by Danah Logan
The next few weeks flew by. Back to full capacity, I focused on training. It was the one thing that kept me sane—when I was sober. I went to class, practice, and even attended some of Kai's parties. Though, I would mostly stand in the kitchen, watching over the bar. Whenever Kiwi came around, which started to happen more frequently, I would call it a night. All in all, I was functioning.
Sometime in early February, Kai and the rest of the guys decided to head to The Grizz after practice. Apparently, Kiwi was celebrating another big deal at the Mountain Club. Waiting for my reply, they stared at me like I either was about to curl into a ball and cry or throw punches at whoever mentioned my ex-girlfriend's previous place of work. Sadly, I couldn't fault them. Instead, I surprised myself. I clapped Zeke on the shoulder and said, "Let's go celebrate your man."
I hadn't been back since I had confronted Mags. I couldn't. I was still embarrassed as hell for nearly begging her to let me dog sit. It was time to move on—at least, that was what I pretended for everyone else's sake. If they knew that I was doing regular drive-bys during Mags's shifts to make sure the gate was closed and Echo was safe, they would commit me.
The night at The Grizz went better than expected, and I found myself returning to my usual table at least once a week. Oddly enough, I drank less when I came here since I had to drive myself home. Taking an Uber all the time was becoming too pricey, and it was still too cold to walk the three miles.
The first Friday, when I sat in the corner and watched everyone have a good time, I experienced a wake-up call I could no longer avoid. I kept waiting for Rihanna's voice to come through the speakers. When it didn't happen, my throat tightened, and it suddenly was hard to breathe. With my elbows on the table, I intertwined my hands behind my neck, closing my eyes, and hung my head. Motherfucker, I missed her.
A few drinks later, I came to a decision. I marched over to Mags, who was in the process of mixing some type of pink concoction. I strutted straight behind the bar and ignored the new girl, who attempted to stop me.
"It's fine, Kira," Mags told her.
I snorted. What kind of name was Kira?
Mags scowled at me with her head slanted. "How drunk are you?"
"None of your fucking business. I want Echo." I swayed and steadied myself against the bar. I may have been drunker than I thought—probably shouldn't drive.
"Excuse me?" She looked at me like I had asked her to strip.
I scanned her up and down and settled on her tits. She probably has some—
My thought got cut off when she shoved me. "Weston!"
"Wha—?" I lost my balance and fell on my ass, disappearing behind the counter. A few customers leaned over the top like I was some type of free entertainment.
"Jesus Christ, Sheats." Mags looked past me. "Kira, get Kiwi. He just came in."
Oh, fuck no. I scrambled to push myself up, but slipped again. I hadn't had that much to drink. Had I?
Someone grabbed me under the arms and pulled me up. Mags shoved her hands in the front pockets of my jeans.
"Hey! Take your—"
She fished out my car keys and handed them to the person holding me up. "Take him home." To me, she said, "We'll talk tomorrow."
Before I could reply, I was being dragged out of The Grizz. Outside, the fresh air hit me like someone backhanded me, and I stopped.
"Wes, dude, let's go," Kiwi said. He probably wanted to appear authoritative, but all I saw was the guy who had lied to me.
I rounded on him, and he stumbled back. "I'm not going to clock you, asshole," I barked then mumbled, "even though I really want to."
Kiwi sighed. "You have every right to—"
"SHE FUCKING BETRAYED ME!" I roared in his face.
His eyes narrowed, and he moved closer until our noses almost touched—emphasis on almost. He would've had to raise himself on his tiptoes to breach the gap. I was about to point that out when his next words shut me up. "Listen up, you dimwitted drunk. Roe-Roe never lied to you. She didn't advertise who her sperm donor was, but you got the version of herself she doesn't show anyone. And I mean, anyone."
He took a breath. "Neither of us had seen Francis for over a fucking decade. I mourned him with her for years. She had no idea what happened until her mom died.
"She went through fucking hell to survive and care for Stephanie. What do you think it was like? Watching her drive to The Pole every single night, putting herself on display for the scum of the male species. All to afford her mother's hospice care and pay bills.
