Crowned Crows of Thorne Point: A Dark New Adult Romantic Suspense

by Veronica Eden

  Pulling out my laptop, I set it on the counter and type crossed keys symbol meaning into the search engine.

  The results populate and I skim through them. Many links and a Wikipedia page talk about the keys symbolizing keys to the kingdom, most often meaning Heaven. An article on academia talks about the keys signifying unlocking a brighter future and broadening perspective.

  I don’t get far into reading before I’m interrupted. Colton leans an elbow on the desk and grins at me when I look up to find him there and Levi standing behind him.

  “‘Sup, Ro.”

  “Ugh,” I groan. “No. It’s too early, too Sunday to deal with you. Don’t you fuckers sleep?”

  Colton chuckles, drumming a rhythmic beat on the counter. He leans in like he’s divulging a secret. “No one’s sleeping on you, baby. Especially not in this badass grunge chick look.” He nods sagely, checking me out. “Hot, very hot.”

  Levi smacks the back of his head. I duck to hide a pleased smirk while Colton rubs at his skull. He rakes his fingers through his messy brown hair and plops a coffee on the counter. The decadent aroma makes my mouth water.

  “Bribery?” I ask, just to be a brat.

  “Chivalry,” Colton corrects. “I’ve noticed how much of a caffeine addict you are. All yours, have at it.”

  I take the cup, wrapping my palms around it to soak up the warmth. I hum when I inhale the divine scent of the roast again. This isn’t just coffee, this is good coffee from the upscale shop off campus. The first sip almost makes me moan. Fuck, that’s good.

  “Whatever, you can stay. I can’t stop you.” I shift my gaze between the two of them and bite my lip around a smug smile. “Apparently I hear I’m in grave danger by even speaking to you, because rumor has it you make people disappear and kill them for sport. You could be preying on me in my emotionally compromised state to recruit me for your cult.” I hold up the coffee. “Brainwashing me.”

  Colton lifts himself onto the counter beside my laptop with little effort. I catch a flash of abs before his graphic t-shirt falls back into place.

  He flexes a bicep. “The only cult I have is the Colton DuPont is a Sex God cult.”

  Levi rolls his eyes and shoves him. “Fucking idiot.”

  Colton nearly topples, but maintains his perch. He spins my laptop around and clicks through my search results without asking.

  My brows jump up. “Nosy much?”

  “You have no idea,” Levi mutters, toying with his lip ring.

  “What are you doing? I’m bored. God, the library is dull. Oh, hey.” Colton types as fast as he talks, constantly in motion in one way or another. “Your security sucks. Gotta do something about these firewalls or the big guy will have my balls. I’m very close with them.”

  I stare at him. “Dude.”

  “Just let him do it or he’ll steal it and do it anyway.” Levi sighs and leans against a pillar next to the counter.

  “If you’re bored, you can both leave,” I say mildly. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but you’re in the library. You know, the place students come to study? And neither of you seem to care about classes, just following me to mine.”

  Levi’s lips twitch and he makes a show of glancing around. “Don’t see anyone else here.”

  “Besides, babe,” Colton says without looking up from the screen. “You’re stuck with us. Get used to it.” He flashes his charming grin at me. “We’re awesome. You should feel lucky.”

  Propping my chin in my hand, I watch him have his way with my laptop with a narrowed gaze and grumble, “Like I won the damn asshole lottery.”

  A puff of laughter leaves Levi as he plays with a knife he pulled from his boot as if it’s a normal thing to do. He makes an odd picture braced against a marble pillar in a leather jacket, black hair hanging in his face, surrounded by books, and deftly flipping a knife blade to pommel in his long tattooed fingers.

  “Boom,” Colton says a few minutes later, presenting my laptop back to me. “Good to go. Now no one will be able to access your Hub search history, among other things.”

  “You say outrageous and invasive things because you like the attention and the sound of your own voice, right? Someone not get enough love as a kid, so you act out?” I smirk when his cocky expression falters. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

  He traces his lip with a slow swipe of his tongue, tilting his head. “This isn’t high school. You don’t have to blush at the mention of masturbation and porn. It’s natural, baby.”

