Cruel Kings by Skye Knight

11

Camilla

I stared at the sleek black Bentley parked outside my crumbling apartment building. This was the car Brian sent to pick up me and Mom for the family brunch happening at his place.

I glanced down at the dress I was wearing. The fabric was luxuriously soft against my skin and fit me perfectly. It was a shade of lavender with off-shoulder sleeves and came to a few inches above my knees.

Both my and mom’s dresses screamed exclusivity and luxury.

I leaned in to whisper in her ear. “What exactly does Brian do for a living?”

“He’s a businessman. You know that already.”

“Are you sure he’s not a mobster or something?”

Mom gave me a funny look and stepped forward. A valet was already holding the door open for her. She smoothly climbed inside and gestured wildly to make me join her.

Feeling uncertain, I slid in beside her.

“Did you know he was this rich?” I whispered as the car drove down the street.

“Stop asking ridiculous questions,” said Mom. “Of course, I knew. Just behave. His sons are hard to impress, so be extra careful. I want our first meeting to be a good one.”

Panic flared inside me at the mention of my stepbrothers. Brian rarely talked about them. I didn’t even know their names. Until recently, he’d kept his family life very private.

The new dress and the ride in this opulent car made me feel like I never really knew Brian. Mom seemed perfectly comfortable though, like she’d known who he was for a long time.

Nothing about his wealth surprised her.

I was the only one who’d been kept in the dark. Glancing at her, I wondered what other secrets she was keeping from me.

Mom tried to make small talk on the way but I couldn’t get into it. Everything was happening too fast.

I was still trying to come to terms with what she told me that morning. How could she expect me to go to brunch with three strangers after knowing she was dying from cancer?

It wouldn’t be too bad if it was just Brian. He was kind, gentle, and considerate. He’d known me since I was a kid and if I got upset before him, I knew he wouldn’t mind.

The prospect of meeting my stepbrothers scared me. They were strangers. Something told me they didn’t know much about me or Mom. Would they be able to accept us into their family?

“Look over there,” Mom called out, breaking me out of my thoughts. “You can see the house from here.”

I looked ahead and spotted the tops of a vast mansion in the distance. A glimpse of the gothic structure was enough to tell me the architecture was from the late nineteenth century.

“That’s Brian’s home?” I gasped, staring with wide eyes as the mammoth structure came closer.

“Yes, honey. Impressive, huh?”

The structure was impressive enough to drive me speechless. I had no idea the cheerful, easygoing man she was dating lived in a place like this.

“It’s unreal,” I breathed as the car drove through a pair of tall metal-wrought gates. Armed guards patrolled the area. Further ahead, the car drove through a tree-lined avenue leading toward the manor.

My chest seized with panic. What the hell were we doing in a place like this?

All too soon, the car came to a stop in front of a well-manicured lawn. Even though it was early March, the grass was a vibrant green. An ostentatious marble fountain decorated the front entrance of the manor.

“Come on,” said Mom, climbing out of the car like it was no big deal for her. Had she always known Brian lived in a house like this with nothing but acres of green valleys and hills all around?

I got out of the car and instinctively grabbed my mother’s hand.

“Don’t be nervous, honey,” she said in a soothing voice. “Just be yourself and your brothers will love you.”

The mere idea of calling three strangers ‘brothers’ felt a bit too much. As far as I knew, they were my age and attending Silverlake as well. There was no way someone as old as us could accept a new family member with ease.

A neatly dressed elderly woman came out to greet us. She introduced herself as Gretchen and ushered inside the entrance hall.

I tried to keep my gaze straight ahead and not stare at the extravagance surrounding me. There were ornate bronze vases of fresh, exotic flowers, ancient paintings and portraits, and a lavish crystal chandelier glowing overhead.

The place could’ve passed off as a lobby in one of those luxury hotels in the city. Or maybe a museum with all those paintings, I thought, following Gretchen and Mom.

We were led inside a vast well-lit room. A moment later, I realized most of the light came from the glass-covered windows that were as high as the ceiling.

In the corner, a familiar figure stood up.

“Eva, Milla...” Brian came forward with a smile on his face. He was dressed handsomely in a dark navy suit and glistening black loafers. I’d never seen him in such formal attire. He was impressive and looked like the master of this incredible mansion.

