Page 14 of Stone: The Precursor

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him about Stone. His ring is burning a hole in my pocket. The number of times I’ve touched it since he walked off into the darkness is too many to count. Indirectly, I try to find out what I want to know. “I can’t believe Silas and your friend got into a fight.”

Jace scrubs his face. “Yeah. That would have been a shit show. Stone is…”

I act like I’m focused on gathering my things. “He’s what?” I ask, slipping my beach cover-up over my head. Even though it was almost 80 degrees today, once the sun set, a chill in the air was noticeable.

He picks up more cups and dumps them in a garbage bag. “He’s complicated.”

That tells me nothing. I keep trying, laughing off Jace’s comment. “Complicated friends seem to be your forte.”

“Haha. You’re funny.”

He gives me the finger, and I grin. I’ve missed hanging out with him, but medical school doesn’t leave many days off. “How long have you guys been friends?”

“A while. He did my tattoos.” He looks at his arm and traces the intricate designs.

I grind my teeth. Fuck. More ‘nothing’ information. “He’s intense.”

Jace looks at me and frowns, and I realize my misstep. Fuck. “What do you mean?”

I shrug and try to keep my expression indifferent. “Nothing. I just ran into him inside the house.”

“You spoke to him?”

Fuckity, fuck. “Not really. He was using the bathroom and when he came out we exchanged pleasantries. That’s all.” I don’t mention that he held onto my hips, or that his finger tangled with the tie on my bikini. I definitely won’t mention that I wanted him to untie my bottoms and play with my pussy. I also don’t mention that I stared at his lips way too long.

“Anyway, I’d better get going. It’s almost 2 a.m. See you. Thanks again.”

I head out to walk to my car, the only one.

The dark forests beyond Jace’s lake house are freezing at night, and it seems like the chill is creeping closer. I shiver at the shadowy trees in the distance. Jace has never put up a fence, and I wonder if wild animals ever venture closer to his house.

“You sure you don’t want to sleep over? It’s almost 2 a.m.”

“Nah. I have to get back. I’ll be fine, and I have class tomorrow.” The thought is depressing as hell. I fucking hate medical school, but the pressure to stick it out is always there because to fail would just be another black mark on my record in my father’s playbook. He’s always at the sideline, eyes full of judgment and recriminations. I just want to create and get lost in my art — the process of creating something beautiful. I barely get time with my schedule, squeezing in a few hours at the studio I found in Brooklyn. Yes, it’s in a sketchy part of the city, but it has the hours I need, and the paparazzi aren’t hiding out in every corner. People pass me on the sidewalk, not giving a shit who I am.

Pulling out of Jace’s driveway, I head down the lonely, winding road. It’s pitch black with very few streetlights. With only Jace’s house nearby, it’s probably not as important to have as many lights to guide the way, but it’s eerie, and I grip the steering wheel a little harder. Turning up the radio for company, I let the angsty lyrics of Olivia Rodrigo help get through the long drive back to Kingsley’s apartment. I could go home to my apartment with Reed, but what for? Just so I can smell the perfume of whatever bitch he snuck in while I wasn’t there? Hard pass on that. Sighing, I wish I were already at the end of my lease with him. I don’t know what I was thinking. Oh yeah, I remember. I was lonely and let his lies fool me into thinking he was a decent guy. Another black mark on my list. Sighing, I sit up straighter and remind myself not to visit that road again tonight.

The sound of a motor in the distance makes me look in the rear-view mirror. I squint, wondering what that is, but I can’tmake out any headlights. It sounds deep and rumbly, and for a second, I think about Stone again, but he left hours ago.

An hour later, I pull up to the underground parking lot of Kingsley’s building. Putting down my window, I reach through and punch her security code. The large garage doors creak, moving up, and I pull in, thankful that Kingsley paid for two parking spaces. The woman is constantly switching cars because of her father’s high-profile status as the Governor of New York. Every month, her car changes, so people can’t easily identify her vehicle. She also has round-the-clock bodyguards. But they protect her and not me, so when I find a spot, I turn off the engine. I don’t expect to hear the garage door open and close again. I wait to see the other car, but nothing happens. What the fuck? Did the door malfunction? I feel a shot of nerves and wish that Kingsley were with me. Her bodyguard always sweeps the area when we leave her car and then nods at her, letting her know it’s safe to continue. I need that little nod right now. That reassurance that when the garage door opened, it was a glitch and no one snuck in after I entered.

I open the car door and wish I had my pepper spray, but like a dummy, I left it in my other purse in Kingsley’s guest room, 30 floors above. I put my keys between my fingers like a set of claws and look around. It’s dim in the parking lot, and I curse myself for not parking closer to the light. The echo of just my footsteps eases my nerves. If someone were following me, I would hear another set, right? Or perhaps the person is exceptionally skilled at stalking someone. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I look behind me, my breath coming in short bursts. But no assailant, no creepy person is behind me. Maybe I’m losing my mind. Either way, I speed up my steps and haul ass to the elevator.

Chapter 6

An hour earlier…

“I want everything you can find on Camryn Park.”

The silence on the other end of the phone is loud.

“Are you claiming her?”

Am I? My body screams yes, but my mind rebels. My loyalty and respect for Jace Park are being stretched to the limit. He’s one of the few men, maybe even the last man beyond Riggs, and Onyx and a few Legion Lords, that I trust and hold with any sort of regard. But today. Tonight I was tested. There’s something about her that I can’t let go of, even knowing what it will mean if I cross the lines.

“You know this won’t end well if you do.”

The harsh reminder doesn’t help alleviate my frustration, and yes, the absolute knowledge that if I do this, it could end not just my friendship, but her life. But, I can’t find the conscious to walk away. Temptation started the moment I saw her. And while I know I can’t have her the way I crave, the way my blood calls for me to, I can watch. I can get near the fire and feel thedelicious heat without burning everything down. “Just get me what I need.”