Page 27 of Ruthless Legacy

“Eliza Alderman,” Silver corrects, and his brother instantly sits up straighter in his seat.

“Going for the big prize, huh?”

I sigh. “When you two have finished talking in code. My friend and I might be from the other side of the Bay, but we’re here to have a good time. So can you all quit with the staring and just let us be?”

“Now I see why you invited her,” his brother says with a look on his face that makes me think he is plotting something. “You heard the girl,” he says to the crowd of people, “stop staring.”

At his command, everyone turns away and resumes conversation, like the awkward stares never happened.

I hand the spliff back to Silver. With some weed in me, I feel like I can finally relax. “So, Silver, do you have a name? It feels weird calling you Silver all the time.”

He grins and leans back in his seat, his arm still draped casually over the back of my seat. “Damon. My names Damon.” He eyes me for a few seconds. “Tell me, princess, what do you do for fun?”

“First, quit with the princess thing. I’m no princess, and it’s really pissing me off. As for fun, I like to fight, fuck and, on occasions break the law.”

Damon laughs, his eyes never leaving mine. “My kind of woman. You fight, huh?”

I nod. “I’ve fought in a few underground fighting rings. I love it.”

“You any good?”

I cock a brow. “Is the Pope a Catholic?”

“Well, beautiful, you are in luck. There happens to be a ring a couple of towns from here. Fight nights are Fridays and Saturdays. My brother often fights there, but I should warn you, your ball and chain is also a regular in the ring.”

“My ball and chain?” I ask, even though I have a fair idea who he is talking about.

“Savage.”

I scoff and look over at Verity, who is deep in conversation with the pretty blonde girl next to her. “Let’s get one thing clear here, Damon. I’m not Savage’s. Never have been, never will be. I’m free and single and if I want to hook up with someone here tonight, I will, and if I want to fight, I will. I’m under no one’s control.”

Damon grins and leans in, taking a hold of my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “I hope I’m on the top of your list of potential hook-ups, beautiful?”

“Maybe, if you play your cards right,” I tell him with a wink.

I pull Verity away from the girl she is hitting on and we head inside for a bathroom break and a refill. We hang out in the open-plan kitchen and people watch for a while.

“Please tell me you aren’t going to hit it up with Silver, because honestly, that would be a terrible idea,” Verity asks me, a deep frown marring her pretty face.

I shake my head and grin. “No, I’m not. Well, at least not today. Tonight, I’m just testing out the waters. Seeing which side of the Bay I like to be on.”

“Silver has an agenda, just as much as you think Archer has,” she sighs, “look I don’t want to say he’s only showing interest because of who you are.”

“But,” I prompt her.

“He knows you’re an Alderman. He knows you are an Ace by birth right. Just ask yourself if he would show as much interest if you weren’t.”

I love Verity for caring, but I can look after myself. I’m not stupid. I know Damon’s interest in me is partly because of who I am and because, for some reason, it seems to get a rise out of Archer. “You don’t need to worry about me, Verity. I have always been able to look after myself and cover my own back.” I look over Verity’s shoulder as see the blonde she was talking to earlier walking our way. “I’m going to make myself scarce. You can thank me later.” I gesture my head at the approaching girl before I pick up my drink and head through to the front of the house.

I find what I am looking for in the large living room at the front of the property. There, sitting on a marble fireplace, taking centre-stage is the silver horse statue. It looks heavy, and it’s also a little big to sneak under my jacket, so I’m not sure, should I decide to steal it, how I’ll get it out of here without being seen. I walk through the house until I come to a door which houses the home’s security cameras. Checking there is no one behind me, I sneak inside and close the door behind me. I find the footage of me walking down the corridor into this room and erase it and then I locate and turn off the camera outside of this room and the one in the living room. I also turn off the one that covers the front door of the property. That will make going undetected a little easier. I pull out my phone and dial the number for the police.

“Hi, I’d like to make a complaint about a house party where drugs are being taken.”

I pocket my phone and, smiling to myself, I stick my head out of the door and check the coast is clear before heading back through to the kitchen. I chuckle when I find my friend. She’s standing between the legs of the blonde girl — who sits on the kitchen worktop — kissing.

“I need your car keys,” I tell her and without pulling her lips away from the girl, she reaches in the pocket of her skirt and holds them out for me. I slip them into my jeans pocket and wait. About ten minutes later, I hear a guy holler across the room that the cops are outside, and everyone panics and breaks off; heading for the various exits. I check quickly that no one is in the lounge, and I reach up and grab the statue and pick up a random coat that someone has left behind and shrug it on and fold it closed over my chest to hide the large statue I’m holding there. With one quick glance around, I head out a side door and into the tree line and make my way through the darkness until I come out near Verity’s car. I unlock the boot and I take off the borrowed jacket and wrap it around the horse before placing it in the boot and closing it. I snake back along the treeline and slip back into the house via the side door.

I peek around the hallway and see Silver’s brother at the door, talking to the police. A hand grabs mine and I’m pulled back around the corner.

---