Page 69 of Kings & Chaos

“Because she wants you to be like her, Jezebel.” The nickname didn’t have its usual bite. “It was just the easiest way out. I’m not having you dress like a bunch of Jersey Mob wives.”

I exhaled my relief. “Good, because I was going to ditch Bergdorf’s after you dropped me off anyway.”

He snorted, the closest thing to a laugh I’d ever heard come from his mouth.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled the Hummer into a parking garage and handed it over to the valet. He tucked the ticket in his wallet as we stepped into the street, merging with the flow of pedestrians that moved like a line of ants in both directions.

“Where are we going?” I asked, trying to keep up with his long-legged stride.

“Madison.” It was more of a grunt than a word.

I stared up at him, wishing he wasn’t wearing sunglasses. I didn’t like not being able to see his eyes. “Icannotafford Madison.”

“Just trust me, Jezebel. Have a little fun, will you?”

“I know how to have fun,” I protested.

“Could have fooled me.”

The criticism stung even though I couldn’t really blame him for saying it. I hadn’t exactly been a barrel of laughs at Aventine. I’d been too busy trying to fit in and figure out what happened to Emma, not to mention dodging Neo’s insults.

I’d been under attack since I got to the Kings’ house, and at least some of that washisfault.

“I’ve been kind of busy trying to find my sister and dodge a stalker, in case you haven’t noticed. And you haven’t made things easy for me either you know.”

He surprised me by stopping in his tracks, and someone shoved past us with a glare. Nothing pissed New Yorkers off more than someone stopping in the middle of the sidewalk like a fucking tourist.

He jabbed an angry finger in my direction. “I’m doing you a fucking favor, Jezebel. Someday you’re going to see that.”

This was the Neo I knew and hated. This was the guy who’d made me miserable for the last three months, who’d made fun of my clothes and treated me like shit on his shoe.

This was good, easier than whatever the fuck it was that happened in the shower last night. Hating Neo was something I understood, something I could do in my sleep.

“Now let’s go fucking shopping,” he added like a fucking sociopath.

We started at Balenciaga, and I had to resist the urge to apologize for being there. My family had money before my dad left, but that had been Mafia-soldier money.

Bergdorf money.

Balenciaga was a whole other ball game, a designer one with five-figure price tags on the carefully curated selection and more than a few six-figure ones.

Neo marched in like he owned the place, and I have to say, he fit right in. Everything about him screamed money, and not Mafia money either.

Big money. Yacht money.

A woman in a simple black dress and the signature double-C pin approached us with a cool smile. Her hair was pulled back into a dark knot, her makeup flawless. She could have been thirty or fifty.

“Welcome to Balenciaga. Are you looking for something in particular this morning?”

“We’re looking for everything. My sister here needs a complete wardrobe overhaul.” He glanced at me with an evil smirk.

Hissister. Sick fucking bastard.

The woman’s gaze traveled from the top of my head down to my booties. “Of course. Would you like to browse or shall I bring you a few things to get started?”

Neo waved the question away. “We trust you, right Jezebel?”

My face flamed at the use of the nickname in front of the sales associate. “If you say so.”

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