Kylie Bray (Love, Hate and Billions) novel Chapter 15

“Kylie I asked a question.”

Vincent asking a question sounds more like a growl which isn't easy to ignore, but my family needs me. And what did I say before? Yes, I am done with Vincent Stone, so done, it isn't even worth thinking about. I know I will think about it, I know I will tumble from my decision but not now.

“It’s family business,” I mutter without slowing down.

My long legs eat up the distance to my friend, not really thinking if he heard me. I need to get Diamond and get the hell out of here.

Diamond chooses that moment to look at me, and with one signal of my head she is leaving all of this behind her and coming to me.

I never could understand our closeness. I never sought to understand our loyalty to each other either.

Since that first day when I met the little girl with a snotty nose crying for a name while I secretly wished for her shoes, I have never questioned why we became so inseparable.

Even now as she leaves the burial of her first love, Diamond doesn't slow her pace. There is no torn feelings, she is walking to me and I am watching her. And she doesn't stop until her arm is around my waist and her head on my shoulder,

“What happened now? If it is David let's make him hang, anyone else I'm in.”

In another time I would easily laugh at her straightforward approach to anything but this is not one of those times.

“We need to leave, it's Jace, I’ll explain later.” Her eyes widen a fraction before she answers with a clipped nod.

Barely missing a beat, our walk toward the car is quick.

I don't think of the man I leave standing behind, watching us leave this place filled of death and sin. No, I don't think of him at all.

Jumping in my silver two door Mercedes, the same time Diamond hops in next to me. I turn my key into the ignition, and I am gone.

I don't look back at Vincent Stone watching me drive away. I focus on the road ahead, taking my curves with a silent ease I always possess when I am controlling a set of wheels, and an engine. It takes us twelve minutes before we're turning into the University of Washington.

I see the jet in the distance touching down to the center of the football field.

The jet is a privately owned, designed model made by Michael himself.

I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the Chrome jet, as he calls it. Michael is my brother but genius or not it's hard to accept that your brother designed a jet that is going to have your life in its body.

I look in my rear-view mirror and see Vincent's black jaguar approaching from behind me. My insides heat, and twist. Is he here to have the last say, did Michael call him. I hope not, because this wouldn't end well.

We’ve never included Vincent in anything, for a reason. He isn't really a Stone beside his blood and surname. Sometimes blood just isn't enough, sometimes loyalty comes first.

After parking in one of the teacher's reserved spaces, I jump out of my car.

“I need to do a few things on my laptop before we leave,” Diamond says, as she jumps out of the car, breaking our twelve-minute silence.

“I'll be there now,” I tell her.

Her vision focuses on Vincent before back to me,

“Make it quick, I need to know what the hell is going on.”