Page 87 of Theirs to Rule

“I see you brought your entourage,” Bianca said. She reached for the coffee she’d already ordered and took a sip, eyeing Kage and Dante with open suspicion as Dante rejoined us at the table.

“I told you they were coming,” I reminded her, not liking her attitude.

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t mean I have to like it,” she grumbled.

What was up with her? Was she really annoyed that I’d confided in the guys, or was she worried that I might trust someone more than I did her? Whatever was bothering her, Iwasn’t going to stand here and listen to her bad-mouth Dante and Kage.

“Actually, if you want to hear what we know, it does kind of mean you have to like it,” I retorted. It was a snarky comment, but if my sister was going to be a bitch about all of this, then so was I. “And I’m in a relationship with Dante and Kage. I fully trust them.”

“And I trust theconciliantis.If I think we should bring her into this, that should be enough for you.”

“You took off for weeks with some random guy, ended things with Silas because he was a lousy lay... Or was that all bullshit too?” I frowned at my sister, not sure what to believe anymore. “Was Silas part of your investigation too?”

“Silas was cheating on me with someone, only I didn't know it was Ava until I came back. Rather than admit that, I told you he was a lousy lay, which wasn't that far off from the truth. The random guy in California was just a cover in front of Dante, Camille. I thought you’d figure that out. My whole trip to California was about trying to find out why CU kids originally from there had disappeared. I was trying to help and make sure nothing happened to you too!"

Guilt pierced through me at the thought that I was being too hard on her. "But you went MIA. You didn't even know the danger I was in, or if you did, you never reached out. How was that protecting me?"

"I went MIA because... because..."

I narrowed my eyes. She looked upset. I reached out and touched her hand. "Because what?"

Her bottom lip quivered as she stared at me. Oh God, what had happened to Bianca in California?

"Bi..."

She shook her head, her features hardening. "I'm fine, Camille. Can we just start over? You and Elise are all I careabout. But if you come with Dante and Kage or even Ty, I'll learn to trust them. And I won't tell theconciliantisanything if you don't want me to."

I took her hand. "Okay, thank you," I said, but this wasn’t over, I thought. Someday, I'd find out what really happened to Bianca in California.

I filled her in on the details she didn't know about Silas, including how he and his brother had oak tree tattoos, how Ava had the acorn tattoo, and what Troy had told Kage about enduring and being part of a cause. Then I took out my phone and scrolled through my photos until I found the one of the symbols. At first, she looked confused, but then her eyes widened.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. “I've seen this one before.” She pointed at a yurt tree symbol, her eyes clouded with frustration as she frowned. “Maybe it was a faculty member, maybe I saw it in their office or something?”

"A faculty member?" Dante prompted her, leaning forward. "Any idea who? If you can give me a name, I can figure out if you’re right..."

"I don’t know," she muttered, shaking her head. “I’ll think about it and get back to you when I remember. In the meantime, we have to keep digging.”

I told her about Drew Nelson going missing. About how Dante had asked around, and the party line was now that Drew had come out to his family, and bigots that they were, they’d threatened to disown him, so he’d quit school and left. This left me conflicted because it seemed Drew had revealed his secret, which made the story more credible. But I just couldn’t see Drew leaving of his own free will.

I’d tried finding out about his boyfriend, the one who’d broken up with him recently, but Drew had never told me morethan his name, and there were no clues left behind after Drew left.

“So he’s the latest one,” Bianca said.

“I think so,” I said. “We all do.”

Bianca nodded and squeezed my hand. “We’re in this together.” Her gaze pinned the guys. “All of us, apparently. But first...” She narrowed her eyes at Kage and then Dante. “I want to know what your intentions are with my sister.”

“Bianca,” I snapped, embarrassed.

What the heck was she doing?

Both Kage and Dante exchanged amused looks, like they thought it was cute my big sister wanted to protect me.

I thought back to last night, and the look in Kage’s eyes as he watched Dante suck on my clit. This was not a conversation I wanted to have with my sister right now. At least, not with Kage and Dante sitting right there, listening.

“The only person I need to answer to is Camille,” Kage told her. “She knows where we stand and what my intentions are. She also knows what I have to give her.”

“I think we all know what you have to ‘give’ her,” Bianca drawled, air quoting the word "give." “And I’m sure it will be great—until it isn’t. And it will be me left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart once you decide to move on.”

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