Tarnished Crown (Gravestone Elite #2)

by Caitlyn Dare

  The archive room is down a level, so I take the stairwell. The slam of the door echoes off the walls as I descend to the basement. The air is musty down here, and I hurry.

  I’m hardly surprised when I enter the room to find it empty save for the archivist. She’s an older woman, perched behind a curved desk tucked in one corner of the room. She glances up and I smile. “Something I can help you with dear?”

  “Just here to look up some things for an assignment.”

  “Well, if I can help you with anything, just shout.”

  “Thanks.” I move deeper into the room. It’s a long rectangle that runs the length of the building above. One wall is lined with display cabinets, housing various artifacts and charters from the town’s history. The rest of the room is split into two sections: a lower level with rows of study desks and computers, with the records and archive stacks on a raised platform. My dad told me once that it was a precaution in case of flooding.

  I disappear into the stacks, running my eyes over the various coding markers. In high school, we visited the Town Hall once for a tour, and the archivist gave us a lesson in reading the different codings. But Annabel is right; a lot of the information can be accessed online now.

  Coming to stop in front of the sealed archives, my heart drops. Everything is different since I last came here. The padlock has been upgraded to a keycard mechanism. Crap. I had planned to pick the lock, but there’s no way I can get inside now. Not without a security pass.

  As I’m staring at the founding family records, an idea pops into my mind. My dad’s pass. If I can lift my dad’s pass, I can use it to get inside. But it’s my dad. I don’t want to get him in trouble… and I don’t want him to find out what I’m doing.

  Crap.

  Defeated, I double back and make my way out of the archive room. The archivist gives me a small wave as I pass her. “Did you find everything you need, dear?”

  “Yes, thank you,” I say before slipping into the elevator.

  When it pings open again, I come face to face with the security guy.

  “Miss Thompson, is that you?”

  “Oh hey… Bryan?”

  “That’s the one. Does your father know you’re here?”

  No.

  I force a smile. “Actually, I was just going to go see him. Any idea where he is?”

  “He’s probably back in his office.”

  “Thanks, Bryan.” I slip passed him.

  “It’s good to see you again, Miss Thompson.”

  Letting out a small breath, I hurry down the hall leading toward the back of the building. I’ve almost reached my dad’s office when I hear voices.

  “Not what we agreed, Phillip.”

  I freeze at the anger in my dad’s voice.

  “This is the only way, Garth.” The other voice is muffled, but there’s no mistaking it’s Phillip Cargill. “Need her to…”

  A trickle of awareness goes through me, and I creep closer.

  “She is… daughter. It’s not fair… Cade… dangerous…”

  I can only make out every other word, but my body vibrates with fear.

  Are they talking about me?

  About me and Cade?

  “Not a choice, Thompson.” Phillip’s voice is full of frustration. “We agreed. You agreed. Now… see this through.”

  My stomach drops.

  See what through?

  A bang down the hall startles me, and I hear Phillip say, “We’ll finish this another time.” There’s a rustle and footsteps.

  Heart in my throat, I take off down the hall. I don’t know what I just heard, but something deep inside me tells me I don’t want to be caught eavesdropping.

  The women’s restroom looms up ahead, so I duck inside, waiting for Phillip to leave. His heavy footsteps pass the door, and I let out a shaky breath.

  This was a bad idea. A really bad idea. But I’m here now, and Bryan saw me.

  Crap.

  Crap. Crap. Crap.

  Splashing some cold water on my face, I dry my hands and inhale a steady breath. Pulling open the door, I step back into the hall and make my way to Dad’s office.

  “Come in,” he says.

  “Hey, Dad.” I peek around the door.

  “Mia? This is a surprise.” He leans back in his chair, studying me. There’s no evidence of his tense conversation with Phillip. He looks just like my dad. Kind eyes and a warm smile that he reserves for me and Mom.

  “Research for a paper,” I say nonchalantly.

  “You’re working hard on a Monday night, sweetheart.”

  “Just trying to get a headstart.”

  “How did you get here?”

  “Annabel gave me a ride into town.”

  “And how are you getting back?”

  “I was hoping you might be able to take me?”

  “Ah, I see. So this isn’t a social visit…” He chuckles. “I don’t get off for another couple of hours, but I’m sure Bryan will cover for me.” Standing, he grabs his keys off the rack. “Come on.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  His eyes narrow a fraction, sadness bleeding into his expression.

  “Dad?” A shiver runs down my spine.

  “Come on,” he says, a smile lifting his whole face. “Let’s get you back to campus.”

  15

  Bexley

  Mouse: Hey, I need a favor.

  My heart pounds as I read Mia’s words. Is she for real?

  Bexley: Of course. Name it and it's yours.

  She starts typing immediately, but the seconds feel like hours as I wait for her words to appear.

  Mouse: Can you come to my dorm?

  Bexley: Is that a trick question?

  Mouse: No, I need to talk to you about something.

  Bexley: Talk?

  My blood starts to heat, and it's not with ideas of us talking playing out in my head.

  Mouse: Yes. I don't trust anyone else.