  I match his head tilt, allowing my voice to go smoky and suggestive. He’s the type who has to be beaten at his own game. “Who said I was? We’re talking about you and your projection problems, not what gets me hot when I touch myself.”

  Colton releases a petulant grumble under his breath, cheeks flushed. Over his shoulder, Levi is openly grinning. It’s kinda scary, but maybe it’s because I’m so used to his brooding frowns. His eyes meet mine and he nods. I think his respect for me has grown by challenging his friend and calling him out.

  I pull my laptop closer and return to reading about the symbolic interpretations of keys while Colton continues to sulk. Eventually he gets over it and disappears for twenty minutes, returning with a towering stack of books in his arms. He deposits them on the counter, hopping onto it again before picking up a book at random.

  “These are all about symbolism.” Surprise colors my tone as I sift through what he brought. He hums in acknowledgement, paging through his selection. He saw what I was researching and decided to help. A faint smile tugs at my lips. “Apology accepted.”

  Colton perks up and winks at me. He holds up his book in one hand. “This says keys are considered lucky talismans and represent access, knowledge, and success. Superstitious people hung them over their beds in Europe for good dreams. Cool. Why are you interested in this?”

  I shrug, not ready to explain myself until I have a better idea about the reason why this nags me. Until then, I’m going to follow my gut and find what I can about the crossed keys.

  While we research during my slow shift, Levi moves to the arched stone windows lining the wall, perching on the windowsill like a dark guard, an arm casually resting on his bent knee. It’s my new normal to have them around and I’m beginning to get used to it, even find some comfort in their presence.

  On Monday my warm and fuzzy feelings are nowhere to be seen. I was trapped so deep in a nightmare about finding more clues Ethan hid around the apartment that by the time I woke up I was late as hell. The dream was uncomfortably vivid and I can’t shake the sense that time is running out. I’ve taken to carrying the note I discovered with me.

  By some stroke of luck, I make it to my 8 a.m. class on time, but at what cost? I didn’t have a minute to spare to get coffee, not even the cheap vending machine kind. My entire body groans at me for going without my caffeine fix, and I blame that travesty for missing a very important change as I jog up the steps to my usual seat in the third row on autopilot.

  A pair of legs stop me in my tracks. They belong to Colton. He’s sitting in my spot, ankles crossed and resting on the empty seat in front of him. I’ve grown used to his more frequent attendance in the one class we share and being followed by him and Levi, but he’s not in this one.

  “What the hell are you doing?” I grumble.

  All he does is grin and wave to the open seat beside him. Not in the mood for his antics without coffee while still shaking off the webs of the nightmare, I turn to go. Levi is there. His tall, imposing frame blocks the way. My nostrils flare and I choke the strap of my bag.

  I briefly contemplate jumping down a row to escape them. I think I could weather the weird looks it might garner. Writers are eccentric creatures.

  The idea must be written all over my face because Levi huffs and silently holds out one of the three coffees he brought with him. I squint at it, waiting for the ulterior motive to jump out. It’s from the same place as the one they brought me yesterday. Free coffee is free coffee. I take
it before he revokes the offer and resign myself to an hour of sitting between them.

  At first I ignore them, sipping coffee while the professor begins the lecture on ethics. If I didn’t need this class to graduate, I wouldn’t have subjected myself to it first thing Monday morning. The professor is a hard ass that only offers this time slot for the fall semester.

  “You should come back to the Nest this Friday,” Colton whispers. When I don’t acknowledge him, he shifts closer. “Sometimes we do theme nights.”

  On my other side, Levi has stolen the armrest for himself. His knee bumps into mine and I have to rein in the urge to slam my leg against his in retaliation for his rude manspreading.

  I flash Colton an irritated glance. “And I care because?”

  His playful deep green eyes are bright. “Because I’ll be there, obviously.”

  “Obviously.” I sigh, shaking my head. “I wish you guys wouldn’t party when you’re supposed to be helping me.”

