I purse my lips. “Not exactly. I learned… all of that… when I got out.”
What I don’t say is that being a quiet kid growing up, I was never the type to fuck off at school. Despite not finishing, I was a good student, and I enjoyed learning. One of my social workers growing up had called me gifted, but of course, being a foster kid, I was never able to see that through.
That thirst for knowledge carried into adulthood. For everything wrong with the prison system, I was fortunate enough to be placed in one that had books.
And I’d read every single one of them.
She arches a brow. “You got out eighteen months ago.”
“I’m a fast learner.”
“Look, you don’t have to convince me. We’ve already chosen you to carry on our legacy. This isn’t an interview. I was just expressing how impressed I was with your scores.”
Pride flushes through me, and I grimace as I take another sip of the posh whiskey. “Thank you.” I watch as Harlow shuffles through some paperwork–presumably everything she needs to know about us. “Will I get to meet the other Lords and Ladies today?”
Truth be told, it’s the thing I’m most looking forward to. Having grown up in the system, I never had a solid foundation. Foster brothers and sisters were as common as neighbors–a dime a dozen. It wasn’t until prison that I knew what camaraderie even was, and when I left… I floundered.
The wholeone breathing unitthing about the Lords of Darkness appeals to me more than I want to let on. Meeting thefour other people has been at the top of my mind since I found out I’d been selected.
“Tomorrow,” Harlow says quickly. “But I can tell you more about them if you want?”
“Sure,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual.
Harlow gives me a coy smile as she sits up straighter. “Okay. You’re our top scorer, which means you’ve been assigned as the leader. That may change after you’ve all been trained, but as of now, you will have that extra responsibility on your shoulders.”
“That’s fine.”
“The second highest score is from a young woman named Astern Hackbolt. I’m actually very interested in learning more about her, because she doesn’t have much of a history other than a reputation as a dark web hacker. The third highest score is a woman named Quinn Taylor. Top of her class at Oxford, she’s now a Criminology professor at Cambridge. The fourth and fifth members are brothers from Denmark.” She huffs a little laugh. “CrownPrinces, to be exact.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Sounds like we have a healthy gamut of personalities and backgrounds, then.”
“We sure do,” Harlow says, agreeing. “Do you have any questions?” she asks.
How many people will I have to kill before I forget her face?
“I don’t think so,” I say slowly. “The job description is pretty explanatory.”
“Okay, great, I just wanted to meet you before the official orientation tomorrow. I know you’ve met the guys already, so I only thought it fair that you meet me, too.”
I stand up, finish my drink, and dip my chin politely. “Thanks for having me.”
“Of course. Everyone will be here tomorrow for orientation, but would you rather meet the two brothers now? I believethey’re staying in London tonight, and I could have the driver take you back to their house.”
I don’t want to sound too eager, so I shrug. “Sure.”
“You can bond with them before meeting Astern and Quinn tomorrow.” She stands and walks me back to the door. “Enjoy your last night of freedom, Lachlan. And welcome to the Lords of Darkness.”
CHAPTER 2
Astern
I shouldnothave had that fourth drink.
The room sways a bit as the music pounds into the ground, pulsing up my legs and into my body. I close my eyes and try to imagine that I’m somewhere else andnotat a crowded bar in SoHo. I could get lost in the music–how it all blends together and comes apart. I can pick out the bass, the rhythm, and the melody. For me, music is like breathing. I find the beat instantly, and my blood sings with the itch to play. Tocreate.
“Let’s dance?” Quinn asks, already pulling me onto the dance floor. “Come on.”
I groan as I follow her to the center of the dance floor, feeling my body move to the bass without thinking. I always seek out the bass. The low tenor that’s at the back of every song. Subtle, low, deep… it calls to me.
