Page 64 of Royal Havoc

“Where are you going?” he asks as soon as I step away.

Glancing over my shoulder, giggling at his wicked glare. “To bed. Bad boys get teased. See you tomorrow.” Blowing him a kiss before slipping quietly out the door.

Once I’m locked in my room, I fall back against the cold metal, smiling so hard my face instantly hurts.

thirty-four

Shook… Not Stirred

Onyx: 2024

Dead brains are like dead phones…useless. They require sleep, which I rarely get for recharging. That’s why I’m chalking up yesterday’s heart-to-heart with Daddy Dearest to a malfunction and pretending it never happened.

Here’s the problem…

It’s morning, and I’m staring at a snoring jackass on my sofa.

Guess the bedroom lock’s the only one that works in this place.

Moving on, the sleep I got last night supercharged my brain, and it refuses to stop replaying Daddy Jekyll and Mr. Hendrix’s useless shit he was slinging.

I switch to stealth mode, gathering my things while praying I can escape the cottage without waking Vex’s loud ass. It’s impossible for a girl to think with all his rumbley air blowing everywhere.

I’m shook and craving clarity!

The road’s empty, allowing me to let my thoughts wander over, circling questions as I drive. After all the warped nonsense I’ve heard over the years about this hokey-Unity-bloodline-bullshit, how is it he wasn’t supposed to marry Mom? If not her, who? And why did he get to change his mind?

Could Vex change his?

Would you choose to marry a bitch?

I’ll tuck that one away for later. Next!

Hendrix confidently said not to trust the people IthinkI can trust. That’s easy enough because I don’t trust anyone.

Except Nolan!

This brings me to exhibit A, proving Hendrix’s a nut. Nolan’s been a part of my life way longer than the nut. He wouldn’t really think I’d just drop him because he said so. Nolan’s gotten me out of more trouble than I could count on both hands. Plus, all the late-night algebra study sessions. I’m not sure I’d be graduating this year if it wasn’t for him.

He became your best friend after Vex.

The last item on the worthless agenda is that he needs to know I’m safe? Safe from what? I’ve never felt safe. The panic’s always slithering over my muscles, waiting to constrict. It’s taught me to walk on the edge, always searching for the eyes I feel watching me.

Trust and safety were gifts taken from me years ago.

I barely registered the short drive across the bridge, once I’m parked in the empty gravel lot. The bells tinkle, announcing my arrival, and I’m surprised to find the place is empty. The familiarrich butterscotch scent soothes my frantic brain before I reach the counter.

“You are alive,” Amy sing-songs happily on her way from the back, blasting me with a smile bright enough to make me squint.

“Mostly,” I mumble, avoiding her stare, shamelessly skimming the menu above her.

Goosebumps cover my skin, making the hair on my arms raise when I feel her eyes inspecting me. “Last time I saw you, you were dangling over some guy's shoulder.”

The foggy memory jolts the backs of my eyes. “Fun times,” I mumble sarcastically. “I’ll have —”

“Being thrown around is your idea of fun?” she sneers, grimacing as she says it.

Something about the way she’s glaring at me instantly turns me defensive. “I’ll talk slower, sarcasm is hard to catch. Yes, Amy. I was carried out of the shit-hole bar. Thanks for reminding me,” I tell her slowly, showing her a side of me she’s not seen.

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