Page 88 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

“Not in the mood to imbibe?” Someone slings their arm around my shoulders, pulling me to their side.

Figuring it’s a drunk ass, I try to shove away.

Except the grip tightens.

I stare up at one of the twins from Howl. Liam’s friend. And since Liam’s basically laid claim on me, I relax a bit. The expression on his face is light, open. He’s smiling at me.

“I, um, don’t trust it,” I say. “Which twin are you?”

He winks. “Smart girl. Lucky for you, I have a solution.”

I raise my eyebrow, and he finally releases me. I turn to face him fully, and he offers me a bottle of beer.

Capped.

“Yes?”

I don’t have a reason to say no, and alcohol might lessen this knot in my chest. At least I’ve found a familiar face. Another one. “Sure.”

His smile widens into a grin, and he taps it against the corner of a table. The cap pops off, and he hands the cool bottle to me.

“Thank you.”

He nods and lifts his own toward me. I cheers him and take a swig, then another. Someone in a monkey suit rushes by, knocking into me, and the twin steadies my arm.

“You seem unsettled, Skylar.”

I shrug, glancing around. “It’s just a lot.”

“A party?”

“Yeah.” I can barely hear him over the music.

“It’s no different than the crowd at Howl,” he says. “Actually…”

More people are pouring into the house by the minute, driving us closer together. My body is slick with sweat.

I snap back to focus on him. “What?”

“We’re starting back up again,” he informs me.

I nod slowly. “That’s cool.”

“Liam, though.” He taps his chin. “He’s been tough to nail down. Do you think he’s scared?”

“He’s not afraid of anything.” I take another sip, avoiding his gaze.

“Slow down there, killer,” he says.

I glance at him. “You didn’t say which twin you are.”

He smirks. “Colt. So, what do you think?”

“About what?” I brush off the spider-crawling feeling. “Taryn—”

I try to find her, or Willa, but they’ve disappeared.

Forgotten about me.