Riot Hearts: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Saints of Crow Book 1) Read online

  And I hated that this side of her turned me on something fierce.

  The rest of the meeting was weird. Emory seemed to thrive in her seat, a fact I didn’t know if I should love or hate. I didn’t like her, yet seeing someone talk back to my father, even in the slightest degree, was refreshing.

  But when Father stopped after the meeting to wait for her, I knew her antagonizing him hadn’t been a smart move.

  “Emory. I’m impressed with your performance during this meeting,” he said, eyeing her from top to bottom.

  Emory raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Yes, in fact, River and I wanted to invite you over for dinner as a way of saying thank you in advance for everything you’ll do for the city.”

  She seemed skeptical, and for good reason. Alas, she nodded. “Sounds lovely.” It certainly did not. “Thank you for inviting me.

  I scowled at her but withdrew my gaze when I felt my father’s grip around the back of my neck. I squirmed, hating the way his hand felt on me. It was a discreet way of asserting his dominance over me when we were in public—a way to keep me in check.

  Father smiled, satisfied at Emory’s response. “Great. It’s busy times now before you head to New York, but why don’t you come over and dine with us before you leave?”

  Her eyes flicked to me, but I refused to do anything but stare at her, so she quickly gave up trying to get information out of me. “Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

  With a final glance of suspicion my way, she excused herself and left.

  Once alone, I sent my father a knowing look, but I didn’t like it. He had some plan, but he hadn’t told me about it.

  What was that man up to?

  River was like hemorrhoids—annoying and once you thought you were rid of it, it came right back to bite you in the ass.

  Literally.

  But after the board meeting, I knew he felt more threatened by me than I’d first thought. Which made me think I could do this. I could restore my family into what it once was—respected, and not a tragic accident.

  The letter my mom had left me was lying on the kitchen table with the torn open envelope next to it. I hadn’t bothered to look at it after I finished reading it. Thinking about it made me upset, so I stopped. My mother had certainly learned the art of saying everything and nothing at the same time. Still, a few sentences stuck with me.

  Trust no one.

  Least of all, the Sinclairs.

  Watch your back.

  Bullshit. That was what it was. A whole lot of bullshit. A lot of requests, wishes, and commands, but no real information. Nothing about why they were dead, or why I should watch my back. As if I didn’t already have issues trusting people.

  Days passed, and I spent most of the time settling into a new routine. Getting up early, going for a walk with Archer, taking a swim, and getting ready for the day. In the evenings, I would take Archer down to the pier on the southside, where I knew of a secret place where I could be alone. I’d been going there to watch the sea and the tide since I was little. After the walk, it was back home to cook. I loved cooking and loved a good homemade meal, but none of it felt the same alone.

  The pressure of being the heiress of a multi-million-dollar company was catching up to me. All the meetings and all the decisions—I’d left it all to the chief operating officer. I wasn’t ready to take on the company yet, and school hadn’t even started.

  Most of all, time went by so fast, I forgot I was alone. My parents were away a lot, even when they were alive. Gabriel was the one who kept popping into my mind uninvited.

  Now it was the last weekend before school started, and it was time for the yearly birthday party of Elijah Colby.

  “I can’t believe his parents let him use the yacht again after what happened two years ago,” Evie said as we drove to the docks down by the pier. During spring and summer months there was a carnival there, but it had closed now. In a few months, the winter fair would be there, something I used to go to with Gabriel and Evie.

  I scoffed at Evie, turning my focus back to her. “Please, they have at least five yachts. This isn’t even their biggest.”

  Getting out of the car, we were immediately integrated into the stream of people heading for the white, eighty-foot yacht anchored by the beach.

  “And I think my parents are well off,” Evie muttered. I hummed a laugh.

  Evie’s family was comfortable—both parents being lawyers and all— although, most families in this part of town were above middle-class. We lived in an expensive neighborhood. Still, they weren’t a part of the elite or the heirs.

  A couple of guys hollered from the top of the boat, waving down at us and the other people who arrived.

