Page 63 of Shattered Legacy (Gravestone Elite 1)

"Nah, I'm good," I say, remembering all too well what happened the last time I took a drink from them.

"You will take what is offered to you," a voice booms from somewhere in the building.

The woman pushes the tray closer once more, but still I hesitate.

"Things will get much worse for you if you don't follow orders, Easton."

My eyes flick around the vast entryway before us, trying to work out where the owner of the voice is, but after a couple more seconds, I no longer need to wonder. He emerges from a doorway, and he's not alone.

My breath catches in my throat as my eyes lock onto Mia's.

She looks breathtaking in an elegant high-necked little black dress. Her hair is curled with most of it pulled into an updo. Her long-ass legs are on full display, and I can't help but smirk that she's been forced to wear something that covers her chest.

I wonder if he has any idea why that is.

"Drink," he demands, pulling Mia closer into his body and holding her neck with a painful grip, if her wince is anything to go by.

With my eyes still fixed on Mia, I reach out for the shot glass and down it in one. Whatever it is burns the second it hits the back of my throat, and I have to fight not to react to the strength of it.

I'll take the consequences of his fucking games any day, if it keeps her safe.

Alex follows my move, and when I finally look at the asshole, an accomplished smirk plays on h

is lips.

"Good boys," he announces patronizingly. "This way. Dinner will be served shortly. It's going to be an incredible evening, I can feel it."

Without warning, he spins Mia around. She wobbles on her heels and it takes every bit of my restraint not to reach out and steady her, to pull her into my arms where I know she'll be safe.

But I can't. I can't put her at risk like that.

What I did to her last night is bad enough.

It was reckless to leave my mark. To brand her. But fuck, I couldn't not.

My cock swells as I think back to her laid out on her bed, tied up and completely at my mercy.

"Ow," I hiss when Alex's elbow connects with my sore ribs. "What?"

"You're drooling."

"Fuck off."

Fuck knows what he was doing there, but after escaping from Mia's dorm I ran headfirst into Alex in the hallway. He took one look at me and smirked. He knew exactly what I was doing. And from the state of his hair, it didn’t take a genius to work out what he was up to either. My excuse of us doing an economics assignment fell on deaf ears.

Seeing as we were both thrown into the basement while unconscious during our last visit here, we didn't get a chance to really check out the lavishness of the house, and fuck me is it something else.

Our shoes tap against the black marble tiles, and huge chandeliers hang above our heads.

It puts all the houses I thought were over the top in Sterling Bay to shame.

Huge canvases of modern art line the light grey walls along with sculptures on each of the ornate pieces of furniture. It looks nothing like I would expect from five college kids. Although they are college kids with more money and power than sense, so I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised.

I didn't have Cade down as an art lover—not that I've spent all that much time thinking about him or considering him having a life that doesn't involve ruining everyone else's.

We pass multiple closed doors as we follow, my eyes taking in everything, trying to absorb any information that might come in useful one day.

"Our guests are here," Cade announces, throwing open a set of double doors and walking in with his arms held out wide.

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