My gaze shifted toward the three figures standing behind him. My eyes widened as I recognized each one of them.

Noah, Corey, and Caleb stared back at me.

“Welcome to your new home,” Brian said, wrapping his bear-like arms around me in a warm hug. My astonishment rendered me speechless. “She’s beautiful in the dress we chose.” Stepping back, he beamed at my mom.

“Yeah, she is,” said Mom. She looked toward the three young men. “I’m excited to meet your sons.” Moving forward, she intertwined her arm with his. “Introduce us, darling.”

Brian led extended his left arm toward me. I held onto him and let him lead us forward.

“This is Camilla,” said Brian with a proud look on his face. “But she prefers to be called Milla by her close friends. She’s Eva’s daughter. I hope you’ll treat her like your own sister.”

Memories of last night flashed through my mind.

There was no way I could think of them as my brothers, not after the way my body heated up at their touch and left my insides throbbing with need.

Warmth flooded my cheeks as I looked up at Noah.

To my surprise, a neutral expression was set on his face. Glancing at Corey and Caleb, I found them looking at me the same way. There was no reaction at all.

“This is Noah,” said Brian. “My eldest son. They’re all triplets but Corey and Caleb ended up being twins as well. We had such a hard time telling them apart when they were babies.” He chuckled at his little joke, unaware of the frigid waves emanating from his sons.

“They’re all so handsome!” Mom gushed, smiling brightly.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Noah muttered with a blank expression.

“Oh, please! Call me Eva.”

They nodded politely but I didn’t like the cold look in their eyes. What were they thinking? How could they not be surprised by this revelation?

“Are you guys hungry?” Brian asked. “Brunch is ready. We can dig in whenever you say the word.”

“I’m starving,” said Mom. “Been up since five this morning. I was that excited to meet the kids today.”

Brian chuckled and wound his arm around her slim waist. “Come on, then.”

Noah, Caleb, and Corey walked past me without a word. They were acting like they didn’t know me at all!

I followed them down another hallway until we reached a beautiful room filled with paintings of fruit and flowers. A long table was set up with a myriad of drinks, plates of exquisite dishes, and small vases filled with yellow roses.

Brian was busy helping Mom into a chair at the head of the table. Noah, Corey, and Caleb took their places on the longer side of the table. None of them spoke a word but simply watched their father fuss over my mom.

“Grab a seat, honey,” Mom called out to me, patting the chair next to her.

I sat down and looked all around me.

Brian and Mom seemed lost in their happy bubble, unaware of the way Noah, Corey, and Caleb were staring at them. Even though they didn’t speak a single word, I could see the rage and hatred in their eyes.

Two valets moved around the table, offering us more food and filling our glasses with juice or cocktails. Other than Mom and Brian, we all stayed quiet.

I glanced at the Amhurst brothers from time to time. Their expressions told me what they thought of me and Mom. They hated having us in their home.

Pain flashed through me. They’d been so nice to me the past couple of days. The sudden change in their behavior toward me was like a whiplash. How could they act like they didn’t know me at all?

Maybe, they’re embarrassed, I guessed, thinking about the way I’d kissed all of them.

I wish I could talk to them, tell them that we didn’t have to feel guilty about what happened at the party last night. We weren’t related by blood. Also, it was a one-time thing. In the future, we’d make sure not to cross the line.

The thought disappointed me. Even though I wasn’t the kind of girl who dated three guys at the same time, the idea didn’t seem so bad when I thought of myself being with them. Last night, I was even ready to give it a try.

I toyed with a few raspberries on my plate, not feeling hungry at all.

“Are you bored already?” Brian’s voice jerked me out of my thoughts.

I smiled at him and shook my head. “I’m not that hungry.”

“Why don’t you guys show her around the house?” Brian suggested, looking over at his sons. “Get to know each other.” He turned his attention back to me. “I’ve got your room ready. Your mom and I did all the shopping. Hope you like it.”

“You did?”

“This is our home now, honey,” said Mom. “Of course, you have a room here.”

I understood why they were pressing so hard for me to live here. Mom wanted me to have a family after she was gone, but there was no need to take things this far. I was already old enough to look after myself.

