Page 40 of Depraved

“Thought so.”

I got up and rubbed the raw flesh around my wrists. “Why are you being nice to me?”

She frowned. “I am? I didn’t notice.”

“I’m serious. Why?”

For a few seconds, she studied me, scrutinized me while pursing her lips, hands on her hips. “Because this ain’t us.”

“What do you mean?”

She stepped closer, her eyes cold and hard with heavy black eyeliner. “Nothing is as it seems, Swan Lake. Whatever it is you think you know about us, about the Kings…you’re wrong.”

“He kidnapped me.” I spat out the words. “He’s keeping me here against my will, so me thinking he’s a psychopath, that the Kings are savages, can’t be that wrong.”

Her lips curled into a grin. “This ain’t your world anymore, Swan Lake. It’s ours. And in our world, Granite rules.”

“Oh, he made that clear.”

“He also protects. He takes care of us. And when there’s a threat, he does whatever he can to eliminate it.”

I held up my hand. “Is that what I am? A threat?”

“Not you. No.”

“Nothing makes sense, Neon. Things you and Onyx said make me feel like I’m just part of some plot. But things Granite said…things he’s done, it tells me something completely different.”

Neon cocked her head, the silver stud in her nose glinting. “Some friendly advice. Don’t try to understand him yet. First, try to understand our world, then maybe you’ll get a glimpse of the person Granite really is.”

“What is going on, Neon?”

Neon bit her pierced bottom lip then smiled. “All in due time, Swan Lake. All in due time.”

I stepped back. “You’re loyal to him. A man who has no conscience. A man who kidnaps women.”

For the first time since I met her, she gave me a tiny glimpse of aggression as her gaze turned into a glare, her lips pulled in a straight line. “I’m loyal to Granite because he deserves it. Not because he demands it.” She walked up to me, so close I could smell her jasmine scented perfume. “Like I said. Don’t try to understand him. Not yet. You’ll get it wrong if you do.”

“It’s kind of hard not to make my own assumptions while he has me tied to a chair behind a locked door.”

She smiled and stepped back. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Swan Lake. You’ll figure it out soon.” With that, she brushed past me toward the door. “Come on. We’ll wait in the kitchen while the boys clean up in here.”

I watched her walk away, and my mind reeled. Neon had turned into a threat in the blink of an eye because of how I spoke about Granite. It was clear as fucking daylight that her loyalty was with him and no one else. If there ever was a part of me that hoped I could rely on her and a developing friendship between us to help me out of this mess…I was wrong.

Neon walked out of the room, leaving me behind like she knew I wouldn’t run. How was she so certain I wouldn’t? Or maybe it was because she knew I couldn’t. I was no match for street smart bikers. Not when my only talent was being able to dance on my toes for hours straight.

I followed. “You’ll probably get into trouble for letting me out.”

“Nah. You’ll be back in your room and tied to that chair before Granite gets back.”

“Are you really—” I paused when I walked into the kitchen, Onyx sitting at the table, eating. My heart stopped, and I glanced from him to Neon.

Neon shrugged. “Relax. Onyx ain’t the brother you should worry about.”

Onyx looked at me as I stood by the entrance, not saying a word. Those blue irises seemed darker, his features cold and hard. But even so, he still didn’t intimidate me as much as his brother did.

“Something tells me you’re not the caffeine type.” Neon grabbed milk from the fridge. “Tea?”

“Water.” I remained still, feeling uncomfortable under Onyx’s gaze.