Chapter 28 #2
“Ambassador, so pleased that you could come,” Aeron greets, his tone not overly warm but full of grudging respect. It’s as if he doesn’t like the man but his position requires the gesture.
“Aeron Taylor, a wonderful party,” the man replies in a posh, British accent, and I frown when I see the way his wife is eye fucking my guys. “May I introduce my wife, Susan, and our daughter, Aspen?”
“A pleasure to meet you,” Susan coos, and my nostrils flare at the way her eyes travel over Aeron. He just smiles blandly back, ignoring her blatant flirtation and dipping his head in acknowledgement.
“May I introduce, Lark, our fiancée?” Aeron says, and all three of their eyes widen as they look at me, then the guys.
My cheeks heat at the scrutiny, though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the way he claimed me so publically.
“How are you enjoying America, Aspen?” he asks, smooth as fucking silk, and she blinks up at us, swallowing.
“It certainly rains less here than in London,” she lightly jokes, her voice soft and her gaze sliding from Aeron and landing on me. “It really is a lovely party, thank you for inviting us.”
“You’re welcome,” I respond, even though I had no part in any of this. “Have you been here long?”
“Not really, just a little over a week,” she answers, and I feel that she’s on guard, saying exactly what they expect of her. She seems nervous, her eyes darting back to her parents as if seeking approval, and I can’t really work out why, we’re not that intimidating.
“If you’ll excuse us,” the man, the ambassador, interrupts before she can say anything else, and Aeron nods as they walk away, Aspen trailing behind them.
“Why are you frowning?” Aeron asks me as I watch them and draw my lower lip between my teeth.
“There was something…off with them,” I muse aloud, still watching as they greet some of the other guests.
It’s then that I see the slight flinch Aspen gives when the ambassador extends his hand, and my shoulders tighten.
“She had a look in her eyes that I used to see all too often when I gazed in the mirror,” I add, my stomach knotting slightly.
“We’ll keep an eye on her,” Aeron assures me immediately, and my muscles relax a little before I turn to him.
“You’d do that? For a complete stranger?”
“No,” he states, brushing my cheek with the back of his fingers. “I’d do it for you because I don’t want to see you frown.”
“I love you, all of you,” I confess in a choked-up voice, my heart feeling like it might burst from my chest at any moment.
“And we love you,” Jude adds from behind me, placing a soft kiss on my neck.
“Let’s carry on, there are some people I’d like you to meet,” Aeron adds after a moment.
Soon, we come across a group of four guys and a beautiful, brunette-haired girl who looks to be about my age.
Her dress falls in soft waves from just under her bust, showcasing a very pregnant belly.
Although, fuck saying anything just in case she’s just put on a few pounds.
The guys are pretty fucking hot, and my eyes widen when I spot the blond one with a short beard and hair tied in a knot.
He’s fucking massive, bigger than Knox and that’s saying something.
“Aeron.” The one with neat, black hair and tattoos that go up his throat steps forward, his hand out and what looks like a genuine smile on his face. Aeron shakes it, also with a friendly smile, not the usual fake one that he mostly wears when out in public.
“Ash, glad you guys could come,” Aeron greets as the others all shake hands.
“We wanted Pretty Girl here to stay home, given she’s almost about to pop,” the redhead teases, Loki I think his name was. “But she put her foot down and so here we are.” He chuckles, looking down at the girl who beams up at him. My chest tightens at the obvious devotion in both their gazes.
“Just because I’m pregnant, for the second fucking time I might add, doesn’t mean I’m a fucking invalid, Loki,” she teases in a crisp, British accent, turning hazel eyes that sparkle to meet mine.
“Men, am I right? I’m Lilly.” She holds her own slender hand out and letting go of Jude’s hand, I take it.
“Lark,” I tell her, feeling an instant connection with this girl, like she’s my kind of people.
“And yeah, they’re possessive as fuck. These guys tattooed me so everyone would know who owns me,” I tell her, letting go of her hand and showing the chains that just peep along the neckline of my dress.
She laughs, a tinkling sound that has my lips tugging upwards.
“Damn! Don’t give my husbands any ideas.” My eyes widen as they flit back to the guys, who are all chatting but looking over at us every so often.
“Husbands? As in, you're married to them all?” I ask, the idea really fucking intriguing.
“Well, not legally, but we had a handfasting ceremony, so it’s the next best thing,” she tells me, no shits given that she’s talking so openly about her unusual relationship.
“Well, shit. I may need to get some details off you,” I answer, and I see Tarl’s lips tug upwards as he overhears my comment while listening to the guy with glasses. My cheeks flush and Lilly laughs again.
“Lark!” I hear my brother’s voice before he’s rushing up to me and wrapping enormous arms around me in a bear hug. “I’m so fucking glad you’re here! I feel like a fucking monkey in this getup.”
I laugh as he sets me down on my heeled feet, looking him over and admitting that my brother is a handsome guy when he’s all dressed up. I glance over his shoulder to see three other guys coming up behind him, all dressed similarly, although they’re all wearing boots instead of dress shoes. Rebels.
“Ash, let me introduce you to Dove’s brother,” Aeron says, coming over to us, and I roll my eyes at his lack of using my actual name. Ash steps towards Rook with his hand outstretched.
“Asher Vanderbilt, pleased to meet you,” he acknowledges, his voice deep and with an air of command to it.