"I was the one lying to her mother when she asked me if Roe-Roe took another double at the diner. I"—he stabbed his chest—"was the one who promised Stephanie I would take care of her and then fucking failed her."
"You're cursing a lot tonight," I observed.
This earned me a poke against the sternum. "Did you listen to a word I said?"
Man, I didn't think I'd ever seen this guy this worked up. I managed to nod. "Yeah, I got it all." And I did. I knew King had a rough life, not to mention what she did to save that poor girl from her boss, but hearing it from Kiwi…
"Okay, then pay close attention to what I have to say next." He leveled me with a glare until he was convinced he had my full attention. "Roe-Roe had no clue you were here when she stopped in Stonebriar. She never intended to stay either. It was all a damn fucking coincidence. Did she stay because of you? Yes. Did she have some weird, unhealthy crush on you? Also, yes. But none of that was planned on her part. Don't ask me what sparked this obsession of hers. Maybe it had something to do with what Francis did to your friend. Maybe she was curious. Maybe it was simple attraction—you are a hottie." He smirked, and I couldn't help but grin back. "But she never—NE-VER—had any intention of hurting you. You were the first person that made her truly happy. And that should say something. I've been her best friend since the day she was born. No one has made her smile the way you did."
The more he laid into me, the more it felt like being choked. Should I have let her explain?
"Where is she?" I rasped over my dry throat.
Kiwi's shoulders sank. "No clue, man."
My brow furrowed, and he explained. "I would be wherever she is in a heartbeat. Screw the business I built here. I've always put Roe-Roe first, which is why she refuses to tell me."
"Mags knows," I declared. She never admitted it, but she basically had a neon sign with the words "I know" hanging over her head.
"She does, but her loyalty is with King. Mags swears that King is safe. She'll give me the location when King is ready."
I rubbed my palms over my face, any type of buzz I still had completely gone. "FUUUCK!"
A hand landed on my shoulder. "Let's get you home. It's been a long night."
Without another word, I let him lead me to the 4Runner.
The days turn to weeks, but that saying about time heals all wounds is a big fat lie. Whoever came up with that should be sucker punched.
Kiwi setting me straight fucked me up more than seeing King with Gray. I didn't go on a bender or commit property damage, but I contemplated kidnapping Echo on multiple occasions. To be close to King, or get back at her—the verdict was still out. Every single time, I was only stopped by my inability to operate a vehicle. I still had enough brain cells to not do dumb shit like drive under the influence.
"BRO! You got a visitor," Kai hollers from outside my room.
Huh?
I'm not expecting anyone.
I've become a pro at pretending—around my friends, on the phone when D or Mom call, via text to Rhys. I push myself off the mattress and sway to the door.
Shit, this is not gonna be good, no matter who is here. I did not plan on facing my roommate or a visitor after I uncapped my—I peer back to my nightstand—fifth beer. That many?
I steady myself against the hallway wall and make it to the living room without embarrassing myself.
"Bro, what the fuck?" Kai sees me first, and it takes me a moment to focus.
"Dude, you look like shit." I zer
o in on Rhys standing next to my fuming roommate.
"Do I have to start taking your fucking keys again, asswipe?" Kai storms past me in the direction of my room.
I stare at Rhys, my brain slowly catching up to the visual cues my eyes give it. "What are you doing here?" Fair question.
That moment, Kai shoulders me to the side, then jiggles my car key in front of me. "This is mine until you get your shit under control."
"The hell it is," I growl and try to grab it, but miss it by a mile.
"Case in point, fuckface." He pockets my key. "You can catch a ride with one of the guys or me to campus. You are not turning into another version of...me." With that, he swivels on his heels and storms off like a little bitch.
"So, uh…"
My eyes fly back to Rhys. I forgot he was there when my entire attention span was on Kai.
I slowly make my way to the couch and let myself fall into the cushions. Rhys follows and lowers himself on the other end of the sectional. Leaning forward, he props his forearms on his thighs and studies me.