  “We’re working on it. Promise, babe.”

  I don’t answer, sinking my teeth into the meat of my cheek. I haven’t told them about the note I discovered at the apartment. I’m afraid if I give it up, I’ll lose one of my last connections to Ethan. Irrational as it may be, I feel like the note could help bring me the answers I’m desperate to find.

  The class continues like that. Colton whispers to me like he doesn’t realize or care that there’s a room full of students trying to absorb information while he’s gossiping with me. Levi remains quiet at least, but if his elbow digs into my side one more time I’m not liable for my actions.

  I don’t retain a single thing the professor says on today’s topic.

  When the class finally ends, I mouth a silent prayer and make a hasty escape. They follow, trailing behind me. Glancing back, I spot Colton pausing to flirt. Levi has disappeared. I don’t know why they both sat in on my class, but I hope to never repeat the experience.

  Except Levi beats me to my next class, waiting for me. And Colton is at the one after.

  Tuesday is the same. They’re glued to my side in every course on my schedule, sometimes only one of them, and other times they’re together to torment me. My efforts to lose them in crowds are fruitless, as if they know where I am at all times. They’re either psychic or psycho.

  I have no idea what they’re up to, but for now I’ll wait them out. The only thing I know for certain is that Wren has to be behind this.

  Twelve

  Wren

  Briny ocean air mixes with the stench of death at the shipyard. The methodic slap of seawater hitting the dock cuts through the furious haze overtaking my mind. The body of one of our best informants lays at my feet in the misty midday sun, a bullet hole in his forehead and throat slit after the fact just to make a disgusting mess.

  It’s a clear message: back the fuck off.

  The problem is the unknown sender. My hand flexes into a fist at my side. They know who we are, dumping the body in the shipyard near one of the fight rings we run in the shipping district.

  There was no effort to conceal or dispose of him, which says that whoever did this either doesn’t care or isn’t afraid if we find out who did it. Neither bode well.

  I glance from the remains to Penn, our jack of all tasks who called us here, to the guys. Each of their expressions match mine, grim and pissed off. It’s not our first time seeing a dead body and it won’t be the last.

  “This is sloppy,” Penn says.

  He would know as our go to guy for clean up. Brooding and antisocial, he could pass as Levi’s brother. His dark hair is long enough to curl over his forehead and his tall body is lean but strong. He’s one of the few people we trust enough to keep close—we even paid his tuition to Thorne Point University. We came across him when his grandfather died because of us. It worked out in our favor since he turned out to be skilled at going unnoticed.

  Penn is known around the city as the Reaper.

  “On purpose, though,” he adds. “They knew what they were doing.”

  Jude nods in agreement. “Shit’s fucked up. As far as I know, he’d barely started putting feelers out about Hannigan like we asked.”

  “And someone knew it,” Levi says.

  “You don’t think it was a crazy coincidence or that he was caught up in something we didn’t know about?” Colton splits his attention between us and his tablet while he accesses the CCTV feed for the docks. “Stranger things have happened. Maybe it was a drug deal gone wrong.”

  Levi studies the body in a cold, detached sweep. “No. If a drug deal went south it would be multiple gunshot wounds, maybe dumping the body in the water. Rushed and frantic. Cutting someone’s throat and shooting them in the head is a pointed move.”

  I agree with him, this is personal. It stirs my anger to the brink of snapping.

  No one moves against us, but this is an open challenge to our power in this city over a missing journalist.

  “I want to know what the fuck Ethan found that would create this kind of pushback for looking into it.” My glare finds Colt. “Time to call Fox. We need people we can trust if bodies are going to start turning up in the goddamn street.”

  “Got it.” He spares the body one last look before walking off.

  Levi’s haunting eyes meet mine. I don’t need him to say it—I’m thinking it, too. I truly suspect Ethan Hannigan is dead since we haven’t been able to find him.

  The infuriated growl I’ve been holding back tears free. I stride away from Jude, Levi, and Penn. My thoughts cycle between a manic tumble of rage and a calculating assessment of the enemies we’ve made over the years building our thrones as the kings in this city.

