Chapter 49
forty-nine
ACE
“He’s just…different from who I thought he’d be.”
The empress gives me one raised eyebrow, lifting the shadows over her eyes. “Mm-hmm. Different. And clever. And…what was it? Oh, yes. Knows how to use his rhythm for a perfect uppercut. And then I think you also discussed his motorcycle.”
It’s a blustery January day. A few days after Aiden rescued my little girl. And he needs a reward. That’s all I’ve been trying to say.
So I had Ashlyn bring him to the casino to give him a present. A little casual thing he’d like. Kicking my legs up onto my desk, I relax back with a bottle of water. Cheeks heating behind my wife’s unspoken accusations.
“Honestly, you talk more about Aiden Cardell than Ashlyn does,” she murmurs.
Ashlyn pulls her coat on, eyeing the weather outside. “Dad, it’s seriously, grossly embarrassing. Don’t have a crush on my future husband, please.”
“It’s not a crush,” I protest with a sigh. “Right, Wy?”
Wyatt’s eyes crinkle from the custom pink leather couch where he’s sprawled out. “Uh, it sounds like a crush, Dad.”
I purse my lips. “Nah, nah. I’m relieved that Talon’s out of the picture. And Aiden assured me he is. The boy’s going to help us pick new guards for the mansion, too. He’s got connections in Northview.” Aiden knows what he’s doing. Smart kid. I like him.
My firecracker’s finger points accusingly at me. “Mom, please make him stop. I can’t take that dreamy look on his face—”
“Shh!” I interrupt my daughter. “Here he is. I want to surprise him!”
Aiden strolls in, wearing a gray cashmere sweater, likely Kiton. And tailored. Wool slacks definitely are. They fit him perfectly. And pair well with his Italian loafers—Dolce and Gabbana. Pea coat? Possibly Ralph Lauren. Looks vintage.
He’s just…cool.
“Hey,” I say, smoothing my hair on the sides.
“Hey, Dad.” Aiden gives me a broad smile and crosses the palm tree-printed rug to give me a side hug. “I’m officially returning your Escalade. Professionally detailed and shined for you.”
“I told you, you could have it,” I argue. A hint of disappointment echoes in my mind that he didn’t want my car. Hopefully, he’ll still love what I got him. Well, Ashlyn got him.
“I know, but it’s time for me to buy something else.”
“Well, I thought it wasn’t your style as much, so I bought you—”
“Dad!” Ashlyn screams to interrupt me.
“I mean…Ashlyn bought you…”
Arianna shakes her head in the way that makes me terrified she’s going to end me with poison at dinner.
I reach into the desk drawer and toss him the gift. “Ashlyn got you something. But I did help pick it out.”
He glances down at the set of keys and smiles. My mouth goes dry, wondering how he’ll react. Will he like it?
“I’m sure you did more than just help,” he says with a wink.
God, he gets me.
Ashlyn tugs on his arm and rolls her eyes. “I hate you right now. So much,” she says with a glare aimed at me.
“What?!” I ask as she opens the side exit, aiming for the back parking lot.
Wyatt glances up from his phone, but murmurs, “Dad? You’re being weird.”
Empress strolls up to me and crawls her fingers up my chest, which sends goosebumps down my spine. Whether from fear or wanting to fuck her over the desk, I’m not sure.
“You’re driving your daughter crazy. Just…chill out on the new crush. Try not to make heart eyes at him at dinner, king.”
“Right.” I nod. She is right.
But…
Aiden is just cool, you know?
If my father takes the credit for finding this—
“I’m the one who found it,” I explain to Aiden. “He only just told me it was a good pick. Then he drove it to make sure it ran okay.”
Dad’s obsession with my Viscount is bizarre. Predictable. Still so gross.
Aiden chuckles as we reach the lot. The winter wind blasts us both, and I hitch my coat tighter. He surrounds me in his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. I feel his smile through my hair.
“It’s perfect. Absolute perfection. Exactly what I would have wanted,” he says, letting my hand go to smooth his over the curve of his new, well, vintage Porsche. Red. Black leather interior.
And an engine he’ll appreciate on the back country roads.
“It’s my dowry, apparently. Is it good enough?” I ask with a glint in my eye.
His gloved hand reaches for me, and he tugs me into his chest. “Baby? I’d give away thousands of Porsches just to have you by my side.”
“Only thousands?”
“Millions.”
I shrug. “Okay.”
The wool of his coat scratches my cheek as his chest bounces with a laugh. “Just okay? How about we christen the inside of this one? Want to take a drive?”
I slide over to the passenger door and give him a sneaky grin. Because I know he’s going to lose it when I blow him while he drives.
“Absolutely, I do.”
