Royal Havoc

52. Wounded Truths

fifty-two

Wounded Truths

Onyx: 2024

I t’s amazing how many emotions can hit a girl during a car ride in the middle of the night with your estranged Dad and Wack-A-Do sister.

Thanks to small-town traffic, we hit every green light and make it back to Hendrix’s in fifteen minutes.

“Where are we going?” I question when he passes the drive.

Instead of answering, he pulls into a hidden trail behind the cottage, stopping long enough to give a thumbprint to access the hidden gate. The small trail winds through the tree line around the back of the estate. He parks near the cliffs behind a row of tall hedges. I follow him from the Jeep and notice a hidden door under the Onyxberry bushes.

Again he uses his thumbprint, then gets Amethyst’s lethargic, sleeping body because he was smart and knocked her annoying ass out with a tranquilizer to transport her.

“Go to the cottage and shower. I’ll be there in ten minutes to wrap your arm,” he orders before disappearing down the hidden steps in the ground.

The hot water glides over my wounds, washing the blood and grime from my weakened body. Bits of details uncovered from my past wreaking my cluttered brain.

After shuffling from the shower, I stand, taking in my battered reflection. Water drips from my hair, slithering over bruised skin. Gently, I dab at the cut on my forearm, thankful it's mostly surface damage.

Once I’m dried off, I hurry into the closet since Hendrix should be here soon to bandage me up. I grab a shirt and stiffen when I hear a thud. Realizing it’s not the crazy bitch coming to torment me but a small box that’s fallen.

It’s about the size of a shoe box, covered in black roses with my name written on top. I dress quickly, then sit on the edge of the bed, staring at it wonderingly.

Nolan had to have mixed this up when we went through her stuff and boxed things up.

The tape crackles under my fingers. It’s full to the top of unopened letters and cards, all addressed to me from him.

Tears drip from my eyes, splashing on the paper. Years of my past were packed away, hidden, and rediscovered.

I find him waiting at the kitchen table with two shots poured. I set the butterfly bandages, roll of material, and tape on the table before I sit beside him.

He scoots the shot towards me. “For pain,” he says quietly.

I drink the shot, quietly placing the glass on the table, and lay my arm out for him. It’s an odd moment, sitting in front of a person you thought didn’t want you, only to find out they loved you more than anyone.

I’ll tell him about the letters once I’m able to go through all of them .

“I hated the Four bullshit as much as you,” he starts, pulling me from my thoughts as he opens all the packages. “Having money turns some people into monsters. Like Rowland.” He gently looks over the wound. “I was paired with a nice girl named Hannah. Neither of us cared about money. We were happy kids until her father struck a deal with Rowland behind my dad’s back.” Carefully, he begins sticking the butterfly bandages along the wound, acting as stitches. “Owen’s, her slimy father, gifted her and her twin to the Row to make sure they disappeared so he could take a seat at the table with a son as his oldest.”

“Men are idiots,” I mumble, wincing when he presses one of the bandages too hard.

“Sorry. You’re right. We’re idiots. I couldn’t find any information about Hannah or her sister after they disappeared. It was like they were ghosts for years.”

“So you don’t know what happened to her?”

He grabs the roll of material and starts to wrap my arm. “Opal wanted power and money. She hated that I didn’t worship her and told me I was dead inside,” he chuckles at the last part. “She tried to leave. Rowland wouldn’t even listen to her because she was pregnant with Amethyst, and Whithe ranked above him.”

“He was a prick the one time I met him.”

Hendrix laughs, nodding in agreement. “Opal was ignored most of her life. I think it drove her crazy trying to be seen in a world of men and money. Amethyst worshiped her. She was everything Opal ever wanted. I loved her, too, but it wasn’t the same. She was obsessed with Opal.” He finishes wrapping my arm and tapes the bandage.

“Thanks,” I tell him as he takes his shot.

He spins the glass on the table, leaning back in the chair. “Rowland forced her to want more kids, so she could try for a son. He thought he could strike a deal with me to take the Sterling name.”

“Would you?” I ask curiously.

He smiles wickedly. “No.”

