Chapter 16 #2
I’m so much better than Vick in every way possible.
What could he have done to warrant such allegiance—from a Woodrow, no less.
Everly is part of the upper crust of society.
She's probably the closest thing, other than the Milligan family, this country has to royalty. A near princess. Women like her only focus on themselves. I know because I’m part of that world and have surrounded myself with women in that social sphere my entire life.
For Everly to break from the mold for someone so far beneath her just doesn't make sense. She’s more than a simple one-off, she’s a rare gem excavated from the deepest depths of the earth.
My shower is quick and lacks the typical jerk-off session. By the time I’ve dried off and gotten dressed, Braum's awake.
He's stepping out of his bedroom in only his pajama bottoms just as I come out of mine.
“She still got a pulse?” I ask once his door clicks shut behind him.
He nods, a tired yet satisfied half-smile curling one side of his mouth. “Yeah, she's alive.”
I collapse onto the couch and fling an arm over the back as he makes a beeline for the old, corded phone attached to the wall near the door, probably to call down for breakfast since it only calls down to the nurses’ station or security.
It's a pain in the ass having it in here because they can call up whenever they want to.
I guess it's better to have it here, though, rather than trekking downstairs to make a request in person.
“So, what's the plan?” I ask as he walks by me. “We nabbed her—” which was the ultimate goal last night, “—but how are we keeping her around without kicking up a fuss?”
There are means of keeping a person around. The one right behind me, sitting inconspicuously in the corner, covered with a dark blue velvet sheet, is quite effective. Unfortunately, it’s not ideal for long-term use.
“We’re going to use Vick,” Braum explains.
I sit up abruptly. “ Excuse me ?”
“Relax.” He smirks. “We don’t actually need him. We’ll use Everly’s desire to see him to keep her here. I’ll make her see that if she plays nice with us, we can provide her with a comfortable stay.”
The tension ebbs away, and I lean back again, smiling at the thought of Everly ‘playing nice’ with me. My cock stirs, coming to life at the mental images I pull up.
“And the staff?” I ask. “How do we explain her presence here?”
“Easy. We'll make Everly a patient here.” Braum pauses before grabbing the phone and turns to face me. “I have the means to make that happen. Make it official .”
I'm sure he does. The pull he has here has gotten us out of a lot of trouble in the past.
“That might've worked before we knew who she was,” I counter with a lazy shrug. “But you heard Angela, there's a manhunt out for her. She won’t be the only one to recognize her face.”
Braum frowns as he considers this. “I suppose we should consider the possibility that someone would sell her out for a few bucks.”
I rake my fingers through my hair, slicking it back while it's still wet with product.
“We just have to keep her out of sight of most of the staff then,” I mutter as I consider what to do. “You know, if we introduce her to our court, she’d blend in as a patient and be safe. No one would know to rat her out either.”
Without access to the internet, cell phones, or even normal phones—Serenity Falls might as well be an isolated island.
Braum looks from me to just above me, his gaze going unfocused. He frowns, then nods, then blinks the room back into focus.
“The Universe said that would work,” he replies, smiling. “We’ll make sure Sheldon and Jonathan keep their mouths shut since they’re the only ones that know the truth. And outside this room, she’ll be Anastasia.”
“Perfect.” I nod. Satisfied with our mutual agreement, I move on to another issue. Watching his face closely, I tell him, “Speaking of Sheldon, I ran into him this morning and told him she’s our queen. I thought the title was fitting.”
Braum snorts, rolling his eyes before reaching his arms over his head to give a full-body stretch. “She's so much more than that.”
I figured he'd say that, given that his universe is urging this connection between him and the woman in his bed. Lifting my hand, I check my fingers and cuticles for any imperfections.
“You still think she’s more?” I ask, pretending to be nonchalant about the entire thing. “Even with the marks on her back?”
Braum doesn't say anything right away. When I look up, I find him staring off into space—most likely listening to the voice in his head. He blinks a few times, coming back into the moment, then looks over at me. There’s a second where he seems confused, as if he hadn’t quite processed my question yet, before his expression morphs into anger.
“Those mean nothing,” he snaps. “Whoever put them there will get what's coming to them.”
I stare at him, surprised by the promise. He’s latched onto Everly quickly, it seems. “You think she’s going to tell you who left them there?”
The cold smile that slides over Braum's face tells me all I need to know. It doesn't matter if Everly wants to share her secrets with him, he'll find a way to get them. He can be creative like that.
“In time,” he confirms.
I guess her body doesn’t need to be flawless for him to adore her. My cock twitches again, thinking of those tits I held last night—so perky and full. I can still feel the ghostly weight of them against my palms. Dropping my hand, content my nails look good, I glance back over to my friend.
“Sheldon also told me Vick wasn't taken by security—at least as far as he knows. He's double checking now,” I add, my voice dripping with disdain. “He might be done with her, and he might not be a problem, but?—”
“No,” Braum cuts off sharply, his body going rigid while his face hardens. “He's going to be a problem. I hear it.” He taps the side of his head. “He needs to be dealt with.”
There's no doubt Braum is right. He always is. It must be nice to have a little voice in the back of your head to help guide you to make the best decisions. Lucky bastard.
Turning my attention to the issue at hand, I scowl. Vick is always a fucking problem. He’s like a gnat buzzing around.
“Alright, well, we have the girl he hates. Let’s use it against him.
With her around, it’s like a raging bull seeing a red flag.
” I chuckle at the analogy. Judging by his demeanor from the night before, it’s pretty fucking spot on.
“Let’s make a big show of introducing our new queen to her court.
I bet Vick won't be able to resist showing up and causing chaos. He’ll scare the piss out of Everly, and we’ll make sure he gets his ass kicked. ”
Braum’s brows come together and his eyes go unfocused.
I wait patiently for his response. Something flickers across his face, an emotion I can’t quite hammer down.
It’s gone before I can place it. After a moment, Braum grins.
It’s a twisted one, something dark blooming in his eyes as he pins me with his complete attention.
“That’ll work,” he confirms.
“Then it’s settled,” I announce with a grin. “Everly gets a party, and we’ll watch Vick turn into a bloody pulp.”
We exchange a knowing look. It's one we’ve shared a thousand times over.
One that says we’re on the same page without a word being spoken.
This familiarity wasn’t part of my life outside Serenity Falls.
I have hundreds of friends, know plenty of people, and have family I used to visit often.
Yet I couldn’t share a look with them like this and just know what they’re thinking.
I don’t know when this started or why. It simply happened.
He’s literally my best friend, my closest ally.
Still, as close as we are, I know Braum wouldn’t go to the lengths for me that Everly has gone for Vick.
And I sure as fuck wouldn’t do that for him.
My gaze slides away from his face and toward his closed door.
A small tickling of awareness creeps under my skin.
A warning that the itch is going to start back up.
I need to get this shit under control. The only way to do that is to figure out exactly what I need from Everly.
I know this itch has to do with her. I just don’t quite know why.
I think of her marred skin, leaving her less than perfect.
Deep down I know I have to bend somewhere if I want this uncomfortable coveting to end.
What’s more important to me? Perfection—something I’ve always strived for, for both myself and the things I want to hoard—or something new and different: absolute, unbreakable loyalty.
Either way, she’s mine—in a way.
Seemingly content that we’ve finished our conversation, Braum reaches for the phone. Looking over his shoulder at me, he asks, “I'm going to order food to be brought up, want anything?”
With a grunt, I push myself up and off the couch. I have time to consider this before things get too bad. “Naw, I'm going to head out to find Bastian. He's good at setting up our parties. I want everything to go perfectly tonight.”