8. Victoria

The driveto Castle is uneventful, and I find myself thankful for the quiet. I need time to process everything that's happened and plan my next move. I'm not used to being in the dark, and the fact that my father didn't tell me about the threat has me on edge. I know he knew about this for a while. This supposed attack on Castle was a few months ago, so why the fuck are we only finding out about this now? I'll tell you why: because we are about to get up to our neck in this shit and the bosses figured they'd better give us a fucking heads up.

"Assholes," I mutter as I see Castle U looming in the distance. It's late afternoon now, but fuck if it doesn't feel like this day has gone on forever.

Pulling up to the curb on the edge of campus, I stare at the students milling around and I get out of the car, leaving Bonnie on the passenger seat. This has to be as non-confrontational as possible.

As soon as my boots set foot on the green, green grass of this elite university, the air shifts.

I receive wary stares, and ones that are less wary and way more aggressive. Yes, Cian and I caused a bit of a ruckus here a few months back. Might have smashed in a few heads. But Eliza Hughes's arrival on campus for her third year caused more than a bit of a stir in the land of the next gen.

Castle University is renowned for its prestige, but today, it feels more like a battlefield. The students eye me with curiosity and hostility as I make my way through the campus. I am used to being stared at, but without Bonnie, or my knife which dropped with the clothes I asked Cian to burn, it's not a great feeling.

But I'm not here for them. I'm here for Eliza Hughes, the Queen of Castle. The woman who had managed to turn this place upside down in a matter of days. I have to admit, I admire her for it. She is ruthless, cunning, and fearless. We are cut from the same cloth, and she knows it as well.

I'm not surprised when I hear footsteps following me. I don't turn around, but I can feel the eyes of the person behind me, burning into my back. I keep my pace steady, my body relaxed, but I'm ready to defend myself if necessary. After a few more steps, I plaster a smile on my face and turn.

"Eliza, how are ya?"

She snorts, her green eyes glowing with amusement. "Victoria. I'm good. You?"

"Fantastic."

"No bat?"

"Bonnie is in the car. I figured I didn't need her for this."

Eliza nods. "She's got a name?"

"Yeah."

"Nice. What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Business. Can we talk somewhere where I'm not being glared at?"

She smiles slowly. "Sure."

Eliza turns, her chestnut hair swinging around her as she walks away. I follow her, falling into step beside her.

We walk in silence for a few minutes across the quad. I can feel the eyes of the students on us, but I ignore them. I'm here for one reason and one reason only: to get information.

We enter a quiet courtyard, and Eliza leads me to a bench, and we sit down next to each other.

"What's this about, Victoria?" she asks, her voice low.

"Have you heard about the attack up north?"

Her eyes narrow. "Yeah, I did."

"Is it related to the attack here a few months ago?"

She shakes her head, no sign of hesitation. "No, that was family shit."

"And has that shit been sorted?"

"It has."

"So, this is a separate target on next gen."

"Appears that way."

"Can you tell me anything else?"

"My dad, like the other bosses, doesn't know much. He called earlier to give us the heads up."

"Yeah, same."

"So that doesn't leave us with much."

"Nope. Typical men."

She giggles. "Right? Assholes."

"Fucking assholes," I agree, shaking my head in disgust. "I'm sick of being left in the dark. I want to know what's going on and who's behind this shit."

Eliza nods in understanding. "I get it. I'm in the same boat. But I've been making some inquiries. There's not much out there."

"Yeah, it seems whoever these fuckers are, they've been keeping quiet while they build."

"That's what I think as well."

"The only way to beat this is to fortify. You lock down Castle and I'll do the same at BlackBriar. One good thing about this is, we know something is coming."

"Yeah, just not who or when." She gives me a long, hard look. "I heard about Cian. Is he okay?"

"He's fine. He's Cian. Robert okay?"

"Think so. Upset, obviously, about his dad."

"Yeah, Cian isn't really that bothered about that part."

"Figured. Robert says there was bad blood."

"You could say that."

"Do we agree to keep each other informed if we hear anything?" Eliza's eyes search mine for signs of trust or deception.

"Yeah, definitely. I hate to use this fucking phrase, but we're in this together."

"Ha! Totally. Thanks for dropping by."

"Is that you telling me to fuck off before I make the locals antsy?"

"They're already antsy, bitch. But yeah."

"On my way. I figured this was a conversation we had to have in person."

"I'm glad you stopped by. Without Bonnie."

We share a grin, and I stand up. "I'll stay in touch."

"Me too."

As she stands up to leave, Eliza turns to me with a serious expression on her face. "Be careful, Victoria. I don't know what's going on, but I have a feeling it's bigger than we think."

"I will. You too."

I make my way back to the car, my mind racing with thoughts of what is going down. There is only one reason why someone would be targeting the kids of the current mafia bosses and that's to wipe the board clean. It's not a great feeling knowing someone is that calculated but at the same time, not seeing the bigger picture. One family can't rule. It doesn't fucking work that way. Whoever these morons are, they're going to be in for a world of shock when they see what joined forces can do.

I'm actually looking forward to it.

Back in Luke's car, I pull my phone out and ring Cian.

"What did you find out?" Cian asks, skipping the pleasantries as usual.

"Not much," I admit. "Eliza heard about the attack, but it's not related to the one here a few months ago. It's a separate target on next gen. Did you guys find out anything?"

"Yeah," Cian mutters. "They're called the Red Reapers. Small time operation but looking to make the big leagues."

"Dicks. But at least we know that we're not the only ones who are in the dark. Eliza and I agreed to keep each other informed if we hear anything."

"That's good," Cian says. "I don't trust those bastards, but if they're as clueless as we are, then at least we know they're not behind this."

"Yeah," I say. "But we still need to be careful. Whoever is doing this, they're not messing around. They're going after the next generation, which means you are safe, my love, but the rest of us, not so much."

"Gee, who'd have thought Oisin dying and making me head of the family would be a good thing?"

"Gift horse, you fucker. I'm setting off. I'll be back soon."

"Be safe."

"Always."

We hang up and I lean back in the seat, my thoughts swirling. I'm not used to feeling so out of control, but I know that I can't let my guard down. I need to stay sharp and focused if we're going to survive this.

As I drive back to BlackBriar, I feel a sense of unease. There's something in the air, something dark and dangerous that I can't quite put my finger on. I just hope that we can figure out who's behind this before it's too late.