Ava: Not really, but I might.
My frown deepens, but I choose to remain calm as I change my clothes and then go down the stairs. I keep obsessing over my phone, checking the unread texts over and over.
Just because Creighton is spending time with Eli doesn’t mean he wouldn’t reply.
The more I think about it, the less it makes sense.
I find Mom and Jeremy having breakfast in the garden and whispering among each other.
The moment I approach them, they swiftly push back in their seats, putting an abrupt end to their secret conversation.
I’ve always envied the relationship Jer has with both our parents. Papa sees himself in him and Mom dotes on him as the firstborn. Her angel, as she calls him. She sometimes treats him like her best friend and her confidant.
Apparently, he’s the one who brought my parents together. Something I can never measure up to.
So whenever they’re having their moments like these, I feel left out.
“Morning,” I mutter as I fall onto a chair and pour myself a coffee.
“Morning, baby. Did you sleep well?”
I make an affirmative sound. “Where’s Papa and the others?”
“They went out late last night for some errands.”
Errands? More like to kill people. I shake my head, not wanting to picture that.
Mom fixes me some toast. “Jeremy was just telling me about the rivalry between The King’s U and Royal Elite University. It seems intense.”
“So what of it?” I lose my cool. “Is this another way to convince me to stay away from Creighton for reasons you refuse to divulge? If that’s the case, save it, Mom. I happen to be an REU student, and not once have the people there treated me differently just because I’m an American or a Volkov.”
Jeremy glares at me over the rim of his cup. “Don’t speak to Mom in that tone.”
“You guys are obviously ganging up on me. Did you expect me to lower my head, follow your orders, and just go with it?”
“You have no choice, Anoushka. I spoke to Dad last night and he agrees that you are not allowed to see Creighton King anymore.”
The cup of coffee shakes in my hand and I place it on the table before it falls and shatters. “We agreed that I would talk to him.”
“We only agreed that he’d be informed of the situation, not that either of us would talk to him. Upon returning to Brighton Island, you’ll break up with him or Dad will find you a suitor for marriage.”
I stare at Mom as if I’ve been stabbed in the chest and she’s holding the knife. “You said you wouldn’t let this happen.”
“Anni…”
“Forget it. I’m going to speak with Papa myself when he gets back.”
“Don’t, Anni,” Mom says in a soft voice. “You’ll only anger him and get yourself hurt. This is for the best.”
“Whose best? Yours? Papa’s? Jeremy’s? It’s certainly not for mine.” Frustration bubbles in my veins. It keeps mounting until it’s bursting at the seams.
And the worst part is that I have no clue how to placate it.
Make it better.
I’m so disappointed in Mom and angry at myself for being so trusting. For getting trapped in a situation where the only way out is to lose.
All doors are closing in my face and Creighton still isn’t answering my texts.
Will he say it’s for my sake, too?
Jeremy’s phone vibrates on the table and when he checks it out, a crease appears between his brows.
“We’re leaving,” he announces, abruptly standing up.
“But you just got here,” Mom protests.
“There’s an emergency back at the island.”
“What type of emergency?” I ask in a haunted voice.
“The bad type.”
He storms in the direction of the house and I jog to keep up with him. “What happened?”
“Nikolai was kidnapped and the kidnapper is asking for me.”
26
CREIGHTON
“Are you sure this plan will work?”
Eli’s body remains completely still while he tilts his head to the side, biding his time.
Waiting.
We’ve been hiding behind the bushes in the corner of the Heathens’ back entrance for an hour now and there’s still no sign of the ‘prey’ my brother said we’re hunting tonight.
“Patience, baby bro. We have to let the prey come out of its own accord.”
“Why can’t we just weed it out?”
He gives me a sideways glance, one full of sadism. “Now, where’s the fun in that?”
We’re both dressed in jeans and hoodies and probably look like serial creeps with depraved tendencies. Which is true, to an extent.
It doesn’t help that it’s late, about two in the morning late, and the streets are practically empty.
Ever since I saw the text Annika sent me, the one where she announced going back to the States, I’ve been restless. Those black shadows lined my vision and I couldn’t stay still.
The first thought that came to mind was that her father wouldn’t allow her to come back here. She was always proud of how she convinced him to let her attend REU, but the fact remains that he was opposed to the idea.
Considering her mafia background, she’s prone to lose whatever freedom she’s enjoyed for the last couple of months. Especially if Jeremy has any say in it.
Which he wouldn’t have had if she’d let me deal with him earlier.
Since that option is now out of the question, and I had nothing to say that wouldn’t have come out sounding petty, I marked the conversation as Not Read until I could think of a better reply.
And that brings us to the now where I followed Eli in his nightly endeavors. Which is still better than tossing and turning in bed, being scratched by Tiger for sport, or entertaining Remi’s drunk ramblings—that usually include revealing any secrets he’s come across.
“There he is.” Eli’s lips pull in a smirk as he jerks his head in the direction of a buff man slipping out the back entrance.
“How can you tell it’s him? He could be going out for a smoke.”
“One, he could’ve had the smoke inside the property. Two, he’s grabbing a blunt but not lighting it in order not to draw attention. Three, and most importantly, he’s walking in strategic lines that I’m sure are the cameras’ blind spots. Guess who goes to these lengths to leave a property they’re supposed to be guarding?”
“Someone who has something to hide.”
“Bingo.” He grabs me by the shoulder. “Remember when we used to release those worms and cockroaches in the garden to watch them wiggle and struggle away only so we could catch them? Time to repeat the process.”
“Dad aborted our plan every time, remember?”
His smirk widens in pure imitation of what I assume Lucifer looks like on his throne in hell. “Lucky for us, Dad isn’t here.”
It’s useless to remind him that Dad eventually finds out about everything. But even I am willing to forgo that possibility if it means I’ll get closer to my goal.
We follow the guard, keeping a safe distance away until he’s off TKU’s soil.