Page 20 of Believe In Us

Sitting directly in front of me on the large gold and velvet couch, is an alluring man dressed to the nines in an expensive, perfectly tailored navy suit that screams power. His hair is long and dark swept to one side while his face is clean and free of any imperfections except for a lone scar that crosses from the top of his left eyebrow down to his chiseled jaw. Instead of making him ghastly deformed it adds to the dark and dangerous appeal. Scarface—as I’ve just donned him—sits casually, one leg crossed over his knee with a thick Cuban cigar between his pointer and middle finger. I find myself unable to look away. I can tell he notices when a devious smirk appears in place of his scowl, green cat-like eyes boring into mine as he stands and slowly struts in my direction. It feels as if the room has suddenly shrunk in size and is caving in, leaving just him and I standing. There is no explanation needed. I feel it in my soul, this is Kane Dalton.

“My men were not exaggerating when they said Sebastian Silver’s girlfriend was the most beautiful woman they’d ever seen,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse and aggressive as he stops right before me. He’s tall and towers over me, not massive like Sebastian,however easily over six feet. “It is a pleasure to meet you Jade Wolfe,” he adds, extending his hand out to shake mine.

I don’t move a goddamn muscle, don’t even bother looking down at his outstretched hand before me, I simply keep my eyes glued to his trying my hardest to hide the fear coursing through me and keep my glare as impassive as possible. “I wish I could say the same, Kane Dalton.”

There is a bright gleam in his eyes as his name leaves my mouth, but he doesn’t look surprised that I’m aware of who he is. This is a man who knows how powerful he is and likes to be reminded other’s know it as well. He thrives not only on showing off his wealth and status, obvious in the way he presents himself, but also his notoriety. There are some men, powerful men who lead the most dangerous of regimes, that like to remain in the shadows or hidden behind the persona they’ve created. Something tells me Kane Dalton likes to show everyone who is in charge.

“I see you’ve heard about me,” he asks, clearly not expecting a response. Nonetheless I give him one letting him know I know exactly who he is.

“Kane Dalton, ill-famed leader of The Order, whoever the fuck they are,” I stop, glaring at the men who’ve suddenly stood up and moved to circle around theirboss. They’re all equally well dressed but vary in appearance. Bald heads, thick beards, short, tall, round, fat, muscular, but all have one thing in common. You don’t want to be caught in a room alone with any of them, and here I am, alone, in a room, with them all.

He lets out a loud chuckle, the men behind him joining in like good little minions. “Beautiful and funny, it’s no wonder Silver has changed his ways for you.” Once again his goons follow in their leader’s footsteps, laughing at his snide remark. It’s a mockery how they all stand there acting like they know a goddamn thing about me or myrelationshipwith Sebastian.

“Who’s to say I’m any better,” I blurt out letting my rage get the best of me. “What if I’m the corrupted one, looks can be deceiving.You are a perfect example actually.” Probably not the smartest thing to say but I’m too drunk to filter out my thoughts before they leave my lips.

“Oh really,” he says, curiosity evident in his glare. “And how is that?” He takes a step closer and I take two steps back but find Skeet and his buddy right at my back. In all honesty, the two fuckheads behind me seem like the bigger threat. Then again that might just be Kane’s beguiling disguise at work.

“I’m not one to form unfair opinions of someone before getting to know them, but something tells me Mr. Dalton, you are not as wholesome as you appear.” A wide grin spreads across his face, seemingly impressed by my boldness as he motions for me to join him further into his lair.

“I like you Jade. You have this lovely charm about you, it reminds me much of what I was like at your age.” I don’t willingly follow him back to the couch he was sitting on but am forced to by Skeets' friend who’s pushing me forward. Kane looks not much older than my father who had my brother when he was about my age, and me three short years later. I’d definitely say he’s younger than forty but with the scar on his face it’s hard to tell.

“What the fuck am I doing here?” I ask, frustrated by the men around here acting all high and fucking mighty. This must be what my sister was going through with Wesley Servite yet she left and went to work for him. Of course I now know it’s out of some obscene threat he made against her and Ace, but nonetheless she’s there and not here with me.