  “Emory Lauder,” Elijah said, holding his arms open. He’d come down from the rooftop in time to greet us down at the deck. “Glad to have you, considering everything that has happened.”

  He stretched his hand out and helped me on board.

  “Happy birthday, ’Lijah.” I hugged him. “Thought you’d use more booze, so here.” With a smile, I handed over a bottle of vodka I’d taken from my father’s liquor cabinet. I’d come to the conclusion that I didn’t need all that.

  “Ah, you can never get enough booze, am I right?” He grinned, showing perfect, bleached teeth. They made his tanned skin look darker. Elijah was the typical boy next door with his warm brown eyes and chocolate hair.

  He hugged Evie. “So, game room’s on the second floor, food on top, liquor back at the stern. Pool’s there, too. We set sail in ten minutes.” He winked and went past us to greet more guests.

  Evie and I moved through the lounging area inside and to the bar where two bartenders were serving up drinks. Outside in the back, there was a sea-level platform where sun beds were lined up around the pool. Music was vibrating through the floor, making it hard to hear anything else. People were in their swimsuits, exposed skin as far as the eye could see. There were also three Sinclairs in sight over in the corner. I caught myself staring when my eyes connected with River’s, and I pulled my gaze away. “Let’s get something to drink,” I called, nearly stalking over to the wine coolers and pouring myself a glass. Evie popped open a bottle of champagne.

  All the while, I could feel eyes on me. One pair, especially.

  “Emory,” someone chirped behind me. I turned around to see Eleonora O´Malley, or Ellie as she usually went by, smiling.

  “Ellie.” I smiled back, surprised she’d come.

  Her blonde hair was in a bun and her dimples out. Funny enough, I liked her, and she liked the Sinclairs. They were childhood friends and had grown up next door to each other. Her family was one of the most conservative ones, and she usually wasn’t the party type.

  “Sorry I haven’t reached out since the funeral. I wanted to check on you, but I’ve been so busy with the extra dance lessons my parents signed me up for.” She gave a sheepish smile.

  “No worries. I know how it can be.”

  If I was going to be honest, Ellie was one of the most okay people here. She was sincere when she wasn’t bullied by her parents. I guess being an only child made you a bit of a push-over when you had no one to push your parents with.

  She squeezed my arm, said hi to Evie, and walked off. I watched her walk over to the Sinclair brothers. She nodded at River, who nodded back, side-hugged Nicolas, and when she hugged Sebastian, he kissed her cheek.

  A hard nudge in my shoulder almost made me topple over. “You’re ogling,” Evie said in an amused whisper.

  “No, I spaced out.”

  “Mhm.” Evie brushed past me. “Let’s settle down and tan for a bit.”

  Sending a last glance across the deck, I followed Evie and we sat on two sun beds. Shortly enough, the yacht moved, and people cheered and danced to the beat as we sailed out.

  It amused me how comfortable Evie made herself around these people while I constantly held my breath. Maybe she didn’t care, or maybe she didn’t know how these people operated
.

  River was right about how the lengths of rivalry went.

  Damn him.

  I didn’t want him to be right. I didn’t want him to be anything.

  The hours floated by with the sun making its way across the sky. I’d taken off my dress and was sitting on the edge of the deck, feet dangling above the blue water. We’d sailed out from shore, and people were jumping from the top deck.

  To put it lightly, I was bored. I’d drunk a glass of wine and an umbrella drink. Elijah had dished up a barbecue meal, but I wasn’t hungry. The blinding sun was giving me a slight headache, and the salty air and dehydration weren’t making it any better.

  “Evie, wanna go inside for a bit?” I asked. Looking over my shoulder, I saw she was in the pool with Sean Adley, in the corner, dancing and grinding on each other. I held my hand up to signal I understood she was busy before rising to my feet.

  Pulling my sundress over my head, I walked inside only to find the first floor cramped. I headed up to the second floor—the entertainment room with a bunch of games set up—and found it pretty much empty except for River and Nico playing pool in silence.

