Grave (Dark Kingdom, #3) — Chapter no 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

APRIL

I STAND IN Jasmine’s bathroom, curling my hair. The room is bigger than my master bedroom. It has heated floors and a marble counter. His and her sinks. She stands in front of one while I’m in front of the other. The whirlpool bathtub sits off to the right of us with the large shower behind it that you can enter from either side. I looked inside, and there are five showerheads. There’s a fireplace in the corner that is see-through into her master suite. I’d never leave this bathroom.

“Can I ask you something personal?” I turn to face her.

“Sure. I’m an open book.” She pops the lid off her lipstick.

“What did Haven mean by Luca would never allow her to go to the Airport? Is he really controlling? I remember that there was a guy who you mentioned was her babysitter when we were at lunch that first time I met her.” I think they said his name was Nite.

“Luca runs the Las Vegas American-Italian mafia.”

I gasp. Holy shit! Derek was right! “You’re serious?” He had said that Bones had an in with the mafia. And Luca was on the phone talking about going to Kingdom. Could that be the connection? If so, then that means he’s got to be close to Grave as well.

“Yep.” She nods. “Don’t you ever watch the news? Their engagement was a big deal.”

“No,” I say honestly, going back to my hair somewhat in a daze.

“Well, a lot of people would love to get their hands on Haven to get to Luca. So although to some, he may appear controlling or possessive, he’s really just keeping her safe.”

“I can see that.” I can’t imagine the kind of life where you’re always having to look over your shoulder or never knowing who is after your

husband. Or yourself. Wanting a family but afraid to bring a child into that

world.

“Are you ready for that kind of life?”

I set the curling iron down and look over at her. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean …” She pops her nude-colored lips. “That being with a King could have the same ramifications. They’re powerful but also hated by many. Being with one could make things difficult. For you. For him.”

“Are you asking me if I’m in love with Grave and willing to risk my life for that?” That’s what I take from her cryptic words.

She gives me a quick side-eye. “Are you?”

“No,” I answer, shaking my head.

She sets down her lipstick and turns to face me, a smirk on her face as if she knows some secret. “So you’re willing to walk away from him?”

I go to say yes but shut my mouth. “I mean … I like him.”

She places her hand on my shoulder. “Do you like him enough to fight for him?”

My mother raised my brother and me to fight for what you want, but you also can’t make someone love you. They either want you in their life or they don’t. You can’t keep what doesn’t belong to you. “What exactly am I fighting?” I ask confused.

“Lucy. I know she would do anything to have him, however she could have him. Even if that meant being a side piece.”

“You’re saying he’s not the type to be faithful?” Is anyone? I’m not going to put Grave in a category with just men. Women cheat too. I’ve never done it because I’ve had it happen to me, and it hurt. I don’t understand why a man or woman can’t just be honest with the person they’re with and say I don’t want to be with you anymore.

“No, you’re putting words in my mouth.” She sighs. “I’m just saying that you need to decide what you want. Either take it or let her have it.” She shrugs. “Because honey, that choice is a hundred percent yours.”

She walks off to enter her closet. Grave doesn’t make me feel like I have to compete or there is a race I’m desperately trying to win. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I know Lucy still calls him. The question is, does he call her after he leaves me? And if he does, how would that make me feel?

Pretty fucking pissed if I’m being honest with myself!

He’s supposed to be mine, right? We’ve only had one official date, but who the fuck has time to date anymore? I don’t need to get dressed up and go to an expensive dinner for someone to prove they like me. I just need quality time with them, and we’ve done that. Every chance we’ve gotten. I feel comfortable around him and can be myself. He’s saved me. He’s saved my dream. That means more than lobster and steak. The way his lips kiss mine make me melt. The way he touches me sets me on fire. And I know I do the same to him. He can’t stop because he keeps coming back for more.

Is it just sex for him? I can’t answer that. Only he can. But he did say he was staying around as long as I wanted him to.

I look at myself in the mirror and take a deep breath. I don’t want to share him. I want to be selfish.

Making up my mind, I pull my eyeliner out of my makeup bag and put on a couple more layers top and bottom before grabbing my hair and teasing the crown to give it a little more volume.

