Page 47 of Kings & Corruption

“Will you talk to me later?” I asked. “When we’re alone? Tell me everything you remember about her?”

“Will you promise not to keep asking questions like this if I do?” she asked.

I felt bad about all the lies I was about to tell, but I nodded anyway. I liked Claire. I badly needed friends, and she seemed like someone I might be able to call a friend someday.

But finding Emma came first.

Claire sighed. “Ask me again when we’re alone. And for the love of Mary and Joseph, don’t mention Emma’s name to anyone else at Aventine. That’s the last thing you need.”

I wanted to ask what she meant, but I didn’t have time. A second later, Quinn joined us with two of the Saints and I tried to pretend like I had nothing on my mind but flirting with the seemingly never-ending supply of ridiculously hot guys at Aventine.

It wasn’t easy. I kept hearing Claire’s voice, her obvious warning that talking about my sister was a dangerous topic of conversation ringing like an alarm in my mind.

Chapter22

Willa

I’d been hanging with Claire, Quinn, and the two gorgeous Saints for almost an hour when a cheer suddenly went up from the Knights. I looked over to see that they were doing shots, and a few seconds later, Alexa and an enormous dark-haired guy started making the rounds with a bottle of vodka, offering shots to members of the other houses.

We watched as each of the groups did shots with Alexa and the Russian giant, and I braced myself as they made their way toward us.

“Don’t look now but the Queen of Mean is on her way,” Claire said.

“Alexa?” I asked. “Don’t give her that power. She’s no queen. Just a bully in designer clothes.”

Claire laughed. “Ouch.”

“Oh, look,” Alexa said when they reached us, “it’s our resident charity case.”

It stung a little because it was true. I was only here because of Roberto Alinari. But also, you literally couldn’t have paid me to come to Aventine if it hadn’t been for my need to find Emma.

“Oh, wait…” I said. “Do you… do you think I actually wanted to come here?” I laughed. “You’re adorable. I spent the last year walking the streets of Paris and lying on beaches in Thailand. This is a little… pedestrian by comparison.”

Her eyes flashed. “Then why are you here?”

I shrugged. “Apparently it’s an Alinari family tradition. I’m just playing along.”

“I bet you are,” Alexa said. “Playing alongwithallthe guys at the Kings’ house.”

Nice try to slut shame me, but this wasn’t the 1950s.

“Don’t be jealous,” I said sympathetically. “There’s plenty to go around, and I’ve never minded sharing my toys.”

That was a lie. The thought of Alexa with Rock or Oscar made me want to claw her eyes out — a feeling I was not eager to explore — but she didn’t need to know that.

“Is that, um, vodka?” Claire asked, clearly trying to get us onto safer ground.

Alexa rolled her eyes and handed us some shot glasses. I watched her pour her own from the bottle before taking the glass she’d poured for me. I didn’t trust this bitch as far as I could throw her.

We did our shots with the guy next to her, a man of few words who more than made up for it with his massive biceps and never-ending cheekbones.

“Hear ye! Hear ye!” A deep voice boomed through the crowd, and I turned to realize it was Neo standing near the bonfire. “We have some business to attend to. Everybody gather round.”

The music cut off, and a strange hush descended on the group as everyone crowded around the fire.

“What’s going on?” I asked no one in particular.

Alexa smirked. “Didn’t anyone tell you it was Game Night?”

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