My Bloodline (Featherstone Academy Series Book 1)

by KC Kean

  He taps his chin considering what to ask, and I pray I’m not wrong here. I look to Roman and the fury is evident in every breath he takes. I think I’ve made it worse by showing up.

  “Six months ago, you stole a pouch of blood diamonds, I need details on that trade.” He demands.

  I run what he’s saying through my mind and I remember it clearly. It is obviously linked to Featherstone somehow, and if I want to survive this moment I’ll happily give him the details.

  “I stole the pouch from a vault in a small-town bank about forty minutes outside of New York and dropped them at a locker set up in Boston,” I answer honestly, and he can tell it’s the truth.

  “I’m going to need the exact address of the drop off,” he warns, and I just nod in response.

  “Now would you like to tell me how you are alive? Do you remember me?”

  Remember him? The fuck?

  Shit. I really need to grow some big fucking ovaries and open my mind to the past because I’m caught off guard now.

  “I have no recollection of you and any reason why you would assume I was dead.” I give him the truth again, and it just makes him mad that I haven’t got all the answers.

  “Not good enough little moon. I see you and Roman are cozy again, just like when you were children. Two peas in a pod wreaking havoc all around you. You can’t tell me you remember him but not me Chica, I don’t buy it,” he yells, as he raises his gun toward Roman as a threat.

  What the fuck does he mean? I didn’t know Roman before I came here. Someone would have told me that I’m sure of it, but the look on Romans face tells me a different story.

  I knew him? From the time in my life I’m too scared to remember?

  He knew me and didn’t say a single word?

  Every ounce of trust I had begun to place in him was gone, evaporated. I feel my emotions shutting down, and my walls building back up in an instant. The look in Roman’s eyes tells me he sees the shift.

  “Where did the fire in your eyes just go, little moon?” Rico asks.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, void of any emotion. Which just makes Rico snicker.

  “Although I’m surprised you’ve allowed my bastard son into the fucking mix. The bloodline agreement was always for you to unite with Roman and West to solidify your names. Had I known mine was up for discussion, I’d have brought Parker home sooner,” he mocks.

  He’s giving me too much information I’m not aware of whilst pointing a gun around. A bloodline agreement? I can’t fucking deal with this right now.

  “I’m going to need you to agree to my way of business, or I’m going to have to off you, and your lover boy too.”

  “That’d be a hard no from me, but thanks,” I respond as I hear it.

  The one, two tap.

  Seconds later the door is busted open and the room gets a whole lot more crowded. Six men walk in that I’ve never seen before followed by … my grandmother.

  Holy fuck.

  “Rico, explain to me why I shouldn’t just kill you right now?” her voice booms around the room, like she isn’t the oldest one in here.

  “Maria, how nice to see you. How did you know we were here?”

  “It seems my granddaughter picked up technology just like her father did. You want to explain to him dear or shall I?” she asks as she meets my eyes, winking, and the pride I see there nearly brings me to my knees.

  Gun still raised at a very confused Rico, I clear my throat.

  “Well I’m a little obsessed with security. So no matter where I am I always set up my own. It’s a closed circuit which has never been breached or detected by scanners,” I say, making sure not to glance where it is.

  “I set up facial recognition telling it who is and isn’t safe in my space. Unfortunately for you, you’re not on the authorized list.” I glance to my grandmother who nods for me to continue.

  “When the system detects someone not authorized in my space it sends out a distress signal to Rafe, who promised me a forty minute timeframe for backup wherever I am in the states, if I don’t answer his call.”

  The shock is clear on his face, as it is on Roman’s. Hating that I just had to explain myself I want this to be over.

  “Are we done here, or is this going to get messy?” I ask, maintaining eye contact with this dickhead.

  “I don’t think you’re strong enough to use that big weapon little moon,” he goads me, but enough has happened now and I’m not outnumbered, so I swing my arm round without moving any other part of my body, and shoot one of his men in the shoulder, while my eyes stay focused on Rico.

