In Silence She Screams (Midnight Mayhem 3)

“Will you tell me about your life one day?”

He chuckles until his laughter dies out.

“Why do I feel like we’ve had this conversation before?” I smile against his chest as his arm curves around my back. “Yeah, baby. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” I know it’s a lie. I don’t know anything about The Elite Kings, aside from what I heard here and there growing up. “Rich boys with power who have no problem putting a bullet between your eyes.” Or something around that.

“I’m sorry you guys didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Eli tightens his grip around me. “It’s fine, Lil. We needed to talk anyway.”

“About?” I ask, leaning up to rest my chin on the back of my hand. I lean forward and press a kiss to his chin but end up biting on it.

“Fuck, you hungry for blood or some shit? Because I’ll need some warning. Got a brother all the way into all that shit, so I’ll need to ask him for tips if this is something serious.”

I hold in my laughter by curling my lips over my teeth.

He watches me closely, all joking aside. “Something that’s important we both needed to make clear.”

“Hmmm, could it have to do with the fact I was whispering weird shit in my sleep?”

He laughs, and instantly I feel lighter. Every time he laughs, he takes a weight off my chest. “Not quite.”

“Then it’s obviously about me wanting both of you” —I pause, tilting my head—“and maybe both of you wanting each other?”

Eli’s eyes glisten. Leaning up, he flicks his tongue over the tip of my nose. “So fucking needy for answers.” His laughter dies out. “We can all talk about it maybe later. When the grumpy one has chilled out. Homeboy is scary when he’s mad.”

“Something tells me you’d be the same…” I raise an eyebrow.

His eyes narrow as he pinches me in the ribs. “Ah, pretty sure you’re the same, baby girl. Miss I Kill Men for Pleasure.”

Before he’s even finished his sentence, I’m laughing, my head tilted back and my other hand coming out to touch his hair. “Okay, fine. That’s fair.”

“She’s asleep?” I asked, waiting for Kyrin to say something. Anything.

“What, the little snores didn’t give her away?” he grumbled lazily. It was a front.

I laughed. “Yeah, that’s cute as fuck.” I sighed, running my fingers up her arm. “Think I care about her.”

“Wouldn’t be here if you didn’t,” Kyrin stated the obvious.

“And you?” I asked, looking out into the darkness of her room. “Why are you here, because I damn well know you don’t feel shit.”

“Oh yeah?” he baited me. “And how did you come about that assumption? Between knowing me for all of five minutes and fucking me for two?”

“Kyrin. It’s fucking okay to admit shit. She snuck up on me, too. You’re not the only one. You think I came here to find this crazy shit? Fuck no. Fuck. No. Ask any of The Kings and they’ll tell you this is not my vibe.”

He snorted.

“But there’s another thing…” I ground my teeth, squeezing my eyes closed even though it did nothing because the room was so dark. “She’s not the only fucking one I want.”

He paused now. His arm tightened around her chest, but I felt his other arm twitch beneath my pillow. “Yeah,” was all he said. “We can figure all that shit out later. Right now, I have to—”

“—no…” Lilith started whispering and both Kyrin and I turned noticeably still.

I’m pacing back and forward in my current “bedroom” while everyone else is heading to the “main house” aka King and Perse’s. The property is weird as fuck. It’s like a small village on thousands of acres of property where everyone has built little houses. I’m talking, I’m sure these assholes own a suburb, only in mountains and near a lake.

Fuck! Distracted. I need to think fast.

I pull out my phone and hit dial on Bishop’s name. I have to admit, being back in NYC is like I can breathe again, but I’m not keen on Kiznitch, and I know if I need more time, I’m going to need a good ass excuse for going with them. Bishop doesn’t answer. I toss my phone onto the king-size bed and push open the curtain that shades the sun from coming inside. This bedroom offers a direct view of the lake below. There’s a small jetty that drifts off from the grass, with a small aluminum boat shed beside it. The house itself is impressive, and that’s coming from someone whose habitual environment is the rich and famous—billionaire boys’ club edition. The main living area looks out to the lake from high floor-to-ceiling windows, there’s a modern-style kitchen tucked beneath the loft bedroom upstairs, and from the corner view of the sitting room, I can see a large claw-foot bathtub outside on the patio. Large plants and greenery offer it the perfect natural yet private environment. The decor is contemporary but rustic enough to feel like a home. It’s way fucking warmer than the museum I grew up in. The door downstairs opens and closes as I make my way down the spiral staircase.