Page 26 of Ruthless Legacy

Verity chokes on her drink, her expressive eyes widening. “Oh no we’re not. My brother and Rafe will skin me alive if I step foot on Silver territory.

I put out my bottom lip. “Oh, come on Verity, please. I need my wing woman.”

“Do you have a thing for Silver? Because honestly, my money was on you and Archer hate fucking each other.”

I snort in disgust. “Never will anything happen with Archer. As for Silver, maybe. He’s more the kind of guy I go for and he is easy on the eye.”

Verity sighs and looks at me in despair. “Eliza Alderman, you’ll start a war if you go down that path. I’m telling you, it’s not worth it.”

I roll my shoulders. It’s never a good idea to tell me not to do something because for me that is like a red flag for me to go and do it.

Later that evening, I’m putting the finishing touches to my make-up when Verity arrives. She waltzes in, her Chanel perfume leaving a trail as she sits herself at the end of my bed.

“I hope you know what an amazing friend I am being for you tonight. If Rafe or Seb find out where I am, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

I look at her through my mirror as I apply my mascara. “First, Rafe doesn’t own you, you are not his little Wifey yet, and Seb is not your keeper either.” I stand and hold my arms out. “Will I do?”

I’m wearing my signature ripped skinny jeans, heeled boots and a crop, ripped band t-shirt from a vintage t-shirt company I found online. I’ve finished my look off with thick winged eye liner and a deep red lip. My hair hangs in beachy waves down my back.

She whistles. “Girl, you look hot. Are you sure you don’t want to try some girl on girl loving?” She winks at me playfully.

“I’ll stick to boys, thank you, but you do you, honey. Okay,” I say, grabbing my phone, “let’s check these Silver’s out.”

The Silver Mansion is on the other side of the bay. It’s set back off the lane with electric gates that have been left open for the partygoers. When we pull up, the place is already packed, and we have to park on the lane up to the house and walk on foot. It’s a modern building but made to look like it’s from the Georgian era, with large symmetrical windows. The music is loud and can be heard from back here on the lane. Inside though, it’s super modern. White marble floor, black chandeliers and a wrought iron black stair rail that weaves around in a curve to the next floor. As soon as I step inside, despite the grandeur, I feel more at home here. The people at this party don’t scream money and privilege, they scream public education. I take Verity’s hand in mine, and we weave through the house until we come out into a large open-plan kitchen that has bi-fold doors that open the full length of the room. A kitchen island holds an array of alcoholic drinks. I grab a can of fruit cider and offer Verity a coke, because she is driving tonight.

“So, where are the Aceholes tonight? Planning world domination?”

Verity shakes her head. “No clue. They were all in the den at our house when I left.”

“Ladies! You came,” says a voice I recognise, and I turn to find Silver heading our way, with a drink in one hand and a spliff hanging out of his mouth. He’s shirtless, showing off his muscular physique. He does a low whistle as he looks me over. “Princess, you look like my kind of trouble tonight.”

I wink at him and grin. “Trouble’s my middle name.”

“Don’t I know it,” he agrees, placing an arm over my shoulder. “And you brought the other Ace Princess as well. Do your keepers know you are here tonight?”

I snigger. “I don’t have a keeper.”

He nods, giving me a knowing look. “You keep telling yourself that, beautiful. Come and meet some of my mates.”

He leads us out into the back garden to where a large group sit in a sunken seating area with a fire pit in the middle.

“Braeden, move over,” he orders, and the boy with a closely shaved head shuffles over to make room for us. The chatter dies instantly when we sit down, and everyone stares at us. I look around at the staring faces with wide eyes.

“Never seen two pretty girls before, people?” Silver asks the crowd.

One guy takes a drag on his spliff and leans back in his seat. He has a ring piercing through his lip and two in one eyebrow. “Elite girls, huh?”

“Not just any elite girls either,” says the girl he has one arm around, her hair is platinum blonde and cut in a blunt bob. “She’s an Ace.”

Verity flushes and looks uncomfortable.

“You after starting trouble, brother?” says a guy sitting over to the left. I see the resemblance between him and Silver immediately. They have the same alluring pale green eyes, only his brother is stockier and has more tattoos.

“Just being friendly to the new girl in town,” he replies, offering me the spliff.

“And who might you be, new girl?” His brother asks, his assessing eyes landing back on me.

“Eliza Holton.”

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