Volatile Love (The Gilded Sovereign 2)

“Thane won’t be expecting us because he won’t know Fergus has given us anything,” Ares says as he settles behind the desk, setting down the folder with the signed agreement from Fergus.

“I want to go in first,” I speak up, needing to be the one who talks to the man who is my biological father.

“No.”

“Etienne, this isn’t a discussion,” I bite out in frustration. “You can’t be my hero all the time. I told you, I can handle myself.”

“Etienne is right,” Ares says then. “You don’t go in alone. If you’re part of this family, we do things together.” His eyes bore into me, just as Dahlia strolls in dressed in a pair of super tight black yoga pants and a black tank top. She’s sporting a hoodie that’s got the pattern of a skeleton all over the front.

“I’ll go with her; you guys hang back.” She smiles at her man who’s narrowed his gaze as he regards her. “Not too far back.”

Ares crooks his finger, calling her over, which she quickly obeys, and he pulls her into his lap. “You’re cruising for a—”

“Get a room, guys,” Etienne rolls his eyes, and we all laugh at their public display of affection. “Let’s do this, you and Dahlia head inside, sit with him, talk if you need to, but I’ll be on speaker. If anything goes wrong before we walk in, I’m racing in guns fucking blazing.”

“And I’ll take him out without a second thought,” Tarian confirms. “He may be our blood, but he’s not family. Remember that.” His warning is true, yet it still pains me. I can’t even spend time with my father to get to know him. Yes, he may be an evil bastard, but he’s still the man who made me.

“Hey.” Etienne pulls me into his arms, covering me in his warmth. “I’m always here. I’ll never leave you, so if you for one second doubt me…” His words filter into nothing, and I know he’s trying to say I should trust him. That’s an emotion that’s always been difficult for me to accept. I’ve always been wary of people, and it seems I was right to be.

“It’s difficult,” I mumble into his tee, the material stealing my words, but I know he’s heard me. Etienne places a kiss on the top of my head before stepping back.

“Go get changed, and we’ll head out in a few.” His gaze holds me hostage for a long moment before Dahlia pulls me out of the office and up to her bedroom. She and Ares have made this their home, and when we enter the epic room, I can’t help but gasp.

“It’s gorgeous in here.”

She smiles confidently. “He let me put my touch on it.” Even though it’s still muted tones of black and gray, there are a few pops of color—purple, red, and blue. And along one of the walls is a floor to ceiling bookshelf.

“Always the bookworm,” I tell her.

Once she lays out the black ensemble on the bed, she gives me a hug, one that steals my breath and brings tears to my eyes.

“Don’t ever feel alone. You’ve always been like a sister to me, and that will never change. You are my family.” Dahlia’s words are healing to my fragile state. We’ve known each other for so long, and right now, I realize, even as time passes, our bond is as strong as it’s always been.

An hour later, the five of us make our way up the driveway. Dressed in black, half my face covered from the cameras, I feel invincible. But not only because of the outfit I’m donning, but because I have the three men and my best friend beside me. We’re taking over this society. We’ll be named the new Sovereign, and we’re about to cause a ruckus.

The guys hang back as promised, and Dahlia and I stop at the enormous front door. The carving in the wood signifies the Calvert coat of arms—a lion in the center wearing a crown, with two dragons on either side.

“Are you ready?” Dahlia’s voice is my only grounding force right now.

Nodding, I lift my hand and knock three times, and the door slips open with the gentle impact. My heart feels as if it’s about to leap from my chest, and I’m certain I’m about to pass out.

But I don’t.

Instead, when I push open the door further, I make my way inside, with Dahlia right behind me. The house is empty. No furniture, no paintings, nothing. Not a sound from anywhere in the house. When we reach the kitchen, we find it bare of anything besides a stove and a sleek silver refrigerator.

Pulling open the metal door, I find it empty, but it’s still chilled. They must’ve left not long before we arrived. They fucking escaped. With my best friend hot on my heels, I make my way into the dining room finding nothing. The moment we cross the threshold into the living room, we find one lone person sitting in a chair with a glass of wine.