Too bad for him. Asheville doesn’t forget easily. You can put the prettiest jewels on a pig, but at the end of the day, it’s still a fucking animal. Like Teddy used to say, ‘just because a dog is born in a stable doesn’t make him a prized stallion.’
Let him parade her all he wants. I actually enjoy watching Finn’s self-sabotage as he gloriously plummets down the social spectrum. I’m particularly amused by the whispered aghast comments everyone makes the minute the couple turns their back. I’ll just chalk it up to an unforeseen perk that came along with his demise. I should even thank him, as his embarrassment inspired my next step.
Aside from Stone Bennett, there is only one other woman here who is looked down upon, unfit to run in the same circles as the rest of us, and that’s none other than Naomi Price herself. Easton’s mother, who’s been married to Price for over a decade, is still known for being white trash. If one of the richest men in all of the US can’t obtain respect for his own wife, does Finn actually believe his new side piece will get any?
Fool.
It shouldn’t surprise me. That’s what they all are. They’re nothing but fools walking around like kings in waiting, ready to take their thrones. Oh, but there will be no gold or diamonds in their future. Only roads covered in mud and filth. Punitive grime and castigating stench are all that awaits them. I’ll make sure of it.
Finn got his.
Now it’s Easton’s turn.
A little chuckle leaves my lips, knowing how fucking easy this endeavor will be. Even easier than Finn’s was. Everyone knows what Easton’s weakness is—his mommy and stepdaddy. One he loves with all his heart, and the other he despises with every inch of his dark soul. It’s his Achilles heel and, unfortunately for him, not a well-kept secret. Toying with Easton’s insecurities will be highly gratifying, and I know just the assignment to corrupt him wholeheartedly. His dethronement will be easy enough, but let’s see if he’s capable of making himself useful to me as well.
While my revenge will be child’s play, his task won’t be as easy.
To destroy one’s reputation, you need to make everyone believe it’s undeserving of its high esteem in the first place. It’s a hard thing to accomplish, especially when the girl I have in mind is believed to be without flaw of any kind. Not one sin to blemish her pure heart, deemed to be immaculate like the fucking Virgin Mary herself. That’s if you believe in that sort of thing, which I don’t. We all have our secrets, and I know that even the purest of souls can be sullied. She’s been dancing on a thin line with those unruly forces for a while now, so a little push in the wrong direction is all I need to show the world that there is no such thing as an incorruptible soul.
There’s no better way to taint an angel than send the devil her way.
After all, the dark prince was given that nickname for his devilish antics and silver tongue. He might as well put them to good use.
However, if he fails to do my bidding like Finn, then this time, I won’t surprise them with my retaliation. I’ll let them know exactly what cards I intend to play and see if they are stupid enough not to fold.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
But don’t worry, Easton.
I’ll knock it off your entitled head and send you back from where you came from.
There is no room in heaven for the devil.
Hell will be your home soon enough.
Count on it.
Chapter 1
Easton
“Fuck! They’re dead! They’re dead, East! What the fuck are we going to do now?!” Finn yells, pulling at his blonde hair with such force it’ll be a miracle if he has any left on his head before the night is through.
“Shut that shit down, Walker, or I’ll shut it for you!” Colt shouts from across the room, his face looking just as troublesome as the brain matter splattered all over his shirt.
Unwilling to leave Lincoln’s side, Colt gets up from his kneeling position beside his eerily silent cousin, just to level Finn with his stare. I place myself in the line of fire, offering Colt a menacing glower of my own. Fucker just needs to give my boy Finn some breathing room to get his shit handled. Not everyone can keep their cool while taking part in a double homicide like Colt evidently can. He throws me a threatening sneer, but then goes back to the friend hunched down on the floor, who needs him most right now, while I tackle the other.
Even though I hate to admit it, Colt’s right. Finn’s hysteria won’t do us any good. We need clear heads to deal with this clusterfuck of a situation. When I turn around to face him, Finn is still pacing the room left to right, mumbling incoherently to himself. This shit must be wreaking havoc on his ADHD mind, unable to keep one string of thought focused long enough for him to keep hold of his sanity. I can only imagine what this shit is doing to his delicate heart.
Finn might have perfected the image of the tough-as-nails quarterback god everyone expects him to be, but the rest of us know different. Beneath his brash facade lies a sensitive soul, easily damaged and taken advantage of. Colt and I aren’t woven from the same fragile fabric, and if tonight is any indication, neither is Lincoln. Maybe that’s why I took a shine to Finn in the first place. He reminds me that purity can dwell in the most unlikely of places.
I rush to him, placing both my hands over Finn’s trembling shoulders, giving them a squeeze to stop his pacing. His agitated sapphire eyes bounce off my cool-as-steel gray ones. I grab his neck, bending his forehead to press against mine, but the fucker keeps twitching, unable to keep still.
He’s in shock.
Fuck, we all are.
But right now, I need him to snap out of it, for all our sakes.
“Finn, look at me. Look at me, brother!” I order with a non-negotiable tone.
The red splatters on his ashen skin give him a macabre look, like an assassin that just went on a killing spree in some horror-filled B-movie. Rich pricks like us usually never do well in those types of films. Hope the real-life version holds better odds for us.
I kick that stupid thought out of my head, knowing that Finn will fall apart completely if he sees an ounce of fear embedded in my eyes.
He stares at me, and I must be able to offer him some reassurance with my steady breathing and unyielding grip because he starts to simmer down. We stay like this for a while until his heaving chest settles, no longer looking like he’s about to puke his brains out.
“You good?” I ask him once his body is no longer shaking profusely.
Finn gives me a clipped nod, not wanting to vocalize the lie I demand from him.
He lets me go and takes a step back, doing everything in his power to extract himself out of the current nightmare we’re in. I let out a long exhale and begin to inspect the damage we’ve done. On either side of the library, two bodies stain the imported carpet beneath them, with their crimson blood seeping through its overpriced fabric. Not exactly the image I was counting on having burned into my mind, and hardly a way to end a fucking Saturday night.
What a shitshow.
Fuck.
I’m still trying to piece together what just happened when Lincoln’s hoarse voice slices through the darkness of the room.