Page 51 of Kings & Chaos

“We can’t protect you if you stay somewhere else,” Oscar said quietly. “And wewillprotect you.”

I took a deep breath and nodded, but my mind was spinning. I wanted the Kings’ protection — okay, I needed it to stay alive — but finding Emma was up to me.

And that meant a visit to Dean Giordana’s house.

Chapter18

Rock

Blackwell Falls was jumping, even for a Saturday night, all the townies and college students looking to get a little crazy before Thanksgiving when they’d be forced to sit around holiday tables and pretend to like their families.

They weren’t alone. I wasn’t looking forward to going home, but I’d promised my mom I’d look out for Sophia, and that meant being present whenever dear old Dad might have too much to drink, which was pretty much every day of the week.

Luckily for me, Sophia went to boarding school, which meant both of us were usually in the clear except for special occasions.

And my fucked-up family wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want to leave Blackwell Falls. It was the first time I’d be away from Willa since she’d come to live with us, and I fucking hated the thought of it.

I glanced over at her as she stepped out of the back seat, her fine ass hot as hell in ripped jeans, a top that managed to show off both her tits and her stomach, and fuck-me boots I was dying to feel on my shoulders while I sank into her sweet pussy.

She’d done some kind of fancy braid thing with her hair, and my dick got hard when I remembered the way Drago had pulled on her hair when she’d sucked him off in the home gym.

Fuck.

I tried to compose myself as we left the Hummer at the curb and pushed through the crowd standing outside the theater, but it wasn’t easy. I’d hoped finally having a taste of Willa would satisfy my craving, but it had only made me want her more. Now I knew how it felt to be buried inside her. I knew what she tasted like on my tongue.

And fuck me if I didn’t want that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every damn day.

We passed through the lobby and headed for the hall leading to the main theater.

Bear was there, guarding the way with his colossal arms crossed over his chest just like always, but if he expected Willa to wait for permission to enter, he was sorely disappointed.

I laughed out loud when she breezed past him without a backward glance, leaving us all in her dust.

Bear looked after her with a scowl. “The fuck?”

“Guess she didn’t like the way you treated her last time,” Drago drawled, hurrying to catch up to Willa.

“She better not be carrying,” Bear growled.

“She’s carrying all right,” Neo muttered. “Carrying a giant fucking chip on her shoulder.”

“Pot meet kettle,” I said, quoting Reva.

Neo glared at me.

He might be the king of hypocrisy, but he wasn’t wrong. Willa waspissedabout the game. Other than talking about her fucked-up special delivery, she’d hardly said two words to any of us since the party last night, and I was starting to worry I’d still be on her shit list when we all parted ways for Thanksgiving in a few days.

“I need to change,” Neo muttered, heading for one of the old employee break rooms that acted as a makeshift changing room.

I watched as Drago and Willa disappeared into the main theater, then sighed and followed Neo.

He glanced back at me. “I don’t need a fucking babysitter.”

“No, but you might need a reality check,” I said as I followed him into the small windowless room.

It had probably had a few tables once, places where theater employees could eat and talk on their breaks. Now it was just a nondescript room with an old wooden picnic bench, two plastic chairs, and a small card table that leaned to one side.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Neo said, setting his duffel bag on the table.

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