Page 38 of Hush, Hush

I shake my head at his horrible sexual innuendo. “That was bad.”

His chest shakes with his laughter. “Yeah, but I mean it.” With a quick kiss to my forehead, he steps back. “I’m going to get settled. Meet you in a bit to tour and make sure everything is on track for tomorrow?”

“Sure,” I tell him. I’m practically shaking with eager anticipation to see what the rest of the freaking castle looks like, but I also know we’re here to do a job. I won’t be coming back to this place if we don’t get a favorable review on the party, so that needs to be my number one concern.

I hang up my dress for tomorrow, and also place the shoes I bought just for the occasion in the wardrobe, and then shove my bag inside too. Next, I check out the bed. It’s a west-facing window, so the sun streams in through the glass panes, lighting up the interior of the room and making the ivory satin of the comforter appear even more inviting. An old grandfather clock sits on the mantle above the fireplace. No fire needed today, however, it looks to be a working showpiece. A set of black, iron fireplace tools sit next to it along with a gold pail that’s used to hold ashes.

I flop back on the bed, staring at the intricate, sunburst pattern that flares out toward the edges of the wall and away from the hanging, glass chandelier. I’ve been in plenty of beautiful houses, but none have had quite the pomp that this one does. The amount of money this took to build originally must have been astronomical.

“Dude,” I hear out in the hallway. “This place is amazing!”

I get up from the bed and stick my head out to find a few of the committee guys walking toward the stairs. I shout after them. “We should all meet downstairs to make sure everything is coming along.”

“Yep, see you down there, Dee.”

I close my door and walk toward Keegan’s room. Before I can even get there, he steps out. “Ready?”

I step back as he intertwines our fingers. “Ready.”

“Let’s go, guys,” Keegan yells, staring into open rooms. “Meeting downstairs, five minutes. Let’s work, and then we’ll play.” He gives me a wink, and we head down the staircase. This time, I run my hand down the ornate, curved railing.

Mrs. Dupont meets us at the bottom. “Proceed to the garden room, and I’ll give you an update.”

She points toward an area that to get to, you have to move through two different living areas and a library. There’s not enough time for me to see everything, but I promise myself I’ll take a more in-depth tour myself at some point while I’m here. In the garden area, the large, round tables interspersed throughout the space make it evident this will be where our meal will be served. Dark red tablecloths adorn each table, complete with chair covers and hors d’oeuvre stands. But that’s not what catches my eye the most. This room is lined with arched windows on three sides. The ceiling goes up another floor where square windows adorn the top along with skylights that let light pour into the room. If the walls weren’t stone, you could trick yourself into thinking you weren’t in a castle, but instead, in some opulent garden sanctuary.

To our right, servants exit out swinging doors that lead onto a patio that spans the length of the enormous room. Beyond that is the most picturesque view of the river. It could be sold on postcards with how stunning it is, especially with the late afternoon colors streaming through the clouds. No wonder why the Knights own this place and use it for parties. It’s grand and stunning, showboating to the world everything they wish to portray: Power, wealth, and prestige.

For the first time in a long time since I joined the Knights, a sense of pride fills me. This place is a stark reminder of the men who came before me. The tradition lining these halls is so overwhelming. I could spend all day walking the rooms and corridors, finding new things and wishing I knew its story.

I’m sure if these walls could talk, they’d have a lot to say.

ChapterEighteen

Many times throughout my life, I’ve considered myself lucky. I grew up privileged. I grew up with niceties some people only dream of. Some as big as yachts, others as small as having the heat turned on during winter. I’ve never taken what I have for granted, and I’ve done everything in my power to deserve the life I have, not sitting back and taking it just because my daddy has money. I want toearnit.

Quite honestly, there’s nothing like walking the halls of a castle to make one feel drunk with power and riches. I’m high off of it. The fact that I get to do this is beyond comprehension.

After eating dinner in a dining room complete with a hidden, hinged wall so servants can sneak in and out, the other Fledglings and myself explore the island. Darren Greene sprints toward the retaining wall, diving into the river in a sleek line. When he surfaces, he shouts with uninhibited glee. “Fuck that’s cold!” Others follow but seeing as how water tried to kill me before, I stick to land. I find a few Adirondack chairs that circle a firepit. With my back toward the forest and the stunning castle as the view in front of me, I’ve never felt so full of everything a life like mine has to offer.

I pull out my phone and snap a pic. Even if Eden hates everything about our lives, she’ll appreciate this. Our favorite pastime when we were kids was pretending we were princesses. We had all the costumes and tiaras to make it easier to make believe, too. I caption the photo withDon’t ask, then hit Send.

Keegan sits in a chair next to mine. His posh good looks appear more refined with the silhouette of a castle in my same line of sight. “Tomorrow’s going to go great,” he crows. Turning a smile toward me, he adds, “Thanks to you.”

“You too,” I tell him. It’s obvious the two of us are the ones who put in the extra work. Sure, some of it was us jockeying to take lead, but everything got done.

As the sun starts to set, the servants disappear. Just past where a few of the guys are braving the cold to swim, a whole horde of bodies in the same uniform pile onto a boat and motor away. I wonder how many servants stay overnight. Probably more than usual since we’re here. It wouldn’t surprise me if this castle is usually only inhabited by the caretaker when one of the Knights isn’t visiting.

When stars start to dot the sky, Keegan helps start a fire. Flames leap upward, crackling toward the few clouds lingering high above us. When he comes back to sit, he holds out his hand. I narrow my gaze at it before trusting him. He pulls me to my feet, takes my seat, then tugs me onto his lap where he wraps his arm around me.

Safe and cocooned in his embrace, everything feels too right. He snakes his hand under my shirt, fingers splaying over my back where he traces lines into my skin. I place my head on his shoulder, truly content. As if we’re all transfixed by the fire and the setting, none of us speak. It’s hard to make true friends because we’re taught to be constantly in competition. Even from when we were kids, our parents talked about so-and-so’s daughter who graduated with honors while staring at us as if they could will the same thing to happen to us. The saying “It’s lonely at the top” is so true. You leave friends behind. You step on their toes until you become rivals. In this world, we do whatever it takes to make it to the next echelon, damn anyone who gets in our way.

Keegan has been with me the longest. Sure, our fathers are rivals, but they’re one of the rare few who haven’t let their goals in business get in the way of their friendship. They don’t take things personally. Some of the guys I’m sitting with around this fire will hate me when we get older. That’s okay. If they do, it probably means I’m doing something right.

Our world is cutthroat. With Keegan at my side, things will be much easier.

His fingertips dip underneath the top of my jeans, sliding down to caress the skin there. I peek at him, eyelids heavy. From the look in his eyes, I can tell he wants to kiss me, but we don’t dare show that much vulnerability in front of the others.

He leans toward my ear and whispers, “Tell them you’re going to bed. Meet me inside.”

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