My eyes bug out when I realize who this is.
Asher Vanderbilt of Black Knight Corp. Which means Lilly and the others all own a piece of the biggest company in the fucking world.
So big that even I’ve heard of them, and they have fingers in so many pies I couldn’t even list them all.
“Rook Jackson,” my brother replies, standing tall and shaking Ash’s hand. He knows who this guy is too if the way his eyes glow is any indication.
“I hear you’ve been doing good things with the Soldiers,” Ash remarks, still holding Rook’s hand. “We may have need of your services one day.”
I wonder what services my brother could offer this man, but whatever they are, Rook stands even taller, and I can feel the excitement pouring off of him.
“We’d be happy to help, whatever you need.”
“Lilly, you have to try the fucking—” a feminine voice interrupts us, and I look over to see a tiny girl with wild, blonde ringlets and bright, blue eyes pause as she reaches us.
Her eyes take in me and my guys, then Rook and his guys.
I notice Rook has gone still, his eyes eating her up, as are his guys behind him.
“I feel a match coming on,” Lilly whispers in my ear, her tone conspiratorial but loud enough for us all to hear. I have to bite my lip to stop the laugh from leaving them.
“Dead Soldiers, right?” the new girl asks and doesn’t even bother waiting for an answer before continuing. “I don’t fuck gangbangers or kids,” she adds, looking at Rook and the others with a sneer before turning on her heel and storming away.
“Ooohhhh! I love a good enemies-to-lovers,” Lilly squeals, and this time I burst into laughter, not even mad about the prickly attitude from the still-unknown woman. Lilly joins me until I worry about the integrity of our makeup.
The guys all look at us, frowns and perplexed looks on their faces, which only makes us laugh harder.
Just as we’re wiping underneath our eyes, there’s a ripple through the crowd, and our guys draw closer to us, Knox pulling me into him as the bodies in front of our group part and three guys walk towards us from the other side of the room.
“Well shit, I can’t believe they came,” Knox murmurs as they get closer.
“Who are they?” I ask, all the hair on my arms standing as they approach us.
Each wears a smooth, black mask, hiding most of their face and adding to the unsettling vibe they’re giving off.
Danger rolls off of them like a perfume, and by the way mine and Lilly’s guys are acting, these men are fucking dangerous.
Which is saying something given what I know of my Tailor boys.
“Rumor has it they belong to the secret society known as The Fallen,” Jude whispers from beside me like some kind of gossiping fishwife.
“They are said to base themselves on the fallen angels that God cast out of the heavens and that they follow their own version of scripture.” His words make sense.
They look like angels, well, from what I can see of their faces and bodies, but not the kind that will come to save you.
No, these guys look like the kind that will drag you down to Hell.
“They have unimaginable power in the world and their own very gray moral compass,” Tarl adds, his voice a hushed murmur.
“I heard that they have someone high up in every government across the globe,” Lilly comments next to me, her tone wary. “And it’s been that way for hundreds of years. No one knows who their members are unless you are a member too.”
“And the Fallen Trials are a matter of life or death,” Aeron remarks, stepping slightly in front of me. “Whichever of the rumors are true, they are men you do not want to piss off.”
Before anyone can speak again, they reach us, and I can feel the tension thrumming through the air like an electric current.
“Aeron Taylor,” the one with skin the cool brown of driftwood greets, his voice like the caress of a frosty night. “Thank you for the invite.”
“You’re welcome, Lucifer. It’s good to see you,” Aeron answers, and I have to hold in the scoff at this guy’s name.
I mean, Lucifer? Really? I swallow hard when the devil’s namesake swings his startling, pale blue gaze to me.
Knox’s arm tightens around me, and a low, rumbling growl vibrates through my chest from him.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lark Jackson,” he purrs, a small half smile pulling up his lips, the black mask allowing only them and his straight nose visible.
I freeze, my heart thudding as I wonder how the fuck he knew my name.
He turns to Ash and his guys, his eyes landing on Lilly.
“Asher, Knights. Congratulations are in order I hear.”
I see Lilly take a sharp breath, Knox and Ash on either side of her, Loki and the one with glasses—Kai—at her back. “Thank you,” she answers softly, clearly as unsettled as I am by his attention.
“Thank you, Lucifer. Good to see you again,” Ash adds, and I wonder what business the Knights have had with the Fallen in the past.
The other two behind him, one as pale as the moon and the other golden like the sun, don’t make a sound, just survey us and the crowd with dark stares and intense gazes. It’s enough to make me shiver, goosebumps erupting across my skin.
His attention turns to Rook, and his guys are at his back, all of them standing tall.
“The Fallen may have need of you one day soon, Soldiers,” he cryptically tells my brother, but it’s not a question, more like a command from the devil that you can’t ignore.
“I think the change in leadership will be of benefit to us both.” Rook just nods, although I can see that, unlike with Ash, there’s no excitement at the prospect of working with these guys.
His hands are clenched into tight fists at his sides and they’re trembling.
Who are these guys that can wield such fear over these powerful men?
“We shall leave you to the party, have a good evening.”
And with that, they are gone, the crowd once again parting for them as if they know we have apex predators among us.
“Fuck me, those guys are scary.” Lilly laughs, breaking all the tension in our group as we all nervously chuckle.
I can’t shake the chill that the Fallen have left over me though, and I wonder what they have in store for us all.