Exquisite Death: Dark, Friends to Lovers Romance (The Gilded Sovereign Book 3)

Chapter 13

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

This is such bullshit.

Slamming my hand on the desk, I pull out my cell phone and hit dial on the number I’ve been avoiding for months. I should’ve called earlier, but I needed to figure shit out on my own first.

“Tarian,” Philipe’s voice comes over the line.

I can hear noise in the background. Philipe owns two nightclubs, one in New York, the other in Los Angeles, and he travels between them often. The clubs are legitimate, but what happens out of sight of the partygoers is something he’s never shared with us. All we know is that Philipe has friends in the Italian mafia, and the nightclubs attract high-society clientele, especially those who have the money to spend on drugs, weapons, and anything else the Nostra can import.

“What can I do for you?” he asks me as I hear a door click shut, and I’m sure he’s just walked into his office.

I know I’m disturbing him at work, but I need advice. I would’ve asked Ares and Etienne, but they won’t understand. Only Philipe will be able to help me. As the oldest son of Abner Lancaster, he was meant to become the leader of the Sovereign, and even though he gave that honor to Ares, his younger brother, Philipe will always be the Head Crown.

“I need your help with something,” I tell him. “I can’t ask Ares and Etienne. They don’t know what happened before Thane left Tynewood.” Running my fingers through my hair, I tug on the strands, reveling in the bite of pain.

“I didn’t think you’d want to revisit that period in your life ever again.” Philipe sounds less than ready to help, but I need him. He’s the only one who knows what I went through.

Philipe is the Head Crown, whether he likes it or not, so he has to help me under the code we follow. Any Crown in need of assistance in any way, whether it’s personal, legal, or even illegal, can go to the Head Crown for help, and his request can’t be denied.

“I’m with Thane. Well, I’m at his house. He gave me a USB drive that contains letters from my mother addressed to my father, Thane, and me and a video message. I’ve read the letters, but I can’t bring myself to watch the video, not yet anyway.” I sigh before finally voicing what I need. “My mother said something in her letter to Thane that didn’t make sense at the time. I’ve thought about it a lot since, and the only conclusion I can come to is that she’s been keeping another secret hidden away. If I’m right, then I think what she mentioned in the letters will be verified in the video, but…” My words turn to silence. I don’t know if confirming the truth my mother wrote is something I can come back from.

Even though I’m alone, I’m not sure if Thane has his office bugged, so I know it’s better to talk outdoors. I stalk out onto the patio that overlooks the endless gardens of the property. In the distance, I can see the lights of NOLA.

“Please, Philipe. I can’t go to anyone else with this. Is it true? Is there another Calvert beside Thane and me? Has my mother got another son somewhere?”

Silence greets me. I wait, holding my breath. I suspect the answer is something I won’t like, but I need to hear it anyway.

“Your mother gave birth to another son,” Philipe finally admits. “But due to complications, she lost him soon after he was delivered. She had him buried with your father in Tynewood. There is something else your mother’s been hiding from you, though. But if you pursue this, Tarian, you’ll be revealing some ugly truths about the woman who gave birth to you,” he tells me. “Are you sure you’re ready for that?”

I glance behind me, looking at the laptop waiting in the office. I still have a video to watch. The confidence in Philipe’s response confirms my suspicions that there’s at least one more secret my mother has kept buried.

“Tell me.”

When I re-enter the office almost twenty minutes later, I sit back down at the desk. Tapping the touch pad to wake the laptop, I click on the video and breathe deeply. After confirming the contents of my mother’s letter with Philipe, I now need to see her face as she confesses her transgressions.

I wish Grecia was still here. But I pushed her to leave, knowing it’s better for her if she doesn’t get too attached to me.

I focus on the video file and open it. The media player fills the screen, and I see my mother’s face. Her smile is absent, and her eyes, so similar to mine, are filled with sadness. Even so, I feel nothing but disdain for the woman who gave me life.

Just as I’m about to listen to what she has to say, the office door opens, dragging my gaze from the screen and I shut down the video. I realize that night has taken hold of the office, and I’m sitting in darkness.

“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” Thane says as he nears the desk.

When he reaches me, he sets down a packet of cigarettes and a silver engraved Zippo. The Gilded Sovereign symbol is emblazoned on the metal.

“You knew, didn’t you?” I ask him. I don’t need to explain what I’m talking about, because I’m convinced Thane does know. He nods. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” he answers simply with a nonchalant shrug. He might be right, but it’s not fair. Fuck, nothing about my life has been fair. “Go upstairs, Tarian. Get ready.”

“For what?”

“We’re going to be meeting a few of my associates. And I’d like you present. Philipe mentioned you’re interested in what I’ve been up to.”