The sound of scraping chair legs made me look up.

Noah, Caleb, and Corey were on their feet, looking at me expectantly. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to go with them. At least, we could talk about what was happening without our parents knowing what we did last night.

Putting my fork down, I got up as well.

They walked out of the dining room without a word. I hurried to follow them, glad to give some privacy to Mom and Brian. She was smiling like I’d never seen her smile before. She was truly happy being here with Brian.

Noah, Caleb, and Corey led me down a few hallways and then up a grand winding staircase. With no one around, I finally felt like we could talk.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

Caleb turned around, his green eyes gleaming darkly. “To your room, of course.”

“Great idea,” I said with a nod. “We all need to talk.”

He gave me a strange look and took the steps two at a time to catch up with his brothers.

Their aloofness was starting to make me uncomfortable. I wish they’d go back to flirting and joking with me.

They took me down an empty hallway on the second floor. At the far end, they opened the door to a room and walked inside.

Entering after them, I was stunned at the sight of a beautiful room that was at least four times bigger than my entire apartment.

The bed with creamy lavender duvets looked like a dream. All the furniture was painted a beige to give a calm, soothing surrounding to the place. The walls and curtains were shades of pastel blue. I could see my Mom’s touch in every corner.

“Can we talk now?” I asked in a low voice.

“What’s there to talk about?” Noah asked in a grim tone. “You’ve been fucking around us for a reason.”

“Excuse me?”

Corey chuckled. “She talks like a real princess.”

“But in reality, she’s nothing but a lying, backstabbing whore,” Caleb finished for him.

Their cold tones were like sharp slaps to my face. “What are you talking about? This was as shocking for me as it was for you guys. I never knew Brian was your father.”

“You really want us to believe that?” Noah asked. The intensity in his steel-gray eyes sent a thrill of danger through me. “You seriously never googled me and my family?”

“Why would I google you and your family?” I asked. “We became friends just last week.”

He scoffed. “Stop lying. The only reason you helped Corey that night was because you knew who he was.”

“Everyone on campus knows who you three are!” I shouted as my frustration grew.

Noah shook his head. “You’ve known our father for a long time, haven’t you?”

“Yeah. He’s been dating my mom for over eight years now. Of course, I’ve known him.” I took a step toward Noah. “But believe me. I didn’t know he was your dad.”

“He never told you about his sons?”

“He said he had three sons who went to the same school as me,” I said. “When he’s with us, he rarely talks about his private home life. Mom told me not to pry and I never did.”

“We don’t believe you, sugar,” said Caleb in a cold tone.

“Fine! Then, we have nothing to talk about,” I shouted, turning away to walk out of the room.

Before I could cross the threshold, the door was snapped shut in my face. Corey towered over me, his green eyes glittering menacingly. “We’re not done with you, Milla.”

His voice was thick with danger and seduction. A thrill shot through me, warning me about something but I couldn’t quite understand my own intuition.

Corey stepped closer to me, so close I could feel his warm breath fanning my face. Leaning down, he captured my lips.

A spark shot through me as our lips connected. Desire collided with anger. How could he kiss me after treating me like crap?

Placing my hands on his broad, hard chest, I shoved him back. The impact merely broke the kiss but wasn’t enough to get him away from me.

“We can’t do this anymore,” I said, stepping backward, only to collide with Caleb’s body.

“Why not, princess?” Corey whispered, invading my space. His finger hooked under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “Nothing’s changed between us.”

My eyes widened as he grinned wickedly.

“Our parents are married,” I said as Caleb’s arm snaked around my waist, pulling me against him. “We can’t do this. It’s wrong!”

“What’s wrong is you’re playing too hard to get,” Caleb whispered in my ear. His hips thrust against the small of my back, showing me how hard he was beneath his slacks.

I pushed Corey away as he leaned down to kiss me again.

“Please, stop this!” I cried out. “Let me go.”

Noah moved toward the door and latched it shut. He turned around, watching me with an icy gaze.

“We’re never letting you go, Milla.” The sheer determination in his voice scared me. For the first time since meeting them, I realized the Amhurst brothers were going to show me their true faces.