  “You want to try me old man, because next time I’ll aim higher,” I growl, as his soldier falls to the floor screaming in pain like a little pussy.

  His rage has him red in the face and shaking.

  “You’re going to regret that you, little bitch,” he growls as he storms out of the room, his men behind him.

  One of the men with my grandmother slams the door shut behind them as another pulls the gag off Roman’s mouth, but my eyes stay fixed to the lady in front of me.

  “Hello sweet Luna, I’m pleased to see you have your father's spirit and not your mother's rat for brains,” she says with a smile, and I can’t help but grin back.

  The first time someone has mentioned my father’s traits in me, and I haven’t turned into a tornado of fists.

  Progress.

  I just need a fucking minute to deal with all this, or a fucking lifetime.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  (Luna)

  I close the door behind my grandmother and slowly slide myself down it, unable to keep myself on my feet any longer.

  She was ... amazing? I think.

  She stayed a little while, having her men clean up whilst she fussed a little. Rafe called and spoke to her but I declined when she extended it to me. I had enough to deal with, I’d offer my thanks when I had gotten my head around everything.

  Trying to occupy my mind I find the blueprints that someone had brought in, and begin scanning the prints I hadn’t got yet.

  “You don’t really need to be doing that now Luna, come lie down. A lot has happened,” Roman says from the doorway.

  I can’t even bring my head to look at him, my emotions are too close to the surface and I will not let him see the pain I feel from secrets he’s kept.

  Before he can say anything else there’s a knock at the door.

  “It’s the guys,” he murmurs, as he makes his way to let them in.

  I’d heard him on the phone to them earlier explaining exactly what had happened, but I was too busy with Maria to get involved.

  Parker comes charging in the room, relief on his face when he sees that I’m okay.

  “Oh my god Luna, I’m so sorry he did this,” he cries, as he makes his way towards me.

  The others are not far behind him, but I hold my hands up for them to stop. Confusion takes over their faces, but they stay where they are.

  “Hey baby girl, it’s okay. We’re all here now, it’s going to be alright,” Oscar says softly, he has no clue.

  Not responding I look to Roman.

  “Do they know?” I ask, void of any emotion.

  He shakes his head as Parker interrupts.

  “Have you spoken to her yet?”

  Before I can call them out Roman finally speaks.

  “I got to be the one to come down here because I told them I had something important I needed to talk to you about. They didn’t know what it was, and if you give me a chance I can explain everything Rico didn’t.”

  “You’ve had all this time to talk to me and you suddenly wanted to right after someone brought a few secrets up? Bullshit,” I growl.

  “It’s true Sakura. He promised he would explain to us what was going on after he spoke with you here first,” Kai adds.

  “Yeah, and he promised to explain that we knew nothing about whatever this shit is about,” Oscar throws in with a glare at Roman.
>
  “Is what he said true?”

  “Luna we were children, I remember a lot but not conversations that were had by adults, I ...”

  “I didn’t ask for your bullshit excuses. It’s a simple yes or no question. Is. It. True?” I grind out.

  “Yes,” he responds barely a whisper.

  I nod subconsciously, trying to understand what emotions I’m feeling here.

  I feel stupid for letting my guard down, more fool me for taking a chance.

  “Who said what? And what’s true?” Oscar shouts, trying to keep up.

  “Did you know that I watched my father die?”

  I ask the room and everyone but Roman shakes their head in shock.

  “Did you know that my brain refuses to acknowledge that moment and any moment that ever came before it?” I ask louder, and they just keep shaking, no one daring to speak.

  “Did you know that if random things are mentioned from that time, they act like a trigger for me and send me into destructive mode uncontrollably?”

  I’m on a roll now.

  “Did you know that Roman fucking knew who I was? Knew me as a child? Was apparently my fucking betrothed, like that’s actually a thing? Oh, and West as well, apparently I was always destined to be a whore. Let the adults use my pussy to solidify this fucked up world. You know any of that?”