"What's going on with you?" He scans me with a wary lift of his eyebrows.
"Nothing, man. It's all great." I'm proud to say that I don't slur.
"Try again," he deadpans.
Why did he have to show up unannounced? "Why are you here?"
"Lilly dropped me off on the way to Elle. Something seemed off with you."
I frown. "You let her go somewhere alone?" I don't think he has left Lilly's side in two and a half years. Healthy? Probably not. But understandable.
"G and Marcus are with her." A little quieter, he adds, "It's an exercise my therapist ordered me to do."
Ah, now that makes more sense.
"Why did she bring both if she just went to Colorado?" The fact that both of their bodyguards are with her seems a little overkill to hang out with a girlfriend.
Rhys draws in a long breath. "She's been keeping something from me."
My brows shoot up. Lilly can't lie for shit, and the two made a pact years ago that they would never keep secrets from each other again.
"She's been…off ever since we came home from Christmas. She and G are having these hushed conversations, and then a week ago, Marcus joined their little club," he confides in me with discontent.
My adrenaline level rises, killing the nice and steady level of constant intoxication I had been maintaining. I'm surprised that he's come to me with this. We've been talking on and off since Magnolia's, but it's still nowhere near where our friendship used to be. His words have triggered a reaction I wouldn't have expected. My muscles coil, and my brain goes into high alert.
"Could it be wedding related?" I try to reason but know, at the same time, that this is a weak excuse.
"Why would she need both for some wedding shopping? Wes, she packed her gun—the one Dad gave her for Christmas a few years ago. She never carries it. She doesn't need to with Marcus having three on him at all times." He rakes his hand over his short hair.
That is concerning.
"Why didn't you ask her?" I fold my arms over my chest.
"I don't know, man. I want her to come to me. And at the same time, I'm...scared to find out what it is." His eyes are haunted, and I know that this is not easy for him to admit.
This is the first deep(er) conversation we've had in years. It feels natural to sit here and talk like old times. I don't like seeing Rhys like this.
"You have to trust that she has a reason for not telling you yet. Lil loves you. She would never intentionally hurt—" I break off because suddenly my chest feels like my heart is being ripped out.
She never intentionally hurt me. She. King.
"Fuck!" I close my eyes and shake my head.
"What?" Rhys asks inquisitively.
I open my mouth to confide in him as he did with me. Lilly would be able to track King. There has to be a trail, even if I would have to steal Mags's phone to get to her number. The words get stuck in my throat. Sweat builds on my forehead, and bile rises in my throat. What if Rhys freaks out and sends George after King to get to Gray? This would be his chance of getting even—however fucked up that may be. I can't do it.
"Nothing. Just, uh…girl trouble." I smirk at him in the hopes of coming across as semi-convincing. It's clear I've failed as soon as I look at him. His lips are in a thin line, and I wait for him to call me out on the lie, but he doesn't.
"What should I do about Lilly, man? We're getting married in a month." He returns to the original subject of our conversation.
"Ask her. Let her explain."
Something I should've done.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Lilly made good on her promises. For the past three and a half weeks, a black SUV followed me everywhere. At night, it was parked on the street, always in a different spot but never far away. It gave me a sense of security I didn't realize I was missing.
Yesterday morning, that pattern changed. I had just unlocked the Jeep when a tall figure—dressed in jeans, a black tee, and a bulletproof vest—approached me. Normally, I would've reacted accordingly, but he came from the direction the SUV was parked two houses down. This was the only reason I didn't pull one of my knives on him.
"Monroe."
I jumped at his voice. I did not expect it to be him. The urge to get in the car and speed off overwhelmed my senses, but I forced myself to remain in place. Slowly turning, I faced the man that scared the bejesus out of me: Marcus Baxter, Lilly's bodyguard. One would think that The Ghost would be more fear inducing, but Marcus, aka The Shadow, had darkness surrounding him. He was tormented by something—or someone. It takes one to know one.
