“Hey, hey,” he said softly. “Take it easy. You’re still a little messed up from the injection.”
“What happened?” I pushed my hair back from my forehead.
He filled me in on all of it, in a low, soothing voice. No amount of soothing could make my heart not freeze when I learned how close I’d come to riding past help in the trunk of Aiden’s car, though.
“He’s in jail,” he said. “And from what Agent Martin said, prison is in his future.”
“Did someone call for me?” Leaning in the doorway, with a much warmer smile than I’d ever seen from him, was the man himself.
Agent Martin, with an actual smile on his face.
“She just woke up,” Jude said, a warning note in his voice.
“It’s okay,” I said as I held up my hand. “I’m guessing you’re here for information. And as far as I’m concerned, the sooner you get these assholes put away, the better.”
“Are you sure?” Jude looked at me closely.
I nodded. “I’m positive. Help me sit up.”
I was totally fine, just exhausted and dizzy. And while I didn’t want to look loopy in front of Martin, Jude got me comfortably settled.
Then, Agent Martin walked over and sat down by my hospital bed. “Lila, I just wanted to know what you learned from Aiden while you were locked up. From Jude, we’ve learned about the blackmail, and Janey can show that your mother was aware of the plot, which is excellent for our case. All in all, we’re fairly buttoned up already. But you might have learned something I don’t know. And if you have, I’d like to know what that is.”
The mob.
I thought about everything I’d heard and contemplated on whether or not it was smart to say anything. I mean, I’d never actually come into contact with the mob. I’d only ever seen stuff on television and whatnot. But, even the true life stuff on television twisted my stomach into nervous knots.
“What is it?” Jude asked.
I sighed. “Look, what I’m about to say is going to sound really weird, but it freaks me out. How will Jude and I be protected if I say something?”
Jude furrowed his brow. “What in the world are you talking about?”
I ignored him and kept my eyes on Agent Martin. “Well?”
He leaned back. “We have rumors, but nothing concrete. If you can give us something concrete, then I promise you there’s nothing my department and the whole of this state and their departments won’t do to keep you guys safe until we wrap this up. You have my word.”
I looked over at Jude and he nodded toward the agent. So, I started talking. “There was a man I’d never seen before. Aiden told me all about how he ended up in that situation. Sounds like they started out with something easy for a lot of cash, and then wouldn’t let him out of it. But, that doesn’t mean I feel sorry for him,” I added grimly. “Just explaining the facts as I heard them.”
Martin nodded and scribbled in his notebook.
“The man was Aiden’s boss somehow, he--.“ Something terrible occurred to me then, and I gripped the handrails of the bed tightly. “Oh my God, Margeaux! They were torturing Margeaux!”
I shot a panicked look at Jude. “Did you save Margeaux?”
Jude’s face darkened, but he let Agent Martin explain. “Actually,” he said, sounding disturbed. “It turns out Margeaux was part of it. She and her dad were teamed up with the group, and with your mother.”
I blinked. “Margeaux knew they were doing that to me and participated?”
I thought of those horrific screams and put a hand to my head. “That psycho bitch!”
Jude laughed. “You’ve got that right.”
I scoffed. “But, how did you find that out?”
Martin smirked a little. “Actually, she and her father were falling all over themselves to incriminate everyone they could think of--including each other--when we brought them in. They’ve been singing like canaries for days.”
“Will she get out of going to jail, then?” Jude asked with a frown.
“Oh, no,” Martin said comfortably. “No, she’ll get a reduced sentence maybe. But she’s going to prison on some nice fat charges.”
I relaxed against the pillows. Any sympathy I might have felt for my ex-best friend was long gone. And it felt so good to be relieved of the chains that had been weighing me down, well, my entire life.
“Let me ask you, Agent Martin,” I said. “Aiden mentioned he was working for the mob?”
Martin snorted, surprising both Jude and I. “Sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, but no. They are not the mob. The leader, a man who goes by the name of ‘Gray’, is Russian. And his family is Russian. They began calling themselves the Hampshire Russian mob a few years ago, but they’re really more of a local street gang with delusions of grandeur. I mean, do you really think you could have made it as far as you did if it had been the mob?”
He directed this last question at Jude with a laugh, but neither of us laughed back.
“What’s the deal with that hotel, then?” I asked.
Agent Martin quickly ceased his laughter. “That’s sort of a base as well as a way to launder their money. Actually, your mother co-owns it, along with Gray and Margeaux’s father. We’ve had our eye on it for a few months now, but had no idea how much information was about to fall in our laps thanks to you two.”
He stood and put out his hand, and I took it. “I don’t want to tire you. We can talk more later, this is plenty to go off of for now.” He squeezed my hand gently, and patted it with the other. “I misjudged the both of you, and I’m sorry for that. With your testimonies, a lot of crime in Hampshire is about to be put to bed.”
And as I leaned my head back against the pillow of my hospital bed, I breathed regularly for the first time in, well, ever.
It finally seemed like this life-long nightmare was about to come to a close.
Three Months Later
32
Jude
I was walking to class in the spring sunshine when my phone rang. “Hello?”
