Broken Wings (Dark Legacy #1)

“You might not be a true part of Delta,” Beck said, talking to Eddy even though his gaze remained locked on Dante. “But Butterfly is. She belongs to us.”

Those words did something fucked up to my insides, sending them squirming while heating me to the point where I felt like I was going to pass out or something. “You don’t own her,” Dante snapped. “Riley…” He snarled my name, clearly not a fan of the nickname. “…is her own person. I will kill anyone that takes that away from her.”

Beck grinned. A scary, fucked up, evil grin. “I know all about your life, gangbanger. You’re playing outside your league now. I’d be very careful who you threaten.”

In that moment, I feared for Dante. I’d never had to worry about him before, because he was tough, and he did have solid friends in his gang, ones who’d had his back before, but I trusted what Beck was saying. Dante was out of his league here, and this was a scary game where probably no one was going to come out alive.

Something I would no doubt learn more of tomorrow, when I ventured out on my first official Delta business. Before Beck could do or say anything more—or kill my best friend—I swung on my heels and sashayed my way across to the bar. Hoping like hell that if I left, it would diffuse the tension which was holding us hostage. Eddy was right with me, both of us practically diving across the bar to get the bartender’s attention. “We need drinks,” Eddy demanded, and the dark haired dude started to nod quickly, his eyes locked on my cleavage which was spilling out over the front of my tight dress.

Before I could get mad about it, and why should I bother, my tits were practically hanging out in this stupid dress, he disappeared and was back in a flash with two more cocktails. Heat pressed along my spine, and I took a huge gulp of this new drink, something orange and fruity, before turning to face the inevitable.

If billionaire bastard was a style of dress, Beck would have nailed that look. Dark jeans that hugged his muscled legs and ass in all the right places, clearly expensive and custom fitted. He wore black boots, which topped his height out at 6 and a half foot, and his white long sleeved Henley—pushed up to showcase his bronze skin and muscular forearms—was molded to his broad chest. It was like rich met prep met fucked up darkness—which was mostly all in his eyes. Beck wore the uniform that people expected, but his face was where the real truth lay.

“What do you want, Beck?” Eddy said, almost tiredly.

He didn’t bother to look at her. Instead, he snatched my delicious, fruity drink from my hand and dumped the contents onto the floor, the sticky liquid splashing my designer shoes.

“You shouldn’t be drinking,” he told me. His gray eyes flashed with danger, and I burned with the need to push him further. Holding his gaze, I reached out and took Eddy’s drink from her hand—which she willingly handed over—then brought it to my lips, tipped it up and chugged the whole thing.

When the last drop was gone, I licked my lips and slammed the glass down on the bar.

“Kiss my ass, Sebastian,” I suggested.

Almost immediately I regretted those words. Challenging him, even if it had been an insult, was not my smartest move. His chest rumbled as he reached for me.

From about ten feet away I saw Dante react, expression fierce as he strode forward, but Eddy got there first, jumping in between us before she wrapped her arms around me and dragged me away. “We’re going to dance,” she shouted over her shoulder.

I couldn’t help myself, I had to look back. He was like a bad addiction, capturing my attention even when I really didn’t want to think about him. His eyes were dark as he watched us leave, and thankfully he didn’t follow.

Eddy hadn’t lied, dragging me right out into the middle of the sweaty bodies. Most of the eyes of those around us were glazed, expressions vacant as they moved with the beat. There was definitely more than alcohol flowing at this party, which was pretty standard. A couple near us were devouring each other, his hand up her skirt as they moved together.

Eddy swung her hips into me, and I closed my eyes as I danced, the drinks I’d had keeping my body warm and pliant. A hard body pressed into my back at one point, and normally I would have pushed them away with a well-placed knee in the balls, but this body I recognized.

Dante’s hands pressed to my sides, and I leaned back against him. Part of my brain, a tiny non-drunk sliver, realized it was a bad idea to dance with my very platonic best friend this way, but the much larger drunk part didn’t give a fuck. Especially when I opened my eyes and found a set of steely gray ones locked on me. Beck stood with his friends, the four of them watching us closely, and I had to say, the looks on their faces were not at all reassuring. There was a warning there, a warning I didn’t quite understand, but I knew enough to fear for Dante. And myself.

“What’s wrong?” Dante asked. I’d stopped dancing, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

“I have to go with them tomorrow for a company meeting … or something,” I said slowly, and at this point Eddy had stopped moving too, her eyes wide as she watched me closely. “I have no idea where we’re going,” I continued breathlessly. “I have no idea what we’re supposed to do when we get there. All I know is I’ve been dragged into a fucked up family business, and another person from my family just died because of it.”

Dante’s face went dark and menacing, as a scowl tightened his lips. It was a look I’d seen from him plenty of times over the years but not usually directed at me. “You can’t go, Riles. I mean it.”

Throwing my hands in the air, I let out a long sigh. “A week ago you were telling me there was nothing I could do but play their games, and now you’re telling me to bail. How? They’re too fucking powerful.”

I had no choice. Even if I ran, I’d never stay off their radar. I was trapped.

Dante clenched and unclenched his hands; his frustration had nowhere to go and I knew he would be in some sort of fight before the night was through. He fought the way I drove, because he needed the release.

Eddy, who was clearly used to powerful, dangerous, damaged men, didn’t seem worried or scared, she just reached out and took one of Dante’s hands, stopping his obsessive movement.

“Dance with me,” she whispered, and I smiled at the look on his face.

Maybe fighting wasn’t the right F word for his release tonight. Thank you, I mouthed at her, and Eddy mimed a hip thrust at me. That, teamed with the look on her face, told me this was no hardship for her. She was feeling my best friend hard.

Deciding I was in need of another drink, I pushed my way through the tightly packed dance floor.

Rough hands grabbed at me as I passed, spinning me around so my front was pressed into his. Throwing my head back to see who had me, I stared into an unfamiliar face. Blandly handsome with blond hair and blue bloodshot eyes. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Nothing I hated more than handsy dudes who couldn’t take no for an answer.

“You might be the hottest bitch I’ve ever seen,” he said with a smirk.

Placing both of my hands on his chest, I pushed as hard as I could. He barely budged at all. Annoyance spiked through me, and I balled my fists, ready to do exactly what Dante had taught me in these situations. As I swung, I braced myself for the pain. This wasn’t the first guy I’d clocked, and last time I hadn’t been able to move my hand for a week. It was always worth it though. When my hand connected, there was a crunch and his head snapped back. They never expected a chick would punch them like that, and it took them by surprise every time. He let me go, and I was already rushing away, not wanting to deal with his retaliation. “Bitch!” he shouted and there was a new commotion.