  Albeit reluctant, I snuck past and sat in a lounge chair across the room, farthest away from them but still not far enough. River noticed me, of course.

  I closed my eyes and willed myself not to think about the stares. River’s eyes were on me and I knew it because my skin heated up every time he looked at me. He made me nervous.

  Only five peaceful seconds passed before a bunch of people filled the room. I knew because of all the voices infiltrating the space with noise. I peeled my eyes open to see a few of the other heirs had come in—Sebastian, Elijah, Sean, and the Darlington sisters.

  “Sinclairs,” Sean drawled before he spotted me. “Lauder.” The guy was drunk. “I hear our parents are sending you to New York to build connections.”

  River stared at Sean as if he’d said something bad. “Good to know you always get news delivered secondhand.”

  Instead of looking at River, he turned to me. “So is it true?”

  I inhaled slowly, trying to calm my unwarranted annoyance. “I guess.”

  “How does it feel to be set up?” Isabella, the youngest Darlington, shot in. Sometimes I forgot how much of a gossip she was.

  “We’re not being set up,” I gritted out.

  Isabella rolled her eyes. “Sure, because it isn’t like our parents love setting us up. They control our lives. It’s what they do.”

  “My parents are dead,” I sputtered. “So, they can’t set me up with anyone.”

  My foul mood made the room go quiet for a moment. I clenched my teeth together, pursing my lips to remain stoic.

  “Boo,” Isabella said. “What a mood killer you are, Em.”

  “You’re the one who shouldn’t say dumb shit.” Everyone turned to where Ellie lingered at the top of the stairs.

  “Eleonora,” Isabella said in greeting. “Always happy to see you.” She turned and rolled her eyes, but Ellie didn’t see it.

  “I feel like winning some cash,” Sean shot in. “Gents, should we go play some cards or something?” He gestured toward the inner room on the yacht.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I rolled my eyes as they headed inside and closed the door after them.

  “They didn’t even invite any of us,” Ellie said, coming over to me.

  “Because they want to talk about us behind our backs. Do you play?” I assumed they were playing poker or blackjack.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m way too busy with dance.”

  I shrugged, suspecting her family didn’t let her. “Well, I play, and I want to be included in their little testosterone club.”

  Straightening my back, I shoved the door open. Immediately, all five sets of eyes were on me. I walked in with my head held high and stopped in front of the table where cards were being dealt. “Room for one more?”

  By their reaction, you would’ve thought I’d suggested to blow them all. Their eyes were wide open and their jaws slack.

  “Sure.” Elijah cleared his throat and gestured at Sean who sent two cards my way, making him the dealer. Elijah pointed at a chair behind me and I dragged it over and sat.

  “You need to pay for chips,” River said. He sat back in his chair with his knees relaxed and pointed outward.

  My eyes went to the pot in the middle. I searched out a hundred-dollar bill from the pocket of my sundress. All eyes were still on me.

  “What are you playing?” I asked.

  “Poker,” Sebastian said.

  I nodded and Sean shoved a stack of chips across the table.

  River sat up and leaned closer to me, his blue eyes boring into mine. “Do you even know how to play poker?”

  “In fact, I do.” My eyes narrowed at him. “Gabriel taught me. What about it?”

  River snickered, his pink lips twitching.

  A soft whistle cut through the intense staring and drew our attention to Elijah. He grinned sheepishly. “Calm down, boys and girls. I don’t want any blood on the carpet.”

  “Don’t worry. River doesn’t bleed. He’s not alive, you know.”

  “Ooh.” Sean grinned into his fist. “And you two are going to New York together?” He chuckled. “Good luck.”

  “You’ve got anything to say, Adley?” River pierced Sean with his eyes.

  He held his hands up in surrender. “Nothing.” His eyes flit between us. “Just…”

  “Speak,” River demanded.

  Sean shrugged in defeat. “Uh, man, drop it. It’s just… she’s feisty, a bit crazy, and crazy hot. Just your type, isn’t it, Sinclair? Sorry if I offended you, Em.”