The back roads look like veins cut through the snow. His red Porsche hums beneath us, warm air licking at my legs. Hand resting low on my thigh, his thumb traces slow circles through my jeans. Each curve of the drive feels like ours alone—a private world stitched from fog and engine growl.
“Still smiling?” I tease, glancing sideways. “You look like my dad just asked you to prom.”
Aiden’s mouth curls. “He’s jealous I pull off gray cashmere better than he does.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t climb in with us.”
“He can buy his own Porsche if he wants to ride me that bad.”
I snort and swat his arm. The laugh sits somewhere between disbelief and bliss. For once, nothing feels like it’s about to fall apart.
The hum of tires, the heat between us, his soft laugh—I almost believe we’re normal.
He downshifts to take a corner, and his hand slides higher. “You know what would make this drive perfect?”
I arch an eyebrow. “Hmm…”
He grins like a feral cat. “You were already thinking it.”
“Focus on the road, Viscount.”
His smirk stays, though, and it warms me more than the vents.
We drive in silence for a while, watching the winter light die across the fields. The horizon bruises into dusk. Somewhere ahead, a hawk dives.
A buzz interrupts me just as I was about to make a move.
Scout
Rowan Greaves died of an overdose. Not sure if he’s the one who gave Julien the drugs.
Me
No. It wasn’t him. He took the pills…to be with Julien.
Thoughts of torturing Aiden with my mouth flutter to the back of my mind. “Rowan died from his overdose. He didn’t kill Julien. There’s no way. He loved him. I’m still hung up on Gray and how weird he was. Not to mention, he was closest to Julien that night.”
“Grayson Noel Umbridge.” Aiden’s forehead furrows as his light eyes grow dark. “G.N.U.” The muscle in the back of his jaw flexes.
“Huh?”
“I think that guy may be the guy… And not just a man who murdered Julien. Dean Twinston was pivoting university funds to a ‘GNU’ labeled account. He could be the one who has been murdering them all.” His entire body stiffens.
I stare out at the frozen forest, blurring past. “Julien’s lungs. That girl on Massacre Monday, her brain. My sisters from Terror Tuesday—” I swallow hard.
“It’s like he’s collecting,” Aiden mutters.
“Grayson Noel Umbrige… Why?” I ponder.
He shakes his head. “No idea. Ritual?”
“We sound like conspiracy theorists.”
“Maybe it is a conspiracy. What if the new president’s involved in this…”
“You mean, Gray is a presidential asset sent to harvest people’s insides? Is he getting paid for the organs?”
A sharp sigh parts his lips. “Could be. Or they could be sacrifices...”
The thought stuns me. “Sacrifices? Like to…Caliphylla and such?”
“Yeah. To the gods. Which I knew about, but maybe… New moon! There’s no god for that one.”
Something cold crawls up my spine. The heater doesn’t help. I reach for his hand without thinking, threading our fingers together.
“What do you mean by that?”
“There’s a god for every moon phase, but not new moon. What if this is a sacrifice to the god of the new moon. One they don’t speak of…”
“So because of the gods and the phases of the moon, you think the university is behind the organ harvesting?”
I look at him—the set of his mouth, the steady focus in those crystal eyes. There’s something ancient in his calm, something that says he’ll burn the world down if it means keeping me breathing.
He smirks faintly. “Best way for me to find out is to play President Damon’s game.”
“How?”
“By continuing my plan to join the committees. Work to overthrow them from the inside.”
The Porsche eats up the dark road, snow flicking into the yellow beams of light. As we get closer to campus, the air feels heavier, like the whole world’s holding its breath. My pulse beats in my ears, matching the rhythm of the engine.
Aiden glances over at me once more, hand tightening on the gearshift. “If the president is walking us into a trap, and I’m close with her,” he says quietly, “I’ll know before she can act.”
I smile despite the chill creeping in. “You always know.” Still, a weight of unease sits on my chest. “But what about the rest of this year? You can’t join the committees until after graduation. We could be dead by then.”
He readjusts in his seat, then tugs my arm closer. His lips press a kiss to each of my knuckles. “I think I need to talk to Valen Von Dovish.”
“Ah. West Tech Industries and the dorky Valen Von Dovish. Makes sense. You think he and Olivia can be helpful?”
“Yep. And my brother and your cousin, Pippi.”
A warmth spreads through my chest. “We’re assembling a secret strike team, you mean.”
“At least the start of one,” he mumbles. “But we’ll need more.”
My chest rises with ease. A new breath of air flows through me as I see the world differently.
“If we’re destroying something, I definitely want to be a part of it.”
Aiden focuses on the road, but his grin is evil. “I’d never leave my hellkitten behind.”