  I’m shaking with rage.

  How dare these people do or say any of these things.

  “Please Princess, let me explain better. Let me call Rafe,”

  “Fuck you and fuck Rafe. I don’t believe a word that passes your lips,” I sneer.

  “Princess we can get passed this,”

  “We? We? Roman there is no fucking we now. You shit all over it. I’m done. With all of this, all of you. I need you to leave,” I end on a calm note, pushing down my feelings.

  Roman sees it. Me, putting up my walls, locking them out in the cold.

  “Wait a minute, I’m not going down with him. I had nothing to do with that,” yells Oscar.

  “This isn’t about you Oscar, it’s about me, and right now I don’t even want to be in the same room as anything that links me back to this fucktard. Now. Leave.”

  “Luna, I’m not leaving you like this,” Parker says standing firm, but it’s too late.

  My mind needs a break from everything and that includes them.

  Right now, all I need is Red.

  Fuck it I’ll leave.

  I start unplugging all my tech throwing it into the suitcases they were shipped in.

  “Sakura, leave all of this I will organize it and take it back in the car,” Kai orders.

  Well I won’t say no to that if it means I get out of here quicker.

  I grab my phone and small backpack, ready to go.

  “Luna please don’t leave like this. We can sort it out,” Roman pleads, but it’s all too much for me.

  “I need fucking space, from you, from all of this. You need to respect that,” I sigh.

  He stands in front of the main door blocking me from leaving.

  “Roman, you’re only making this worse right now.”

  “Please, Meu Tesouro, don’t leave,” he begs, but I don’t hear the end of his sentence.

  I don’t hear anything.

  I don’t feel anything.

  I don’t see anything.

  Except pain. It’s ripping through every inch of my body.

  “What did you just call me?” I cry in rage.

  He’s white as a sheet. He knows he just fucked up and made this worse, but I don’t care. Not for anything right now.

  A vase on the table near the door finds itself in my hands and I’m launching it across the room, making everyone jump in shock. Including myself, this is like an outer body experience.

  I’m not in control of myself right now. I hate this.

  What this does to me. I can see the pain in their eyes, and I don’t give a shit. They can all rot in hell for all I care.

  “I’m so sorry Luna, please,” Roman cries as I see him hit Rafe on his phone.

  Before I can knock it out of his hand he’s speaking.

  “I just lost her. I called her his nickname, I didn’t mean to. It just came out. Rafe, tell me what to do, her eyes are black pits of nothing. Fuck,” he screams. Keeping his frantic eyes searching over me, as he swipes a hand down his face in desperation.

  The others are still standing in shock, but only concern is in their eyes. I just can’t connect to that emotion right now. I can deal with pain and pain alone.

  “You’ll do well to stay the fuck away from me. All of you,” I roar, as I charge out of the room.

  No one stops me. I’m on autopilot.

  I’m slightly aware when I’m riding Dot, but everything is muscle memory because I’m not aware of my surroundings.

  I don’t know how long I’m driving for when I finally pull up outside of Ace.

  I feel like I’ve not been here for a long time when it was barely twenty-four hours ago that I left. I consider going to Red, but in this state I’ll probably just ruin her in the process.

  Heading up to my room I’m stopped by a sign on my door, and if I wasn’t in the middle of a breakdown already this sure as shit would have sent me over.

  FEATHERSTONE ACADEMY

  THE PYRAMID

  YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE TRIAL GAMES TODAY AT 12 NOON

  ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY

  YOU MAY BRING ONLY ONE WEAPON OF YOUR CHOOSING BUT IT MAY NOT BE A GUN

  YOUR SACRIFICE FOR OUR ORDER IS HONORABLE

  What the fuck do I do?

