“Believe me, they fuck up a lot,” Scarlett said. “Look at how they tried to handle things with me.”
“Hey!” Rogue snapped.
Scarlett rolled her eyes and shot him her middle finger over her shoulder. “They make mistakes. They handle things poorly sometimes. But they know they can rely on each other. That’s the difference. You’ve gotta learn that you can rely on us, too. No one is keeping a scorecard on who’s helping who.”
I swallowed and rested my head against the chair. “I just wish I’d never met Aaron.”
Forty-Three stood up and walked over to us, intrigue evident on his face. “What does he have on you?” he asked. It seemed he wasn’t included on all the details yet.
I couldn’t look at him as I admitted it yet again, so my eyes dropped to my lap. If I wanted to make up for all the secrets, I had to get comfortable telling my story. “I...killed a woman in Ecuador,” I whispered, my voice unable to speak any louder. “It was an accident. I didn’t read her chart thoroughly. She had a penicillin allergy, and I accidentally gave her some.” I quickly swiped at a stray tear. “He...covered for me. Made it seem like he was helping me out so I wouldn’t go to jail for malpractice or get sued. He took me to his office. Threatened to tell everyone if I didn’t...”
“If you didn’t what?” Luis asked. “Say it, Royal.”
My eyes snapped over to him, shocked to see he was staring right at me, his entire body tense as he leaned forward.
“If I didn’t fuck him. Is that what you want to hear?” I snapped.
The entire plane went silent. I wasn’t sure how much more toxic truth I could purge from my system.
“Oooh! I’ve been dying to be Forty-Four. Double numbers are good luck,” Forty-Three replied with glee and a wave of his manicured hand.
“No!” I insisted, my eyes wide. “We have to handle this carefully. If he thinks for even a second that I’ve told anyone, he’ll turn me in. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in an Ecuadorian prison. And he has photos…” My face turned a bright shade of pink as my words trailed off.
“Photos? You didn’t mention photos. What kind?” Rogue asked, keeping his level-headed tone.
I looked over at Luis again. “Personal ones. Photos of me at Luis’s house doing umm, private—”
“For fuck’s sake, don’t say another word,” Godfrey interrupted while rubbing his temples. “You should have told us sooner, Royal. Shit like this doesn’t fly.”
“I know. But I was scared, and I didn’t want to drag you into this. But I don’t know what else to do now. I’m sorry, okay? I was in over my head,” I admitted. “What are we going to do?”
Surprisingly, it was Bonham who spoke up. His face was a mask of concern and concentration. “We’re going on this trip. We’re gonna act like everything is normal. We will figure it out, but there’s no use rehashing this. It’s not going to make any difference, and honestly, it’s not healthy for you to purge this shit every five seconds. You need a break. We all need a break,” Bonham said before giving Luis and Godfrey a pointed look.
“So that means we have a week to get our shit together and come up with a plan,” Rogue added. “Mrs. Salvador is safe with the other nurses and her security detail. You’re safe here, away from that psycho. We’ll be smart about this. We’ve never gone into anything blind, and we’re not going to start now.” He pulled out his phone. “Bonham, I want you to see if you can find any dirt on the prick.”
“On it,” the broody and charming Heir replied.
“You,” Godfrey said, pointing at Luis. “You’re gonna figure out this shit between you and my sister.” Godfrey’s blue eyes flashed to mine. “We can’t do shit if we aren’t a united front. You have my blessing—”
“I don’t need your blessing, Godfrey,” I snapped.
“Hell yes, you do!” my brother yelled, making me flinch. “Figure this shit out, Royal. Use the week to get your head on straight, ’cause when we get back? The bastard dies.”
I blanched. “Wait a minute, just because I told you doesn’t mean I don’t have a say in this.”
Godfrey scoffed as if I were being ridiculous. “Yeah, actually, that’s exactly what it means. You brought this to us, and now we’re going to handle it.”