“No reason in particular just wanted to get to know the girl my men won’t stop yapping about.” My eyes bulge out in fear as I turn and look toward Skeet who eyes me with a frightening desire. It makes me fucking sick. “However there is no need to fear them my love, they know that you are now deemed off limits. No harm is to come to you from The Order.”

I turn to him, stunned, and confused by his remark, yet grateful. I get a weird feeling however, that hiskindnessisn’t at allaltruistic. I’m about to speak but I'm distracted by the large tattoo wrapped around his neck that I hadn’t noticed earlier. The large sigil is a pyramid of sorts surrounded by three other smaller ones at each of the triangles corners, which somewhat resemble Celtic knots.

“Why?” I whisper, for only him to hear. He reaches for a stick one of his men hands him, the veins in his neck tightening as he swallows down a gulp of the amber liquid. “Well for one you are of obvious importance to Sebastian and secondly, I now consider you a friend. As a friend of Kane Dalton, you are a friend of The Order and therefore untouchable.”

“And who the fuck is The Order?” The men behind Kane advance all of them with darkening scowls, and loud grunts at my dismissal and subtle insult.

“All in good time love, for now all you need to know is we’re friends, and in a world like the one you now find yourself in, you can never have too many.”

Chapter

Nine

BASS

Ican’t concentrate. I can’t focus on anything other than the formidable anger I feel boiling the blood in my veins. Black and gray menacing shadows all around me blur my vision as I try to focus on the computer screen in front of me.How the fuck do these teachers expect me to focus on my tedious schoolwork, when the world around me is going to fucking hell?

Literally.

My world—this vile piece of shit I was born into—is about to burn up in flames. Flames it brought on itself, like a fucking arsonist. Ace is gone, off plotting world domination and the takeover of hell from the devil himself. The guys and I are losing a grip on the power we hold over the students of the academy, currently igniting chaos in every hallway. My father has lost his goddamn mind and is threatening me with ruining my entire future if I don’t comply with his god-awful requests. No inheritance, no legacy, nothing. He’s even gone as far as using his bodyguard to do his dirty work. Fucking coward.

Kane Dalton cornered me the other night outside my father’s casino, after being summoned there by him the same night I saw Jade at Torment. Dalton not so subtly made his threats—“Step out of line and you’ll get stepped on. Disobey your father and you won’t be the only one to pay for it” —making me absolutely certain my father put him up to after finding out I’ve been hanging out with Jade.

As for her, earlier that night I found her dancing like a fucking stripper in the middle of the dance floor. It made me so angry to see her that way, putting on a show for everyone to see, but not as horny as it made me. I decided to play along, teasing her, and making her nearly fall apart on the crowded dance floor. Paybacks a bitch, and my girl sure knows how to take it.

It backfired though obviously, leaving me with the biggest case of blue balls when I lost her in the crowd. It wasn’t on purpose, believe me I never would have let her out of my sight, but Ace called. He needed me, and despite how badly I needed to be in Jade, he’s my brother, and the Horsemen always come first. Though before I got to him, my father requested my presence at The Nova. Apparently he thought it prudent to show me a glimpse of what he’s expecting me to take over once I graduate this Spring, with Kinsley fucking Carlyle.

Over my dead body.

I behaved, acted like the dotting son he expected me to be, and kept my mouth closed shut. There is no use in going against his plans for me, not until I have a plan of my own. As of right now he may think he has the upper hand, he can even believe his hired hitman is here to scare me straight, but there is no fucking way I’ll end up with Kinsley Carlyle when all this is over.

I drove down to Pleasant Hills like a fucking maniac, hoping I wasn’t too late. Ace was frantic when he called, desperate and out of fucking control. So of course, I needed to make sure I was there for him, even if it were just to join him in punching the fucking wall I’m sure already has fist sized holes on every corner. My boysand I, we stick together, always have. At least that’s how things used to work around here.

I showed up, nearly three hours late, to help my brother plan how he was going to get his girl back from the devil himself, his uncle Wesley, whom up until recently was the one pulling our puppet string. However, now the tables have turned. Priorities have shifted with Ace, what once held most importance has now been shoved to the bottom of the barrel. Now she is on top, Scarlett Steele has become his number one priority, causing a shift in all of our lives. I never thought I’d see the day one of us let a chick take over our livelihoods that way. I mean he’s practically been exiled from his home because of his uncle’s sick and dangerous obsession with her.

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