Page 6 of Nevermore (A Cruel Love #1)

FOUR

SANTIAGO

“So, anything to share with the class, Santiago?”

I peek up from my drink at Kingston who’s eyeing me curiously across the lawn table. “What?”

“He’s talking about your new stepbrother,” Hudson clarifies with a smirk as he cuts into his steak. “Reign, right?”

My eyes flutter shut in irritation. I had been hoping that the topic of Reign wouldn’t come up today, but my friends are too annoying to let anything go.

Kingston is a gossip, which doesn’t surprise me since his father owns most of the major media outlets.

Hudson is my own fault, however, since I asked him to look into Holly a few days ago.

His father owns a cyber security company and it’s made him extremely tech savvy.

Hudson can find out anything about anybody.

Needless to say, the combination makes my two best friends extremely annoying to deal with.

Although best friends are a stretch. I only call them that because we’ve been together since we were kids. All social gatherings involving the rich and elite have been with them by my side. It’s proximity that’s made us close, nothing more, but that’s bonded us in a way that’s nearly unbreakable.

“There’s nothing to share,” I state simply, looking back down at my drink.

Kingston scoffs, nudging my shoulder. “That’s a load of bullshit.”

I huff. “What do you two want to know?”

“For starters, what’s he like?” Kingston asks. “I haven’t seen him yet but everyone’s been talking.”

I raise a brow. “And what have they been saying?”

“That they didn’t realize your family started a food stamp program,” Hudson laughs. “Fuck, people really are the worst, aren’t they?”

“Yet you’re laughing.” I roll my eyes. I don’t really care what people have to say about Reign.

It’s not any of my business and it’s not my problem, despite what my father has said.

While he certainly won’t make friends without my help, no one’s going to haze him or something as ridiculous as that.

The worst that’ll happen is that he’ll be a pariah and spend his summer alone.

“Oh, shit.” Kingston sits up straight, an amused quirk to his lips as he juts his chin to the other side of the garden. “That’s him, isn’t it?”

I shouldn’t turn to look but I do. Reign walks through the center of the garden with a plate of steak, looking around nervously at all the full tables, completely out of place.

He’s like a little baby deer that’s found himself alone in the middle of a dark forest. The plate is practically shaking in his hands and he trips on absolutely nothing and nearly spills his food.

Something… unusual tugs at my gut at seeing him so lost. The wide panic is his clear blue eyes and the nervous way he bites his bottom lip causes an unpleasant twinge in my chest. I’ve never been one to call myself a protector of the weak and the damned, and I’m not about to start now.

That is until Kingston waves him over.

“What are you doing?” I hiss, watching the way Reign’s eyes light up with relief.

He shrugs. “I’m planning on having fun , Santiago.” Reign makes it to the table and Kingston immediately turns his attention to him. “Want to sit with us?”

“Uh, yeah,” Reign mumbles, giving a half smile as he sits at the only empty spot next to me. “Thanks.”

“I’m Kingston.” He introduces himself then gestures around the table. “That one there is our resident Boy Wonder, Hudson, and you already know Santiago.”

“Mhm,” Reign hums, his eyes darting up to me with hesitation. “Hi.”

Hi .

That little word shouldn’t cause the already unsettling lump in my stomach to grow even further.

It only continues because I’m not an idiot and can see what Kingston’s up to.

Just like his father, he has a touch of cruelty and ruthlessness in his blood.

If you met Howard Bass, you’d understand.

I was raised with apathy and zero regard for emotions, but Kingston’s childhood had more cruelty than anything else.

Around here, being a ‘good guy’ means very little, and although he’s one of the few I consider a best friend, it doesn’t make him a saint.

“What do you think of this place?” Hudson asks pleasantly.

Reign shifts in his seat. “It’s… nice.”

“The accent,” Kingston gasps, throwing me an accusatory look. “Santiago, you didn’t tell me about the accent.”

It’s true that Reign’s Southern drawl is thick . When he first spoke to me, it was almost grating to the ears. While having lived in Texas all my life, my father and I have retained our Spanish accents. Hearing Reign’s is… off-putting. “It’s a voice that comes out of a human mouth.”

Kingston ignores me and leans closer to Reign, and I can sense the way it makes my stepbrother very uncomfortable. “So, cowboy , been doing any cattle roping lately?”