“Good, continue,” I urge, grabbing the bottle to pour us another shot.

“You were my Dark Queen. We connected the second you took your first tiny breath. Opal hated it because you weren’t Amethyst. You never paid her any attention.”

“Why did you leave me with her?” I ask, disguising the tears building in my throat.

He releases a long breath, rubbing his tired eyes with his palms. “After I found you on the cliffs, bleeding. I went mental. Opal believed all of Amethyst’s lies. But I saw her. I watched her hurt you. I wanted her gone. For your safety and to punish Opal,” he admits, suddenly sounding exhausted. “Rowland agreed to take her to The Row, if I allowed your name to be changed to Sterling.”

“What good did that do? I’m a girl,” I question.

“When I dropped Amethyst off at The Row, I found Hazel. She worked there and told me how to find Hannah.”

“That’s wild luck.”

He stares at me for a moment through his lashes. “When I finally tracked her down, she was married with a daughter. Happy. She warned me about Hazel’s hate for me and to get Amethyst away from her.”

“Shit,” I breathe, throwing back the shot I poured.

“Opal accused me of cheating, and Rowland struck deals and blackmailed to get the votes to allow Opal to leave town. She took you to punish me.”

“She hated me,” I admit for the first time out loud.

His hand covers mine. “I went to get Amethyst away from Hazel. I was going to give her to Opal and take you.” He takes the shot, slamming the glass on the table. “Bolton, Rowland’s brother, showed me her counseling tapes. The awful things she threatened to do to you if she was ever released. I refused to ever let her out.”

“Seriously? She hated me that much?”

“I had enforced that Opal was never allowed to visit or speak to her. I was pissed, when Rowland asked me to consent to give her up for adoption to his brother. I said yes, out of rage. I was stupid.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I no longer had any rights. Opal agreed to give all her money to Rowland if he’d let her visit her. Money-hungry prick.”

“But, she signed it all to me,” I question, staring at his sad face.

His hand cups my cheek. “That’s when I was blackmailed into never seeing you.”

“What? How?”

“I had to go with Opal one last time to see her. To make sure the paperwork was finalized. Which I found out later she never signed. The day we went, Amethyst broke a little girl's nose and wrote a message in her blood. Mentally she was gone, and she hated us. Bolton had already brainwashed her. It was too late.”

“But, I still don’t understand about the money?”

“Nolan was a lawyer, he helped Opal. Amethyst was released from The Row when she turned nineteen. Two weeks later, Rowland was killed in a house fire. Rowland had you followed everywhere, to ensure his investment was safe. When he died, the stalking stopped. But, you were already too traumatized by it.”

“Rowland had me followed? She knew?”

He nods sadly. “Opal got scared once Rowland was killed. She got paranoid because she knew it was Amethyst.”

“Did she kill Mom?” I ask when the thought occurs to me.

“I believe she thought she was killing you. The money was Rowland’s but went to you if he died. If something happened to you, the money went to her. I think she thought she was killing you that night in the accident.”

I gasp, all thoughts and words leaving me. “She thought she was killing me. That makes sense.”

“I was the one that had the stipulation about living with a parent put into the contract. I wouldn’t sign unless it was in there because I knew you would come to me if she hurt Opal, and I would be able to protect you,” he explains, watching me as I process what he’s said. “You’re here now. Vex and I will keep you safe,” he assures me as he stands. “I’m sorry everything was horrible growing up. I wrote letters and sent cards. She told me you got them and still didn’t want to see me. I thought I was doing the right thing, to keep you safe,” he tells me sadly, tucking some hair behind my ear.

“Thank you for saving me tonight.” I stand, hugging my Dad for the first time in years.

“Last thing, Lisa is Hannah’s daughter. Hannah and her husband were killed. When I heard about their accident, I felt responsible for some reason, so I took her in and gave her a job. Lisa’s still dealing with it. It took me a while to put it together, but I believe it was Amethyst getting her revenge for Hazel. Please tell me you understand.”

I nod. “We’ll talk more soon,” I tell him when I see Vex walking up the driveway.