  We have no problem with the corruption in Thorne Point—we just want to be the ones in control of it. It’s why I won’t work for my father. The night belongs to us. No one is fucking taking it from me and my brothers.

  If they expect a rash reaction, whoever is behind this hasn’t been paying close enough attention. The person who pulled the trigger on the informant is unimportant. Someone hired for the hit, or private security with a military background who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty—it doesn’t matter. What does is that now we’re aware someone wants to go against us. We won’t move until we can cut the head of the snake off.

  The real problem is Rowan. My body goes rigid while my thoughts turn. If there’s someone picking off people connected to the Crows and it’s related to her brother, I can’t ignore the possibility whoever this is will go after her, too. Or worse, she could stumble into this on her own. I don’t trust Rowan not to get impatient and land her sexy ass in trouble.

  Another feral sound rips past my lips at picturing what would happen to her if that happened.

  I might not trust her, but the instinct to protect her is genuine.

  Every inch of my body ripples with dangerous energy. It rattles through me, turning my breathing shallow and ragged. My knuckles crack as I slowly form a fist again. I need to let off steam.

  I’m nodding before I’ve fully reached a decision. Colton ends his call with his foster brother and I return to the group.

  “Fox got the encrypted message I sent. He’ll be here in a few days,” Colt says. “I got the CCTV footage and sent it to my cloud server. If they’re sloppy on purpose, they want us to see the action.”

  “Good,” I reply. “Penn, find out whatever you can about this before taking care of it. Send everything to Colton.”

  He nods and goes to a bag nearby. Pulling out a camera, he returns and begins documenting the scene.

  Jude slings an arm over Levi’s shoulders. “We’ll make sure the shipyard security is seen to before they get the idea to call it in to report it.” His tone turns bitter and his hazel eyes harden. “Can’t have Pippa sniffing around this. She’d only add it to her case against us if she makes the connections.”

  “Don’t worry about that. There’s no evidence.” Colt wiggles his fingers like he’s performed a magic trick. “I wiped
the footage and looped it after I sent what we need back to my system.”

  With that handled, we’re done here. There’s only one more thing to deal with.

  I swipe a hand over my mouth and watch the sunlight glint off the water lapping against the rocky coastline on either side of the docks. “Pick Rowan up from the campus today.”

  She’s involved in this now. There’s no flying under the radar from whatever is coming.

  Part of me has the desire to go out and find her myself, bring her to my side and keep her within my sight. I could lock her away in the penthouse I have downtown, the one I only use for the seldom business meetings I accept.

  “And take her home to her apartment?” Colt clarifies. “I just checked in with my stand-in, and she’s fine. Still in class for another hour.” He mimes holding a gun to his head and makes a dramatic show of blowing his brains out. “Boring as fuck. That’s why it was my nap lecture before Rowan detail. Then according to her texts, she’s meeting up with this chick Isla after to study. She’s chill.”

  Ignoring the roar in my blood that desires her tempting mouth, I shake my head. This isn’t about that. It’s for her safety, not because I’m battling how much I want to make her fucking mine. “I want eyes on her at all times, not just on campus. Bring her with you to the fight tonight.”

  “First she’s a trespassing pest, now you want to bring her in?” Jude smirks, crossing his arms. “This girl has you in knots, man.”

  “Fuck off,” I growl. “Just get it done. And don’t let her out of your sight.”

  With the final authoritative word, I leave to blow off steam until tonight. I need to get close to my baseline if I have any hope of keeping my opponents alive. In my current state, I’m likely to kill them with my bare hands.

  Thirteen

  Rowan

  I gave Wren the weekend, but by Wednesday my annoyance returns with a vengeance. The only Crows I’ve seen are my permanent stalkers—Colton and Levi are everywhere, more than before. On top of making a point of eating lunch with me no matter when I end up grabbing it, they’re in all of my classes and follow me all over campus. I gave up arguing with them to leave me alone after Colton proved they were on the roster for the classes. They better not be watching my apartment, too.