Page 2 of Distant Heart (Vicious Valentine)

“Quit pretending like this wasn’t your idea.” Ellery Norwood slapped a hand on Rexton’s shoulder and squeezed. “Ready to tell me the reason for your sudden visit, or you saving that answer for someone else?’

Rex rolled his eyes and shook his cousin off. They both already knew he’d needed a break from Vitality, what with everything going on there between his best friend Aneski and a Brumal member. Ell and he were close enough that they kept in constant contact, so the reason for his cousin’s probing was mostly just to be an ass.

“Shut up. Your friends are watching us,” he motioned with his chin up toward the stairs, “aren’t you going to introduce me?”

Ellery quirked a brow and then let out a sharp laugh. “You want me to introduce you to the Black Harts? You’re really something, you know that?”

“Actually, no.” Rexton crossed his arms and took a pointed glance around the crowded entrance room. “What kind of event is this again?”

Now he was the one being an ass. He knew exactly what went down on Cor Night, he just wasn’t going to let that stop him from attending. It was better than sitting at home doing nothing.

“I warned you not to come,” Ellery reminded. “You insisted. Remember that if—”

He snorted. “Please. Are you forgetting I’m a Shepard?”

“That pathetic little fake gang?” His cousin didn’t bother pulling any punches. “Let’s be real, you’ve never had any interest in that lifestyle. You’re only doing it for Aneski. Which is kind of pathetic, by the way.”

“So you’ve told me.” Only, like, a million times.

“Once more can’t hurt.”

“Whatever.” Rexton hadn’t come here to discuss his home life, he’d come here to run away from it.

Usurn was as good a place as any. Though, now that he was actually standing there, amidst the throngs of unfamiliar faces and flashing ridiculous heart-shaped pins, he was starting to second guess himself. Maybe it wasn’t better than staying in. Maybe he should have opted to stay holed up in Ellery’s dorm after all. Waited for the night to be almost over before—

“Try not to stand out too much,” Ell cut into his thoughts and motioned up at the stairwell toward his friends. “We both know if anyone makes the moves on you tonight, there’s going to be hell to pay, and I really don’t want to deal with that shit.”

Rexton swatted the back of his cousin’s head, giving him a dull look when Ellery cursed and spun around to glare at him. “I’m older than you, remember? Besides, this is your turf. You’re supposed to look out for me here.”

He snorted. “Since you’re older, I’m sure you can be left on your own, actually.”

“Hey!” Rex really should have seen that coming, but he was still surprised when Ellery sidestepped and suddenly vanished within the crowd. He swore and spun, trying to catch sight of him, but his cousin was a stealthy motherfucker, gone in a flash with no traces left behind.

Feeling attention on him, Rexton risked a glance up, breath catching in his lungs when his gaze met a mismatched pair of eyes.

Convincing himself he wasn’t fleeing, Rex searched for the nearest exit. There were several options leading out of the grand foyer and he chose the closest one, slipping beneath a large archway and into a wide hallway. The blood-red carpet stretched as far as he could see, disappearing at the end of the long hall that branched off in either direction. Gilded portraits decorated the stone walls, golden plaques with names engraved at the bottoms.

This place was a far cry from Guest Fine Arts Academy which he attended, back on his home planet Vitality. Not wanting to get lost, Rexton ducked into the first room on the right, letting out a sigh of relief when he entered what must be a ballroom.

Long tables lined the perimeter of the room, surfaces packed with various foods and drinks. Some students lingered about, plucking morsels off golden platters, while others filled the dance floor, partying to some upbeat rock tune Rexton was a bit surprised was allowed to be played in an establishment such as this.

The uppity, elitist kind.

He snorted at his own thoughts and then moved toward one of the tables. A cloth the same shade as the thin carpets in the hallway was draped over it, several golden dishes laid out with dessert type foods he only somewhat recognized. He didn’t visit this planet or his cousin often, and when he did, he was usually too busy with other matters to bother experimenting much with the cuisine. Maybe he should change that.

Hell, the whole reason he was here this time was to escape his problems back home, wasn’t it? May as well live a little, have a bit of fun. Or…a lot of fun, if luck was on his side. There was something he’d always wanted to try, yet had never had the balls to do…

Rexton selected a corndog shaped food, biting off the tip and hardly noticing the burst of sweetness on his tongue. He was too lost in his own thoughts, wondering how brave he could actually be, to pay much attention to what he was eating, or the man suddenly appearing at his side.

“Interesting,” a cool voice drawled, snapping Rexton out of it, “you seemed to handle deep-throating that just fine.”