Of course, Philipe is talking to Thane. They used to be well acquainted. Thane was the one who sold the Los Angeles based nightclub to the eldest Lancaster brother. The twisted tendrils of our lives seem destined to snake together.

“Why do you want to be a Crown?” I ask Thane.

It’s been bothering me ever since he asked for a seat at the table a few months ago. He wanted me to step down so he could take my place. But even if I were to relinquish my position as a Crown, Thane would never lead the society, assuming that’s his aim. Crowns wield a lot of power, but they are always answerable to Philipe and Ares. That’s the way it works, and my uncle knows it.

“Get dressed,” he tells me, ignoring my question. “We leave in an hour. I’ve already told Grecia.” Thane turns and heads to the door, but before he leaves, he stops, and glancing at me from over his shoulder, he says, “I’ve always wanted to be a Crown. I could’ve become one after your father died. But instead, I stepped aside so you could take his place because that’s what your mother wanted. When I left Tynewood, I forfeited everything.”

“That makes no sense.”

“I would do anything for your mother, but she was always torn between me and my brother. There’s a lot more to this twisted reality than you realize, Tarian. There’s so much I’ve sacrificed for you.”

“You’ve done nothing for me.” I push up from the chair and make my way around the desk. “You walked out when I needed you the most.”

“I left because your mother asked me to, and I believed she needed me more” His voice drops to barely a whisper. “We thought you were old enough to find your own way without me holding your hand. And I…” Thane chuckles while shaking his head. “I was the asshole who had to hide his pain and leave you to fend for yourself. No matter how much you hate me, Tarian, there’s always been a reason for my actions.”

“Then tell me what’s going on. I demand to know all of my family’s secrets,” I thunder, and I notice how my uncle winces. “What is it, Thane?”

“Not tonight, Tarian. Your room is the same one you used when you stayed here as a boy. It’s on the second floor. The third door on the left.” He turns and leaves me staring after him with my hands shaking in frustration.

Sighing, I head out of the office. As I close the door behind me, I attempt to put aside what I’ve learned for the time being, but it stubbornly continues to replay in my mind on a loop.

I take the steps, two at a time, and make my way to the bedroom Thane told me to use. A California king sits against one wall adjacent to an attached private bathroom. A multitude of cupboards line the opposite wall along with a vanity and walk-in closet. It’s been furnished to perfection with all the amenities anyone could ever need.

I open the closet, finding suits and pressed shirts filling the rails. Ties, cuffs, and even belts are packed in drawers in perfect symmetry. This used to my bedroom when we visited on holidays, but now, I feel like a stranger in a place I don’t belong.

My bedroom door opens, and turning toward the sound, I see Grecia stepping over the threshold. My body stills when I allow my gaze to drink in her appearance—from her golden-brown waves that have been styled into a sophisticated updo down to where her feet are hidden by the floor length gown she’s wearing.

“Hey,” she greets, but I can tell she’s nervous from the way her hands twist together. “Thane said we’re going out to dinner.” Her voice is low, a wary whisper that has me standing in front of her in a couple of long strides.

“Yeah.”

“I’m heading down to grab a drink before we go,” she tells me.

Her hazel gaze finds mine. The sleek, dark eyeliner she’s applied flicks up at the corners, giving her eyes a cat-like appearance, and the deep pink shadow coloring her lids shimmers with some kind of glitter.

Her slender neck is adorned with a simple gold chain, and I notice the matching earrings dangling from her ears. The dusky pink dress she’s wearing was made to fit her figure perfectly. It was also designed to turn a man’s head, to distract and tease. The gown barely covers her tits, exposing far too much of her cleavage for my liking, and the skirt is made from a combination of shimmering satin and see-through lace. The garment is totally unacceptable to wear out in public. At least, that’s what I think.

“You’re going out in that?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

Grecia twirls in the revealing dress, and my cock springs to life in response to the beauty in front of me.

My mouth falls open, but no words come out. I have no right or reason to prevent her going out dressed like that. I have to admit she looks exquisite, but at the same time, I’m trying to tamp down the jealousy burning through my veins.

“Doesn’t it fit properly?” she asks, looking down at herself, completely unaware of how hard my dick is and how fucking tempting she is.

“It fits.” Those are the only two words I can manage as she looks up at me again, hope lighting her expression.

A smile tilts her perfect pout, and once again, I have to swallow back the groan of need that vibrates in my chest.

“I’ll be down in a bit,” I tell her, trying to ignore the desire shooting through my entire body.

She waits a moment before nodding and turning to leave while I’m still trying to catch my breath.

Nothing could’ve prepared me for seeing her like that. Yes, I’ve seen her on the beach in a bikini, and I’ve watched her jogging in those tight shorts and tiny sports bra. But Grecia looking like an elegant goddess is something-fucking-else.

How the hell am I going to get through tonight without ravaging her?

I’m not fucking sure I can.