“Where’s the third guy? Why have you taken him away? He didn’t even approach me.”
“We didn’t.”
“But he disappeared.”
“Wasn’t our doing. We left the three of them together.”
I frown. If it wasn’t them, then who—
Eli.
Of course.
Not sure how Ava will feel about this tidbit.
I move the spoon in my bowl and only raise my head when I feel eyes on me.
Ilya. He’s staring at me with that serial-killer gaze.
“What?”
“I know you’re not like Boss and have no clue how dangerous and complicated his life is. So if you’re not going to put the effort in understanding it, I suggest you leave.”
Okay. That was direct and bold.
I think Ilya doesn’t like me.
But it wasn’t said with ill intent. He really thinks I’m not fit for Jeremy. I agree.
I place the spoon on the table, losing my appetite. “I can’t get behind his acts of violence. I might turn a blind eye once or twice, but it’ll kill me if it’s a recurring theme.”
“Boss only inflicts violence when it’s the last resort or if it’s personal, and only against individuals who’ve earned it. Have you tried to understand why he did that last night?”
“Because they talked to me and touched me and he needs to protect his ownership.”
“He did it because your safety and mental state are important to him. Do better. You have a long way to go.” He shakes his head, drinks straight from the bowl, then stands up and gets out.
Leaving me with a myriad of questions and emotions.
29
CECILY
What started as a simple trip home so Annika could convince her father to accept Creighton turned into a nightmare.
Not only was she taken from here by force and coerced to relocate to New York indefinitely, but she also broke up with Creighton, and he was left to pay the price.
The past two weeks have been an exhausting mash of events and tragedies that none of us could keep up with.
I think we all wish we could rewind time to that night at the pub, where Creighton was being territorial of Anni, and Remi was giving him shit about it.
We were all laughing and having the time of our lives back then. We were a group, and now, we’re broken up by Anni’s absence.
Ava has been downright depressed since she left, despite clearly cutting her off and taking Creighton’s side.
We all did.
We’ve known him since we were young and we’re well aware of his bloody past prior to when he became a member of the King family.