“Try all you like, Elodie Ravenwood,” she tells me, the grin settling across her face only making it hurt that much more. “But you won’t be getting away from me that fast. I’m the head of the Harding family now. I am Michael Harding’s firstborn daughter. I am eighteen years old and entitled to take his seat at the table, and as I’m sure you know, that means that I am also entitled to his home. I guess we’ll be seeing plenty of each other now.”
I shake my head, not trusting myself to lose control and smack her into next week. Little things all start making sense. Every time Cruz set me up with new security codes, they were always found out and taken advantage of. How Paris knew not to be home when we raided my parents’ mountain home. Ember always seemed to know more about Dynasty than anyone else in town. It was all her. The girl I called my best friend.
“The bugs,” I mutter to myself, looking over my shoulder and meeting Cruz’s stare who nods, coming to the same conclusion as I had. Both mine and Carver’s home were bugged and at the time, we didn’t think to pin it on Ember because we trusted her with our lives … but now. Fuck. I feel like such an idiot. All this time I was letting her in just so she could repeatedly stab me in my back.
I wonder if she had anything to do with trashing Carver’s home and Lady Dante …
Shit. I can’t even go there right now. I can’t stand to see her face a second longer, and if I find out that she hurt Lady Dante, I’m going to break, and that can’t happen, not at this table.
I know she said that she had nothing to do with the shit her mother has done against me, but she lied about everything else. Why not that too? Besides, it’s not like she’s going to sit there in front of a group of self-made executioners and admit to something like that.
All I know is that from here on out, Ember Michaelson … or Harding, whatever the fuck she wants to go by, is no longer someone I can trust.
From here on out, she’s dead to me.
“Grayson,” I demand, my tone filled with authority. “This meeting is done. See Miss Harding out of my home and make sure that she never steps foot in here again.”
Grayson nods and as he starts making his way around the table, Ember stands. “I don’t need an escort,” she says with a sickly-sweet smile. “This meeting is boring anyway. I’ll be seeing you, Elodie.”
And just like that, she turns and walks out of the room with both Grayson and Cruz following behind her, leaving nothing but a mess of chaos behind as the remaining fourteen heads of Dynasty scramble to figure out what the fuck we’re going to do about this.
CHAPTER 33
My thigh-high boots slip into place as I turn in the mirror, checking out the way my ass sits in my new leather pants. It’s fucking perfect. Leather pants have always been tricky for me. They never fit me just right, but when I find a pair that does, I cherish it until it falls to pieces.
I search through my closet until I find the perfect tank to go with my outfit. Tonight is kinda big and I’m not about to fuck it up. Cruz’s mom has been slaving over this dinner party, wanting to make it perfect for not only her son, but for everyone who’s going to be there, which apparently is going to be everyone. All the main families with their children and wives—all the hoity-toity bitches who are going to judge her if she puts even a foot wrong.
There are going to be eyes on me all night, and probably from people who I don’t even expect. I’ll have all the heads of Dynasty making sure I don’t fuck up and embarrass the whole organization, the wives silently judging me and reminding me that I wasn’t raised to the same standard and class as they were, while the children watch closely, hoping they have something to gossip about to their friends tomorrow.
Did I mention Ember is going to be there? Just fucking great.
It’s going to be swell.
Hell, and I thought tonight was supposed to be about celebrating Cruz and Grayson finding Maddison Atwell and making their first big save.
I pull a black tank over my head, the word Queen scrawled across my tits, and knot it at my waist, showing off my toned stomach just how I like. My tank is pretty old and ratty, but it’s also comfy as hell. I’ve had it for years after I stole it off some dick who I shared a foster home with. Before that, I didn’t even listen to Queen, but for the sake of the situation, I forced myself to and have been a fan ever since. Besides, it shows off just the right amount of side-boob and with it tied up like this, you can’t even see the holes in it.