Wicked Promises: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Fallen Royals Book 3)

by S. Massery

  I shake my head. “A hug would be nice.”

  He yanks me forward, into him, faster than I expect. He wraps his arms around me, bone-crushingly tight.

  “Like this?” he whispers into my hair.

  It’s tight enough to hold me together for a moment. Just like Riley’s hug, but this one…

  I relax into his hold, and his hand cups the back of my head.

  “Now, if only we could stay like this,” he says.

  I don’t say anything but slowly bring my arms up and circle his waist. My breath shudders out of me. Yes, I want to say. This could be a forever kind of thing.

  “Do you remember what I said?”

  I pull back just enough to meet his gaze. “You say a lot.”

  His smile is faint. “I’m always going to find you.”

  “I believe it,” I admit. It scares me as much as it comforts me. “But what if you find me and we both…”

  “Go dark?”

  I nod. I can feel it crawling through me. It’s a slippery feeling, addictive. And the worst part? It pushes out all my other emotions. I know he feels it, too. The rare times his demons have come out full force.

  He lifts one shoulder. His grip on me eases, allowing me to take a small step backward. “So what if we do?”

  I contemplate that.

  “Ah, Margo, are you—?” Lenora stops in the middle of the hallway. “Caleb, glad to see you could make it. The doctor is going to talk to us, honey.” She holds out her hand to me.

  I release Caleb and go to her, taking her hand. She squeezes it.

  Nerves flutter through me, and I realize this is the moment. The one where we find out if Robert made it or not. If he’s alive or…

  I take a deep breath. Breathing is important. How would it feel if one lung stopped working? If I started coughing blood?

  I close my eyes for a heartbeat, and I replay blood spraying from Robert’s lips. The way he rubbed at his chest, like he couldn’t get enough air.

  The car.

  —What did you do?—

  I don’t realize I’ve stopped moving until Caleb puts his hands on my shoulders, propelling me from behind.

  “This is a fear we need to face,” he whispers in my ear. “But you’re not in this alone.”

  I shake my head. “If he dies, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  His lips touch the shell of my ear. “It isn’t you who holds the blame.”

  No, he’s right.

  It’s Matt.

  The doctor is in the waiting room, Lenora already in front of her. I go stand beside her, leaving Riley and Caleb behind. There’s another woman in the room, dressed in scrubs, that hangs back, too. I recognize her as Lenora’s doctor friend.

  “He’s out of surgery,” the doctor says. “He’s in recovery right now, but we’re hopeful that everything looks good. He’s off the ventilator and should be waking up in a little while.”

  “Can we see him?” Lenora asks.

  “Yes. I’ll have a nurse come get you when he’s back in his room, although he’ll be quite groggy. We’re going to keep him here for observation for another few days.”

  Lenora shakes her hand, and then the doctor leaves us.

  I let out a long breath. “He’s going to be okay.”

  “Sounds like it,” Lenora says. She smiles.

  We’ve been full of hugs today. Hugs and sadness and panic and worry. Too much worry.

  The exhaustion hits me like a ton of bricks to the face.

  “Do you want to head home?” she whispers. “You’ve had a long day.”

  “You’ve had a long week. I…” I can’t go without seeing him one more time. To confirm with my own eyes that he’s okay. “I’ll get a ride home with Caleb or Riley after we see him.”

  She nods, stroking my hair. “You have an appointment to get these stitches removed soon.”

  “Monday.” Almost a full week away. They’re driving me nuts, but I try not to focus on it. On what it symbolizes.

  How did I walk away with just a gash and some bumps and bruises, and Robert…

  I cross the room and sit between Riley and Caleb. There are things I need to say to Riley… preferably without Caleb eavesdropping. So instead of speaking, I just let both of them take a hand, and I close my eyes.

  “Wake up, love.”

  It’s been mere moments, but my eyes are sandpaper. I straighten, shooting a quick glance at Riley. She’s on her phone, her lower lip sucked into her mouth. My hand is still being held by hers.

