Page 2 of Deadly Little Hearts

My backyard is filled with members of The Brotherhood—ourBrotherhood.Fuck.I still can’t believe it.That Gage, Hazen, and I are in charge of this now.I’ve waited my whole life for this moment and now we have it at only twenty-three.To watch as every single soldier looks up at me with respect, like they all want to kneel at my feet and take my cock into their mouth.They probably would if I asked.I scoff, bringing the bottle of vodka to my lips.Fuck using a glass.One less thing between me and drowning myself in liquor.

Music thumps out of the speakers.My favorite band, Dead Glow, rocks away on the stage.The beat of the drums echoes through my chest.I can’t believe my boys managed to get them on such short notice, but fuck am I glad.Nothing like live music, a party, and drugs to block out everything else.

Hazen and Gage come through the back door and my heart beats faster, waiting for her to appear, but she doesn’t.Thank fuck they respected my word.I need space from her—fuck, we all do.We are now the kings.All that responsibility lands with us, and yeah, I love the sound of that.Tonight, we party and then tomorrow, we take the reins and rule this city.

Everything is about to change here in Daring.The people over the tracks in Daringhood don’t know what’s coming, and I want to keep it that way.Keep them on their toes because there are new leaders, and we aren’t messing around.It’s time for change.

Hazen snatches the bottle from my hand and finishes the rest of it in three gulps before throwing it to the ground at our feet, where it rolls away on the grass.

“Thanks, asshole,” I spit out.

He reaches into his pocket and dangles a little bag of white powder in my face, and I forgive him, taking it.I rarely indulge in our own supplies, opting for a clear head, but tonight is different.I want to numb everything inside me until Freya’s betrayal is a distant memory.Until all I can feel is pure ecstasy.

Hazen places a hand on my shoulder.“You know she didn’t—”

I shake my head.“Leave it.Tonight, we don’t talk about her or what happened back there.Tonight, we celebrate.Got it?”

“Crystal clear,” Hazen says, raising his hands and walking backward across my yard toward the bar set up in the corner, manned by a topless waitress.

Gage stays quiet beside me, and I’m thankful for it.There’s no denying that I fell head over heels for Freya LeClair, and so did Hazen and Gage.Although, I’m not sure that Gage will openly admit that yet.I didn’t know what the future held for us with her by our side, but now it’s all fucked.I don’t think we can come back from this.Fuck.Why can’t I stop thinking about her?

Taking the bag, I empty half the contents onto my wrist and inhale quickly.The coke hits the back of my throat, and I throw my head back, then pour the rest out and shove my hand in Gage’s face.

“Fuck, no.I don’t get high on our own supply,” he snaps, and I laugh more to myself than him.

“Your loss,” I say, before finishing the rest of the cocaine and shoving the bag into the pocket of my jeans.

“What are we going to do about Dominic?”Gage asks.

I run a hand over my face.“No business tonight, for fuck’s sake.Let your hair down for once.We are the kings now,” I say, and a smile plays on Gage’s mouth.Reaching out, I put my arm around his shoulders and pull him closer.He struggles against my hold, laughing, but I maintain the headlock.

“Fuck off,” he growls, and I let go, shoving his chest.He stumbles back, glaring at me but grinning at the same time.

I spin around and move into the crowd of our soldiers gathered near the stage.They close in around me, hands pulling and shoving me in every direction.I allow it, moving to the front of the crowd.The music pulses through my body, and fuck, it feels good.The bass is so powerful, it’s like the entire ground is trembling beneath me.

This is exactly what I want—a night to forget, and then tomorrow I will deal.One thing I do know?

Freya LeClair is dead to me.

Chapter 2

Freya

Thewatersurroundsmybody like a safety net.As I drop my head against the jacuzzi padding, one of the dangling ties of my bikini top wraps around my neck, and I flick it back with a sigh.

“Fucking hell.I can’t believe they are officially patched in to lead The Daring Brotherhood,” Amirah says from the opposite side of the hot tub.She takes her champagne glass and finishes it before pouring another one.

My stomach twists at the mention ofthem.Tonight’s been wild.My hands are still trembling underneath the water.

“You still haven’t told me exactly what happened in the graveyard.”Amirah side-eyes me and I fall farther into the warm water.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I say.

Amirah frowns.“Fine, but you did wake me from my beauty sleep, so naturally, I will want answers eventually.”

Music from Lucas’s house floats through the early morning air, and part of me wishes I was there.The other wants to give Lucas space.

How am I supposed to tell her that I killed Lucas’s mother?That I’m responsible for taking away someone he loved, and he’ll never forgive me for this?The way he looked at me in that tomb, his eyes full of hurt and pain—I did that, and I won’t ever be able to take it back.

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