Page 16 of In the Midst of Chaos

“I feel it,” he said. “War is coming, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

Then I turned to Duncan, who still hadn’t fully grasped the severity of the situation.

“Not a word of this to Huxley and Finnie.”

My brother licked his lips and then pushed back the long strands of hair at the front.

“They find out we kept this from them, they’re going to be pissed.”

“But alive,” I said.

Duncan shrugged because he knew I was right. Until we knew who wanted to harm our family, we had to protect them. It’s what I had been doing for years. I was a pro at using my body as a shield for them almost to the point of killing myself with pain.

A bit later, my brother left the club with Andre and Ace, leaving me alone with Nate.

Nate and I understood each other. One day he would get the gavel, and I would take my father’s place, and he, along with my brother and Finnie, would call the shots of the empire.

“What are you going to do about Finley?” he asked as he rolled a blunt. Now that no one was around, I didn’t have to lie.

“Protect her. What else would I do?”

He gave me adon’t play stupid look.

“I’m talking about her marrying your brother?”

I shrugged. “Nothing, she’s his.”

“Bullshit,” he snorted. “You’ve had a hard-on for the bitch since you were seventeen.”

“She was a fucking kid,” I growled because Finley had been fourteen back then, way too fucking young.

“My mother had me at fifteen.” He grinned at me.

I cut him with a glare. “And look how well that turned out, Nathaniel.”

“Fuck you, bitch,” he spat.

Nate burned his joint, took a hit, and passed it to me. When he was mellowed out, he spoke again.

“You’re telling me you’re okay living in that mansion, knowing your brother is hitting that a few floors from you?”

My jaw was stiff, and my hand was fisted.

“Thought so,” Nate said triumphantly.

“He’s my brother. I can’t do that to him.”

Nate sighed, and then he grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it. “Brother, none of us here would do that to you.”

Chapter Six

I forgothow beautiful Crull Manor looked at dawn.

It felt like a fire was trying to overtake this place. The way the sun rose and rays reflected the lake toward the forest. It was beautiful. The only reason I knew this was because I used to climb outside and watch. Insomnia had always been a dear friend. Not one I tried to shake off real hard. My mind wandered at night, and I just let it.

Most of the time, I thought about my parents; other times, I thought about Nash—okay, a lot of times I thought about Nash.

---