  A smile twitches at my lips as my chest constricts at her words.

  Bexley: On my way.

  Mouse: The window will be open.

  I blow out a long breath as reality slams into me. Sneaking into her dorm room because we're forbidden. Right.

  I change my shirt and shove my feet into my sneakers before pulling my door open and heading down the hallway. I miss my dorm, and not just because it puts me closer to Mia at all times.

  Music booms from one of the rooms down the hall—Brandon's, I think. But I don't see anyone as I descend the stairs.

  "Going somewhere nice, Easton?" Cade’s voice makes my steps falter.

  "Out," I bark back without even looking into the room I know he's hanging out in.

  "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

  "Fuck you, Kingsley." I flip him off over my shoulder, half expecting him to body slam me into the wall for my attitude, but by some miracle, he lets me leave without saying another word.

  The drive to campus is quick, but I spend most of the drive looking in my rearview mirror to make sure that motherfucker hasn't followed me.

  Confident the coast is clear, I park in our old dorm lot and hit the sidewalk that will take me to Mia. She's waiting for me; the second I turn the corner, her curtains twitch and she appears at the window.

  My breath catches as she finds me, but when she doesn't smile as I get closer, my heart sinks.

  Is this a setup?

  I hate to even think it of her, but she's being controlled by Cade, so I need to be realistic. If he wants to get to me, then he knows the easiest way is through Mia.

  When I'm right beneath the fire escape, she opens the window, and, without another thought, I climb up and into her room. Her floral scent hits me long before my feet meet the floor, but other than casting a quick look around to make sure she's alone, the only thing I can focus on is her.

  "Fuck, you're beautiful," I whisper, taking her face in my hands and brushing my lips over hers.

  "Bexley," she whispers into my kiss. "This isn't why—"


  "Shhh… Let me just have a minute."

  Her entire body sags, and I drop my hands to her ass and lift her. She automatically wraps her legs around my waist, and I walk us over to her bed, lying her down and continuing our kiss.

  Her hands press against my chest in a pathetic attempt to get me to back off.

  "Can't," I murmur against her jaw. "Addicted."

  "I-I know. Me too. But I really need to talk."

  I blow out a long, frustrated breath that tickles over her neck and makes her shudder. "Okay, mouse. What do you need to get off your chest?" I drop down beside her and turn her onto her side. Our bodies are only an inch apart, our noses almost touching.

  She looks away from me for a beat, and I panic.

  "Mia, what is it?" Wrapping my hand around her waist, I squeeze gently to get her to look back up at me.

  "You can't tell anyone about this, Bex."

  "Of course."

  She sucks in a breath, pausing for a few minutes to collect her thoughts. "I decided to go to the Town Hall to see if I could get into the town's archives."

  "Okay. Why?" I frown.

  She shrugs. "I thought that maybe I could find something I could use against Cade. I don't know. It was stupid because they're all locked up, there's CCTV everywhere. I just thought…" She trails off, tears filling her eyes.

  "Hey, it's okay," I soothe, wrapping my hand around the side of her neck and brushing my thumb over her cheek. "It's not stupid at all."

  "My dad works there. So I went to his office when I realized it was a dead-end. But before I got there, I heard Phillip and him talking."

  "Cargill?"

  She nods. "I think… I think my dad might have something to do with me being Cade's prosapia."

  I rear back. "W-what?"

  "I didn't catch all of it, I was too far away. But I heard my name, Cade's name, and Phillip saying that my dad agreed to something and that he had to see it through."

  "Shit." I sit up and let her words register in my head. "So you were never meant to be his?"

  She sits up beside me, her warm hand landing on my lower back. "I don't know. It might have had nothing to do with it. But…"

  "It really fucking sounded like it," I finish for her.

  "Yeah."

  "You need to talk to your dad."

  "He's been acting weird since all of this kicked off. When I went home the other weekend, it was obvious he was hiding stuff."

  "You think you can get him to talk?"

  She shrugs. "He's in Phillip's pocket. If he really is involved in this, then I fear he's going to be as forthcoming with information as everyone else in this gigantic mess."

  "I had a feeling you might say that." Dropping my head into my hands, I try to make sense of all of this.

  Why would Mia's dad sign her up to be tied to the devil? The way she's talked about him, her childhood, he's only ever wanted the best for her.

  Hasn’t he?

  "I'll talk to Marcus, see if he knows anything.”

  Although I'm not sure why I even suggest it. He's not exactly the sharing type. If he'd have let me into a few of his secrets earlier, I may not have been quite so blindsided by all this.

  "You think he'll tell you anything, even if he knows something?" she asks, reading my mind.

  "Honestly, no. But he keeps telling me that I need to see this through, so if he wants me to do that then he's going to need to give me some of the facts."

  "I guess. Ugh," she groans, pushing from the bed in favor of pacing across the room. "I really hate this. And if I find out my dad let me be a pawn in this game, then…" She trails off, running out of words.

  "I know, little mouse," I say, intercepting her and circling my arms around her waist.

  She stops and lifts her eyes from my chest and up to my own. "Hey," she says shyly.

