Page 17 of Royally Twisted

“Why have you skipped out on us if you weren’t guilty? Why’d I have to virtually kidnap a man to get you here?” King asked, moving around to take his seat back.

“After you had a couple members break into our apartment and beat the shit out of Darian, I felt it was in my best interest to make myself scarce. I’d planned...I mean, I thought about leaving, but...” she trailed off.

Tymber stared at Ivy, then King. “You were at the center because you were thinking of killing yourself, weren’t you?” The knowledge had his gut rolling.

She shrugged. “I didn’t have anything to lose or to live for. My family has always been Luke and his family. Without them, I had nothing.”

He didn’t care about protocol anymore. His arms moved with no fear of consequences, pulling Ivy into his embrace. “You have so much to live for, Ivy. You hear me?” He gave her a shake, wanting her to acknowledge his words.

“I thought he was bi, not gay,” Duke muttered. His head in his hands as he spoke. Bent over in the chair, he looked gutted. “He was my twin. How did I not know what he was going through?” Duke stood, the chair scraping loudly behind him, falling on its side in a crash. “Who’d you have go rough up their place?” he asked King.

King held his hands up. “I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did. Darian said the guys had on their cuts and told him he was gonna pay for Luke’s—his death.”

“Either Darian,” King spat the name out. “is lying or someone took it upon themselves. You know who I believe, don’t you?”

She reached for her phone lying in the middle of the table. “Darian saved them coming and going on our security camera. I didn’t look, but I know he wasn’t lying. My door didn’t just get broke down on its own, King.”

King grabbed the phonewith the glitter shit of a cover on it. “Show me,” he ordered.

He almost felt bad for the fear and anxiety he could see stamped on Ivy’s little face. Almost being the key word. Once she put her code in, she handed him the phone. He opened the app for the security company, his thumb hovering over the key that saidEvent History. One push and the dates began to pop up. He scrolled down, stabbing at the date in question. “Fuck,” he muttered as he watched two prospects enter the building. The next saved event was over an hour later. Again, he hit the button, watching Frog and Groot swagger out. From the looks of the two men, they were proud of whatever they’d done. “Duke, get Frog and Groot in here.”

He barely controlled the urge to bust the phone held in his palm, anger surging through him like lava. If he wanted to see his brother alive again, he knew all he had to do was scroll back a couple more weeks and see if there were any saved events. Instead of following through on the impulse, he sat the phone down, the last video still displayed.

“Have a seat, fuckers,” Duke growled.

Ivy looked toward the two men, her hate clear as the green in her eyes. King knew then if she’d have had a gun, she’d have shot the two bastards. He wasn’t far behind in his thoughts. “You need to tell me anything?” King asked, breaking into the silence.

It took the two idiots less than two minutes to turn on each other, each blaming the other for their actions. “We were going to tell you, but then we noticed some things,” Frog muttered.

“Well, don’t stop now.” King waved him on.

He listened to the men explain how they’d began trashing the place after beating the shit out of the man who’d been there. “So, you decided to fuck up my brother’s home without asking me for permission?”

Again, each of them spoke over the other until he had enough. “Groot, shut the fuck up. Frog, what made you decide your actions? Let me warn you, if I don’t like what you say, there’s going to be consequences.”

Frog’s words brought his mind to a hard stop. “You didn’t share a bedroom with Luke?”

Ivy shook her head, tears leaking down her cheeks.

“This Darian, he was important to Luke?” King asked, his hand balling into a fist. Control, he needed to get his shit back under control. Ivy’s dark head nodding up and down pissed him off. “Why did he hide from me what was essentially his life?” he breathed out loudly.

“He loved you both, worshipped you. He just...he was scared.” Ivy lifted her hand, placing it on top of his.

“Tymber, sorry you got pulled in the way you did. I know how stubborn this one is, and one of my guys said he’d seen you two together on several occasions. I took a chance and, well shit, here we are.”

King could see the war raging in Tymber’s eyes. On one hand, he knew the bastard wanted to punch him, yet he also didn’t want to show too much disrespect. He put his other hand over Ivy’s. “You two get out of here. I’ve some things to take care of, but Ivy,” he said, waiting until she met his stare. “You’re still family. You’ll always be family.”

Ivy’s chin wobbled, more tears flowed from her eyes. “Thanks, King.”

He sat back, waving his hand, he dismissed her and Tymber. However, the man didn’t seem to be mollified. “You got something to say?” King raised one brow.

Tymber leaned down, so he was on the same level as King. “What happened tonight wasn’t cool, but I know you were doing what you felt was right. Next time you want a meet and greet with me, call first. I don’t like having my chain jerked even by someone I liked and respected.”

“That sounds past tense, Tymber. I suppose I owe you an apology?”

He grinned as time ticked by. Frog and Groot shuffled their boots in the ensuing silence.

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