  I’ve been asking myself that question over and over again and it’s almost eight. In my current state asking for help would be worse than sawing my own hand off, but I need to know if Rafe found anything out about this or not. He’s been trying to call me non-stop after Roman called him but I’m nowhere close calmed down since then, so I decide on a message.

  Luna: The Pyramid is today at noon. Did you find anything out? Do not call me.

  I attach a picture of the notice as well. At least they gave me more than the two hours’ notice they could have done, but I don’t know how to prepare to make the most of this time.

  Rafe: Fuck. I’m already on my way.

  Rafe: Nothing solid. Let me push and see if I can come up with anything.

  I don’t need any of these secretive assholes near me right now, they can all go to hell.

  A knock on my door catches me by surprise. I pull up the feed on my phone and see Red outside.

  “Luna, I know you’re in there. Open the door right now,” she shouts.

  “Now’s not a good time Red,” I shout back walking closer to the door.

  “Don’t give me that shit Luna. If one more person rings my phone I’m likely to launch it. Now let me in so I can help.”

  “No.”

  “Now Luna,” she yells with a bang against the wood.

  “I’m doing you a favor Red. Be grateful I can see through all this fog in my brain to recognize your importance to me. I can’t promise the same when you’re in here,” I answer honestly.

  “Luna Steele, open the fucking door now,” she screams.

  Making me swing the door open to shut her the fuck up. Yet when I do she smiles at me sweetly and barges past me.

  The fuck just happened here?

  She has the notice in her hands as she walks in the kitchen flicking the coffee machine on. Raising her eyes to mine she looks me over.

  “Your eyes aren’t the same,” she murmurs.

  I don’t know what she wants me to say to her, so I say nothing.

  “What will be better for you catching a few hours’ sleep or powering on through?”

  “I’ve been awake since I took a nap yesterday morning so about twenty-two hours, but my brain isn’t going to switch off right now,” I answer honestly, she nods and hands me a coffee.

  “I won’t ask if you’re okay because I know you’re not. You don’t even look like you r
ight now. It’s weirding me out a little,” she says with a smirk, but I don’t respond to it.

  I’m still in the same state of mind. Only pain registering, nothing else.

  Maybe today is a good day for whatever this is.

  Another knock on my door and I’ve about fucking had it with everyone interfering.

  “You want to be my best friend? Then you get rid of whoever is on the other side of that door. I’m done with all of this shit,” I growl as I lock myself in the bathroom.

  I don’t even bother looking at my phone.

  Taking a shower, I try and find some control over myself but it’s pointless. I’m lost to the sadness inside of me and I’m not ready to be pulled out. I didn’t think to bring fresh clothes with me, so I wrap a towel around myself and head for my room.

  Stepping out into the lounge it’s quiet. Too quiet.

  “Red?”

  Nothing.

  Is she still dealing with whoever fucking showed up at the door? I head that way but stop in my tracks when the door is wide open. I don’t sense anyone in my apartment but I’m not really aware of any of my surroundings. Opening my surveillance on my phone I head to the door slowly, but I haven’t got a weapon on me and only a towel covering my skin. So my current attack will likely be to jab them in the eye with my fucking nipple or something, but I still go like an idiot.

  No one is there, just another card stuck to the door. Fuck sake what now?

  COMPLETE THE PYRAMID TO SAVE YOUR FRIEND

  Ah shit. They’ve fucking done it now. The rage that already consumed me is tripled in ferocity.

  I’ll burn this fucking place to the ground.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  (Luna)

  I’m operating on autopilot, lost to it completely. I dress in my classic black ensemble of sports bra and shorts with my boots. It hasn’t stated anywhere what kind of situation this will actually be, but I’m not stupid enough to overlook the fact that this is some form of trial for The Games. To take my friend as some form of threat or incentive for participating I don’t know, but I can feel the war inside of me.

  I braid my hair down my back as I would for a fight back home, only this time I need to choose a weapon to take with me. I decide on the daggers I brought from Rafe’s vault, but who knows what I’ll be up against.