“How’s this look?”

I turn to see Jasmine wearing a black crop top, hanging off one shoulder, revealing a black lace bra strap in a pair of denim shorts and fishnet tights.

“Dammmmnn.” I approve. The woman is hot.

“You think?”

My eyes drop to her legs. “What happened to your knees?” I ask.

She growls. “I gave head last night. Fucked my knees all up.”

“On what? Gravel?”

She lets out a sigh. “That’s why I wore the fishnets. To try to hide them better. Are they that bad?”

I shake my head. “No. I just noticed the right one …” The left isn’t as bad. But you can see they’re bruised, and one has a pretty good cut. “I hope you got yours too,” I add.

She gives me a smile. “Oh, he delivered.” The smile drops off her face.

“Then he went and fucked it all up.”

_______________

SHE DRIVES US about thirty minutes outside of Vegas. All I see is desert for most of it, but then sure enough, there’s an airport in the middle of nowhere.

It looks like McCarran on Thanksgiving break. Cars and trucks fill a large

parking lot on the side. She pulls into a parking garage and takes us up to the sixth level. People walk around, getting on and off the elevators.

She finds a spot and pulls into it, shutting off the car. “Stay close to me,” she says.

“Is this place dangerous?” I suppose that’s a question I should have asked before we came. I would have packed Mace in my bag.

“It can get rowdy.” She nods, reaching in front of me and pops open her glove box. She grabs a knife, before slamming it shut. Then reaches into the back seat and grabs her purse, shoving the knife inside of it.

“Hey, ladies.” A guy whistles at us as we walk by his truck. He has the tailgate down and sits on it with two of his friends. You can smell the weed they’re smoking. “Wanna ride?” He grabs his crotch.

“Sorry, boys.” She reaches out, throwing her arm over my shoulders, pulling me into her side. “The only thing she’ll be riding is my face later.”

His eyes widen and one of his friends spits out his drink. “Can we watch?” he asks, hopeful.

I laugh at the fact he thought she was being serious.

“They’re all the same,” she whispers, shaking her head.

We walk across a sky bridge and enter the building. It looks exactly like an airport would. There are conveyor belts where luggage would ride, waiting for passengers to pick them up, but they look like they haven’t been used in years.

We step onto a moving sidewalk and come up to the terminals. I stop and walk over to one, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows to the runway.

People crowd around while cars are lined up at the end. A woman stands before them with a green flag in her hands. “What are they doing?” I ask as Jasmine comes to stand next to me.

“Racing. They do it every night.” She turns and walks off, and I follow her.

We go down an escalator and walk through the building, passing more gates until we come up to what appears to have once been a food court.

Looking down over a railing, I see an arena-like structure. A makeshift bar sits off to the right, and people are crowded around it.

Two men stand in the middle of the arena, fighting. It’s not like a UFC fight. This is more of a backyard kind of fight. One guy wears a hoodie and jeans while the other is in shorts and a wifebeater. No gloves or mouth guards.

We make our way downstairs and to the bar, ordering some drinks.

“Jasmine?”

She stiffens beside me as someone from behind us calls out her name.

Turning around, she leans her back against the bar. “What are you doing here?” she asks.

I look over my shoulder to see a guy walk up to her with a smile covering his handsome face. Brown eyes look her up and down while he licks his lips, like he’s thinking of the past. “Oh, my God, babe.” He reaches out to hug her.

She places her hands up, stopping him. “Go away, Trenton.” She dismisses him and turns back to the bar just as the bartender sets two drinks down in front of us.

I reach into my purse to grab a twenty, but she sets a card down. “I want

to start a tab,” she tells the guy.

He nods and takes it.

“Babe?” The guy behind us continues. “I’ve been calling you.”

“Yeah? How’s your wife feel about that?” she asks, not looking back at

him.

My brows rise.

He makes his way next to her, placing his forearm on the bar. “I told you

we’re getting a divorce.”

She laughs. “You always were a liar.”

He looks at me. Nodding his head, he winks. What the fuck, dude? “Hey,

baby …”

“She’s dating Grave,” she informs him.

