“Adelaide Community College. I wanted to make sure my degree was from a well-respected university, so I went to community college to keep the cost down as long as I could.”
“Smart,” I murmured. Adelaide was in the next largest city about four hours across the state. They had universities, but none with the prestige of Wellington. She’d get a much better job with Wellington on her degree.
Me and the guys? We’d had a plan all laid out for years. After we successfully separated ourselves from them, we’d open our own business. Do something like private investigation work. Secrets were our currency, and what better way to support ourselves than doing what we did best? At least the kind of secrets we’d hunt wouldn’t put our lives in danger. Cheating wives, rebellious kids. That sort of thing.
I parked at the curb, right in front of the double glass doors.
“Uh, skip. You can’t park here.” She pulled the sunglasses to the tip of her nose.
“Remember how you said everyone knows the kings? They won’t be towing my car. They wouldn’t dare.” I winked and got out, shoving the keys in my pocket.
She huffed, but otherwise led the way. Her ass swayed seductively, the skirt hugging her hips all the way to her knees. Fuck.
“Is there a roommate, or do you have a solo?” This apartment building did both. Not exactly one of the luxury buildings close to campus, but not the hood either. It was clean, nicely kept, with a friendly staff.
“Roommate. I subletted from a girl that decided to take a year break. Since I only needed one year before I graduate…” She shrugged one shoulder, nearly touching her ear.
“And how do you pay for the room?”
“Oh, that’s easy. It’s none of your fucking business.” She flipped me off over her shoulder.
Okay, maybe it had been a tad bit intrusive. But she was our little Pin-up, and until we were satisfied we could trust her, she was in our care. And how she made, or acquired, money was a very important detail.
Grabbing the door handle, I kept it closed when she would have pushed it open. “It is if I think you can easily be bribed,” I whispered in her ear, then brushed past her and opened the door. Even criminals could retain their manners. And that was what we were. Criminals. At least until we bought our freedom.
She huffed behind me, her high heels clacking over the laminate floor. If she were in boots, she would have been doing one hell of a stomping. I allowed myself to enjoy it for a few scant seconds before wiping any emotion from my face.
At the elevator, she beat me to the button. It was like she won some small slice of her independence back. She wouldn’t look at me as we waited for the elevator to arrive. But I took the time to study her. She looked every bit as good as last night. With her fresh face, maybe even better.
“I’d tell you to take a picture, but something tells me you’re too arrogant to do something so simple. Or to do the polite thing and look elsewhere.” The elevator dinged, and she walked in before me.
Elise was right. I was arrogant. But I wasn’t such a douche I would continue to stare at her if it made her uncomfortable. Miffed, I stepped out of the elevator before she could. Her apartment was on the second floor, about halfway down the hall. There was no key, just a six-digit code. I stood a few steps back, pretending not to watch her, but I did.
When she hit pound, I turned to face the other end of the hallway with large, tinted windows. It was gorgeous outside. Sunny, warm, perfect for one of the last few weeks of summer. The door swooshed softly over the carpet.
“Come on.” She nudged the door open with her hip before leaving me on my own. I caught it right before it closed and slid in behind her. Looking around, I was absolutely shocked. This Pin-up girl was everything soft and feminine. But here, in her home, she was someone completely different. I expected pink boas and colorful paintings of pop culture. Maybe even some girly throw pillows. But the entire place was a contradiction to who she was.
The furniture was all black and sleek. Not high end like I was used to, but not shabby either. And her artwork was something I’d find in an older man’s house. Or maybe on the wall of an odd art enthusiast. On one side was a framed picture of an old house on fire. The other wall had a framed photograph of…snow? It had a very abstract vibe, almost like golf balls had packed it down.
“Are these your decorations or your roommate’s?”
“The prints? Mine.” Already at her bedroom door, she paused.
“Odd choice of artwork,” I murmured as I walked closer to the fire picture.
She was silent behind me, until she reached my side. The sun hit the picture just right to highlight the effect of the fire. Elise studied the art like she was trying to see it through my eyes. She held up a hand, her fingers outstretched but she didn’t touch it. There were barely a few centimeters between her fingertips and the shiny glass.
She let her hand drop. “I like ambiguous things. This picture for example, shows you what isn’t really there. What do you see when you look at it?”
Clearly, a burning house wasn’t it. I studied the picture, looking for the truth behind the illusion. “I see a burning house.”
She nodded, seeming to expect it. “This is a ruin in Utah, built into the rock wall. Every day, when the sun hits it just right, it appears as if the ruin is on fire. In fact, it’s called House on Fire Ruin.” This time, she did touch the frame, sliding her fingers lovingly along the bottom of the matte black material. “Just because you see one thing, doesn’t mean it’s the only thing. Or the true thing. I’d like to think I’m a little like this ruin. To outsiders, I’m fierce and dangerous, but beneath, I’m as steady and calm as the rock.”
Was she fierce? Dangerous? My definition of how that applied to her was probably very different than hers.
“And the other one?” I moved across the room to study the snow picture. This had to be another picture of ambiguity. For the life of me, I had no idea what it could truly be.
“This one is a lesson. One I want to keep at the forefront my entire life. This picture is an up-close view of an iceberg. It looks harmless, but if you don’t pay attention to it, it will kill you. The danger in the iceberg, like in so many people, is below the surface.”
I couldn’t believe it, and would never admit it, but chills erupted over my arms. Who was this girl? And how the hell did she get stuck with us? All because she decided to walk up the back stairs? If any of Freddie’s people had seen her, they would have stopped her, disrupting the path that landed her right at our feet. I had no idea whether I should be glad to have her in our lives, no matter how brief, or scared for her safety as things were about to heat up around us.
She pulled her slightly fuller bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling on it as she gazed at the iceberg. This girl had to have seen some shit to want to hang this kind of artwork in her home. But that wasn’t for me to know. The sooner she left our circle, the better. For her and for us.
Chapter Five
Emmett
The living room was our domain on Sundays. The rest of the brothers might pass through and pay homage to the kings, but they never approached our space. Their space was the tables, we had the couches. Good thing for today.