Rexton coughed, choking for a second on a bite. When the man next to him placed a hand on his back to help, he shook him off.

The man with the mismatched eyes, the one who’d been watching him in the foyer, frowned, but before he could voice his confusion, a shadow fell over them.

“Having trouble with your prey, Illya?” Another man with the same black heart pin as the first tipped his head in Rex’s direction and gave him a lengthy once over. “Cute.”

“He’s—”

“Ellery’s cousin,” Rex cut off whatever Illya had been about to say, ignoring the look that earned him. “I came here with him.”

“No shit?” the new guy let out a low whistle. “I never would have guessed. We’re your cousin's besties, practically family, really. I’m Nyoka, and this intimidating weirdo is Illya.”

Rexton glanced between them. “Nice to meet you.”

“It doesn’t sound like you mean that.” Nyoka grinned at him and then took a step closer, pausing when Illya thrust an arm out to block his path. They stared at one another for a moment in clear silent standoff, but then he threw up his hands and retreated with a chuckle. “Relax, Ill. I’m not one to step on other people’s things.”

“I’m not property.” Rexton glared. “We just met and you’re already insufferable. No wonder Ellery told me to avoid his friends.”

“Did he?” Nyoka placed a hand over his heart. “I’m wounded. What about you, Ill?”

Illya was staring at Rex. “I’m assessing.”

Rexton had seen pictures of all of his cousin's friends on the social media platform Inspire, but he hadn’t paid much attention to any of them.

Other than Illya Carmine.

The Black Harts, of which Ellery was a sworn member, were internally governed, though there was no official leader. From the way his cousin had explained it, certain people just had a knack for things and fell into certain roles. Illya was one of the unofficial heads of the group, always scowling or looking blankly into the camera in photos captured of him on Inspire, and supposedly a snooty control freak.

But, damn, was he alluring.

He had a couple of inches on Rexton, and this pretty shade of hair, like mulberries. His eyes were intense and bold, one a bright gold, the other a warm, copper brown. Even though the room was packed and he wasn’t the only Black Hart currently in it, he somehow demanded presence in a way no one else did.

Whatever assessment he’d been running in that sexy head of his concluded, and he ended up slipping his hands into the front pockets of his black silk pants and asking, “What’s your name?”

“Not interested.” Not a complete lie. Rexton hadn’t come here for a quickie with a Black Hart. He licked his lips and added, “I know what tonight is.”

“Yet you came here anyway?” Nyoka sounded impressed. Though, it didn’t seem like it took much to impress a guy like him.

Rexton ran his gaze down Nyoka’s chest. He was wearing a complicated twist of dainty gold chains studded with pearls beneath his red university jacket. The getup certainly helped put his washboard abs on full display, Rex would give him that, but the weather outside had him wondering how the man wasn’t half frozen.

“Leave,” Illya ordered, the word low and clipped, leaving no room for argument. He didn’t even bother removing his gaze from Rex, completely ignoring his friend.

“Should I?” Nyoka had, unfortunately, noted Rexton’s momentary interest. “Doesn’t seem like Ellery’s cousin wants me to.”

Rexton quirked a brow. “Whatever gave you that impression?”

“Sassy. That’s my favorite flavor.”

“Leave,” Illya repeated, “or I’ll tell my mother to cut the business deal your father has been so desperately working on creating.”

Nyoka’s mood soured instantly. “Seriously? Asshole.”

“This one is mine.”

“This one,” Rex practically growled, “is named Rexton, and no. No, he isn’t. I’m not here to be some bored rich kid’s one-night stand.”

“You claimed to know what tonight was,” Illya moved closer, almost imperceptibly so, but Rexton felt it more than he saw it, “but you have no idea, do you? A one-night stand? Baby, any Black Hart here who gets his claws into you would eat you alive.”

“Interesting approach,” Nyoka said, holding up his hands when Illya finally glared his way. “I’m leaving. Should I spread the word you’ve found your Praeda, or will you be giving this one a chance to slip through your grasp?” Before he could respond, Nyoka turned to Rex, voice lowering as though divulging some big secret. “Don’t let him scare you. This guy hasn’t honestly participated in Praeda for over two years.”

Rexton didn’t know what to say to that. “Is that so?”

Illya opened his mouth, no doubt to tell his friend off, but suddenly an uproar in the center of the dance floor distracted them all.

“Shit,” Nyoka cursed, already heading toward the fray, “that’s Ryker!”

Illya took a step after him and then seemed to catch himself, turning back to give Rexton a stern look. “Stay here.”

He didn’t linger to hear Rex’s answer.

Or see him scoff and slip back out the door.

Rexton wasn’t here to be someone's second priority either.