Everything was going too fast. I stood up, my feet slightly unsteady. I didn’t know if it was from the movement of the plane, the drink I’d just downed, or my tumultuous nerves, but I stumbled, and Luis was on his feet, steadying me in an instant. I placed my hands on the back of the leather seat so I could stand on my own, and Luis let go after a slightly prolonged beat.
“I told you because I wanted your help,” I said to my brother. “Not because I wanted you to steamroll me. Think about this like a Taylor,” I told him. “I need cool and cunning. Not hot-headed and emotional.”
“She’s right,” Rogue said.
“I like her,” Forty-Three added.
“Both of you shut the fuck up. You’re the king of hot-headed, Rogue,” Godfrey shot back.
“Exactly. So play your role,” the alpha Heir replied.
Godfrey sighed and yanked at his messy blonde hair. “I want to kill him, Royal. You understand that?” he asked, his blue eyes locked on me. I could see the fury and pain there, mixed in with the guilt that he shouldn’t be feeling.
“It’s not your fault, Godfrey,” I told him quietly. “It’s mine. For a lot of reasons.”
“It’s not your fault, Royal,” Rachel said.
I shook my head. “It is, though. I killed that woman by being negligent. I chose to follow my family’s orders and become a nurse when it was the last thing I wanted to do. I let my father ship me off to Ecuador. There are a lot of things I’m responsible for. And all of those choices led me to Aaron,” I said soberly. I took a step forward to stand in front of my brother. I hated the anguish on his face. “You’ve always protected me, Godfrey. But this time, I want you to help me protect myself,” I whispered. “I need you guys to have my back and help me figure out what to do.”
Godfrey’s lips pressed together unhappily, but then he pulled me into a hug. My eyes closed on contact, and I leaned against him, wondering for the thousandth time how I got so lucky to have a brother like him when he very easily could’ve become a duplicate of our father.
“I always have your back,” he said before kissing me on the top of the head.
I pulled back and wiped my cheeks with my hands. “I know.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Alright. We’ll figure something out together. Something you’re on board with.”
I sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
He nodded tersely but then looked over my shoulder at Luis again. “You and I are gonna have a fucking talk.”
They were both still sporting busted up lips and swollen eyes from their fist fight. Things were rocky between them, and I hated it.
Luis’s eyes slipped to me before meeting Godfrey’s again. “Yeah.”
“Guys, the captain announced that we’re about to land. He turned the seatbelt light on,” Scarlett announced.
Rachel walked by, giving my hand a squeeze before tugging Godfrey back into their seats.
I sat down too, along with everyone else, but before I could buckle myself in, Luis was there, reaching across to grab the seatbelt and latch it for me. The tender and thoughtful gesture shocked me. Maybe we could move past this.
My breath caught as he drew his palm across the belt, making sure it was tight enough. His touch was soft and slow, and it immediately made my heartbeat pick up in pace. All he ever had to do was touch me, or hell, even look at me, and I reacted to him. His brown eyes lifted from my lap to his face. For a moment, I thought he was going to lean forward and kiss me. I would have let him, even with everyone around.
Instead, he sat back in his own chair, buckling up before looking out the window again. My heart sunk, but then he brought his leg out and nudged it against mine, and I felt a spark of hope that maybe I
hadn’t fucked up everything after all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Luis
I felt like shit.
For leaving Ma back in Savannah and for giving Royal the cold shoulder. I needed time to ruminate.
Just once, I didn’t want to have to sit there and be the responsible one. Just once, I wanted to be selfish and do something for myself. I wanted to get the girl and not sit at home, watching Ma ruin her life—watch her fail another detox. I wanted to put someone else first. But of course, I was fucking it all up. I was so pissed at the circumstances and at myself that I couldn’t see straight.
Outside of my cabana, my hands were curled over the railing so tight that I couldn’t feel my fingers. My chest kept constricting every time I breathed in. I wanted to punch something. Hard.