  Caleb has my other one. But he also has…

  I shake my head. “Why am I sitting on your lap?”

  “Because you started snoring about two minutes after you closed your eyes.”

  “I did not.”

  “You did,” Riley confirms. “And you looked so uncomfortable, Caleb just had to fix it.”

  “Ha, ha.” I put my hand on his shoulder and stand, ignoring the creaking feeling in my bones. “Is it time?”

  Lenora and her friend are near the door, talking in low voices, but Lenora glances up at the sound of my voice. “Yes, he’s back in his room.”

  I smile, then frown. Fear lances through me. Oh God, what if he’s…

  “Come now, honey,” she says. “The sooner you see him, the sooner you can get back to snoozing.”

  “Very funny.”

  She grins. “I thought so.”

  We leave our friends behind and go down the hall, into Robert’s room. The television is on, muted. The lamp in the corner burns dimly, casting deep shadows around the room.

  “There’s my girls,” Robert mumbles. His eyes are half closed, but his head lolls in our direction. He smiles. “What an adventure we’re on, huh, Lenny?”

  “An adventure? You nearly gave me a heart attack.” She goes to his side, brushing back his hair and kissing his cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  “Dandy, dandy.” He smiles. “Had a nice chat with Josie.”

  I freeze.

  “Ah, there she is.” He looks right at me, and everything in me locks up.

  Does he think you’re his dead daughter? No, no, no.

  Can surgery cause amnesia?

  Am I going to have to tell him that I’m not his daughter?

  “Margo-girl, you had me worried,” he continues. “But you two stuck together, right?”

  “We did.” Lenora straightens his blankets.

  I venture closer. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

  He takes my hand once I’m close enough. “You’re okay?”

  I’m really sick of crying. A lump forms in my throat at his blatant concern.

  “You were just in surgery, and you’re worried about me?” I clutch at his hand with both of mine. “It’s…”

  “My job as a dad,” he says. “Josie would expect no less of me and neither should you.”

  I glance to Lenora, but her eyes are fastened on him. Her hand covers her mouth.

  “It’s late,” I say, pretending to check the clock on the wall. I already know that it’s well past nine. The surgery went on for a long time, and I don’t think I can take much more of this hospital. “I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

  I lean down and wrap my arms around him, gingerly. He rubs my back, then I stand back up.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Lenora says. We go to the doorway together. “You’ll be okay with the Blacks?”

  “They’re very nice.” I shift. “Once Robert comes back, I get to…”

  “Yes,” she answers immediately. “You’ll come home, too. We’ll figure it out.”

  I nod. Caleb has eyes on me—I can feel his stare from here—and I give Lenora one last hug before I go.

  I pause in front of Caleb. “Riley’s bringing me home,” I inform him. “We have things to discuss.”

  “Things,” he says. “Things you don’t want me to hear?”

  “Yes.” I raise my eyebrows. “You don’t trust her?”

  “I don’t trust anyone around you, love. Not any
more.”

  I trace my bracelet. “But you trust me?”

  He puts his finger under my chin, lifting it. I meet his gaze and frown.

  “I do trust you.”

  My heart skips. “Oh.”

  “You don’t sound happy about that.” He smirks, then leans down and steals a kiss from my lips. “Little wolf doesn’t know what to do with trust?”

  “Not in the slightest.” I shake my head, backing away from him.

  I’ve seen Caleb possessive. Angry. Hostile. Ruthless. But… trusting? Not since we were kids. Not since we were young and innocent.

  Look how far we’ve come.

  How far we’ve fallen.

  Riley waits for me at the end of the hall. She passes me my jacket, and we quickly make our way to her car.

  “I’ve been worried about you,” she says.

  “Well, you might still be worried when I tell you…”

  She starts the car, then turns to me. Heat pours out of the vents. “Spill.”

