Malum: Part 1 (The Elite King's Club 4)

“Hey!” Madison shuts the door behind herself and skips over to me, her long dark hair flying all over the place. My eyes go over her shoulder and land on Bishop, who is standing behind the glass, watching her closely from the sitting room.

They went through some crazy and survived, maybe I can too. I mean, it’s not like I can get it worse than she did, right?

“Hey!” I pile my hair on the top of my head, twisting it into a knot.

She hands me a mug of coffee. “Are you hungry? When was the last time you ate?”

I shake my head, blowing inside the mug until steam hits the tip of my nose. “I can’t.”

She sinks down beside me, tucking her feet under her butt. There’s a long stretch of silence that lies between us before she says something. “I know Nate is struggling a lot with whatever goes on inside that messed up head of his, but you didn’t see him when you weren’t here.”

I nod. “And I’m glad I didn’t. Can’t imagine enjoying him and Tate parading their relationshit around for me.”

Madison’s eyes go to my hair. “It wasn’t like it was with you, though,” she snorts. “It was actually hard to watch because I wanted to kill him most of the time for the things he did to her and how he treated her.”

I shake my head. “I don’t really want to hear about it, Madz.”

“Okay,” she sighs and then stands back to her feet. “But we need to refresh that hair, so let’s do a girl’s day while these guys prepare for tonight.” If I really thought Micaela was in trouble, would I really be off getting my hair done? The answer is no. But maybe it will take my mind away from the fact that people are about to die tonight, and anyway, everyone knows what Madison is like when she gets her heart set on doing something. Like Nate, for example. Don’t go there, Tillie.

“Deal. But if Ridge texts me, you’re coming for lunch.”

We make our way back into the house just in time for Nate to be walking down the stairs, a joint hanging out of his mouth. He looks freshly showered with more clothes on than he did this morning.

“You move your shit?”

“What? No. I said I wasn’t going to sleep in your room.”

He looks at Madison, ignoring me point blank. “She needs to be in there before I get back tonight.”

Then he stomps down the stairs, leaving.

“He’s fucking impossible.” I shake my head, annoyed with Peyton for planting me here. Which reminds me…

“I’ll be back in a second, I just have to grab something.” I shoot up the stairs and leave Madison waiting for me near the front door.

Pulling out my phone, I dial Peyton’s number. She picks up on the fourth ring.

“Talk.”

“Remind me again why I’m doing this, without using Micaela…”

She pauses. “Because Micaela.”

I close my eyes, sinking down onto Daemon’s bed. “I don’t trust you, Peyton. I don’t trust anyone right now and it’s making my brain somersault in my head because I don’t know what way is right.”

“Well how about this. My way is right so if you have something to say, say it…”

I swallow past the large boulder stuck in my throat. If I do this, there’s no going back. I have two roads to choose from right now. I can hang up the phone and tell Madison, or I can tell Peyton, the woman who actually has my daughter in her care and keep her alive. “They’re getting ready to come for you tonight, Peyton. To get Micaela. So, here’s the deal, if you give her to me right now, they won’t end you…”

There’s a long stretch of silence, and then she laughs. “Honey, they can’t end me. I have The Circle—”

“—Peyton! The Circle are just old Kings who have gone rogue. Underneath their rebellion, they’re still Kings and your ignorance might not allow you to see how very important that is, but trust me when I say, this is a war you don’t want your hand in…”

She ignores me. “Tillie, The Circle are not just old Kings…”

I hang up the phone because Madison opens the door. “You okay?”

I smile, trying to hide my reaction. “Yeah, it was just Ridge. I can meet with him another time.”

“Okay, well come on then! We need some more pink in that hair.”

Nate

“I don’t trust her.” I turn my car off and lean back in my seat, watching as Tillie walks into the salon with Madison.

“I get why you wouldn’t, because I ain’t fucking with it either. She’s hiding something…” Brantley says. He’s almost always riding shotgun with me now that Bishop is all loved up with Madison and beside that, what with Madison killing his dad, Brantley has been left with too much money, houses, and cars, and he’s found himself, for the most part—bored. “But what are you going to do if you find out she is hiding something, bro? She’s not just Tillie to you. She’s that chick to you, and then you had to go and be a dumb fuck and knock her up. Now she’s your baby mama, and you’re stuck with those bitches for life.”