Shattered Kingdom: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Royal Falls Elite Book 2)

by Kristin Buoni

  I opened the file and leafed through it until I found the 2018 records. “It should be around here,” I said, flipping over two more pages. “These are the September records from last year.”

  Hunter ran a finger down the column on the far left. “There’s something in the jewelry category here,” he said.

  The store owner scoffed. “Keep reading,” he said. “You’ll see.”

  “He’s right. It’s an old engagement ring,” I muttered to Hunter, reading the rest of the entry details.

  “Yup. Still got it, if you’re interested,” the owner said, smirking as he pointed to a gold ring in the display cabinet.

  I ignored the comment and scanned the pages again and again. After the fifth readthrough, I gave up. The man was right—Lindsay’s necklace had never been in this shop.

  “Thanks for letting us check,” I said stiffly, closing the book. My heart was thumping so hard I thought it might beat right out of my chest.

  “No problem,” the owner said with a thin smile.

  “You’re the only pawn shop in town, aren’t you?” Hunter asked.

  “Yup. Been here thirty years now.”

  “Right. Sorry to bother you,” I murmured, turning away. The edges of my vision had turned dark, and I felt as if a thick rope had wrapped around my chest, pulling tighter and tighter until I couldn’t breathe.

  Hunter grabbed the necklace and followed me out of the store. He checked the car for any sabotage again, and then he opened the passenger door to let me in.

  I sat down, stomach churning as I stared at the dashboard.

  Hunter got in next to me. My eyes remained on the dash, but I could feel him looking at me. “Are you okay?” he said softly, reaching over to squeeze my leg.

  Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. “No,” I said. I took a deep breath and finally turned to look at him. “My mom lied.”

  17

  Laney

  “She’s been lying this whole time.” I buried my face in my hands and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe it.”

  Hunter put his hand on my knee and squeezed it.

  “I just don’t understand,” I went on, heart hammering as cold shivers raced down my spine. “My mom couldn’t have hurt Lindsay. She would never hurt anyone!”

  I already knew what we were both thinking—what I just said wasn’t technically true.

  My mom was definitely capable of hurting another person. After all, she was the one who lay the final death blow on my father all those years ago.

  But that was different.

  Mom and I were scared for our lives that night. What we did to my father was self-defense. It didn’t mean either of us were capable of killing a teenage girl.

  “I’m starting to wonder how well we know anyone in our lives,” Hunter finally said, slowly shaking his head. “Wherever we look, people are lying and covering shit up.”

  My face crumpled as tears stung my eyes. “Fuck…” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “What if Mom actually did it? What if she pushed Lindsay and stole the necklace?”

  “Can you think of any reason why she might do something like that?” Hunter asked.

  I sucked in another deep, shuddering breath as part of an old conversation drifted back to me. “Do you remember Lindsay accusing her of theft not long before she died?”

  His brows furrowed. “I don’t think so.”

  “Apparently she thought my mom stole some cash and jewelry from her room, and she kicked up a huge fuss over it.”

  “Oh. I don’t remember, but I never really get involved with household politics, so I probably wouldn’t have heard about it anyway,” he said. His frown deepened. “Do you think that could have something to do with this?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe,” I said. “I never would’ve thought my mom would hurt someone over a stupid accusation, but now… I don’t know. She lied about the necklace. So what else is she lying about?”

  “It doesn’t look good, but there could be an explanation for it,” Hunter said, laying a hand on my shoulder. “An explanation that doesn’t make her a murderer.”

  “Like what?”

  “Maybe she found it on the ground somewhere not long after Lindsay died, and she decided to take it instead of telling my family.”

  “She wouldn’t do that,” I said, wiping under my eyes with two fingers as the tears slipped out.

  “Well, there’s only one way to find out the truth,” he said.

  I looked at him, eyes widening. “What?”

  “Ask her,” he said. “She’s not working at the house this afternoon, because I told her she could have the day off in case she wanted to do something with you. So she should be at home. I can drive you over there right now.”

  I nodded slowly. He was right—we weren’t going to get anywhere by sitting around and speculating. I needed to go to my mom and ask her for the truth.

  “If I’m going to talk to her about it, I should do it without you there,” I said, sitting up straight. “I think she’s more likely to open up and tell me everything if it’s just me.”

  “That’s true. But I don’t want to leave you alone. Just in case.”

  “What if I call you before I go in?” I said. “I could set my phone to loudspeaker, switch off the screen, and leave it sitting on the table while I talk to Mom. That way you can hear our conversation, and if things turn bad, you can come in.”

  Hunter nodded. “That works.”

  “I’ll call her and tell her I’m coming over now,” I said, reaching for my cell.

  Mom picked up on the third ring. “Hi, sweetie,” she said. “I was just about to call you!”

  “You were?”

  “Yes. I have the day off work today, so I was going to see if you wanted me to drive over to Royal Falls and spend some time with you,” she said. “I figured we could have a nice girly day. Watch some movies, eat our bodyweight in cake, and try to forget everything for a little while. What do you think?”