I’ve always been hot-headed; I just got good at hiding it behind charm and humor. Ma used to say my mind was lethal if given enough incentive, and I was about ready to show Dr. Carmichael that nobody messed with what was mine.
But was Royal really mine, though?
That thought kept flickering in and out of my mind as I stared out at the ocean. If she were mine, she wouldn’t have been so quick to run away. If she were mine, she would have trusted me. If she were mine, I wouldn’t be sitting here like a dumbass, wondering where to go from here.
I wanted her back.
I told her I was done.
I missed her.
I walked away.
She’d been scared—terrified even—and I hadn’t even known. That fucker had been threatening her, stalking her, forcing himself on her...
Grabbing the knife from my pocket, I flipped it open and sent it flying through the air, watching as it landed in the sand. “FUCK!” I screamed, my voice raw with emotion. Why didn’t she tell me? Why was this Aaron fucker so fixated on her? And why couldn’t I have a mother that didn’t need my constant supervision?
I was so fucked up inside that when I saw Godfrey Taylor—my best friend in the entire world—stalk closer to me with a scowl, I let go of the railing and flexed my muscles, preparing for a fight. I had so much pent up anger, I was ready to expel some of the venom rolling around in my soul.
“You talk to my sister yet?” he asked in a condescendingly calm voice as he walked up the steps before getting in my face. I never understood why dudes acted like they were going in for a kiss when they wanted to fight, but I held my ground. Godfrey and I had been tense since our fight, and it was time to declare a winner. Except in this war? There were no champions, just broken hearts and broken brotherhoods. The day I fell for Royal Taylor, I knew it would lead to this standoff, I just didn’t realize the path would be so fucked up.
“Why don’t you ask her?” I taunted, knowing that it would piss him off even more. I was itching to throw a punch.
Godfrey observed me in that analytical way I admired. He was reading me like a book. “Why are you trying to pick a fight with me, Luis?” he asked before taking a step back. “Last I checked, I already beat your ass. If you’re angry, find a better outlet.”
There was a complete shift in dynamic now. He knew I was looking to work out my frustrations, so like the asshole he was, he was denying me that. “Think your sister would be willing to help me work out my—”
“Think very carefully about what you say next, Luis. You may be like a brother to me, but you won’t disrespect my sister. You’re better than that, and I came here to fix things, not kill you.”
I let out an angry huff before unclenching my fists and relaxing my muscles, he was right. I was still handling this all fucking wrong.
“I’m fucking pissed,” I said, my entire body slumping as I slid down the exterior wall of my cabana and sat on the deck. “I love your sister, and she didn’t trust me to help. She’s been doing this all on her own, and it pisses me off. Did you know she was just going to run? Leave us all behind and never look back?”
“She was going to leave?” Godfrey asked, his fists flexed in anger. I wondered if I’d actually be getting that fight after all. He started stalking back and forth.
“Yes. Gone for good. I don’t know if I can trust her. She kept pushing me away. Kept hiding shit. She let me believe...well, she just should’ve told me. She should’ve known I would’ve taken care of her.”
“Goddammit.” Godfrey stopped pacing and pulled a blunt from his pocket. After lighting up, he took a slow, deep inhale before sitting next to me and passing it over. “You can’t be mad at her for wanting to do this herself. She had her back against the wall. And as much as it kills me to say this, she cares about you for some fucking reason. She’s watched you take care of your mother, and she didn’t want to become another burden. I know my sister. She thinks she’s just dead weight to carry. She didn’t want that with you.”
I squeezed my eyes closed, feeling like shit once more. Of course it came back to my toxic relationship with Ma. It always came back to Ma.
“I know that. I know it,” I replied before placing the joint between my lips and inhaling. It burned my lungs with a buzz as I held it in my chest for as long as I could. After breathing it out, I looked over at him. “We’ve just been doing this push and pull thing for so long that I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.”
“So she opens up to you, and you’re gonna sit here with your dick in your hands? Typical Luis. Shit gets real, and he runs for the hills.”