  I held up my hand and shook my head. I wasn’t offended, quite the contrary—I was amused. River’s fists clenched along with his jaw and his eyes hardened. He was in a pissy mood and it was the best entertainment.

  “Okay,” Nico cut in, his voice dark and authoritative. “Let’s play some cards, ey?”

  My eyes met River’s and I smirked at him.

  Yep. Let’s play.

  Cards were dealt; bets were placed, raised, and checked. A few bad rounds went by and I bit the inside of my cheek in frustration. I didn’t want to lose this, but I had lost half my chips already. Even by chance, I should’ve won at least once. Bluffing was half the point in a poker game.

  This round had to be better.

  “Having trouble, Emmy?” River asked. “Want me to take a look at your cards and give you a few pointers?”

  I tossed him a fake smile. “No. I’m good.”

  Biting my lip, I glanced down on my cards and contemplated my next move. I wanted to play this game better than all of them—the game of survival in St. Crow. But these guys knew how the grown-up world worked, and I didn’t. The town was old-fashioned. My parents spoke business with me at home, but for official stuff, I was always excluded. It was always the first main heir who was included because they were the ones destined to inherit the family business. The only thing I had was my gut.

  Combined with the cards on the table, I had a mediocre hand at best, but I was fairly sure none of the others had a fantastic hand, except for River. He was unreadable—he had perfected his poker face over the years.

  I could bluff. This was a gamble.

  And I wanted to win. I needed to win.

  The game was about so much more than the poker game for me. It was about proving myself, and although almost all the people around this table didn’t know, River did. But my father had taught me great risks could lead to great rewards.

  Looking up again, I locked eyes with River. Inhaling deeply, I shoved all my chips to the middle of the table. “I’m all-in.”

  Elijah formed an ‘O’ with his mouth. “Bold move, little Lauder.” He rubbed his jaw with his thumb before tossing his cards to the table. “I’m folding.”

  “Me too,” Sebastian acknowledged, doing the same with his cards.

  In the end, everyone folded except for River, wh
o was still contemplating what to do. He scrutinized me through narrowed eyes, glancing from me and his cards. I smiled at him. He scowled back. “I think you’re bluffing.”

  “Then call my bluff.”

  He hesitated, and I could practically see the metrics dance in his eyes. “Fuck. You win, Nightmare.”

  He tossed his cards onto the table in defeat showing a full house, the fourth best hand possible.

  I couldn’t hold back my smirk. “Aw, shit man, too bad, because all I had was one ace.” Gracefully, I showed him my cards and marveled at how his features tightened and his eyes darkened. The other guys wooed and cheered, whistling softly and mocking River.

  I faked a pout. “Don’t sulk. I’ll treat you to a drink with your money. Or, well, I guess it’s my money now.” I pulled the entire pot of chips toward me. “I think I’m done playing now.”

  But no, I had just begun.

  When mid-September rolled around, college classes started up. My schedule was increasingly busier, and Archer was left with Carla almost every day.

  St. Crow University was like it always had been. The school was St. Crow’s answer to a local college, only private and more prestigious—solely focused on white-collar education. Those were really the only respected jobs in this town.

  “How are your classes going this year?” Evie asked when we sat in the dining hall for lunch.

  I popped a piece of my sandwich into my mouth. “They’re fine. Harder than last year, though, which makes me wonder how I’m going to manage them on top of everything else. I’m still putting off dealing with Lauder Inc.” I pressed my lips shut. “Sorry, I’m babbling.”

  “No, it’s fine. Your life is so much more exciting than mine.” Evie hummed a laugh, smiling around a mouthful. “So… do you have any classes with a certain someone?”

  “If you’re talking about River, yes. Unfortunately, I do. We have three—”

  “Talking ‘bout me now, are we?” His voice tickled my ear and my thighs clenched.

  My eyes locked on the table in front of me and I turned around slowly. River was leaning down, inches away from my face. His eyes were locked on me and he blinked slowly. I didn’t reply and he smirked before pulling a chair and sitting down, forcing Evie to scoot her chair over.