Illusions That May (Court High 2)

I would have, had it been the other way around, and thinking back on that, I excused myself for another reason. I hid on the other side of the big-ass tree, hunkering down to send a text.

Me: Hey, you didn’t clear the garbage from the house recently, did you?

I sent this to Rosanna, waiting with bated breath. If I accidentally threw out my sister’s journal…

She was taking too long, and since Ramses welcomed me the use of his house, I cut out of the ballroom to make a call. I hadn’t been everywhere in his mansion, but I knew my way around enough to find someplace quiet. I passed attendants and caterers delivering more food to the festivities along the way and smiled at them all before dipping into the closest room I could find. That room ended up being an office, a fire softly burning on the hearth near a large oak desk.

I sat in the chair, swiveling around. I started to dial when a creak, then voices hit the room.

“You guys have taken to stalking people now?” came behind me. “And here I thought you boys were better than four against one.”

Ramses.

I eased my chair around but just barely, peeking to the side of the high, brown leather chair. Four boys did stand against Ramses, and my heart jumped at the various sizes and builds. Jax, LJ, and Knight stood in a standoff with Ramses Mallick.

And at the center was Royal Prinze.

Royal had his hands braced on his biceps, his boys behind him like he was there to intimidate.

What the hell?

I started to move.

“Is this about December?”

I stopped, frozen by Ramses’ words.

Ramses frowned. “She told me how you came to her, told her to stay away from me?” He shook his head. “Really, Prinze?”

“I thought she should be warned about who you are,” he stated, easing his jacket open and moving hands to prop on his hips. “Or was I incorrect telling her what an asswipe you are?”

He really did have some nerve, but Ramses, I noticed, held no reaction but to face the floor.

He folded fingers over his face, a sigh on his lips. “Maybe you weren’t wrong about who I used to be. I admit I threw my weight around here, but I’m past that now. All that’s in the past for me, and it’s not true now.”

“It’s not true now,” Royal parroted, mocking him.

Ramses pulled in thick eyebrows. “Yeah, it’s not true now, and anyway, isn’t this all a bit much?” He put his hand out toward Jax, LJ, and Knight. “I mean, I get wanting to protect your friend’s sister, but even this is overkill. What? You got a thing for her or something? Because seriously, dude, you can calm the fuck down about it. She and I are just friends—”

“We’re not here about December,” Royal growled, but could have fooled me. He passed a glance to the other guys. “Because if that’s all this was about, believe me, it’d just be me and you standing here.”

His threat lingered hard in the air, like it was warranted and he had any type of ownership over me and what I did. The audacity of this boy sickened me, and I nearly announced my presence if not for Ramses moving to speak again.

Ramses tilted his head. “What’s this about, then? The need for the posse?”

“We represent all, bro,” Jax intercepted, looking hard and not in his familiar ways. He was usually such a jokester, but his jaw clenched hard. “We represent the Court.”

“The Court?” Ramses asked.

LJ nodded. “We wanted to make sure you knew where you stood…”

“And the place you fit in.” Knight stepped forward. “You made a choice freshman year, and it wasn’t Court.”

Ramses actually chuckled more than I would dare to do in front of those mini tank trucks. He folded lanky arms. “You want me to stay away.”

“What you choose to do is up to you,” Royal stated, parting away from the other guys. “Just know it won’t have anything to do with the Court. You keep on your side of the yard, and don’t even think about going out and trying to join now, join us.”

“Or what?” Ramses sneered. “No offense, guys, but I don’t give a fuck about you and your shit.”