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I didn’t shove her forward; I didn’t need to.
She was meant to sit on the throne.
Years ago, our older cousins—and the rest of the heirs to their Family thrones held one party the first week of school. It used to be invite-only until we started going to school and changed the rules.
It only made sense to welcome everyone so they could see for themselves where we sat and where they watched.
Slowly, Lydia reached for the door.
I was the only guy going to school who people looked at like I was their leader most years. Because of that, they were the idiots. This year, however, I was walking in as a boss.
The metal door creaked open.
Everything was as it should be.
Five blood-red wingback chairs had been placed on a black stage toward the front of the room. Booze lined the walls along with glow-in-the-dark paint. Music pounded through the sound system and the crowd of hundreds of students parted as we walked straight through to the stage.
Bella led the way, and I followed behind her, to show that while boss of the De Lange Family, I was still owned by the Abandonatos; we were still on good terms, and I wasn’t leading her anywhere she didn’t want to fucking go.
The other girls walked behind me.
Slowly, we walked up the stairs, each of us taking our thrones.
I was in the middle, Bella to my right.
Tempest and Raven sat on the other side of her, while Lydia sat next to me. Ariel and Anya waited at the bottom of the platform, pouring drinks for the free show.
The music didn’t stop, but all of the people in attendance and the ones still waiting outside to get let in did.
Music filled the air, along with the smell of fear.
Rumors ran rampant that we always had a volunteer willing to sacrifice themselves in order to hang out with us, which was ridiculous, but what wasn’t ridiculous was what we did every year in order to prove to them why we would always be in power, why this school was so prestigious, and why they would owe all of us favors in the future.
The minute the De Lange Family was brought back into the fold of the Five Families a new tradition rose.
Everyone was of course invited to the party, but not everyone accepted, because to accept your invitation you had to give us a secret for the world to see.
A picture or a video, a confession even, and then you’d be invited to every party for the rest of the year, and you’d earn protection from the Five Families. Some kids were desperate enough to sell their souls, but what would we do with those?
Nah, we knew who these guys were.
They were trust fund babies, spoon-fed by their rich parents, and everyone had something they wanted to protect.
I nodded to the DJ and then stood, holding my hand out to Bella.
She looked up at me, her clear green eyes so captivating my breath caught in my throat.
She leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to my mouth.
I would have preferred rough.
The gentle kiss was too intimate.
Vulnerable.
And a reminder of what I would never have with her. Ever. What I gave up the minute I said yes to Junior’s request.
She ran a hand through my hair and turned toward the crowd. “Lights.”
