Page 89 of Wicked Empire (Knight's Ridge Empire 3)

It burns as it hits my throat, and the temptation to keep going is almost too strong to deny.

“Maybe save the rest for later, yeah?” Alex says, clearly sensing my need to down the lot and make this whole fucking day blur in front of me. “You can have it with this later,” he says, passing me a rolled joint. “It’s the good shit.”

“Thanks, man.”

I fall down on the end of the couch and silence fills the room. Tipping my head back, I stare up at the ceiling as we wait for Stella.

“Boss has security locked up tight for today,” Daemon finally says, breaking the unbearable silence.

His words make me jolt forward.

“He thinks something is going to go down today?”

Daemon gives me a one-shoulder shrug.

“Can’t be too careful.”

“Fuuuck,” I groan, dragging my hand down my face.

Surely that crazy motherfucker wouldn’t be deranged enough to try something with almost the entire Family there.

Would he?"

“Maybe it would be better if he did something,” Alex says, shocking the shit out of me. “What?” he says when I give him a death glare. “We’d be more likely to catch him.”

“I guess,” I mutter, although that doesn’t make me feel any better about this whole thing. “You sure you want to be a part of this, Baby C?” I ask Calli, who’s sitting ramrod straight on the very end of the sofa, looking kinda hot in her fitted black dress and her new dark hair.

She twists her hands nervously in her lap.

She’s been kinda absent recently. Ever since the shit that went down at Halloween. I know she’s been checking in with Stella, but she hasn’t hung out here as much as she was before. I get it. She’s probably scared this place is going to go up in smoke any second.

“Of course.” She throws her shoulders back. “Family. Right?”

I nod at her in appreciation.

I know we’ve pretty much forced her to remain in the shadows all this time, but I’m under no illusion that suddenly coming out and being a part of all of this—especially under the current circumstances—must be pretty terrifying.

A door opening down the hall drags my eyes away from Nico's little sister, and I watch as my girl walks down the hall toward her.

Someone—Alex, I think—wolf whistles when he sees her.

“Looking hot, Princess,” Nico announces happily. “Ow,” he complains when someone hits him.

“That’s my fucking sister,” Toby barks.

“Didn’t seem to stop you checking out mine when she walked in.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Ignoring their bickering, I focus on my girl as she steps up to my side.

Standing, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and press my brow to hers, needing her strength.

“You’ve been drinking,” she says, but there’s no accusation there.

“Theo gave it to me,” I say, incriminating him.

“Hey,” he complains. “It should be Alex you’re moaning at. That shit he gave you will make you lose your mind later.”