Page 104 of Dukes of Peril

“To become a Queen.” Her eyebrow arches meaningfully. “Maybe.”

The words bring me up short. I’ve thought about it before, back when I was nothing but a prisoner. The thought of using Nick’s position as Bruin to climb my way to a place where I’d have the power to fight back was enticing. But now the reminder makes my stomach flop uneasily.

If Nick becomes King, that’s what I’ll be.

His Queen.

I’ve spent my whole life trying to escape a box–my father’s chest, the Hideaway, the elevator. Maybe Sarah managed to make it out, but I’m not a Bruin. I’m a Lucia. I’m North Side.

Where I come from, Royal women always end up in a box–dead or alive.

“Killian calledme into his office after we broke into the Hideaway and tagged Lavinia.”

I freeze just outside the kitchen, overhearing Nick’s words. Sarah had sent me down to pilfer a couple pieces of birthday cake, the weed making us maudlin and hungry, but I pause, straining to hear the conversation.

He goes on, “For a second, I thought I was busted. Fuck, part of me is still surprised I walked out of that whorehouse alive. Killian might be a jock, but the guy isn’t exactly stupid.”

“And these are the Lords,” Sy stresses. “Not exactly forgiving of being double-crossed.”

“But you’re still alive,” Davis says in a confused tone.

Nick explains, “Saul and the Lords have massive beef. Something major went down, but Killian Payne wasn’t in the position to handle it himself. Not when he was newly anointed and scrambling to get a foothold in his father’s Kingdom. He needed someone he trusted–more than Saul, at least–to head up the Dukes and take him out. I’m a Bruin. Killer knew I had a ticket in, and he wanted to use it.”

Manny sounds incredulous. “You’re saying you manipulated Killian Payne–a rival King–into giving you their asset?”

Nick’s voice rings out defensively. “I didn’t manipulate. I just… maneuvered things. Strategically.”

“Jesus Christ, Nick,” Davis groans. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“He wasn’t,” Sy mutters, but Nick cuts in.

“Saul wanted revenge on the Lords. The Lords want revenge on Saul. I wanted Lavinia Lucia.” There’s a long pause–probably all of them figuring out what I already know. Nick’s problem isn’t that he fails to think things through. It’s that he’s so good at thinking things through, he can turn bad ideas into weirdly brilliant ones. He scoffs. “Guys. It was a win-win-win.”

“And now it’s a cluster fuck-fuck-fuck,” Remy says, voice garbled in a way that suggests he’s in the middle of eating something.

“Let me get this straight,” Manny says. “The Lords gave you Lavinia in exchange for your position in the belfry, which would be beneficial to them.”

“Yes.”

“But they only did that in light of your… uh, initiation ritual,” Manny stutters, which is reasonable. Not many initiation rituals include breaking into the basement of a whorehouse and assaulting their prisoner.

Then again, thisisForsyth.

Maybe they do.

Davis says, “So this video…” and I feel my face instantly flare with heat. I’m definitely not stoned enough to survive hearing their fathers talk about that video. “It’s hard, indisputable proof that you knowingly,deliberatelybetrayed the Lords.”

“And,” Manny adds, “if Saul were to show it to Payne, they’d come after you.”

Sy’s the one to answer, the words low and harsh. “Best case, we’d start a massive war with the only house who’s ever shown a willingness to ally with us. Worst case, they’d hunt us down like dogs in the street.”

There’s another beat of silence, and then Davis speaks, the words full of defeat. “Then Remy was right. He’s got you by the balls.” There’s an anger in his tone that surprises me to hear. It’s not anger directed at Nick, nor does it seem directed at Saul. Davis sounds more angry with himself than anything. “I should have–”

Ding!

I stiffen, fumbling my phone from my pocket to silence it, but I know it’s already too late. The kitchen has gone pointedly silent. I read the text notification without really intending to, my face burning in embarrassment at being caught.

And then I see the message.

---