Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Lucas
S he disappears down the hallway and I can’t look away. Her dress clings to her body in a way that drives me wild, and I can’t help but fantasize about discovering every detail underneath it. My cock twitches against my pants, begging to be touched. Fuck.
No one’s ever made me feel like this. Why her? So many women throw themselves at me, but it has to be Freya LeClair who ignites something deep within me. Women have always served one purpose to me. To stick my dick in for release. No feelings attached.
That’s all I’ve ever wanted, but since the café earlier today, I can’t get her out of my mind. She’s always been hot—but I didn’t know how fiery she was. How protective of her family she is. And it’s a fucking turn-on. I’d do anything to protect my sister, too, and that’s exactly why she isn’t here tonight—she’s at a friend’s place.
I want to know everything about Freya. What she likes to eat. Who she really is beneath the mask. What she likes to do. Everything. I want to strip away all the layers until only her innermost, most sinister thoughts are exposed. My parents have been pressuring me to settle down, to reproduce to keep our bloodline going strong for future heirs, and she’s exactly the trouble that will piss them off. When it comes to finding a worthy queen for my empire, she’s definitely sparked my interest.
When I walk back into the room, Alec is carefully portioning the cocaine into baggies while Hazen stands nearby, giving him instructions.
“Micromanage much?” I ask with a smirk.
With an eye roll, Hazen swiftly takes one of the bags from Alec’s hand and forcefully dumps its contents back into the large pile of white snow.
“That one was over, do it again,” Hazen snaps, his jaw ticking. He moves one of the scales so it forms a straight line with the others.
His fucking OCD drives me insane sometimes. Hazen is on the verge of breaking, and I can’t say I blame him. It’s been a hell of a night, and all I want to do is forget that little thorn whose pussy I’d love to be balls deep in.
“When are the others getting here?” Gage asks. “We’ve got a lot of work to get through tonight.” He leans back against the wall, head in his phone, typing away.
“Soon. Just wanted to get Alec here caught up on the operation before leaving. He’s the new guy and we need this extra work done,” Hazen replies, and I yawn, ready to head back out to the party. Give me drama and partying any day of the week, not this business shit.
“Lucas, darling.” My mother’s voice floats through the door, and I frown, turning her way. She glides into the room in a tight-fitting pink dress, her blonde hair neatly arranged in a bun on top of her head. I reach out to her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Her strong floral perfume clings to me, and it’s like coming home. I pull back, pressing a kiss against her cheek.
“What are you doing up here?” I take a step back, creating a small distance between us.
We’ve always been close. She’s always put me first, protecting me no matter the cost, but my mother will always be my father’s prized possession. No matter how hard he pushes her, she never breaks. She’s always by his side, putting on the perfect mask and acting like everything is perfectly fine.
That’s the problem with the elite—they’re all living a lie. Putting on a show for one another, always fighting to be the best, but really, they are the most unhappy fuckers on the planet. At least the gutter rats on the hood side of the tracks don’t need to pretend. They are real. You know what you’re going to get, unlike here. I have to watch my back because there’s always a snake in the corner ready to pounce, and with my father getting sicker by the day, it’s not long until I’ll lead alongside my brothers.
“I just wanted to see my precious boy. You haven’t been home much lately. I’ve missed you,” she says with a pout, pulling me in for another hug.
“Missed you, too, Mom,” I reply.
Looking past me at Alec, she pulls back and raises her eyebrows while I shake my head. Here we go.
“And who do we have here?” she practically purrs, moving over to the table and leaning over, her fake tits on full display.
“It’s Alec LeClair,” I say, and my mother narrows her eyes, studying him intently.
“From the hood,” I explain, and her eyes widen slightly.
“Well, I won’t hold that against you,” she replies with a laugh, and I groan. I wish that was all she wanted to hold against him.
“My son is going to lead The Brotherhood one day, and everything will be how it should be,” she says, staring at Alec intently, waiting for him to reply.
I love my mother, but I can’t deal with this side of her—the overprotectiveness. She needs to get her own life. Fuck this, I’m out.
I storm out of the room, leaving my mother behind without speaking another word. It’s time for another drink, or maybe I should opt for something stronger. Moving down the stairs two at a time, I head straight for the bar.
I reach out to take the bottle of whiskey from the waiter, my fingers eagerly ripping off the lid with a satisfying pop. The warm liquid slides down my throat, leaving a fiery sensation in its wake, and I don’t pause until half of the bottle is empty. A few girls surround me, but I don’t give them an ounce of attention like I usually do. They are nothing compared to her, and that makes my blood boil. Why is she on my mind so much?
Moving through the sea of people, I reach one of the windows that overlooks the cliff and sea. The constant sound of crashing waves has become a comforting backdrop to my life, living here on the edge of the ocean. Knowing there’s a whole other world out there gives me a sense of peace. It’s humbling to realize I’m only a small blip in the grand scheme of things. That at any moment, it could swallow me whole. And I’d let it.
A hand touches my shoulder, and someone forces a blunt into my mouth. I bite into the paper and Hazen flicks a lighter, setting the end ablaze. Inhaling, it hits the back of my throat, and I hold my breath as my body relaxes. I blow out a ring of smoke, watching it float lazily before disappearing.
Gage takes the bottle from my hand and pours some into his glass.
As I’m raising the blunt to my lips again, a sudden movement on the cliff catches my attention.
Her dark-brown hair whips through the air, and she looks so wild and free. Her dress clings to her body like a second skin, making my cock strain against my pants. Just before I can make a move, she jumps. The smoke falls from between my lips and my heart stops.