Page 36 of Gather the Storm

Plus, we didn’t know the Kings. We’d been in prison when the story had broken about Neo Alinari’s dad being killed, the trafficking ring run by Aventine’s alumni exposed.

Calling them had been a roll of the dice — who would want to relive that nightmare? — but as soon as Wolf told Oscar Drago that we were trying to connect the dots between the newestmissing girl and the trafficking ring they’d brought down, he’d invited us over to talk about it.

“Whatever,” Jace said, stalking toward the house’s front door.

We didn’t even have to ring the bell — we’d been buzzed in at an iron gate — before the door was opened by a tall blond dude in a white T-shirt.

“Hey.” He flashed us a friendly smile. “Glad you made it. I’m Rock. Come on in.”

He stepped back to let us into the house and we filed in like a trio of missionaries about to share the good news (that was what the prisoner chaplain had called his preaching).

The house was even nicer inside, all smooth modern furniture that somehow also looked comfortable and walls of glass that flooded the place with light.

It was nice — and obviously expensive — but I liked Daisy’s house better. Its shadowed corners and old books and mystery suited her.

Not that Daisy had anything to do with anything, but fuck me, why hadn’t I been able to stop thinking about her after that moment in the kitchen?

“Nice place,” Otis said, oblivious to Jace’s seething resentment.

I didn’t know why Jace had his panties in a twist about the house. Jace had money. He could build a place like this if he wanted to. Instead he lived on the Blades’ compound and hoarded money like King Midas.

“Thanks,” Rock said. He was also oblivious to Jace’s bad attitude. Either that or his own obviously pleasant disposition kept him from being bothered by it. “Let’s sit outside.”

We followed him past the big living room to a light-infused kitchen at the back of the house. Beyond the wall of glass — including a set of glass doors that were open, a warm breezeblowing in from outside — a sprawling terrace led to a stretch of lawn leading to the woods on every side.

We followed Rock outside where a younger blonde girl was sandwiched between two dark-haired men on an outdoor sofa. They were both big, but one of them was truly huge — as big as Jace.

The other one stood, several piercings glinting from his face. “Hey,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Oscar. Everyone calls me Drago.”

We all shook hands and exchanged names — the big guy glaring at us from the sofa was Neo, otherwise known as Antonio Alinari. I knew from the news that he’d killed his own father when the trafficking ring at Aventine had been uncovered.

He looked as fucked up as Jace and I couldn’t say that I blamed him. Killing your dad was probably a cornucopia of trauma. I felt the chaotic rage of old-school punk rock vibrating around him like heat waves off hot pavement.

The girl was Willa, and while I couldn’t be sure about the relationship she shared with the Kings, the way they watched her like wolves protecting their mate made me think they were all together.

And I’m not going to lie: the realization put all kinds of questions in my head.

Like what would it be like to share Daisy with Jace and Otis? To see her sweet body laid out for us? To fuck her while she sucked Jace’s cock? While Otis sucked her tits?

Fuck me if I wasn’t hard just thinking about it.

Just thinking about her.

Not good. Not good at all.

“So what’s up?” Neo said, staring at us from eyes that looked almost amber in the light.

We filled him in: Daisy, who we were supposed to protect, the new missing girl and our feeling that her disappearance wasn’tsomething different from what had happened at Aventine — that it was a continuation of it.

We left out some things too: our history with Blake, the things that had been happening in Blackwell Falls five years earlier, the things we’d done to try and stop them.

No need to spill our guts. The Kings only needed to know what they needed to know.

When we were done, everyone was quiet. Then, Willa stood.

“Can I get anyone anything?” she asked.

We all shook our heads, and Drago squeezed her hand before she pulled away to leave the room.

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