Standing, I took a few steps back. “You can’t fake the bond,” I whispered, smoothing down my skirt. “They’re a lot of things, dangerous and violent, but they don’t lie. They made their dislike obvious at the start, but things changed between us. When we were fighting for our lives … it shifted the dynamics.”

Richard didn’t argue, he just nodded, lips flattening. “I hope you’re right, Riley. I’ve seen what happens when Delta puts its power to use, demands the successors fall into line. Bond or no bond, I’m not sure they could deny the order.”

“For me they would,” I whispered, hoping I wasn’t as fucking naive as he clearly thought I was.

Spinning on my heel, I rushed from the room, and hurried back through the house.

I wasn’t watching where I was going, still upset from the conversation with Richard, and I missed the fact that Beck was waiting for me right in the middle of the foyer. I let out a huff of air as I crashed into him, and his arms went around me to steady us both.

“You okay, baby?” he said, in his low rumble of a voice.

My head shot up, and I drank in the perfect dark planes of his face, and those eyes which were lighter and more silvery today. My heart did that lurching thing that always happened around him, and my stomach went all swirly. “Uh, yeah, just a weird conversation.”

Concern tilted his eyes down, and he examined me closely. My breathing got a little faster, and then he stilled before slowly lifting his gaze from my face. Turning, I saw Richard. Beck and he exchanged a long look, and it wasn’t one filled with any warm or fuzzy emotions. Richard actually backed up, and I was surprised to see what looked like fear crease his face as Beck stared him down.

“Come on, Butterfly,” Beck finally said, wrapping an arm around me, and half lifting me toward the door. “We’re going to be late for school.”

A dark energy radiated off him as he opened the door and buckled me into the Bugatti. Secretly I was glad this gorgeous ride was back in action, and I was going to make a conscious effort not to vomit in it again.

“What did Richard say?”

Beck’s words were low and thrumming with anger. I hadn’t quite realized, until this moment, but he was majorly pissed.

“Just … I don’t even really know. He was warning me about Delta. The amount of power and control they have.”

For some reason I didn’t tell Beck about the new identity waiting for me in that folder. Because there was now a small part of me unsure in this new life, in the bond and relationship. A part of me wanted to keep an out, just in case.

“He needs to be careful,” Beck said. “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Not so veiled threat there. “Can you really blame him?” I said angrily, feeling somewhat protective of my birth father. “He doesn’t want to be part of this world any longer, but he can’t get out. I mean, it cost him a son.”

Beck’s hands flexed on the wheel, and he must have called ahead for the gate out of the compound, because it was open and waiting for us to just fly through without pause.

“There is no point fighting against things you can’t change.”

That almost sounded resigned, even though the anger was still underlying each word.

“Delta is and always will be. It’s different for their generation of inheritors. They’re … not family like we are. Not bonded. They have no loyalty.”

He made that sound like the worst kind of crime. “I told him I wasn’t interested,” I said softly. “I’m choosing to remain loyal. Not to Delta, I don’t give a fuck about that misogynistic old as fuck, white-washed corporation. But I do care about you guys. I have your back.”

And I did. That much I had no doubts about. Maybe that part of me that remained unsure was the same part of me that always wondered how I could have been thrown away as a baby. When my parents had told me I was adopted, it had hurt, despite me loving them more than anything. It was still ... rejection. It damaged a fundamental part of me, making me question why I wasn’t enough. Illogical, but it was what it was.

“We’re a team now, Riley. Forget what Richard said, he’s just grieving for Oscar.”

I decided he was right, and to lighten the mood, I flashed him with a bright smile. “You called me baby. Getting soft in your old age, Sebastian?”

His returning smile was slow. “Don’t push me, Butterfly. I might be tempering the darkness for you, but any time you need me to … break you a little, I’m more than capable.”

He accelerated hard when he said that, and I bit back my moan, tightening my hands into fists as I resisted the urge to climb over into his lap.

I compromised by reaching across and taking his hand. He met my gaze, and I gave him a genuine smile. “I liked it.”

He untangled our hands before brushing a thumb across my cheek, and then focusing again on the road. The drive was over in less than a minute, mostly because Beck’s car was a fucking masterpiece of design and engineering. His spot was free, as it always was, and when he pulled in, two other cars parked on either side of him. I hadn’t realized that the guys were following us. Dylan, in his black on black G wagon, and Evan in a lime green … whoa, I hadn’t actually seen the Lamborghini wagon before, but I knew they were fast and badass. These guys had the best fucking cars. I’d have been jealous, except I wasn’t sure I wanted the strings which came attached to them.

My door was opened, and I startled before looking up to see Dylan and Evan grinning at me. “Come on, Spare,” Evan said, holding out a hand.

Beck edged his friends out of the way, getting to me first. “I’m on Riley Duty today,” he said shortly. “Let me know if you hear anything.”

Both of them reached out and fist bumped Beck, as if they were all sealing a pact. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes before crossing my arms and settling back against the side of the Bugatti. I knew these guys hung out in the parking lot until the first bell, establishing their rule over the school and world in general.

Hangers-on gathered closer, and I wasn’t surprised to see that I was getting confused-intrigued looks from the guys, and confused-angry looks from the chicks. Beck and Dylan fell in on either side of me, their arms brushing against my shoulders as they chatted casually about a party on Friday night. “You’re gonna be there, right?” Evan asked, nudging me.

I snorted. “Uh, I’m not sure. I guess I’ll see if Eddy wants to go.”

My last party experience hadn’t ended so well, but hopefully this time Beck wouldn’t give me a reason to down half a bottle of tequila … yeah, okay, I needed to own my actions, so I’d admit it was only partly Beck’s fault. He hadn’t poured the alcohol down my throat.

“Wait, did you say Friday?”

I was supposed to be driving for Jasper on Friday.

Beck nodded. “Yep, but we won’t be there until after the race.”

He said it so casually, and I tried not to react. “Oh, awesome.”

Oh, fuck. I was going to have to pull a fast one if I was going to race without Beck trying to stop me. I wondered if I should just tell him what Jasper wanted and then put my foot down if he refused. Beck always got his own way though, and I needed this. I needed to race. The stress and trouble sleeping, some of it could be alleviated with a fast car under my hands.

Beck would understand once it was all over and he saw I was actually really fucking decent at driving.

The bell rang then, and I straightened, noticing, that Eddy had just arrived and was waving at me from beside her car. “See you guys at lunch,” I said with a wave before I hurried to my friend.

Beck gave me the slightest illusion of freedom, remaining with the others for a moment longer before he followed me across the parking lot.

Students watched us like we were the latest drama on television. Eyes wide, mouths open, well, all those that weren’t talking about us in hushed whispers. “Beck’s right behind you,” Eddy muttered when I reached her side. She looped our arms together and dragged me into the school, hundreds of students joining us.

“He’s on Riley Duty today,” I said, leaning closer to her. “Until the Huntley threat is dealt with, they’re basically on my ass.”

She shook her head. “Don’t kid yourself, girl. Huntley is never over, the level of threat just changes with whatever is going on in the world.”

“So why are they…?”

She shrugged. “I’m guessing that they’re feeling a little possessive and protective of you for some reason.” She looked over her shoulder at Beck before turning back to me. “I wonder why that might be…”

I had to look at him then, it was a pull that I couldn’t resist. He stood a head above most of the students around us, and even though he was a few feet away from us, his eyes were focused on me with intensity. Fuck, when he gave me all of his attention like that, my knees did the cliché weak thing, and I almost couldn’t stay upright.