  "Hey." Lifting my hand, I tuck a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

  Our eyes hold for the longest time, as if neither of us can believe we're really here. Alone. Our chests begin to heave at our closeness, and my cock begins to swell once more with her pressed against me and her scent in my nose.

  "Did you have any other ideas for what we could do now you've got me here?"

  She bites down on her bottom lip, and I only just about stop myself from sucking it into my own mouth and claiming it as mine.

  Right now, I want her words. I want her to tell me what she wants.

  "Mostly, I was freaking out and needed to tell someone. But I don't know who to trust anymore and…"

  "Hey, it's okay. You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"

  "I do, it's just so complicated, Bex. You shouldn't be here—" I tense, half expecting her to suddenly do a one-eighty and kick me out. "If Cade found out then… God. I don't want you on his radar any more than you already are. I just… I need… I don't even know what I—"

  I slam my lips down on hers to stop her rambling. My fingers thread into her hair and I use it to move her head so I can lick deep into her mouth.

  "Bexley," she moans when I kiss down her neck.

  "I could really use a shower. Think you could help me out?"

  "I think that could probably be arranged." Her voice is low and breathy, and it turns me the fuck on.

  Walking her backward, I pull her shirt up over her head and throw it to the floor behind me. Her bra goes next, and then I set to work on her jeans, pushing them over her hips and letting her kick them off while I take care of her panties.

  The rip of the lace fills the room, and she gasps. "Did you just—"

  "I hope they weren't your favorites."

  "Caveman."

  "Yours."

  I lean down to take her lips again, but she pulls back, teasing me.

  "Why are you fully clothed still?"

  I look down at myself and then at her naked body. "Because I just want to enjoy you."

  She squeals as I lift her to the edge of the counter and push her thighs wide before dropping to my knees before her.

  "Oh God, Bexley," she moans, throwing her head back as I blow a stream of air over her swollen pussy.

  "Mmm, I’ve missed this," I whisper before licking up the length of her.

  Her hands twist in my hair and she tries to close her legs as the sensation takes over her.

  "I'm going to make you come all over my face, mouse. Then I'm going to take you in the shower, and then your bed. I'm going to make you come over and over to make up for us being apart."

  "God, yes," she cries when I spear two fingers inside her, rubbing at her walls and pushing high until I find her g-spot. "Bexley."

  "Fuck yes," I growl against her, ensuring she gets the benefits of the vibrations before sucking on her clit and pushing her over the edge.

  Kissing up her body, I suck each of her nipples into my mouth before finding her lips and devouring her, knowing that she can taste herself on me.

  Frantically, Mia reaches for the hem of my shirt and drags it over my head, dropping it to the floor before reaching for my waistband. The second my jeans are undone, she wastes no time in pushing her hand inside and grasping my cock.

  "Fuck, mouse. Your touch… fucking addictive."

  "What about my mouth?" she asks, hopping off the counter and lowering her body down the front of mine. Her lips kiss every inch as she descends before she's on her knees for me and my jeans and boxers are in her hands, ready to pull them down.

  I stare at her, committing the image to memory, because something tells me that I'm going to need it to remember just how good things can be between us in the coming weeks.

  The second my cock springs free, she reaches out, wraps her hand around the shaft and licks the precum from the tip. My hips thrust forward, desperately searching for more. She looks up at me, her eyes blazing with desire, and my heart tumbles.

  Fuck, I'm falling harder for this girl with every second that passes.

  "Mouse," I moan as she sucks me into her mouth. "Fuuuuck," I groan as sh
e takes me deeper until I hit the back of her throat.

  Just the sight has me right on the edge, and embarrassingly it's only a few minutes later when I let go and spurt hot jets of cum down her throat.

  "Now I really need that shower," I admit, pulling her to her feet and crashing our lips together.

  I kick off my remaining clothes and back her into the shower, blasting us both with ice-cold water, but with her touching me, I barely notice it.

  We stay under the water until we can no longer bear the cold. Reluctantly, I hand her a towel and allow her to cover up her body while I do the same.

  "What time do you need to be back?" she asks.

  "I don’t have a curfew," I say with a laugh. But Mia doesn't so much as smile.

  "If he finds out—"

  "He won't." I crawl over her body, forcing her back against her pillow.

  "But he will. Cade knows everything."

  "Then I'll take the consequences.” I pin her with a dark look. “This is worth it, Mia. More than worth it."

  16

  Mia

  “I wish you could stay,” I whisper, running my nose along Bexley’s jaw. Our legs are tangled together, our bodies pressed close, like two pieces of the same puzzle.

  “We have time,” he says, regret coating his words. But I know it’s not this he regrets, it’s that he has to leave.

  Bexley pulls me closer, touching his head to mine and kissing me slow and deep. Our tongues slide together, building a wave of intense need inside me again.

  “Bex,” I moan softly, and he grinds against me.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” he breaks the kiss, letting out a heavy sigh, “but we should stop.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” My lips linger against his, and he steals one more chaste kiss.

  “You’re buried deep, little mouse.” He grabs my hand and presses right over his chest where his heart is. “Right in here.”