In Peace Lies Havoc (Midnight Mayhem 1)

Kingston: Strong, assertive, broody, intense. Liar.

Killian: Playful, devious, trickster. Liar.

Keaton: Confident, skeptical, careful. Liar.

Kyrin: Manic, Rage, anger, resentment. Liar.

See, I may not know these boys as well as I want to, but I’m beginning to think that they may know me. And maybe I’m wrong and I’m seeing what they choose for me to see, but I look between the truths and lies, and I’ve noticed that even through all of their faces, the one thing that does not change outfits is their eyes.

Kyrin stirs something inside of me that shouldn’t be tampered with, which is why I trust him the least out of all of The Brothers, which is also why I find myself moving away from him just as fast as he sat down.

“I’ve figured as much,” I answer as music starts playing. The rest of the night goes uneventful. People stare, and I watch them back. I notice the atmosphere shift the later it gets. The more the fire burns, the more people drink, the more people start to open up.

Music is playing like a trance when Drayer begins to dance in front of the fire. I’m in awe, trapped in her performance, as her body moves like fluid waves against angry flames, licking through the dark night. I’m unable to move away from her as her back arches backward, and her hands flail out beside her. King must have sat down at some point because his voice is behind me in an instant.

“Want to talk?” he whispers, his lips softly touching the nape of my neck. Yes, I want to say, but the stubborn part of me—the bigger part of all my five-foot-four—wants to fight him. My attitude is as hot as my hair. I never got picked on as a child for having red hair. I remember my dad always saying, “The world can’t handle redheads. That’s why God only created a small amount.” I understood. Sometimes, but otherwise, I was a fairly chilled out child.

Until I wasn’t.

Right now, I want to be the child who isn’t.

“Sure,” I answer, standing. I follow him as he leads me away from the crowds of people and up the porch steps of the house. I turn around to have one more look at Killian’s mom when I notice everyone watching me—sans Kill’s mom. Chills break over my spine from the uncertainty of the atmosphere, but I follow Kingston anyway. I always go back to the fact that if he wanted me dead, I would be.

We continue inside and then out the front door again. Aside from the valet driver, who is standing far away from us, it’s just King and I.

He drops down onto the step and looks up at me. I try to ignore the way his muscles flex when he leans on one arm, or the way his eyes speak to my soul without any words being spoken. Or the fact he’s scary as shit, but I can’t help but be drawn to the beast.

Slowly, I take a seat on the same step, folding my arms over my stomach and pulling my knees up. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“What happened the other night.” He kicks out his leg. Military boots. Why them? I wonder to myself.

“You already made it clear where that all stands.” I don’t waver, semi-proud of myself for keeping my composure.

“And if I told you that I changed my mind?” This time I turn to face him. He truly is magnificent to look at, but just as frightening. There’s an emptiness behind his eyes that I haven’t been able to see into.

“I would say why?”

He keeps his eyes on me, pinning me with the same stare he gave me this morning when he said he didn’t sleep with Val.

His tongue sneaks out and slips over his bottom lip. “Is it not obvious?” The corner of his mouth slants up slightly, before his eyes drag up and down my body.

“Right, and what are your terms?” I’m not dumb. I know that someone like King doesn’t do exclusive. “And what if I’ve changed my mind?”

He chuckles, shifting and leaning up onto his elbows. He searches my eyes, only closer this time. He’s every bit intimidating, and even more so up close. Now he’s close enough to bite. “I’d say you’re a fucking liar.”

“Maybe,” I whisper, my eyes on his bottom lip. “But I’m also stubborn.”

He smirks this time, and on all things holy, it almost knocks the wind right out of me. Someone so sinfully beautiful should never wear the devil’s smile.

The door slams from behind us, and Killian walks out. “We’re fucking leaving. I’m not watching my mom fuck any of them.”

King rolls his eyes and stands. “Where are Keaton and Kyrin?”

Killian glares at King. “Where do you think?”

“Fucking your mom.” King shakes his head. “Meet you in the car.”