Page 25
Story: Princes of Chaos
I know from the flare of white-hot fury in their eyes that this is going to be bad.
“Get your fucking hands off of her,” Sy demands, voice low and deadly.
But Nick’s the one who breaks frame first. His face twists into something murderous at the accusation of kidnapping. The truth about how he won Lavinia is widely known, just as much as how hard she resisted it. “That stupid polo shirt you’re wearing is going to look so much better when it’s stained with your own goddamn blood.” Sy gets his hands on his brother before he lunges at Wicker. “You think you’re better than me?”
Wicker shrugs. “Obviously. That’s not really in question here.”
Nick strains against Sy’s taut, massive arms. “Then prove it. You may have beaten Bruce in the ring, but I will stomp your ass until you beg for fucking mercy.”
As if heeding a call, Pace pushes up his sleeves, revealing the intricate lines of his tattoos. He jerks his chin at Nick. “Give me a reason to go back to prison. I dare you.”
“Stop!” I shout, breaking away from Wicker to plant myself between them, arms held out. “They’re right, okay? I agreed to this.” I square my shoulders, trying to muster a resolve I don’t feel. “I received an invitation to the ball, and I decided to take it. I understood the consequences of that decision.” My lower body screams at that lie. Nowhere on the shiny gold foil invitation had it said that being crowned Princess would require me to have my hymen broken by some archaic dildo, only to then be contractually raped by one of these monsters. I take a deep breath and look the three Princes in the eye for the first time since last night. “Can I talk to them for a minute? Alone?” I add a quiet, begrudging, “Please?”
Wicker snaps, “Fat fucking chance,” but Lex rests his hand on his shoulder and gives him a firm squeeze.
“Five minutes.” Lex nods at a fountain twenty feet away. “We’ll be right there.”
Pace’s eyes flick to mine. “If you try anything, we’ll know.” My eyes follow his to the bank of cameras above. The eyes in the sky. “I’llknow.”
I watch them walk off, and when they’re a good distance away, I turn, trying to come up with the words to explain myself. But before I can, Remy has instantly closed the distance, taking my face between his hands. His hard eyes study me intently.
“Remy,” I ask, “what are you doing?”
“I’ve already found the red,” he seethes, snatching up my wrist. He holds it out, as if he’s showing me the cuts there, telling me something I didn’t already know. “Now, I’m looking for the orange,” he bites out, “because that’s the only fucking way this is happening.”
“They’re telling the truth.” I turn my hand, catching his finger in my palm. “I was invited, and I came here of my own free will. I promise.”
It’s so much worse than I could have imagined, watching Remy’s face sink as he steps back, releasing me. “So you’re East End now.” The words are harsh, even if the tone they’re given with is soft. “You know what they are, don’t you?” A hard, tense jaw gestures to the tiara on my head. “Everything in there is gold, Verity.Everything.”
He’s not being literal. “I know,” I tell him, hoping he’ll understand. “I’m not stupid. A lot of it’s a lie. But…”
Jesus, it’s hard–so hard not to just tell them the truth. That I’m doing this, in some ways, for them as much as me and the Monarchs. That I want to see Forsyth become the kind of place that doesn’t turn sweet boys like Remy into these hard, violent, distrusting men.
But I can’t.
“I know you,” Nick says, head shaking. “You’re not doing this for the money or the gifts, so there must besomething–”
“It’s the only available Royal position,” Sy tells his brother. There’s a sad surety in his eyes that I never thought would be reserved for me. “That’s it, isn't it? Verity, I know you were disappointed when we chose Lav—”
“No, I wasn’t,” I insist, but when his eyebrow lifts, I relent. “Okay, Iwas–for like a minute. But Lavinia is the most amazing Duchess, and she’s the best Queen for you. I really do believe that. Plus, I think we all know you guys view me more as a sister than… well, anything else.”
Sy shakes his head, still looking pissed. “Duchess isn’t the only place for you, Verity. You keep the cutsluts in line. They respect you. And you’re more familiar with the history of the club than anyone else, keeping track of all those dates and traditions.” He levels those blue eyes at me. “I’m pretty sure your mom is going to want to retire one day, and then who’s going to manage the club—”
“Or us,” Remy cuts in.
“—when she does?” Sy finishes.
In one rambling, run-on sentence, Simon Perilini just laid out my future. That would be my life with DKS. Wrangling cutsluts, managing Friday Night Fury, planning Family Dinners, and organizing charity events. It’s not a bad life, it’s just…
“I want to be bigger than that, Sy.” I take a deep breath. “When I got that invitation, I thought it was a joke, or some kind of inter-frat prank, and… I don’t know, maybe it still is, except…” I glance over my shoulder at the Princes, each of them watching us with alert eyes. “If it is, then those guys don’t seem in on it. Regardless, I saw it as an opportunity.” I turn back to the Dukes, trying to find the balance between truth and secrecy. “I don’t want to be the next Mama B, you guys. I want to be the next Lavinia. I want to do something that matters. Something that leaves a mark on this place. Something my mother has no control over.” I’m surprised to see Sy and Remy listening intently. Nick’s a few feet back, arms crossed over his chest, staring at the ground. “If anyone could understand, it should be you, Nick.”
His muscles flex, head tilting just so.
He’s pissed but listening. They trust me enough to do that, and in return, I want to tell them everything. About the meeting with Lavinia and Story, how this is part of something that will help all of Forsyth. But we agreed not to divulge any of this—not yet. It’s definitely not my place to tell them.
“Why does it have to be here?” Remy asks, fists curling as he gestures to the Princes. “Why does it have to be them?”
“Do you remember West End before Lavinia came?” I ask, arching an eyebrow. “Because I do. Cutsluts didn’t have a choice in entertaining the alumni. You know what that means, right?” Narrowing my eyes, I dare any of them to say otherwise. “Maybe I can be to East End what Lavinia was to me. Maybe there’s a girl out there who needs a voice in this Palace. I’m going to make sure she has one.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213