Page 105 of Wicked Empire (Knight's Ridge Empire 3)

CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO

Sebastian

I’m still feeling a little delicate when Stella, Emmie, Toby and I climb into my car a few hours later, although I’m confident that I’m okay to drive. The same can’t be said for Nico and Alex, who were once again asleep on the sofas when we walked out—although not before I found a permanent marker and Stella and Emmie went to town drawing cocks on their faces.

The journey across town, first to drop Toby off, and then to Emmie’s is pretty quiet, everyone still suffering from the night before, but I’m more than happy while I’ve got Stella’s hand locked in mine.

Every time I look at her, my chest aches as I think about her strength and support yesterday.

I couldn’t have done it if she weren’t beside me. There’s no question in my mind about that.

I wouldn’t have been able to stand there while my sisters fell apart, while people who didn’t have a clue about our real lives stood up and talked about Mum like she was someone who actually cared more about her kids, her life, than she did the poison she filled her body with. But worst of all, the memories. Stella helped keep them at bay.

She glances over at me as I pull the car to a stop outside of Emmie’s house.

‘I love you,’ she mouths before pushing the door open and climbing out.

I follow because I’m powerless to do anything else.

“Are you going to tell me what you’re up to yet?” I ask, trailing the two of them into the house.

It’s empty, Emmie’s dad is at work and Miss Hill is at school, although probably not for much longer seeing as the day is almost over.

“Nope.”

“I won’t be long,” Emmie says, quickly disappearing upstairs and leaving us in the middle of the hallway.

The house is nice, although pretty modest compared to the homes I’m used to, living the life I do. But it’s homely, comfortable, and as I look over the array of photographs that line almost all the surfaces, I quickly realise that it’s full of love.

“Hey, look,” I say, staring at one picture. “It’s Miss Hill as a kid.”

Stella comes to stand beside me and looks at the image of the two smiling teenagers before us.

“Emmie’s dad was hot back then,” she announces, the twinkle in her eye telling me that she’s just trying to get a reaction.

“Just back then? I thought you were pining after him now,” I say, playing along.

“Oh yeah. He’s got that bad boy biker thing down to a T.”

“Bad boy biker grandad,” I mutter.

Stella throws her head back and laughs. “He’s not that old. He had Emmie at like, eighteen.”

“Still too old for you to be lusting after, Hellion.”

She shrugs as if it’s not a big deal before walking over to some more photographs.

“We should send this one to Theo,” she laughs, giving me little choice but to walk over and see what she’s found.

“What is it with parents taking photos of their kids naked in the bath?” I mutter, knowing that Mum has the exact same images in an album in the house somewhere.

“No idea. But look how cute she is.”

“Sure cuter than she is now.”

Stella looks over at me, her eyes narrowed. “She’s not involved in any of this.”

She’s so confident in her friend, and I want to agree with her, but these kinds of coincidences don’t usually exist, and I can’t get Theo’s theories out of my head. He’s convinced that she’s somehow involved. Even if she’s not aware that she is.