I was tempted to take the blazing joint in my hand and shove it in his eye.
“I’m not running,” I replied.
“Really? Because that’s exactly what it sounds like. Man, I don’t want to give you relationship advice with my sister, but this shit has got to stop. You got what you wanted. She told you what happened, and now you’re punishing her for it and punishing yourself. Think of how she feels. She’s been carrying these fucked up, shameful secrets around on her own. And now she told you, but instead of being there for her like you keep saying you would be, you pushed her away.”
“She pushed me away first!”
“So be a man and fucking pull.” Godfrey’s words were like a punch to the throat, and I had to swallow back the nasty shame that filled me. I mulled over his words, mad as hell because I knew he was right. “So who exactly are you pissed at?” Godfrey asked before taking the blunt from me.
I stared out at the ocean for a long while, letting the waves center me before responding. “Him. Her. Me. Ma.”
He snorted. “Well, that narrows it down.”
I ran a frustrated hand over my scalp. “I’m pissed at this fucker for messing with what’s mine. I’m pissed at Royal for not telling me. I’m pissed at Ma for…” I couldn’t even choke out the words. Thankfully, Godfrey didn’t force me to elaborate. This was one wound he knew not to touch.
“Royal’s always been a runner, man. You know this. Hell, how many times did we find her sleeping in Rogue’s pool house as kids? She ran away from home more times than I can count. It’s just her instinct. You gotta cut her some slack. She’s always had a father who wanted her gone. Now she’s dealing with this prick who thinks he can assault and blackmail her. Are you really surprised that she runs? Or that she has trust issues, especially with guys?”
My shoulders slumped at his words, and my head fell back against the wall. Godfrey passed over the joint, and I took another hit, blowing the smoke up at the sky. “This is so fucked up.”
“Yeah, but it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Godfrey replied before stealing the blunt from me again. “So take a beat, get your head on straight, and then let’s go handle our shit. And as far as your anger with your Ma, you’ve been avoiding that resentment for a while. Don’t punish Royal for that.”
I broke. Every disappointment flooded to the surface. “I just can’t do this anymore,” I replied, thinking of Ma. “I hate her, Godfrey. I really think I hate her. I’ve been trying for so fucking long, but I’m at the point where even looking at her disgusts me.”
“I know, man. I know.”
>
The sound of a choked sob suddenly broke out, and we turned just in time to see Royal sprinting across the sand away from us. “Shit. I need to go talk to her,” I quickly said.
Godfrey dropped the joint, crushing it beneath his shoe. He held his hand out to help me up, but he didn’t let go right away. When we were eye-level, he gave me a pointed look and gripped my forearm harder than necessary, letting me know that whatever he was about to say next, I needed to shut the fuck up and listen.
“I need to hear it from you. Is this thing between you and Royal legit? Are you going to get your shit together?”
I nodded without hesitation. He was giving me his take-no-fucks Godfrey Taylor look, but I knew better than to look away. “It is.”
He studied me for an uncomfortably long amount of time. His eyes hard and his expression masked. “Are you sure? Because this is the one and only out I’m giving you, and I wouldn’t give it to anyone else. But you’re family, so I’m doing that for you. Don’t fuck up again. Don’t break her heart, or you and I are done. The Heirs will be over. You got me?”
As much as the words shocked me, I wasn’t legitimately surprised. I expected nothing less from him. Godfrey was a hard ass, a twisted manipulator, a people-reader, a gambler. But he was also loyal to the core, and his sister sat at the very center of that.
“I’ll make this right,” I vowed.
His fingers dug into my arm. “You better.”
I nodded, letting him know in my silence that I wasn’t messing around. I loved his sister, and he was right. I did need to stop fucking up. I knew in my gut that she was it for me, and I had to start showing her that rather than get pissed every time she got scared and ran away.
Whatever was in my face, Godfrey read it. He finally nodded and dropped my arm. I was probably going to have a fucking bruise left over.
Wild: Savannah Heirs Page 20
