Playing for keeps

31. Potential prospects

K A L E B

I hated formal events.

The whole concept was mind-numbing. The suits and gowns, the flashy jewelry, the string quartet, the waiters and their plates of small food, the small talk that made me want to put a gun to my head.

Unlike some of the others, I hated coming to this ball that we threw each year and I hated how restricted I felt in this goddamn suit.

I pull up in front of the valet with Griffin in the passenger seat and my skin itches when I toss my keys to the valet guy.

"Lose the scowl, sunshine." Griffin throws an arm over my shoulders as I watch the valet drive off in my car. "It's supposed to be a party."

"How long until it's acceptable to leave?" I scowl as my neck cranes to assess the big ass mansion in front of us. It was more of a castle.

There are rows and rows of stairs leading up to the entrance, and I'm sure Natalie mentioned this house had recently been sold into Viper possession, partly for this year's ball's location.

There's nothing around here for miles, a two-hour drive out of Los Angeles and near an ocean. On the drive here, through the narrow lanes and up the steep hills, nothing could be seen, practically a ghost town save for the sound of the ocean, but where, I don't know.

The mansion ahead looks to be five floors and I can already hear the music from here, a flutter of dark suits and elegant gowns ascending the stairs to the top.

"Maybe an hour. Depends if your parents notice you actually showed up," Griff laughs as we start making our way up.

The inside is just as awful as I expected.

Griff and I follow the sound of the music on the lower level and into a ballroom filled with Vipers and other associates.

The ballroom looks like something out of a Regency movie. Gold details lined the high ceiling, and the marble floor has that checked design. The walls have some large old-looking paintings like I saw back in the hall leading here, framed by gold. As I expected, there was a string quartet in the corner, playing some instrumental version of a modern song. The dance floor was in the middle, large enough for everybody in attendance, round tables lining the edge of the room.

Automatically, I find myself looking for Easton. Natalie had let it slip that she would be coming and that they went dress shopping together. 

"She's not here yet," Griffin mutters with a smile as he pulls out his phone.

"No idea who you're talking about." I put on my best impassive expression, refraining from scrutinizing everyone in this room until I find her.

Griffin only laughs before sauntering off, no doubt to find one of those waiters carrying trays of food. He tried to make me stop at a drive-through on our way.

"Kaleb, Honey." A melodic voice wrapped around me as I turned to embrace my mother coming for me, with my father in tow. My mood soured a little at the sight of him, but I focused on my mother's cheery face.

The Viper ball is something that Killian gives her to organize. The theme, the music, the location, everything tonight is her doing. As a stay-at-home mother and wife, she enjoys doing something different, something that fills her with passion.

"Everything looks great," I tell her with a tight smile, still aware of my father's presence behind her. No matter how much I hate this event, I still show up for her. It's what gives her joy.

"Thank you, Sweetie," she smiles, pecking my cheek.

My mother was a beautiful woman, she always has been. It's what attracted my father at first. Her long, dark blonde hair had been elegantly curled for tonight, her bright hazel green eyes wide with joy as she assessed the ballroom and her hard work. She was a tall woman, especially with those heels she wore, but I wouldn't help but notice she was skinnier than the last time I'd seen her. Her clean beige skin had a fair amount of makeup applied.

Instinctively, my eyes rose to look at my father, my features pulling tight to refrain from outright scowling at him. I hid my clenched fists behind my back.

"Kaleb," he greets me, his tone even and hard as if I was a business client, not his son. 

I gave a curt nod before looking back to my mother. "Are the girls here?" I asked, not remembering seeing my sisters anywhere in my brief look at the room when I entered.

Mom's face seemed to waver, but she answered with a honey-sweet smile. "Davina and Astrid are. I thought maybe Nora and Gwen were a bit young to attend just yet."

My father barked a laugh. "Young? Gwen's nearly at the age where she'll need a husband. I should start looking soon." The wolfish grin he shot my way made me want to pull out my gun from my waistband.

"She's fifteen," I stated, narrowing my eyes.

"Exactly," he answered. "I've already found Astrid a good match and have potential prospects for Davina."

Astrid was already engaged? She was only twenty-one, and Davina eighteen. It took all my strength not to take him out right now. I doubt anyone would miss him, but it would be an inconvenience.

"Potential prospects?" My voice lowered and I almost didn't notice my mother lay her hand on my arm. "They're your daughters, not your fucking business deals."

"And that is why I am assuring them a good future," My father fired back, that harsh gaze one I've been on the receiving end of too many times. It meant that there was no room for argument.

Like fuck there was.

Before I could argue any further, causing a potential scene, my father walked away without another word, his snake-like smile already in place for whoever he was heading for.

"He means well," my mother says softly, lightly squeezing my arm before she follows my piece-of-shit father.

My blood boils as I glare after him, making sure my stare burns a hole into his back.

Unlike me, my sisters still live in my father's house, under his roof with his rules and his watchful eyes. I offered multiple times to help Astrid and Davina move out, willing to take the wrath of my father, but I think they would miss the lavish lifestyle - living in a four-floor mansion with maids and cooks and butlers, and I didn't blame them.

But I hated that they were still under his thumb. Our father was a master of manipulation and my guess is he offered Astrid anything she wanted in exchange that she marry the poor fucker he picked out, Davina, too.

The only reason he was not able to rope me into an arranged marriage was because I paid off the girls he picked even more money than he offered their families. Scared them a little, too. And then I moved out the day I turned eighteen, so I would only have to encounter him some days.

I start to scan the room for my sisters, wanting to seek them out and give them a way out of these arranged marriages, but instead, I'm stopped short.

I'm denied of any air or words, both getting caught in my throat as I spot Easton arriving, her eyes full of wonder as she looks around the room, Sebastian by her side and Damien and Zach already immersed in conversation with some people.

My eyes snag on her dress, her perfectly made-up face, her loosely curled silky hair that I already itch to run my fingers through. 

She wore a grey-blue dress that sparkled and reached her ankles and showed off her short silver heels. The tulle material dress left her arms bare, tying into a bow on top of her shoulders. Her face wasn't heavily made up, but enough to make her bottle-green eyes sparkle to the point where I could look at them all night. 

My chest tightened at the sight of her, that I couldn't go up to her and look at her with absolute awe, that I wouldn't kiss those lips and mess up her lip gloss that made her lips look quite irresistible.

I felt like I was going to go feral, at having her so close and not being able to stake my claim. I glare at every guy in this room who even looks her way.

She hadn't noticed me yet, listening to Sebastian as he whispered in her eyes and giggling, flashing that heart-stopping smile. But I couldn't tear my eyes away from her.

"You're staring," Natalie stated, slipping to my side.

I didn't spare her a glance as I kept my eyes on the girl that I would kill for, give anything to if she asked. "I know."

"She looks stunning," Natalie declared, also staring in Easton's direction.

I couldn't muster up any other words other than, "Captivating."