“Don’t be a dick,” Hudson scoffs. “I’m sure there’s other ways to entertain yourself.”

“I’m not being anything,” Kingston argues, holding his hands up innocently. “I’m just trying to get to know Santiago’s new baby bro. Where are you from, Reign?”

Reign gulps and I notice he still hasn’t touched his food. Once again, his eyes dart to me, but he’s going to be in for a rude awakening if he thinks I’m going to save him. “The Range,” he mutters.

“Oh, you mean the trailer park off the freeway?”

“Um, yeah,” he whispers, shrinking into his seat.

“So you actually lived in a trailer?” Kingston hums as if he’s considering it. “How quaint.”

Hudson shakes his head and mutters, “Still being a dick.”

“I’m learning about situations different than my own and expanding my worldly horizons,” Kingston clarifies with a shit-eating grin. “Do you play any sports, Reign?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

“We were all on the lacrosse team in high school,” Hudson offers with a warm smile. “Santiago was the captain. We’re going to Everton in the fall and joining that team.”

Reign nods and gives me a weak grin. “That’s cool. You like sports?”

I shrug. While I’m not passionate about anything in particular, sports has always been a way for me to channel my frustrations, especially in one where you can knock the shit out of people and call it a fair game. “Sure.”

“Why didn’t you play sports?” Kingston presses. “You look like you’d be good on the field.”

Reign blushes. “They’re…”

“Too expensive, I know,” Kingston finishes for him. “Say, there’s a party being thrown tonight that we’re all going to. Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll text you all the details?”

There’s some sort of innocent relief that flashes across Reign’s face. He chuckles softly, almost letting out a tense breath, and reaches for his phone. The second Kingston sees it, he snatches it out of his hand with a laugh. “What’s this?”

“It’s a phone,” Hudson snarls, then looks at me as if I’m supposed to do something. “Santiago?”

“It’s not a phone. It’s a brick,” Kingston cackles, holding it up in the air for examination. “Fuck, I didn’t even realize they made ones like these anymore. Does it work?”

Reign opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He has absolutely no backbone. It’s obvious to everyone at the table that Kingston’s having fun taunting him, but he doesn’t stand up for himself. He doesn’t even so much as show a single ounce of anger at being used as entertainment.

I glance at my watch and note that it’s almost time to be done with lunch. Without thinking, I snatch the phone out of Kingston’s hand and give it back to Reign who doesn’t even look up from his untouched steak. “Enough. We need to get going.”

I stand and gesture for Kingston and Hudson to do the same. I look down at Reign once more and note the sad slump of his shoulders and the incessant tapping of his foot. I’m sure anyone else would comfort him right now, but I’ve never been one for empty platitudes.

So, I don’t.

I simply walk away from the table, leaving my drink for someone else to pick up. I hear Hudson behind me say, “Have a good rest of your meal, Reign.” And that irritates the living hell out of me for some reason.

Once we’re out of earshot, Kingston bursts into laughter, going as far as to bend over and hold his stomach. “Man, that was fun.”

“It was cruel,” Hudson clarifies, flicking his ear. “Your father would be proud.”

“Well, what do you think, Santiago?” he asks me. “Was I fun or cruel?”

I grit my teeth as I think but only one answer comes to mind. “It was boring.”

Everything is. All the time. Nothing captures my attention for more than a few fleeting moments. Music, books, sports, women. It’s all so mundane and monotonous. Just like this lunch.

Kingston must misinterpret my words because he smirks as he adjusts his tie. “I see. Challenge accepted.”

I roll my eyes as I can only imagine what lengths Kingston will go to simply to entertain me. I suppose that makes him a good friend. Or an idiot. Or both. Hudson isn’t amused in the slightest and looks over his shoulder at Reign. “Do you think we should go back to him?”

I shrug. “I wouldn’t know. But, by all means, feel free to help him.”

And, the difference between us and the rest of the world is that he doesn’t.

Reign may have come from a tough upbringing where money was scarce and he had to work hard just to survive but this is entirely different.

The problems he’ll face now that his mother has brought him into this world will be ones he’s never had to deal with.

Not trying to make sure there’s enough money to pay the electric bill or eat but understanding that everyone, at the end of the day, must only look out for themselves.

It’s the lesson I learned the day my mother died.

That no one is worth the kind of effort that makes a man weak.