His eyes widen for a split second and then go back at her. “Jas, come on …”

“Go away, Trenton!” she snaps at him. “Or I’ll send screenshots of those pics of your cock that you keep sending me to your wife with the time stamp and dates.”

His jaw tightens, but that’s enough to make him storm off back into the crowd. “Divorcing his wife, my ass,” she hisses, then lifts her hand for the bartender.

“I’m guessing that wasn’t the guy from last night?” I ask.

She snorts. “No. The guy from last night isn’t married, but I’m not sure he’s any better.” She slaps the bar. “Fuck this drink. We need shots.”

APRIL

AN HOUR AND countless shots later, we remain close to the bar when I look to the right and see Grave standing about twenty feet away talking to a man who is with a woman. He’s shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of black basketball shorts and tennis shoes, and his hair is wet like he just showered.

My eyes run over his tatted and muscular body. My thighs tighten. Grave is by far the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He has that unobtainable air about him. Like he’s the type of guy you want but know you can’t keep. The one who would give you a night of endless orgasms and never call you back. An absolute fuckboy. Yet he keeps coming back. And I keep letting him in. I’m going to ride that train until it runs off the tracks.

“Who is Grave talking to?” I ask, placing my attention on someone else.

I’m drunk and horny. “That woman looks familiar.” She has dark brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail. She wears a simple white sundress with black Superstars. She looks cute yet comfortable but totally out of place here with this crowd.

Jasmine follows my line of sight. “That is Lovely Mathers.”

“I know that name …”

“Judge Mathers’ daughter.” She fills in the blank.

“Right.” I nod. “Didn’t she have a drug problem and went to rehab?” I remember reading something like that about her.

“Rumor is her father put her in a psych ward but told everyone she went

to rehab.”

“Is she crazy?” I ask.

Jasmine throws her head back, laughing. “Girl, the right man can make

any sane woman crazy.”

“True.”

“But no, she wasn’t. She went to school with us. She made straight A’s and was never in trouble. Her younger brother went missing, and Judge Mathers announced her stay in rehab. Said that after the disappearance she

turned to drugs and alcohol abuse.”

“But you don’t believe that?”

“Nope.” She shakes her head. “My ex Trenton…” She growls the words.

“At the time said that his mother saw her being brought into the psych ward of the hospital by her father. That she was screaming and crying. He took her into a room, then came out alone.”

“He just left her there?” I ask in shock.

“I’ve heard she was put in a straitjacket and remained in it for two weeks

while locked in a padded room.”

“Jesus.” I hiss.

“I’ve also been told that she was restrained to a hospital bed for two weeks with a catheter and fed through a feeding tube down her nose. Either one could be true. Or it could be worse. Who knows?”

“Why would her father do that to her?” What has happened to that poor girl?

“Look around.” She lifts her hands to gesture to the crowd. “How do you think the Kings and the Mason brothers run this town? It’s because they pay someone higher up a cut.”

I swallow at the mention of the Mason brothers. “So he’s just a twisted fuck.”

“Yep, and he won’t let anyone stand in his way. Not even his daughter.”

“Poor thing.” She just stands there, her eyes straight ahead. Like a doll.

Or someone who has been trained to be ignored. But I see her. She stands out and it’s not because of how she chose to dress. “Why is Grave ignoring her? He’s only talking to the guy. Acts like she’s not even there.”

“Maybe she prefers it that way,” she guesses. “Some people choose to wear blinders, so they don’t have to face what’s right in front of them.

Turner Mason—he’s the middle child—used to be obsessed with her.”

There’s that name again. “Did they date?”

“No.” She laughs. “She was too good for him. He knew it. The whole town knew it. Except for her. She had no clue he was into her.” She looks up at the high ceilings. I do the same and see the little black domes all over the place. I know what they are. Cameras. “If he finds out she’s here, he’ll jack off later tonight while watching the surveillance video.”

“Gross,” I say. “Wait?” My mind a little slow from the alcohol. “What?”

I ask. “Why would he be watching the surveillance tapes?”

“The Mason brothers own this place,” she states.

