Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 468(@250wpm)___ 390(@300wpm)
“Nah, my stepbrother would never allow that to happen. That’s one good thing. He’s protective.” Her face turns dark as it always does when she mentions her stepbrother. “Let’s talk about something else.”
I want to ask more about the Vesuvios, but I don’t want to be too obvious about it. Besides, Raine isn’t in their House anymore, and it doesn’t sound like she was close to any of them before. Once the fall semester starts and more students are on campus, I’ll be able to get more intel on the Bulls.
I’m still a supervillain-in-training, and besides, I have to deal with Fraternitas first.
“Wanna see my future husband?” I pull out my copy of Viking Thunder.
“Tada!”
Honey and Raine stare at the cover.
“Oh, wow,” Honey says.
“So… he’s a cover model?” Raine asks. “For romance novels?”
“No, he wouldn’t let me take a picture, so this is the next best thing. He looks like this, just with more tattoos. And less bulky, more… buff. Hard.” I realize I’ve zoned out imagining Kaiser’s abs, and stop before I begin drooling. “I mean, so many muscles. It’s… gross.”
“Yeah, so gross,” Raine deadpans.
“Shut up.”
She smirks. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It still sucks. I’m trying to get out of it, but...” I shrug. “We’ll see.”
“What’s his name?” Honey asks. She’s got that thoughtful look on her face, again, like she’s worried about me.
“Kaiser.”
She sighs, like she already knew. “He’s the scary twin.”
“Wait, he’s a twin?” Raine grabs my book and takes another look.
“Yup. You want to meet him?” I tease. “We can have a double wedding.”
“My stepbrother would lose his shit,” she says with an evil smile.
“Jaeger’s taken, actually,” Honey says.
“That’s fine,” Raine says with a wave of her hand. “I’ve got enough scary ass men in my life.”
“So, Kaiser’s the scary twin?” I ask.
“Everyone in Fraternitas is brutal in their own way. But some of them can be nice. Sort of.” Honey explains to Raine that she worked at a club run by Fraternitas.
“Did you ever date any of them when you were there?” I ask.
“They don’t date,” Honey says. “They stake their claim.” I suppress a shiver, imagining Kaiser claiming me. “And no, they never were interested in me.”
“Did you want them to be?” I ask. I’m not judging, just curious, but she flushes, which gives me my answer.
“I had a boyfriend at the time anyway,” Honey says, “so it doesn’t matter. We’re not talking about this. My life isn’t as interesting as yours.”
“Agree to disagree. Next sleepover, we’re diving into your guys’ lives. But tonight, I need all the help with Fraternitas I can get.” I tell them about my bullshit marriage counseling session with the “hot priest,” as Honey calls him. “I asked Kaiser when he started fighting, and he said thirteen.”
“That can’t be right,” Raine whispers.
“I think it is,” Honey says. “They were super young. I heard that they were in the underground fighting rings. They were champions. Rumor is they killed their own trainer.” She shakes her head. “But I don’t know.”
I frown. I’m greedy for more information about Kaiser, but I don’t think anyone has the full story except him. “Do you know if he still fights?”
“Not that I know of, but that’s how Fraternitas started. In the underground gambling and fighting rings. They ran the books and also made money from their own bets on the side. St. James was the mastermind behind it. He’s a genius.”
“How old were they?”
“Just kids. Teenagers. But now they have their hands in everything. They used to use the tunnels under New Rome to run guns. Then they took over the city. Assassinated the dons, slaughtered the soldiers. There were whole gangs wiped off the streets.”
I suppress a little wriggle. My friends won’t appreciate that I’m perving on my soon-to-be husband while hearing about how he and his friends went on a murder spree through the city.
“They have a place under the city where they go. They call it the Abyss. They take their victims down there to torture them and then dispose of their remains. They own the underground. It’s the source of their power from when they were street kids, running free under the city.”
“How do you know so much about this?” Raine asks.
“When I worked for them, I heard things. I kept my head down and my mouth shut. Wherever I am, I try to blend in. It’s safer that way.” Honey gives us a warning look. “None of this can leave this room.”
“What happens at sleepover, stays at sleepover,” I vow, and Raine nods.
“They were always gentlemen to me,” Honey says. “Lucy runs the club, and they respect her. She wears a ring, so she’s their equal. After shifts, she would send us home with an escort. Mine would drive me home and drop me off right at my door. He never tried anything.” She looks almost disappointed. “Not once. But maybe it was just me.”