Page 95 of Royally Bad

- EPILOGUE -

SAMMY

Kain had tried to warn me that the meeting would be intimidating.

I’d been sure I was ready.

Then I’d entered the den.

Every chair had a person, every corner ... every wall ... they were covered. Each of them belonged to either the Deep Shots or to the Badds. The ocean of faces was useless to me; I only knew a few.

Kain stood with his brothers. I also noted that while his sisters weren’t present, his mother was. She stood right behind Maverick in his recliner. My father was seated beside him, and right smack on the other side of the blue-eyed patriarch was someone I’d never met.

“Sammy,” my father said. “This is Frock Monroe, leader of the Deep Shots.”

Snap snapwent my thoughts.Brick’s dad.

His attention hadn’t left me since I’d entered the room. This setting was supposed to be neutral ground. The Deep Shots wanted a white flag, to make it clear they’d had no part in the violent scene out on the road.

My dad motioned for me to come closer. Hesitantly I did, staring at Frock with mixed emotions. The red-bearded man leaned forward. His elbows rested on his knees, hands folded between them like he was praying. “You’re so much bigger than when I last saw you.”

Hairs lifted on my neck. “I’ve never met you before.”

Frock side eyed my dad. “You really did keep your family out of it.”

“Not entirely. My wife knew what I was involved in.”

Maverick shook his head in wonder. “I’m almost ashamed I didn’t realize it before. I know a thing or two about hiding an identity, and still, I never suspected that Sammy Sage was the daughter of The Bear—or that you were still alive, Bastian.”

The Bear?So that had been his alias. This was still too weird for me. Turning, I faced the leader of the gang my dad had apparently once run. “Your son tried to murder me. That’s all I know.”

Frock stretched toward me from his chair. “I want you to understand that I explicitly told Brick not to get involved with you.”

“Youknewhe wanted me dead?” I gasped.

“No. No.” His hands came up defensively. “I didn’t know his plans. I didn’t even know you were the girl he’d attacked. But I believed Kain when he came to our bar. His rage was real. So I told Brick, right after everyone was gone, to stop whatever the hell he was doing.” Shade crept into his pause. His tone was weaker now. “He didn’t listen.”

Confronted by a man that had lost his son, I struggled with a wave of sadness. “As awful as what he did was, I’m still sorry for your loss.”

Frock’s smile never touched his eyes. “Thank you.”

It was fleeting, but my father reached over to pat Frock on the knee. The other man gripped that hand, held it, and then they parted like seeds from a shedding dandelion.

Kain crossed the room, capturing my hand firmly in his. “Let’s get out of here.”

“That was all you needed me for?” I asked the room, resisting Kain.

Maverick breathed in deep, the buttons on his shirt straining. “No. Bastian,” he said to my father. “I wanted you here with Frock to discuss the future of the Deep Shots. The dissent in the ranks needs to be crushed right away.”

My dad said, “If you’re asking me to take over, I won’t. I’m done with that life.”

I was relieved to hear that. I wanted to hear more, but Kain was pushing me carefully toward the exit. He wasn’t interested in what this group would decide. Kain had been almost a hundred percent interested in one thing only these days.

Me.

“You know,” Kain said as we walked the bustling halls of his home. The place was full of all kinds of people now that Maverick wasn’t worried about some plot to harm anyone here. “Technically, you can step in if you want.”

My knees turned into cement, then quickly, so did the rest of me. Kain crushed my fingers. “Me? Why?”

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