I glanced around him at the car. Did that mean…?
He read my mind. "Lilly couldn't come. She wanted to, but something went wrong with the wedding venue. She is waiting for you in Montana." He stretched out a hand with an envelope, but all I could do was stare at him. What happened to this man? Except for the long hair he had tied back the same way, Lilly's bodyguard looked nothing like Wes. My heart grew heavy as Wes's face appeared in my memory.
"King?"
Hearing him address me with my first name snapped me out of my daydream, and I focused on the envelope he extended.
"What's this?"
"Lilly asked me to give this to you. The jet will be ready for you tomorrow at 1600 hours. I will be here to pick you up at 1400 hours.”
I was about to take the envelope, while converting the military time in my head, when his words sank in. My eyes flew to his. "WHAT?"
Heart pounding, my head suddenly spun, and I supported myself against the Jeep.
Marcus took a step toward me, but I held up my palm. I couldn't have him touch me.
"Do you need medical assistance?" He eyed my growing stomach, and I automatically followed his gaze.
"No, I—" I what? What was I going to say? Lilly said she would send the jet, but somehow, I didn't expect her to do it.
He seemed to understand my internal battle. "May I speak freely, Monroe?" Marcus stood straight, his hands folded behind his back. One would think that him using my middle name—or, for all intents and purposes, last name—would come across as offensive or condescending, but it did the opposite. I couldn't explain it.
"Were you military?" I didn't know why I asked; it simply came out.
His mouth pressed in a thin line. "I was. But I've been working under George for much longer." That was all I would get out of him. It was odd how I could read him.
"May I speak freely?" he repeated himself.
"Sure." I couldn't help the meek sound of my reply and tried to emphasize it with a nod.
"When Lilly sets her mind on something, there is no convincing her otherwise. She wants you in Stonebriar. She considers you part of her family, no matter how you feel about it or what will happen with you and Sheats."
I felt the blood drain from my face as my stomach dipped. This had to be a trick to get to Gray. "Why would she want to be my—"
"You carry
one of her best friend's babies. On top of that, you two have more in common than most. You can relate to each other better than Rhys can probably understand at times. And the two of them are sickeningly in love. I never believed in soul mates until I met them." He chuckled at the last sentence.
"But I have a job." I couldn't just leave. A sensation all too similar to morning sickness began to spread through me. I needed all the money I could get to support us.
Marcus impassively waited for me to catch on. He reminded me of the videos I'd seen of George. I guess it made sense they'd have the same mannerisms if he has worked for him for years.
My shoulders dropped, and he saw it. The corner of his mouth quirked at the side as if he was waiting for me to concede.
"Lilly will meet you the day after tomorrow to discuss the future of you two. She won't let you come back to this dump; I can promise you that." His gaze dropped down to my belly again before he swung it to my decrepit apartment building.
"Do I even go to work today?" I asked him, furrowing my brows, feeling a mix of relief and dread at the same time. I hated it here, and I hated my job, but this was where Gray told me to stay until he came back for me.
"Collect your last paycheck, then go home to pack."
Quit? Pack? Like that? How could it be so easy for him? Them? My nostrils flared at the sudden heat burning my cheeks. I didn't like being ordered around. My gaze dropped to the ground in an attempt to get my temper under control. I scanned the cracked and stained concrete—smears that looked too similar to what had coated the floor of The Pole that night. I left that life, that environment, behind when I went to Stonebriar—even before Wes came into the picture. I swore to myself that I would do anything to give my baby a better future. Decision made, I lifted my head.
"What about my Jeep?" I narrowed my eyes at Marcus. How could I trust these people? They were my enemies—or I was theirs.
"One of my men will drive it back. Give it two days, and we will leave it wherever you are staying." His tone was matter of fact.
This was too good to be true.
Marcus pressed the envelope into my hand and turned without another word. I watched him walk to the SUV and get in. I expected him to leave, but the car didn't move until it followed me to work fifteen minutes later. It took me that long to digest the letter Lilly added to her wedding invitation.
