Kylie Bray (Love, Hate and Billions)

Chapter 23 (Kylie)

His dark eyes staring intently at my poor friend. Chin length hair hanging loosely around his face,

making him look harsh in an unkempt way.

I should want to laugh as I look at the two of them, all I manage is a simple smile.

“Knight, stop staring at my friend you making her uncomfortable.” Diamond orders, going toward the

two of them with two coronas in her hand.

She hands one to Knight, and takes a sip of the other, blocking my view of the guy.

Josey also walks past me, stops and openly looks at Storm from his boots to the top of his head and

back to his face,

“So you the party crasher I take it, my names Josey. Don’t tell me yours I don’t care, just don’t ruin my

fun because I will kick your ass so fast you would think new years came early caprende?”

She doesn’t wait for an answer, just brushes past Storm and I follow not looking at the guy who has

unknowingly been helping me to move on from my obsession with Vincent.

Josey and I have a seat on the brown leather sofa next to the door. The place looks quite small now but

it isn’t. I haven’t opened the other side.

This part is just a front , behind my display on the oak shelves is a full on hang out space for me and

my closest friends.

These two bikers don’t fit in that category.

With a pool in the center and three four meter wide steps going from the black onyx pool to a white

leather flat couch that expands four and a half meters long. And custom made glass armrests. Black

marble ceilings with corner lights that change from blue to orange or white brighten the room.

On the other side is an area with a custom made vintage styled pool table, a dart board because I am a

country girl and an electric bull that doesn’t fit in place with the chic but modern elegance as the room,

but fits perfectly with my personality.

I am going to wait patiently until I am done with Storm and Knight before the girls and I go really relax.

“Jokes aside, what really brings you here?”

Directing my question to the Italian biker, Knight, I completely ignore Storms presence still lurking in the

center of the room.

“We looking for YOUR brother, Vincent.”

The name serves as a whiplash to my heart as it leaves Storm's mouth. Diamond is the only person

that knows my struggle , that knows how weak I am when it comes to Vincent.

“What do you want with Vincent.” Liya questions them, getting up and moving to stand not too far from

Storm.

Liya resembles a younger girl, with her tiny body covered in a tight jeans and loose blouse and those

peach pumps she loves so much.

“I don’t discuss club business.”

He faces her short form crossing his arms over his covered chest.

“He isn’t part of your club, he is a member of the Famiglia. When his name left your mouth it became

my business,” Liya points out.

Her gaze dead set on Storms, his on hers, in a stand off of wills.

Knowing I have to do something or things could go really bad fast, I get up and take the few steps

directly between Storm and Liya, my back facing Storm.

“Why don’t you go on and pour yourself a glass of that heat you wanted sugar.”

My smile is genuine as I watch her glaring at Storm’s form behind me. Just when I think that she won’t

move she leaves this small space to do just as I asked.

I face Storm,

“As much as I like the idea of you in my house, I am going to ask you to leave, this is a celebration, not

an interrogation, and right now you coming here into my house , questioning me on the whereabouts of

a man I have no inclination to see, is crossing a line you don’t want to be crossing. You want to know

where Vincent is, go find him yourself.”

I may be weak when it comes to Vincent, but Storm is just a man I fancy.

He is a small antidote to a drug I crave. So it isn’t hard when I say my piece. It isn’t difficult when I

watch his face harden like I just struck a baseball bat across it.

And my heart certainly doesn’t shred an ounce when he turns toward the door we came in from,

nudging his head for Knight to follow and leaves.

No it isn't hard at all.

But it doesn't stop the dread that follows the two bikers out the door. Nor does it quieten the screams of

Vincent's name in my head, or the sick part of me that is secretly happy that the men came looking for

my obsession right on my doorstep. Because the truth is, he is still my obsession. I have just merely

avoided it. Sooner or later I would have to face him.

