“What’s taking so long?” I sign back as the crowd goes wild for the potential future cult leader.
Did I somehow not click the right button in my haste? I was temporarily out of my mind after the bastard touched what he had no business touching.
No, I’m sure I did…
He raises his glass. “To the Elites.”
“To the Elites,” everyone else echoes.
Just then, the gates of hell open and pour right on top of him. Pig blood bathes Landon and his glass of champagne in an instant, turning him into a messy goo of ugliness right in front of the people who worship at his feet.
A collective gasp overtakes the crowd. I laugh behind my mask.
Take that, prick. You’ll learn not to mess with me or my family ever again.
People and security rush to the stage, and Maya tugs on my hand. “Time to go.”
I chance one last look behind me just to see the asshole looking like a fool, but he’s already removed the mask and his eyes meet mine.
A wide grin lifts his lips, looking even more terrifying when he’s covered in all the blood.
He does the universal ‘I’m watching you’ sign, and I don’t know why I run the fastest I ever have.
3
MIA
“You didn’t answer me.” Nikolai’s voice booms in the room as he nudges me with a foot.
I lose balance, but I go back into position and don’t open my eyes.
Anyone with any form of common sense would leave me to meditate in peace, but my brother and common sense have been fighting each other for his entire life.
He pushes me again, and this time, I fall to my ass and start to glare up at him, but I startle when I find him in my face.
Literally.
He’s leaning so low, the bent position appears creepy at worst and awkward at best.
My brother is a year older than Maya and me, but he couldn’t look any different. Where we take after our mom and her identical twin sister, he takes after Dad. They share the chameleon eye shade of turquoise blue, some of the same body structure, and dark hair—though my brother wears his long.
It's currently tied in a low ponytail at his nape, which highlights his unwelcoming, grim face. I love my brother, and he’s actually handsome, but you have to look past his usual manic expression to see that.
Also, he’s shirtless ninety percent of the time—now included. And that puts all his hedonistic, scary tattoos on display for the world to see.
Add the fact that he’s quite buff, and you have the perfect recipe for a disaster waiting to happen.
It doesn’t help that he was brought up as the mafia heir for my parents’ positions in the New York Bratva.
At times, he’s like a psycho with a license to beat, maim, and even kill. Other times, he’s just my brother who used to take me and Maya for ice cream and defend us in front of a deadly stray dog.
“I’m still waiting for an answer,” he repeats his earlier words.
I can’t help glancing at the bandage covering the base of his neck.
That’s the reason I bathed that asshole Landon in pig blood a few days ago, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
“I’m still waiting,” Nikolai says again in his usual gruff, but now completely irritable voice. I swear he has the patience of a toddler.
“For what?” I sign, wearing my innocent face. “And rude, by the way. Didn’t I tell you not to bother me when I’m meditating?”
“Blah fucking blah. You’re not deflecting.” He gets even closer so that I’m breathing mint off his breath. “Where did you take your sister the other night, and why were you laughing like evil maniacs after you came back? I know an adrenaline rush when I see it, and you two definitely had one. So out with it.”
I play with the dozen blue ribbons in my hair, pretending to fix them. “What makes you think I took her somewhere? Maybe she’s the one who took me.”
“She’s malicious, but you’re the brains behind every disaster you two plan. I don’t have all day, Mia. What the fuck did you do, and do I have to maim someone?”
I point a proud thumb at myself. “Your baby sister took care of it. Just rest assured, Niko.”
He narrows his eyes and it looks maniacal, scarily so. He’s not the type to be deterred from his inquiries, especially when Maya and I are involved.
Besides, although we live in a flat close to the mansion where he resides with the Heathens, he doesn’t have access to us all day long.
Yes, there are bodyguards, but Maya and I made it clear that they were only for outside and would never come inside the house. Or, God forbid, follow us around.
We were unlucky the other day, because when we came back, we found Nikolai waiting for us.
He definitely didn’t believe our lie that we were with friends. One, we don’t have those. People have always been either scared or wary of us, so Maya and I became each other’s best friend.
My sister has a huge following on social media and is in a clique with people who are similar to her, but even she wouldn’t call them friends. She used to be super close with our nanny when we were growing up, and she often called her a friend, but that ended after the nanny left the state to be with her family.
Two, despite my and Maya’s abilities to come up with an imaginary scenario on the spot and finish each other’s lies effortlessly, Nikolai has been with us all our lives, and while he likes to pretend he can’t differentiate between us when we dress the same, he actually can.
He can also tell when we’re acting.
“What happened that night, hmm?” he asks, completely undeterred by my answer. “And don’t tell me nothing, because I call bullshit.”
“It’s really nothing,” I sign with a sweet smile.
I learned early on that I have a cute face. Maya does everything to make hers sexy. I’m using this shit to my benefit.
If you’re cute and you smile, people will easily fall for your charms.
I just have to appear gullible until I find the chance to kick or punch them in the face. Like I did to Landon King.
A shudder snakes down my spine at the image of his manic smile that night. I actually had a nightmare about his bloodied smirk and the ‘I’m watching you’ sign.
He couldn’t possibly know it was me. I never removed the mask, and I technically wasn’t invited to that party.
My ally, the one who provided those invitations and let me in the Elites’ mansion, wouldn’t sell me out.
In fact, Brandon, Landon’s twin brother and my ally, sent me a picture of his brother covered in blood with a text.
Brandon: Did you do this?
Mia: If I say yes, would you hate me?
Brandon: No. I actually like you more now. I’m impressed.
Mia: You’re not mad that I used the invitations you gave me to do this?
Brandon: Not really. I figured you were up to no good when you asked for them.
Mia: What if you get in trouble with your brother?
Brandon: I know how to deal with him. Don’t worry.
So it was a win on all accounts. I get to keep my fresh, new, and completely unsure friendship with Bran, and I also got revenge for what his psycho brother did to mine.
Still, I’ve been unconsciously watching my surroundings the past couple of days, expecting Landon to jump me from behind.