My palms begin to sweat. My eyes start looking around frantically. I don’t know what they look like. Would they recognize me? My eyes land back on Grave, and I watch a blonde walk up to him. “That’s …”

“Lucy Mason,” Jasmine finishes for me.

She’s a fucking Mason as well? My hands clench as she runs hers down his bare arm.

“I’m usually the first one to jump in and cut a bitch, but if you want to stay and watch him fight, I’d suggest we do it some other time,” Jasmine

says, taking a sip of her drink.

I look over at her.

“Her brothers own the place,” she reminds me. “We’ll be thrown out in two point five seconds if we jump on her. Although, I must admit, I can do a lot of damage in that short of time. So if that’s the commitment you want to make, I’m in.”

I look back over at them. He’s still talking to the guy and doesn’t acknowledge Lucy, but that doesn’t offend her in the least. She’s still touching him. Her body now pressed into the side of his.

A new guy walks up to them and grabs her upper arm, jerking Lucy away from them.

“Who’s that?” I ask like she knows. Jasmine seems to know everyone.

“That is Trey Mason. The baby.”

I take a step back, my heart racing at her words. “I shouldn’t have come

here.”

“What? You wanted to see Grave …”

“Yes, but I didn’t know the Mason brothers owned the place,” I snap, and she frowns. “They had someone break into my shop,” I blurt out. The alcohol has my mouth running. “Who knows what they’ll do if they knew I

was here.”

“They what?” She gasps.

“Let’s go.” I turn and start walking, not wanting to explain it right now.

But a hand grips my arm and I’m spun back around. My heart pounds in my chest when I look up into a set of blue eyes.

“Hey,” Grave says. “I knew that was you. What are you doing here?” he asks, looking from me to Jasmine.

I lick my numb lips. “I wanted to come see you. But …”

“But what?” He frowns.

I step into him and stand on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. “I didn’t know that this place belonged to the Mason brothers.”

He cups my face when I pull back. “They won’t touch you. I promise.

But …” Letting me go, he digs his cell out of his pocket and begins to type away. “Doesn’t mean I want you here without protection.”

“Are you afraid I’m going to get pregnant?” Jasmine jokes.

Grave snorts. “Your chance of reproduction does not concern me,” he replies, typing away on his phone. Then he looks at me. “Nite will stay with you girls.”

Jasmine throws her head back with a sigh. “You’re giving us the babysitter? I come here all the time.”

“Yeah, and so do I. I know what happens to women here when no one is watching.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand, but he leans into me, cups my face, and kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and open for him, kissing him back. His hands slide down my back and grip my ass. He lifts me up effortlessly, and I wrap my legs around his narrow hips.

I pull away, panting and whisper against his lips. “Be careful.”

“Don’t worry about me, baby.” He slaps my ass, and I jump down, laughing just as Nite shows up.

“Watch them,” Grave orders him, and Nite nods once.

Grave gives me one more kiss and then walks off.

“Hi, we haven’t officially met. I’m April.” I hold out my right hand, and he shakes it firmly. He then starts to look around the crowded place. I wait for him to say hello or introduce himself. But he completely ignores me.

“He doesn’t speak,” Jasmine offers, glaring up at him.

Oh. “At all?”

She shakes her head. “He took a vow of silence back in college. He’s a mute,” she snaps, “and we’re not staying here with him.” She goes to walk off, but he reaches out, grabs ahold of her hair, and spins her around to face him.

Her hands go to his broad chest as she glares up at him. And before she can argue with him, he slams his lips down on hers. I watch her body melt for him as he openly kisses her. Wrapping my lips around my straw, I drink while she opens her mouth for him, and he deepens the kiss, pulling her neck back even farther and devouring her. I swear I hear her moan.

Then, just like it didn’t happen, he yanks away. “Fuck you, Nite!” she shouts and then slaps him across the face. She jerks out of his grip and storms off.

“I have a feeling you’re the guy from last night.” I laugh, taking another sip of my drink. So she’s got something going on with Nite. I never saw that coming.

He lets out a huff, grabs my hand, and drags me through the crowd to catch up with her.