I learned early in life that no matter how hard you are knocked down, no matter how bleak life seems at

the time, time is not going to stand still, nothing is going to prevent the inevitable.

Papa always says that it is a pointless worry, thinking about the things you can not change because it is

what it is.

If it is meant to happen not even the angels can save us.

I look at Diamond who is now standing staring at the door as if she has this telekinetic power and is

about to use it.

“They will be back,” She says before turning and walking to the oak shelves.

“Yes, but not tonight, I haven't seen Vincent in six months, why the fuck would they be looking for him

here, and Kevin has this place rigged with cameras, obviously we missing something, and whatever it

is can wait ‘till tomorrow. Tonight we getting wasted and enjoying the taste of freedom.”

Jocelyn sighs,

“I ain't getting such luck, my mother is shipping me off to some snooty camp down in Denver, heard

Molly Briggs will be joining.”

Diamond makes a gagging noise at the sound of Molly's name. If there is one person in the world that

Diamond would love to see dead it will be infamous Molly Briggs.

I personally never had a problem with the belle but for Diamond’s sake she isn't invited to my events,

house or allowed in any of our social circles.

I don't even talk to her.

When Diamond was eight I had to go to a family function with my papa in Turkey leaving my best friend

behind, I was not a happy girl that week.

Don't get me wrong, papa would have loved to take Diamond with. Her dad refused, and sent her to a

church camp for a week in Kentucky instead, which was harsh.

When she got there Molly Briggs who I later found out was actually Diamonds neighbor before Molly's

mama played saddle catcher with Johnathan Briggs and scored herself a hot shot insurance broker

and moved on to Seattle, from rags to slags, was there too.

The girl wasted no time telling those holy arth thou campers that my friend's mama was a crack whore.

It was the word she used, among a few others. When I got back to Liston and heard about Diamonds

week away in hell camp, I made my papa promise me that he will never take me anywhere without

taking Diamond too.

Her father wasn't impressed either, and just as we carried on living and forgot about Diamond’s hell

camp experience, we saw Diamond’s nemesis Molly Briggs on the day we applied to Washington

University in Seattle.

Diamond wanted a research facility and a class to share her knowledge with. I wanted a University

where they offered a good Master of Architecture program. Which in this University's case was run by

David Skilinsky, one of the best Architectures of our current times. But also not very sane as he turned

my papa down when papa offered him a senior position in the company to lecture a bunch of teenagers

for an eighth of what my papa would have paid him.

I guess a fat pay check isn't on everybody’s to want list. Some people with passion for their work

choices still existed.

Diamond is one of those people because she could have easily made Molly's life hell when she found

out that Molly was a student in one of her physics classes.

Lord knows I would have, and I am sure I would have enjoyed it too.

“Why is it that every conversation we are having reforms around ruining someone's mood?” Josey

points out just as the shelves open up revealing the one place in my house I actually paid for.

Diamond hangs back just as Josey and Liya walk through to the secret place. My brow arches when I

see she is giving me those serious eyes.

“Are we going to have to stand here for another ten minutes? I am sure you can tell me whatever it is

later, or tomorrow.”

“Michael told me that Vincent will be staying with us for a few days once I arrived in New York,”

She confesses.

“Yeah, and?” I say.

Diamond knows me, and though I say it like it isn't a big deal, she knows my words for what they truly

mean. I am actually saying, 'fuck that hurts'.

But what is the point, Vincent is my weakness, and instead of nurturing it, he used it as the worst form

of torture.

Six months ago I said I was done with him, I walked away from him with a broken heart and a soul that

wanted out.

I am still healing, trying to find a permanent cure, something that will heal me completely, that will make

me never even want to look at Vincent, see him, touch him, want him so bad.

Storm is a temporary fix, now I chased him away. I know he will be back, he always is, but he will never

have that place he craves in my life. Storm will never truly have me. I leave her cowered in a small

corner where nobody can see that weak girl because I am embarrassed by her, I am embarrassed by

me.