Page 127 of Wicked Empire (Knight's Ridge Empire 3)

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Stella

I’m still sitting on Seb’s lap with his arms locked around my waist when the others come piling through the door almost an hour later.

“What the hell happened?” Theo barks, his face blank but his eyes dark with barely concealed rage.

Selene managed to get his younger siblings back to bed about thirty minutes ago after they were woken by the explosion of the coach house and then the blaring sirens of the fire trucks.

“I’m so sorry, Theo,” I say, but Seb squeezes my waist in warning. He doesn’t want me to take responsibility for this, but let’s be honest, this wasn’t a strike on Theo, or even the Family. It was on me.

I’m the one whoever they want dead.

“It’s not your fault, Princess. You didn’t ask for any of this,” he says, pacing back and forth.

“Nor did you, and it was your home.”

“It’s just stuff,” he says, much like his mom did not so long ago. “I’m just fucking relieved you weren’t inside.” He shoots a quick look in Emmie’s direction. “Either of you.”

Emmie’s eyes widen in surprise, but she doesn’t say anything.

“So what happened? Why weren’t you inside?” he asks, lowering his ass to the other end of the couch to Emmie, his eyes locked on me.

“Emmie wanted ice cream, so we were going to the store to grab some. We got to the end of the driveway and…” I wave my hand toward the window, although the curtains are still closed so we can’t see the disaster that was our home. “That happened,” I finish sadly.

Theo turns to look at Emmie, his eyes narrowing.

“What?” she hisses.

“Okay, tell me exactly how it happened.”

“Uh… like I just said.”

“So you both left together?”

“Yeah. Well, no,” I quickly add. “I went back in to grab my cell because I left it on the coffee table and…”

I trail off, holding Theo’s eyes.

Fuck.

“Do you really think…” I trail off, praying that we’re not thinking the same thing.

“Does he think what?” Emmie snaps.

“Nico,” Theo barks. “Take Emmie home, please. And get an ETA on our fathers.”

“What? No. I’m not leaving. No.” She jumps up from the couch, looking totally affronted by even the suggestion.

“Emmie,” Theo growls, turning to look at her with a dangerous expression on his face that I’m sure would make grown men piss themselves. Unfortunately for him, my friend, much like me, isn’t normal, and instead of backing down she places her hands on her hips and holds his eyes.

“Make me,” she hisses at him, taking a step closer.

“Nico,” Theo barks, his fists curling at his sides.

“What the fuck?” Emmie squeals as Nico picks her up as if she weighs nothing more than a feather and throws her over his shoulder. “No. I’m not fucking leaving.” She kicks and flails around, but I think we all know that she’s not going to win.

It’s not until the front door slams with their departure that anyone speaks.