  I fill her in about Matt and his appearance at Eli’s house last night. How I think the boys interrogated him—without success. And then, keeping my attention on my shoes, I tell her my plan.

  “You’re shitting me,” she responds.

  I grin. My first true smile in how long?

  “Nope.”

  16

  Margo

  I slip into the house. Up the stairs, down the hall, pretending I know where I’m going.

  His parents are out of town, and my blood is boiling.

  Riley dropped me off around the corner. It was easy enough to go under the gate and avoid the glow of the floodlights. People in these kinds of neighborhoods never bother to lock their back doors.

  I find his room on the second try. It’s mostly dark, but there’s a glow from his computer monitors in the corner. I flick my flashlight on, not really caring if it wakes him up. I’m ready for a fight.

  The rest of his room is neat. No dirty clothes on the floor, a school bag slung over the back of his chair, textbooks stacked on the edge of the desk. And another thing on the desk: something small and familiar.

  A mermaid figurine.

  I pick it up, unsurprised to find it plugged into his computer. Yanking the cord out, I stuff it in my pocket. And then I turn my attention to the bed and the sleeping figure under a pile of blankets.

  I don’t bother kicking off my shoes and step up onto the bed. It dips under my weight, rolling his sleeping form toward me.

  One foot on either side of his thighs.

  I drop to my knees, landing on him hard. It would be intimate if I gave a fuck about that, but… I don’t.

  He comes alive all at once and gasps when I slap my hand over his mouth.

  “Don’t move.” I lean over and turn on the light.

  Matt squints in the sudden brightness, and I take a moment to register the bruises on his face. Two black eyes. His nose looks like it was broken and reset. And then he realizes who I am, and he struggles.

  I pull the knife out of my pocket, flip it open, and press it against his throat. It’s enough for him to freeze.

  Do great and terrible things, Liam had said. What is this if not great and terrible?

  “You took me from the car accident. Drugged me. Brought me somewhere. Why?”

  He winces.

  “Margo, I swear, I didn’t want to hurt you—”

  The tip of my knife digs into his skin. “Doubtful.”

  “Listen, this is just a big misunderstanding—”

  “The police said you had a fucking alibi,” I growl. “What did you do? Hit Robert’s car, drag me out and drug me, then go off somewhere to be seen in public?”

  His hand wraps around my wrist.

  “You were helping Caleb with the spy camera, weren’t you? Was all that just a wild goose chase?”

  “Which question do you want me to answer first?” He laughs, but it dies when I lean over him. The knife cuts into his throat, and the first few drops of blood ooze out.

  I feel more crazy than not these days—it’s about time someone noticed.

  Besides, Matt wouldn’t talk to the boys. I’d bet anything that Caleb remained in control of the situation. Calm, cool, collected. He only comes unhinged if it has something to do with me—well, more directly, anyway.

  The way Matt ran off the property last night makes me think Caleb and his friends didn’t try hard enough.

  He eyes me like I’m going to suddenly stab him. “Okay, okay. No, it wasn’t a wild goose chase. The person downloading the videos was doing it at the diner.”

  “It wasn’t you?”

  He rolls his eyes. “I wasn’t that close to the… project.”

  I scoff. “Bullshit, Matt. I’m supposed to believe that you knew where the videos were being downloaded and turned on them? But only enough to give Caleb a clue. You were close enough to hit Robert’s car and abduct me, but not—”

  “It was part of the plan,” he blurts out. “To fuck with Caleb by going there.”

  I raise my eyebrow. “Where was it, exactly?”

  “A diner.” He spits out the address, and I commit it to memory.

  He continues, “We had the data to back up my findings, but there were no plans to continue going back there. You’re not going to find who you’re looking for if you go there.”

  “You don’t know what I’m looking for,” I snap. My mind reels.

  Why lead Caleb to a diner to fuck with him? Why have Unknown go there at all? The whole thing could’ve been fabricated.

