Grave shakes his head. “One, she didn’t know they were there, and two, she wouldn’t have had the chance. She sucked my dick on the way to her house, and the moment we arrived, we went upstairs to her room. After we were done, she passed out and never left. It had to have been her brother.”
What was in the pill bottle wasn’t what Grave used to keep in there. It’s obvious that Ethan had finished off the pills he stole and then refilled it with whatever he wanted, keeping the bottle.
“Cross?” Alexa speaks, reminding me that Jasmine asked me a question, but I ignore them. Instead, I kick the jackass’s bag across the foyer that he left behind and turn to the door. Yanking it open and slamming it shut behind me, I head to my house. I’m tired and need a shower. We have a compound here in a cul-de-sac right outside of Las Vegas. It’s been a while since I’ve stayed at my house, but right now, I don’t want to take the time to go to Kingdom.
“Cross?” I hear Alexa call out behind me, running down Grave’s stairs.
“Not now,” I say, not wanting her around. I want to be alone for the night. “Go home, Alexa.”
“Cross!” she shouts.
I enter my house and slam that door as well, but it instantly swings open behind me. I should have locked it, but since we live in a gated community that only we Kings have access to, I never do.
“I’m fucking talking to you!” she shouts.
I spin around to face her. “And I told you to go home!”
She crosses her arms over her chest. Things got intense, and my blood pressure is still rising. My anger is far from faded. How long would Grave had let April think he was using again? She would have left him. All because he wanted to spare the truth of her brother. Pitiful. What the fuck was he thinking? I yank off my jacket and turn, walking down the hallway to my master suite at the back of the house.
“We need to discuss this,” she states.
I snort. “There’s nothing to discuss.”
“That is her brother.”
“Bones was right,” I say, entering the bedroom.
“Did you do that to Grave? Huh?” she demands, causing me to pause and turn to face her. “Did you leave him to overdose?”
“You have no idea what the fuck has happened!” I shout. “What he went through. What I allowed to happen. None of us could have stopped him!” I believe in my heart that April was the only one to make Grave want to sober up. “What do you expect from me?”
“How about a little human decency?” she screams in my face. “Some compassion. He needed help, not to be kicked out of the house and left on his own on the streets. He’ll just go find more drugs.”
I laugh at that, and it just fuels her hate for me at the moment.
“You Kings say that you’re all brothers. But you allowed Grave to get high. What if he had overdosed? Huh? Then what …?”
“Don’t act like you know what happened, Alexa. Because I promise you, you don’t know shit.” I step into her, glaring down my nose into her green eyes. “This is the last time I’m going to say this. Get the fuck out of my house.”
Her jaw sharpens, her nostrils flare, and I think she’s going to slap me, but instead, she spins around and marches out of my room, slamming the front door on her way out.
“FUCK!”
ALEXA
I DIDN’T SLEEP at all last night. After arguing with Cross, I stormed out of his house and had Jasmine take me home since I had arrived with her because Cross and I had to “pretend” we weren’t seeing each other—if they didn’t already know, they do now after the way I followed him out of Grave and April’s house—I showered, then laid in bed while I tossed and turned until my alarm went off this morning. I wanted to call April so bad, but I refrained. She already had so much going on, and I wanted her to spend that time with Grave. They had a lot to talk about.
Jasmine came and picked me up, and we met Bones at a private hangar. We boarded what I’m guessing was Bones’s jet. The plane ride was silent. Bones was on his phone the whole time, either emailing or texting someone. Jasmine didn’t even try to talk to me. Usually, she’s the first one to try to cheer me up, but we were all still reeling from last night. I found myself falling asleep here and there during the flight.
A Cadillac Escalade is waiting for us at the private hangar once we touch down in New York. Jasmine and I get in the back, and Bones drives us to our hotel. I rest my forehead against the window and take in all the tall buildings. I’ve never seen anything like it. I was looking forward to seeing the city, but now not so much. It just doesn’t feel right.
He brings the car to a stop in front of the hotel. “I’ll pick you girls up here at midnight.” Bones finally speaks.
I look down at my watch to see it’s a little after four. I’m actually glad we have some time because I’d like to get some sleep before we go out tonight. I’m exhausted.
“You’re not coming up?” Jasmine asks.
He shakes his head. “No. I have some business to take care of while in town.”
She nods before she and I get out of the car. A couple of guys grab our bags for us and help us into the hotel. It’s exactly what I expected a classy and expensive hotel to be in Times Square. It’s open, allowing you to look up and see all the floors from the inside. It’s so tall that I have to lean my head all the way back to see the top. Everything is pristine—white with gold trimming. The floor a white and black marble design. There are white leather couches to the right and a bar to the left. Looking inside of it, I can see TVs on the wall and people sitting at round booths. A massive chandelier hangs five stories tall, the crystals wrapped in a circle making it look like it’s raining down on the guests.
The guys help us onto an elevator, and my stomach rises in my throat as we climb, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows while the lobby gets farther and farther away.
It finally comes to a stop, and we enter the door of the Presidential Suite. We thank the guys and tip them.
I look around in awe. My shoes sink into the rich carpet. There’s nothing but floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing Times Square. “This is amazing,” I whisper, wishing that April was here to see this with me.
“Right?” Jasmine agrees, walking over to the bar area.
I sit down at the piano in the middle of the living room and wish my mom would have made me commit to my lessons when I was younger just so I could say I played the piano in our hotel while visiting New York.
“I’m going to take a nap,” Jasmine informs me.
“Okay,” I wave her off, knowing I won’t be long behind her.
My cell vibrates in my pocket, and I pull it out, hoping it’s Cross. But I’m disappointed when I see it’s none other than my ex.
CUNT: Alexa, quit fucking ignoring me! I need to talk to you!
While I’m reading over it, my cell begins to ring, and it’s him. Pressing decline, I pocket my cell and decide to go lie down for that nap.
I wake up, and it’s dark outside. The clock on the nightstand reads nine o’clock. I yawn and stretch out my heavy limbs before checking my cell. Thankfully, there’s nothing from Mitch, but sadly nothing from Cross either. Not sure what I expected. Cross and I are just fucking. It was nothing serious, and I don’t see him as the apology type. I’m sure as hell not ready to swallow my pride and apologize for what I said. In a way, he was right. I don’t know what has gone on between the Kings over the years, so I should have just kept my mouth shut. Rolling off the side of the bed, I make my way to the adjoining bathroom.