, it has to. This was always going to be the next step after we announced her to the world. It’s just happening sooner than I wanted.

“I’m going to go to the hospital,” Haven finally announces, standing. She’s ready to get the fuck out of here.

“I’ll go with you.” Mia stands and starts to walk toward the door, and I grab her arm.

“She’ll be right there,” I tell Haven, and she exits. “Mia-” I stop myself, not sure if we should talk about our fake engagement coming up or the fact that I’ve fucked my best friend’s wife. I haven’t slept with Emilee since she and Titan got married. She belongs to him now. But what Grave said was true. I can’t deny that.

Mia chooses for me. “I don’t have a choice, right?” She arches a brow in challenge, and I clench my teeth. “I’ve never had the option before. Why would I think I’d get one now?”

“I’m protecting you,” I growl.

“No.” She jerks her hand from my hold. “You’re giving my father what he wants.” Pushing her chest into mine, she bares her teeth. “I never thought you’d be the type of King that bowed to anyone. Guess I was wrong.” Then she storms out of the room.