  I push the thought out of my mind. “And the alibi?”

  “My girlfriend,” he mutters. “She said I was with her.”

  “She lied to the police.” I laugh. “Of course. What, are you that good of a lay? Fuck you, Matt.”

  “Please don’t hurt me.”

  I pause and examine the blade. The way it digs into his skin without cutting. It’s a slicing blade, so all I’d have to do is pull it down. He’d bleed out in minutes—maybe even seconds. The carotid artery is nothing to fuck with.

  “What did Caleb ask you?”

  “He wanted t-to know who I was working with.”

  “And?”

  His eyes are wide. “Margo—”

  “And?”

  “I didn’t tell them anything. They’re going to fucking kill me—”

  A laugh bubbles out of me. “Why are you talking to me, then, Matt? Do you have a death sentence hanging over your head anyway? Did something bad to your boss?” I narrow my eyes. “Because apparently you’re not close to the project, and you don’t know what the fuck is going on besides abducting me.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  I grimace. “It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?” I tilt my head. “Caleb and his friends threatened you, but you didn’t talk. Why are you talking to me?”

  His gaze drops to my hand, then back to my eyes. “Caleb wouldn’t kill me. But you…”

  In order to get answers? I might push too far.

  I reveal the mermaid. “Why did you keep this?”

  He laughs. The movement drives the knife into his skin, and blood bubbles out. “Why? For a keepsake. To always remember you by.”

  “Did you…?”

  “Bring it with me? You fucking bet.” He laughs again, like he got away with something. Pulled one over on… whoever.

  I yank the knife away from him before I do real damage.

  His laugh dies, and he exhales, his hand going to his throat.

  I switch the blade to my left hand and lean back. My fist snaps out, aiming for the tape across his nose. Pain explodes across my knuckles, but it’s worth it to see his eyes roll back.

  His body relaxes under me.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say, repeating the same words he told me. It’s a lie, of course.

  Disgust crawls through me—but I got what I came here for. A few answers from an unreliable source. And I have my next move.

  I climb off of him and shake
his computer awake. It’s relatively easy to find the files downloaded from the mermaid, but they’re encrypted by a password.

  Swearing, I yank out the cord that will connect to the mermaid and stuff it in my pocket. Hopefully they’re still on there. Unencrypted.

  I’m not computer savvy. I can count on one hand the number of computers I’ve been allowed access to over the years. My phone is my key to the internet and… well, everything. Computer? No such luck.

  I email the encrypted files to myself just for the hell of it, deleting as much of the evidence as I can—and then deleting the files themselves, too.

  Feeling rather proud of myself, I turn off the light and jog out of the house.

  And I run face-first into a body.

  I take a few steps back, ready to run, and instead scowl.

  Caleb glares at me, arms folded over his chest.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask.

  A muscle in his jaw jumps.

  “Silent treatment?” I continue. “Really?”

  A nervous thrill races through me.

  He steps forward, and I step back. I silently curse myself for it.

  “Run and I’ll chase you, love.” A promise. A threat.

  Yet, this is my find. I found Matt. Snuck into his room and got him to talk. Not Caleb.

  I don’t need him fighting my battles for me or getting in more trouble with the detective—who very well could’ve followed him here.

  So, yeah. I turn and run, knowing that I just have to make it under the gate and to Riley’s car.

  I barely make it halfway there.

  He grabs me from behind, and I have a flash of déjà vu. It abruptly ends when he twists. We land on his side, barely anything more than a graceful tumble, and he rolls me onto my back.

  An animalistic urge surges through me. I kick at him, my knee coming very close to his groin. He lets out a huff and captures one of my wrists, bringing it above my head.

  The panic is blind now. Too similar to having my wrists contained—something I shouldn’t remember—and my fight doubles. He’s flush against me in the grass, but I manage to slip the knife out. Flip it open.

  He only stills when I press it to his throat.

  Great and terrible things.