Page 65 of Born Wicked

Why?

Why did he do it?

“What the hell is wrong with her?” Jon asks as he walks up.

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” I snap as I look over at him.

He holds his hands up in defense.

“And you are?” Elena asks, arching an eyebrow as she looks him up and down.

Oh. Oh shit. I’ve literally never seen Elena look at anyone the way she’s looking at Jon.

“My dad,” I spit out in disbelief.

Instantly, Elena’s face blanches. “Your what?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Gosh. There is still so, so much to detangle and explain. I still haven’t had a chance to tell her any of this, or ask her and Mason how they feel about remodeling the Nocturne and Jon moving in. “Elena, this is my dad, Jon Bonny. He saw the engagement announcement photo a few weeks back and came and found me.”

“Oh my gosh,” Elena says, the weight of this all hitting her. Her eyes widen. And a huge smile starts brightening her face. “Juliet, this is your father?”

I nod, unable to keep from smiling as well.

“You must be Elena Godfrey,” Jon says with his own grin. And ew. His eyes drop down the length of Elena.

“I am,” she says. And why the hell is she talking like that? She never talks like that. Like Jon is the most charming person she’s ever met.

“Gross,” I simply say, and walk away.

“That’s about the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen,” Mason comments as he too observes his twin flirting with my dad, who only looks a few years older than her.

“It’s disgusting,” I reply automatically. Though, actually, when I really think about it, maybe it’s really not. Maybe they’re two people who have been lonely for a really long time and maybe deserve to find someone equally as incredible as they are.

Nope.

Still ew.

“Looks like everyone is here,” Mason says as he scans the room. And I do see everyone. Holly is at the back of the room, looking like she’s having the best night of her life. Dr. Roshan is talking to one of Roman’s crew. Even Lily is floating around the room, looking way too stunning in that deep purple gown.

“We should get started.”

Goosebumps wash up the back of my spine, all the way up my neck, when Roman’s voice cuts in from behind me. My eyes flick to his, but he doesn’t look at me. His own eyes scan the crowd. His hands slip into his pockets, and he’s trying very hard to look relaxed, but I see the tension in his shoulders. I see that dangerous look in his eyes, like he’s one second from snapping.

At least I’m not the only one on edge tonight.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he says, his deep, low voice cutting through the room, which instantly falls to silence. “We’d like to get started this evening.”

The crowd begins to find seats at the dozens of tables spread throughout the ballroom. Sigrid detaches from her group and drifts toward the front of the room, Elena joining at her side.

And my heart starts beating harder because I realize then, that I belong up here. And this is the first official event where I’m a part of this.

“We all know the confusion and the fear and the hurt this city has gone through in the past few months,” Roman says. He doesn’t like being on the council. He doesn’t like being a leader. But it suits him. He looks like a natural. It’s the first time I’ve seen him take any initiative in this kind of setting. “Vampires fell sick. The gifted lost access to such a crucial part of their identities. We finally have our answers. We finally have our why.”

My body goes cold. My palms feel sweaty.

This part could never go over well.

“It was Sebastian Vincent who did this,” Mason says, and at least there is a little grace in the world. Because if anyone can soften this news, it’s him.

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