“Jude! It’s Mr. Smythe, and I come bearing good news.”
I grinned. “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
I knuckle-bumped a buddy as he passed. He was also in the motorcycle apprenticeship, and in a few of my classes this semester. It was funny how many friends I’d made since getting out of the claustrophobic circle I’d grown up with, and what a friendship like that could look like.
“The house has been cleared,” he practically trumpeted. “They were able to prove the money did not come from anything illegal, and so it has been cleared. You both can move back in immediately!”
I thought about it. “Let me ask you this, though, Mr. Smythe. We don’t have access to any other funds yet, right? No trust fund or bank accounts of the Congresswoman’s?”
It was the only way we referred to her now. Lila and I agreed we’d never call her Mother again.
“That’s correct,” he said.
“So, how would we pay for the taxes, utilities, upkeep, and so on?” Not so long ago, a question like that would never have come into my mind.
He sounded a little less thrilled now. “Well…” he trailed off.
“Listen, Lila and I have talked about this situation and came up with an idea we wanted to run by you. Let me throw the basics at you and see what you think.”
And as I rattled off the plan to the man that controlled our financial future, I smiled when he told me he thought it was a fantastic idea.
Finally, I felt like I was doing this ‘life thing’ right.
33
Lila
I left work with a crick in my neck and eyes strained from looking through a microscope for so many hours. But, I also left with a huge sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. My job as a student worker in the university’s science labs was never something I would have even thought to look into in my old life, but I loved every second of it.
I stretched and pulled off my coat as I waved goodbye to my supervisor I passed in the hall. She ha
d already promised me a kick-ass recommendation letter for after graduation and had been kind enough to talk me through all of the possible places I could advance to with my degree and a little bit of work experience.
I was more grateful for her than I’d ever been for anyone in my life.
Well, almost anyone.
I walked home, enjoying stretching my legs in the warmth of the day. It was a quick and easy walk, and I bounded up the two flights to our place before unlocking the door and pushing it open.
“Hey,” I said to Brooklyn, who was sitting at the counter reading a piece of mail.
She peeked up at me. “Back so soon? I figured you’d be gone at least another hour.”
I tossed my keys to the side. “What? Already wanting me gone?”
She smiled. “Never, and you know it.”
The three of us had pooled our resources, and with all three of us working we had been able to rent a new apartment together. It was way better than her crappy little old place, but still pretty basic. I mean, we didn’t even have a dishwasher, for crying out loud. But I’d come to enjoy washing the dishes by hand. Especially when Brooklyn and I were cutting up while we were doing them. Before, I’d never taken much time to do something with my hands, and I was starting to like it.
I was pretty sure it would get old quick though. Definitely by the time my trust fund kicked in. After that, you bet your ass I’d have a full-time staff again.
No use sitting on all that money when it can be used for happiness and something good in the process.
I walked around the island and poked my head over her shoulder. “What’s that you’re reading?”
She tilted it toward me and the embossed logo at the top caught my attention. “Northwestern University?”
She looked over at me with a grin. “Remember me telling you I had applied to transfer and got denied because of something ‘non-academic’? Looks like they’ve changed their tune.”
She pointed to the part of the page, past the acceptance, where it listed a full scholarship and an offer to be editor at their shitty little school paper. “I guess they saw the news features I’ve been doing and changed their tune.”
I froze, my eyes not wavering from her face. “Are you considering it?”
Ever since everything had blown up, the media had been pulling Brooklyn’s old articles she’d been publishing in our school paper for months about the Congresswoman and her shady deals. She’d had tons of offers for freelance pieces, and it had basically become her part-time job. Her inbox was full of early offers for jobs at state and national papers after she graduated.
But, the idea of her moving out broke my heart.
Then, she laughed. “Not even a little,” she said, balling up the sheet and tossing it into the trashcan. “I’m happy exactly where I am.”
“Good,” I said seriously. “Because if you were to consider it, I’d have to kick your ass.”
“I’d like to see you try!” She squared up before she hopped off the countertop.
Jude came out of his and Brooklyn’s bedroom straightening his tie. “Hey! Quit fucking around, Li! We’ve got our meeting with Mr. Smythe and the governor!”
I held my arms out. “Already had my outfit on underneath my white coat. Just let me put on a fresh layer of lipstick and I’m ready to head out.”
After using the microwave door as a mirror for my ruby red lips, we all headed out the door. I watched Jude while we drove over to Smythe’s office, who had offered to host this most auspicious meeting.
“Why do you look so nervous?” I asked.
I saw him white-knuckling the steering wheel in my peripheral view.
Jude flexed his fingers. “I don’t know, do I look nervous to you?”
I grinned. “I’m guessing this isn’t about the meeting.”
“Nope,” he flashed me a smile. “It’s for what’s coming after.”
I rolled my eyes. But when we got out of the car, I surprised him with a hug. “Proud of you, bro,” I said into his shoulder.
“Thanks, Li,” he said, squeezing me back. “Now, come on, let’s go get rid of our house.”
