Page 8 of Crown of Steel

A destructive, cocky, sexy nightmare.

“Master of Evasion,”I mumble again, needing strength.But the title has already lost its punch, dread filling the pit of my stomach.

The first weeks of summer break I stayed out of everyone’s way, with the massive gardens of the Deveraux mansions giving me shelter. It was beautiful, a labyrinth of plants, scrubs, trees and flowers. So many of them. Most of my days I spent hidden between the greenery, reading, reveling in silence. But when the tension in the house filled with anticipation of the twin’s homecoming, I knew I needed to be far gone. Granted, both brothers spent a fair amount of those two months away, doing god knows what, but still… I couldn’t be there.

Arthur makes me feel… haunted. He has an uncanny way of finding me wherever I hide. That trepidation suffocates me right now, knowing that he’s so close to me after too many sleepless nights, just like during the summer. It created a foreign storm of homesickness that raged deep inside me like some twisted inferno.

I had to get out of there.

Needed to fuckingbreathe.

This world I'd been thrust into had become claustrophobic. Too much too quickly. Too overwhelming. I needed thefamiliarity of home. In some sick way, my need to be surrounded by the only life I had known, made me wish I could see Dad again.

So before the twins arrived home, I fled the property without a note, took the earliest train and justleft.

They changed the locks of our old house, you know? When I tried my key for the third time, some fat guy looked through the kitchen window with a pan in his hand. Told me to get lost.

I did. With a mixture of shame and sadness.

What was even worse was finding Amadou in the parking lot waiting on me in one of the family’s SUVs. I didn’t want to get in, I swear, but I suddenly felt so fucking tired.

So. Fucking. Tired.

This is how Amadou and I ended up spending the past few weeks together while he silently took me to all the places I wanted to visit.

My old school.

My grandparent’s grave.

My dad in prison.

Now, my breath comes out in a hesitant shudder as my chest clenches at the memory. I have called Dad every other day since he has been in there. Sometimes he won’t talk to me, or sometimes he blames me for him being there. And maybe he’s right. But no matter how many times I flick through my recollection, I can’t recall the moment that I asked my mother to come back into our life over the past five years. Can’t recall the moment she came barging back into our life to claim me back.

I grimace at the thought. I may not have grown up with money, andtheirmoney might have brought me to this college, but I’ll show them all. It’s the only reason why I accepted Jean-Luc’s expensive gift, apart from my hunger for knowledge. I’ll be better than they could ever have anticipated. I’ll be the best fucking student here in rich-kid college. They’ll never see it coming.

The doors of the red SUV open and I find myself staringwith unblinking eyes at the one stepbrother who now climbs out of the car. The one stepbrother who has my emotions scattered all over the place.

Of course he’d be here, what were you thinking?I’m a fool to think that I could escape from him.

As if he can hear my blurry thoughts from afar, Arthur tilts his gaze my way, onyx eyes burning into mine—unapologetic and intense. A flash of annoyance crosses his face, before he tips up his chin and curls his lips into a cruel smirk.

I scoff, then grab hold of the suitcase between my legs and jog toward the glass door entrance, ignoring the way my treacherous heart is hammering violently in my chest.

Two seconds was enough to conclude that he looks spectacular. I bet the sun warmed his skin just in the right places, gently emphasizing that tanned texture on his flesh. His hair is a slick, raven mop, the strands far shorter than my messy, wavy hair. I should have gone to the hairdresser.

“Hello there, how are you?” Some guy grins at me, holding a notebook and a pen, the first two buttons of the shirt of his school uniform open, revealing a strip of pale skin. “I don’t think we’ve met before, I’m Pierre. Are you new here? If you are a first year student, I’m sorry to inform you that your introduction started last week.”

“No, I’m not. Sorry, I mean,” I correct, offering a small smile through my frigid expression. Even without looking, I just know it will come out as a grimace. I’m so bad at this. “Yes, I’m a first year student, but couldn’t make it during the introductions last week. I wanted to get here just before the program started. Anyway…” Biting my lip, I wring my hands nervously. Stupid stammering. Gives it all away. Pierre shoots me a funny look, but doesn’t say anything. I nod toward the papers he’s holding. “Is that the list of names assigned to the dorms? I should be there. The name is Deveraux.”

“Excuse me?” He looks up with wide eyes, appearing genuinely baffled.

“Deveraux,” I repeat. Then both Pierre and I turn to the door. Of fucking course. As if they waited for that fucking moment to make their grand entrance, the twins walk through the glass doors in a haze of excitement that’s picked up by everyone who follows them, hot on their tail. People are chatting around them, begging for their attention with smiles and jokes. I whip my gaze back to Pierre, clutching my backpack a little tighter over my shoulder.

“Listen, can we make this quick? I am looking for a single dorm. Can you check and give me the right key?”

The guy Pierre stares from me back to his notebook. “The Deverauxs all stay together in a shared dorm,” he mutters sheepishly.

“Yeah, so I’ve heard. But I don’t want that,d’accord? So I need you to change that for me, like, now.Now.” The twins have nearly reached us. Pierre’s eyes dart from me to the list, to someone who’s now creeped up behind me. Someone who’s hot breath hits my nape. I groan.

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