Page 23 of Shattered Souls
“You’re home!” Logan pounces on us as soon as we step into the house. “How was self-defense class?”
“Surprisingly cathartic,” I tell him, although any adrenaline I had during class has waned, and I’m left exhausted—my permanent state of being these days. Even looking at Logan and his golden retriever energy is giving me a headache. “I think I need to lie down, though.”
He nods enthusiastically, a sparkle in his eyes. “I’ve got the perfect place,” he says cryptically, snatching my hand and hauling me up the stairs before I can protest. Glancing over my shoulder, I arch an eyebrow at Royce, who simply shrugs as he follows us at a more leisurely pace.
I’m assuming Logan means his bed, although I hope he realizes I really meant sleep when I mentioned going to bed. However, when we reach the top of the stairs, instead of moving toward his bedroom, Logan drags me toward the one I was held captive in all those months ago. The door has been closed ever since, and I make a firm point of darting past the room without casting it a glance any time I’m walking past.
“Logan,” I hedge, pulling on his hand as he reaches for the door handle.
He doesn’t pay heed to my warning as he swings the door open, and before I slam my eyes shut to avoid looking at thatstupid stripper pole that I hate with my guts, I catch glimpses of pale pink and soft gray.
A gasp tumbles from my lips, and my feet are rooted on the floor. Gone are the stripper pole, the sofa, and the heavy drapes that covered the windows. Instead, a comfy-looking double bed takes up most of the room. Its pale pink covers, the white fluffy blanket spread across the end of the bed, and the multitude of cushions make it look warm and inviting. Wooden side tables frame it, and my gaze catches on a photo set on top.
My feet are moving before I realize it, taking me across the room until I’m looking down at the photo, a lump in my throat. It’s one from my apartment—of me and Aurora. Aurora is grinning at the camera, blue frosting covering her mouth, and I’m smiling at her, a light dancing in my eyes that is distinctly missing these days.
My breath catches in my lungs, and my voice wobbles as, unable to take my eyes off the picture, I say, “I-I don’t understand…” When no one responds, I rip my gaze away, turning to find Logan and Royce standing in the doorway. “You did this?”
Logan’s gaze slides away, “Uh, no. It wasn’t me.”
“Wasn’t me either, James,” Royce states when I look his way.
“Then who?” They both give me a look. Thatwho the hell do you thinklook that only confuses me further. “Grayson?” Brow furrowed, I do another sweep of the simple yet carefully thought out room, catching sight of other knick knacks from my apartment. It’s so… me. There’s no way Grayson did this. Not for me.
“He wanted you to have someplace that’s yours,” Logan says softly, likely reading the skepticism written all over my face. “Somewhere you can go when you want to be alone. A room in this house that’s entirely yours.”
A room that’s mine.
A room that has personal items from my apartment. Photos of me and my daughter. My clothes hanging in the closet.
A roomGraysonmade for me.
7
GRAYSON
“Ilook forward to doing business with you soon.” I sign off on the video call. Rubbing at my temples, I sigh and lean back in my chair. I don’t think I’ve ever been more tired. Of course, it would help if I was actually sleeping in my bed at night. Instead, I sit outside Royce or Logan’s room and listen—a silent sentinel. Every bone in my body itches to go in there and join them every night, but Riley isn’t there yet, and while I’m all for pushing her, now isn’t the time.
Still, I can’t leave her. Not when I know she wakes up with nightmares most nights. So, instead, I listen to one of the others soothe her back to sleep, and I remain as close as I can get to her—for now. I’m giving her space while we find Aurora, but once we do, I’m making it crystal fucking clear to her that she’s mine. Even if I have to share her with my two best friends.
I grit my teeth, not liking that idea, yet I can’t argue that it somehow works. I couldn’t physically be here today if I didn’t have the comfort of knowing they are both with her on campus. Knowing that they can soothe her demons in the middle of the night.
I might be a selfish asshole, but I know she needs them both. She relies on them. Leans on them in a way she would never do with me.
So yeah, I’ve come to accept that the woman I’ve been obsessed with since I was seventeen will never be mine alone—now, I’ll share her with my two best friends.
I suppose it could be worse…
My door abruptly opens as my secretary struts in. She stops in her heels when she sees me sitting there, a blush covering her cheeks. “Oh, Mr. Van Doren.” She lifts the folder in her hands. “I was just going to leave this on your desk. What are you still doing here?”
“It’s only ten in the morning. I’ve got eight more hours before I can get out of here.”
“Uh, no.” Her lips flatten, contrition flashing across her face. “I meant, your father scheduled a meeting with the board and execs for, eh, right now.”
What the fuck?“When did he do that?” I demand, my headache intensifying as I stand from my chair and round the table.
“I’m not sure. I only just heard about it.”
I’m already past my secretary and out the door, stalking down the hallway toward the conference rooms. I should have expected my father to pull an underhanded move like this. One fucking week since his release. That’s all it took before he started interfering. I knew he would. Knew it was only a matter of time, but I expected him to want to be included in deals and meetings. I didn’t think he’d schedulehis own fucking meeting—with the board and all senior members of the company, no less.