We’d come up with the idea with Brooklyn’s help over a night of whiskey and chicken wings. The three of us had started out talking about what we would do if they released the house back to us, and then how we’d even manage it if we did.
Jude had actually said the words that had led us to where we were today. And I remember it as if it were yesterday.
“What if we donated it to the city?”
“Say what now?” Brooklyn sat up straight, eyes wide.
“It could be our family’s gift, to make up for everything the Congresswoman did. All that money she used for herself and us instead of where it should have been being used? Everyone hates her. They half hate us as well. What if we turn that around?”
I saw the genius of it. “And the best part?”
Jude met my eye, and we’d both known what came next. “The Congresswoman would absolutely hate it.”
Governor Wilcomb leapt from his seat as we entered and it pulled me from the memory. He pumped both of our hands enthusiastically with a broad smile on his face that I was sure he practiced in his bathroom mirror after having sex with his mistress. Nonetheless, it made me feel good, what we were about to do.
“Lila. Jude. Hello! So good to meet you two in person,” he said cheerily.
“Thanks for being willing to meet us on such short notice,” I said, taking my seat at the table.
“Well, Mr. Smythe explained the importance of this being done quickly,” the governor said. “And also, this is an incredible gift. Don’t want to sit on it!”
Mr. Smythe looked at us closely. “Now, children, are you sure you want to do this? Absolutely? Once it’s done, it cannot be undone.”
We nodded in unison before I spoke. “Not a doubt in our minds.”
It only took an hour to draw up the plans from there. The city wanted to make it into a park and museum. There was early talk of turning the main level into a place for local kids to learn life skills, with a rotating list of experts coming in. And the atrium and gardens could be used to host non-profit fundraisers.
“You’ve done a wonderful thing, the two of you,” the governor said, smiling at us as we made to leave. “You are doing Hampshire a great service, indeed.”
Jude smiled back. “Hampshire has given us a lot. And it’s time the Carlisles began giving back.”
One gigantic, memory-ridden mansion at a time.
34
Brooklyn
The twins came home from their meeting with the governor and Mr. Smythe looking flushed and incredibly pleased with themselves. After filling me in on all the details, Lila said she was headed to bed.
“It’s 4:30 in the afternoon,” I said with a laugh. But, she just twinkled at me and left, leaving me and Jude on our own.
“You feel like going for a quick ride with me?” he asked with that sexy crooked smile that made me weak in the knees.
I giggled. “Always, handsome. Let’s go.”
Our new apartment wasn’t far from where I had once lived, but was in a much safer and prettier part of town. And, it was close enough to walk to campus, which was very nice. I’d worried about living with two people after being on my own for so long, but it actually felt amazing. I had a family again, and after such a long time without one it was really, really nice.
Jude pulled over at a curve just past my old apartment and turned the car off. I looked over at him in confusion, but with that suave smile of his, he came around to my side of the car, opened my door, and helped me out.
“But what--?” I looked around, and I suddenly realized where we were. And as flashes of that accident came rushing back to my mind, I searched for Jude.
Only to find him down on one knee in front of me.
“Brooklyn James,” he said, his voice serious, “This spot, right here, is where you saved me. Not just from that car accident, when you
were the first person to find me and get me help. But, also every single day since that moment. I love you with everything I have, with everything I am. And I don’t have a doubt in my mind about what I want, which is to spend every day of the rest of my life with the fiery redhead who just rode out the end of my world at my side.”
He pulled out a small black box from his pocket and cracked it open, revealing the biggest and most incredible diamond ring I’d ever seen in my life. My hands flew to my mouth as tears sprang to my eyes. And when he took a deep breath, I readied myself for my answer.
“I’d be honored if you’d say yes, and I will work every day to deserve you. Brooklyn, will you marry me?”
Tears were streaking down my cheeks now. “Yes, Jude,” I said, pulling him up so I could jump into his arms. “A thousand times, yes!”
He kissed me hard, and I thought to myself that there had never been a moment happier than this one. Standing right in the spot where I knew Jude had hooked his claws into me, for better or for worse. He dipped me back, his tongue laced with mine. And after enjoying the taste of my future husband, he set me back on my feet.
Before slipping the ring out of the box and sliding it onto my finger.
“Where the hell did you get the money for this?” I asked breathlessly.
He chuckled. “Let’s just say the man overseeing our trust funds thought this was an important enough moment to pull some money out for.”
“You didn’t spend too much though, right?”
He cupped my cheeks and snickered. “I love you, you know that?”
I smiled up at him. “I love you, too. Until the day I pass from this earth.”
And when he drew me in for another kiss, sun started to streak around us, cloaking us off from the rest of the world and brightening the ground we walked on as Jude wrapped me up tight and pulled me close.
I felt his heart beating against my own. I felt our souls melding into one as we stood there with onlookers snapping pictures and gasping as they walked by. I didn’t care, though. So long as I had Jude, I didn’t have a care in the world.
VENGEFUL ROYALS | A DARK COLLEGE BULLY ROMANCE: HEIRS OF HAVOC Page 18