  “That sounds really nice, Mom, but I’m actually in Silvercreek right now.”

  “Oh. Why?”

  “I wanted to come to the house to see you and Mignon. We can just have some coffee and hang out there, right?”

  “Sure, we can do that,” she said. “But I only have instant coffee. None of that fancy French stuff the Connerys have at their place.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  I directed Hunter to my little childhood home on the outskirts of town. He parked around the corner, just in case Mom came outside and happened to see him.

  I called his phone, set mine to loudspeaker mode, and muted his end of the call so no outside sounds would get in and make my mom suspicious. Then I slipped my phone into my pocket along with the necklace. “Just text me if you want me to say or ask anything in particular while I’m in there,” I said. “I’ll check my phone every few minutes to make sure the call is still active, so I’ll see it then.”

  “Okay.” He leaned over to give me a quick kiss. “Are you sure you’re all right with this?”

  “Yes. I have to do it alone. But…” I bit my bottom lip and looked down at my lap. “I have to ask you something before I go.”

  “Sure.”

  I swallowed hard. “What’ll happen to us if it turns out she actually did it?” I said in a low voice.

  Hunter slid two fingers under my chin and gently pulled it up so that I had to look at him again. “It won’t change how I feel about you,” he said. “Not one bit.”

  “How is that possible?” I asked. “How could you ever look at me the same way again if you knew my mom hurt your sister?”

  “We aren’t our parents, Laney. I mean, look at mine. My dad’s awaiting trial for running a schoolgirl sex ring, and my mom practically lives in luxury rehab centers,” he said. “Then look at me. I don’t touch drugs, and all the sex rings I operate are perfectly legal.”

  I groaned. “Now really isn’t the time for jokes.”


  “Sorry. I’m just trying to make you feel better,” he said softly, rubbing my knee. “But seriously… whatever happens in there won’t change anything between us. I love you.”

  “I love you too,” I said, lips curving up in a faint smile despite my fear.

  I finally worked up the courage to get out of the car and head around the corner. A couple of minutes later, I let myself into the house with my key and called out to my mom. “Hey, Mom. I’m here!”

  “Hi, sweetie!” she shouted from the kitchen. “I’m just making the coffee. I’ll bring it out to the living room in a minute.”

  “It’s okay,” I replied, stepping into the room with her. “We can sit at the table in here.”

  She set the mugs down and wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug. “It’s so good to see you,” she murmured, stroking my hair with one hand. She pulled back, forehead wrinkled with concern. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Still pretty shocked, but I’m okay.”

  “Did you hear anything new from the Royal Falls police?”

  “No. Did you?”

  Her lips tightened. “Not yet. They’re really taking their time, aren’t they?”

  “It’s only been twenty hours since it happened,” I said.

  “I know, but I bet you they’d care a lot more about the case if your home address said Royal Falls instead of Silvercreek. Or if your last name was Vanderbilt or Kensington.” She sighed and rubbed at her brow. “You know, I’m really starting to hate that town.”

  “I don’t blame you. It definitely has a dark side,” I said as I took a seat at the table. I put my phone down next to my coffee cup so that Hunter could hear everything clearly. “Anyway… there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Mom sat down across from me and wrapped her hands around her steaming mug. “What is it?” she asked, tilting her head.

  I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out Lindsay’s necklace. “I want to know where you got this,” I said, depositing it on the table between us.

  Two lines appeared between her brows as she stared at it. “Your necklace?” she said. “You already know where I got it.”

  “Could you tell me again?”

  She shifted in her seat, hands tightening around the mug. “I found it at the pawn shop in town, remember?”

  “Which one?”

  “There’s only one. It’s next to the hardware store.”

  “And you’re absolutely sure you got it there?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her chin. “Why?”

  “I was just at the pawn shop, and the owner said he’s never seen it before. He checked his files, too, and there was no record of it.”

  Mom’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been checking up on me?”

  I lifted a palm. “I know I seem horribly ungrateful for looking into it, and I’m sorry for that, but it’s really important that you tell me the truth about where this necklace came from.”

  “I already told you. I got it at the pawn shop,” she said stubbornly. “The owner must’ve forgotten about it.”

  I leaned forward. “Please, Mom. I know you didn’t get it there, and I really need to know the truth.”

  She let out a deep sigh and rubbed her eyes. “Fine,” she muttered in a defeated tone. “I’ll tell you. But you can’t tell anyone else.”

  “Why?” I asked, heart racing. “Did you steal it?”

  Her brows shot up and her cheeks flushed. “No! Of course not!” she said, voice heavy with indignation. “How could you even ask such a thing?”

  “Sorry,” I said meekly. “I just really need to know where it came from.”

  She went quiet for a few seconds. “Someone gave it to me and asked me to give it to you,” she finally said. “They told me to make up a story about a pawn shop, or something like that, in case you or anyone else ever asked where I got it.” She paused and gestured toward the sparkling gems on the pendant. “I probably would’ve made up a story like that anyway, because I could never afford something like this.”

