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“Cousins,” Miles corrects him. “Bit of a messy situation, actually. Claire’s a year older, but Jules is the first male. Her mom and his dad are half-siblings. They operate the Paris Bratva as a triumvirate, with Claire’s dad as the third member. Not sure who’s actually supposed to inherit, or if they plan to keep that up. Both Jules and Claire are enrolled as Heirs.”
“Jules is in my dorm,” I say.
“He’s a Freshman.” Miles nods. “Claire’s a Sophomore.”
“There’s Bram Van Der Berg,” Anna glances toward the table where Bram sits with a half-dozen friends—not Dean, though. “We met him in Dubrovnik. He was kind of an asshole.”
“All the Penose are like that,” Miles says carelessly.
Miles seems to know everyone, and everyone knows him. A dozen different people stop by our table to give him a quick fist bump or ask a question or shoot the shit. Even the Juniors and Seniors seem to respect him.
Twice I watch someone slip Miles cash while they shake his hand, and once I see him pass back a little packet in return. Looks like my cousin is up to his old tricks. I’m sure whatever he’s supplying is all the more valuable in the isolated environment of the island.
“He’s in our dorm, too…” I jerk my chin toward Hedeon Gray, who took a seat next to his roommate Kenzo, but probablyregrets it since all of Kenzo’s friends are chatting away in Japanese.
Hedeon is handsome with a cleft chin, athletic build, and freshly-cut dark hair styled in a fade. But he’s got a permanent scowl and a defensive hunch to his shoulders that makes him look fundamentally unapproachable. He’s attacking his lunch like he hates it.
“They made him the Heir, huh?” Miles raises an eyebrow.
“Why wouldn’t he be?”
“He’s adopted,” Miles says. “He’s not really a Gray. And he’s not the only adopted son, either. His brother’s right over there.”
Miles inclines his head in the direction of a table of Enforcers. I hope he’s not talking about the guy who looks like he was carved out of granite with a dull chisel. He looks even grumpier than Hedeon, if such a thing is possible.
“That’s his brother?”
“Silas Gray.” Miles nods. “Now that’s your classic psychopath. The Grays have spent more money paying off his victims than he’ll ever earn for them. Probably why they gave the title to Hedeon.”
I notice Hedeon didn’t even consider sitting at his brother’s table. There can’t be much love lost between them if they won’t even eat together.
“Where’s the Chancellor?” I ask Miles curiously. “I thought we’d meet him by now.”
I remember the inky signature of Luther Hugo on my Kingmakers acceptance letter.
“Trust me, you’re better off not seeing him,” Miles says. “If you run into him, it means you’ve gotten yourself in pretty deep shit.”
“Is he scary or something?”
“Yes,” Miles bluntly states. “Anyway, you’ll meet him once theQuartum Bellumstarts.”
“When will that be?” I try to keep the eagerness out of my voice.
“Couple of weeks,” Miles says.
“Are you going to try to get the Captainship?”
“Fuck no.” Miles shakes his head. “I don’t want that shit on my shoulders.”
“I’d take it,” Ozzy says. “Better to be the boss than have to listen to whatever other asshole gets it. It’s like being president—if somebody actually wants the job, they’re probably the worst person to do it.”
“But you saidyouwant it,” Miles notes.
“Exactly.” Ozzy grins. “And I’m the worst person to do it.”
“What about you two?” I ask Anna and Ares.
“Maybe…” Anna frowns. “I’d have to know more about it.”
