Page 171 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

Before I can utter another word, River dips his lips toward mine and whispers, “Just play along with me.” Then he kisses me.

For a stage kiss, this is beyond intense as he parts my lips with his tongue and kisses me until I’m breathless. I clutch onto the book as he does in a pathetic attempt not to grab the bottom of his shirt and pull him closer to me. I lose the battle, though, and drop the book, so I grab the hem of his shirt. As I pull him closer, my knuckles brush the hard, lean lines of his abs. He shudders, moaning, and then he bites my bottom lip. I groan, thinking about what it felt like to grind against him the other day when we were in his dorm room, how good that orgasm felt. It makes me want another one.

I’m about one step away from latching my leg around his waist when someone says, “Hey, River, get a room.”

Laughter follows as River pulls away with reluctance that causes my belly to swoop.

His eyes are wild as he stares at me, sweeping a path along my bottom lip with his thumb. “Wow,” he breathes out.

“I—” My gaze snaps to the guy standing a ways behind us, staring at us. “That guy is staring at us.”

River doesn’t glance behind him. “I think we should go. Just stick the book on the shelf behind you as discreetly as you can.”

I nod in agreement with the first thing but don’t put the book back on the shelf. I slip it underneath my shirt and tuck it into the waistband of my pants. It’s thick enough that my shirt hides it for the most part. Although, if anyone checks out my ass, they’ll notice. I’ll have to be careful.

He frowns, but doesn’t comment. I can’t tell if he disapproves or not. He threads his fingers with mine and pulls me with him as he walks toward the guy harassing us.

“Dude, I never thought I’d see the day where River would be making out with some chick in a library,” the guy says as we approach him. His gaze slides to mine. “Apparently, the rumors about you hooking up with the northsider are true.”

“Obvious. And I think you know that already, considering what happened the other day.” River glares at the guy, not bothering to stop, instead swinging right past him.

The guy narrows his eyes at us, but River ignores him and keeps walking. I angle my body to avoid letting the guy get a glimpse of the book tucked in the back of my pants. I probably look like a freak, but who cares?

I’m unaware of even holding my breath until we arrive at the table where our belongings are. I exhale loudly as River places a hand on the lower section of my back and dips his lips toward my ear.

“Are you planning on taking that book out of the library?”

“I was,” I whisper under my breath. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, but I …” He trails off, shifting his weight as he leans back.

I assess him. “You’ve never stolen anything before, and you’re nervous.” It’s not a question but a statement. “Obviously, why would you ever take anything?” I wink at him. “Don’t worry, gothic prince. My sticky northside fingers got this.”

He shakes his head, on the verge of smiling. “You’re so feisty.”

“And you so love it.” I grab my trash and throw it into a nearby bin. When he doesn’t argue, I flash him a smirk. “Your silence means you agree.”

He remains silent again with a smile on his face. Then, with a quick brush of his fingers across my cheek, he grabs his bag and says, “Come on; let’s get out of here. I don’t like that James is here, watching us.”

I walk beside him as we make our way toward the exit. “You mean that guy you were talking to back there.” I hitch my thumb over my shoulder as we pass by the receptionist’s desk.

The woman behind it smiles at River, but she eyes me suspiciously. If she suspects I’m stealing a book, she doesn’t say anything. I wonder if she does and remains quiet because of who I’m with.

River nods to answer my question while flattening his palm against the door. “He’s a friend of Eli’s. He’s not as bad as Eli, but he’s definitely someone we don’t want to be around, mainly because he’s connected to the …” He pauses as he opens the door. He waits for me to walk outside then follows, letting the door click shut behind us. “The society,” he says in a hushed whisper as he scans the stairway in front of the building and the grassy areas around it. His back is stiff, and he has his hands stuffed into his pockets.

“Afraid one of the members is hiding in a bush or something?” I question with an arched brow.

“You never know,” he mutters then nods for me to follow as he starts down the stairs “Let’s get out of here.”

I nod, more than ready to go, too.

On the drive back to River’s house, we make a plan to visit northside. While we discuss this, I skim-read through the book I stole, seeking answers. And boy, do I find them.

“I feel bad for this Everford family,” I mumble as I turn another page. “They had this whole positive, violence-free lifestyle, and these other powerful families used that against them. At least, they did back in the day.” I close the book, needing a break from the gloominess of it. “They hunted them like deer, with bows and arrows. That was a hundred years ago, so I’m unsure how it continued until the seventies. I’m going to guess that the murdering of the family members was done in a much more discreet way.”

River has both his hands resting on top of the steering wheel, his visor is down, and he has a pair of sunglasses on due to the brightness eclipsing the cloudless sky. The stereo is playing an old-school song by the Cranberries, a band my aunt is obsessed with.

“I think I need to talk to my mother,” River says, surprising me.

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