  My eyes widened. “Are you serious? Someone just handed it to you and asked you to lie, and you went ahead and did it?”

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but that person had a valid reason to ask me to lie. Trust me.”

  My brows pinched together. “Who was it?”

  “The Connery boy. The one you’re always hanging out with.” Mom’s eyes didn’t waver. She was telling the truth.

  My phone started buzzing crazily on the table. I grabbed it and cast my eyes downward. A flurry of texts from Hunter lit up the home screen.

  She’s lying, Laney.

  I swear, she’s full of shit.

  I didn’t give her the necklace.

  I frowned and switched the screen off before sliding the phone back onto the table. Then I leaned forward and crossed my arms, one eyebrow arching upward. “So you’re telling me that Hunter Connery gave you the necklace and told you to lie about it?”

  Mom’s nose wrinkled. “No, not Hunter,” she said, shaking her head. “The other one. Adam.”

  18

  Laney

  “Adam?” I stared at Mom, aghast. “Really?”

  She nodded. “Yes.”

  I steeled my jaw and did my best to stop my hands from trembling on the table. “Why did he tell you to lie about it?” I asked.

  “There were a couple of reasons,” she said. She leaned back and let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sure you already know this now that you’re friends with both of the Connery boys, but just in case you don’t, they had a sister. Lindsay. She died last year.”

  “Yes, I know about that.”

  “Well, a few days after she died, Adam approached me. He was distraught, as you can imagine, and he had the necklace with him,” she said, gently touching the pendant in front of her. “He told me that he had it made for Lindsay a while ago, and he was planning on giving it to her for Christmas. But then she died, so he never got the chance.”

  “Right,” I said stiffly.

  “He said he didn’t have the heart to sell it, but he didn’t want to keep it hidden away in a jewelry box either. He said Lindsay would’ve wanted someone to love it and appreciate it as much as she would have if she was still alive,” Mom went on. “So that was what he wanted—to find someone else to give it to. Someone who would love it. He said he’d overheard me talking about you a few times before, so he knew I had a daughter whose name started with L.” She paused and waved a hand. “Well, your nickname, anyway. So he offered it to me and said I should give it to you.”

  “And then?”

  “That’s when he said I should lie about it. He was worried you would be freaked out if you knew the necklace was originally a gift for a girl who died, because it’s a little macabre, I suppose.”

  “I see.”

  “He was also concerned about me. He knew a maid could never afford something so expensive, so he was worried that people would ask questions. They might think I stole the necklace for you. Even if he told people the truth—that he gave it to me as a gift—they might get the wrong impression. They might think I seduced him, or something like that.” Mom sighed again. “He said I could avoid that by making up a story about finding it in a pawn shop and keeping the truth to myself.”

  I nodded slowly and knitted my fingers together in front of me, jaw clenched hard.

  The things Adam had done and the lies he’d told made me feel physically ill. I thought he was my friend, but when I imagined myself with him now, I pictured black tendrils of pure evil curling off him and twisting around my body, threatening to suffocate me for my own ignorance.

  Movies and books always made it seem as if humans had a sort of sixth sense for detecting darkness and psychopathy in others, but that was either flat-out wrong or my radar was broken, because he’d been right in front of me all this time, wreaking havoc and destruction on my life, and I never sensed it.

  Not even for a second.

  I could only imagine how terrible
Hunter must feel right now, for the very same reason.

  Mom mistook my silence for anger and leaned forward, eyes widening. “I know I should’ve been honest with you about where the necklace came from, but I wanted to give you something that you could cherish forever. Something I could never afford to give you otherwise. And Adam was right—if you knew the real story behind it, that experience might be tarnished.” She swallowed loudly and went on. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I really thought I was doing the right thing.”

  “I understand,” I said softly.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” I sighed and leaned back in the chair. “Can I ask you something else now?”

  “Of course. You can always talk to me about anything,” she said, eyes anxiously wide. “I hope you still know that.”

  “I do.” I hesitated and cleared my throat. “Did you ever have a problem with Lindsay when she was still alive?”

  “No. She wasn’t around much, because she was a very popular girl, so I hardly ever saw her,” she replied. “But when I did, she was lovely. Not just to me—to all the staff.”

  “So there was never any sort of issue with her? No false accusation situations?”

  Mom looked mystified. “No, like I said, she was a lovely girl. Her parents used to talk about her being quite wild and irresponsible, but I never saw any of that. I think she saved all the drama for them and her friends.”

  “Right.”

  “I know you’re probably wondering why I never mentioned anything about her death to you,” she said, looking down at her coffee cup. “But the thing is, you’ve gone through so much in your life, with your father and everything else that’s happened.” She looked up at me again, eyes glistening with emotion. “I didn’t want to add to it all by making you sad about a girl you never even met. So I was upset when she died, because it was such an awful tragedy, but I kept it to myself.”

  I reached across and took her left hand. “You don’t have to hide things from me, Mom.”