Chapter 21
Royal
The party is insane. Not that I didn’t think it would be, it always is. People fist bump me, knowing me from the fights. A few steer clear of me for the same reason. River hangs off my side, not caring what anyone thinks, and that’s what I like about her.
We get drinks, we laugh, we kiss. I’m having a great time when Jeremy pulls me away from her to talk to a few people. I keep my eye on her from across the room while she dances with some other girls.
“She’s fine,” Jeremy slurs as I keep watching her. He’s right. Nothing is going to happen to her while we’re here. We know a majority of the people here, and I’m not really worried about any of them.
I turn back to the conversation with a few of the guys, talking about the fights and the bets that go on outside the ring. I knew there was good money riding on the fights, but I wasn’t aware just how much.
I’m tipsy but not drunk as fuck when I pull away from the conversation. I turn around and look for River, but I don’t see her where I left her.
“Where is she?” I ask more of myself than anyone. Jeremy notices me looking when he steps up next to me.
“Probably in the bathroom,” he yells over the music. I nod my head and start walking through the crowd of people toward the stairs. I don’t see her anywhere, so I head up to look.
When I reach the top of the stairs, I’m not sure where to check, so I start opening every door I come to.
“River?” I call out her name, but get no response, so I keep going.
“River? You in here?” I holler into another room. Still no answer. I don’t like this shit. I don’t like the feeling I have in the pit of my stomach. I move faster, shoving doors open until I get to the last one. I’m not ready for what I find.
“River?” I say her name when she turns to look at me over her shoulder. Her eyes are wild, like she’s not even there. Her shirt is torn open, her bra showing.
“River, what happened?” That’s when she looks back over, and I see him. “Oh fuck.” I step into the room and close the door behind me before making my way to her.
“I … he …” She can’t speak, but I can guess what happened in here.
“River?”
“I killed him,” she whispers. I walk closer to her, grab the gun from her hand, and walk over to the body on the floor. I raise the gun and fire one shot into his head. I shove the gun into the back of my jeans and walk over slowly to River.
“I killed him. You didn’t do anything wrong; I did.” She shakes her head.
“I killed him,” she mutters once more. I grab her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me as I shake my head.
“It was me. Say it. Royal killed him,” I tell her, keeping her face between my hands.
“I …”
“No, baby. Royal. Royal killed him. Say it,” I demand this time. Her eyes jerk to mine before her lips part.
“Royal killed him,” she repeats softly.
“That’s right. If anyone asks, Royal killed him.”
“But …”
“No. No buts. Royal killed him. Say it again,” I order her.
“Ro-Royal killed him.” I nod my head.
“That’s right. I killed him, not you. Put this on,” I tell her as I step back and pull my shirt over my head and slip it over hers.
She puts her arms in, and I move to the closet to find another shirt to put on to cover the gun in the back of my jeans.
I find one and slip it over my head before moving to River once more.
“Let’s go. We’re leaving.”
“Royal, am I going to jail?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. You hear me?
I did it. I killed him, not you. Remember that for me, okay?
” She nods her head slowly before I wrap my arm around her and walk her out of the room, closing the door behind me.
My heart is racing as I walk her down the stairs and out of the party.
Jeremy must have seen me because he races outside to catch up.
“We’re leaving already?” he slurs.
“Shit happened. We need to go.”
“What’s with her?”
“I said shit happened! We’re not talking about it right now,” I snap at him. He nods his head and follows us as we walk back to the warehouse. Once we get there, River rushes to the bathroom and throws up. I run my hand through my hair and look over at Jeremy.
“We need to stay at the hotel tonight.”
“Okay. You going to tell me what’s going on?”
“When you’re sober,” I tell him. He nods his head as I gather our things. I store the sleeping bags in the corner like usual before moving to get River from the bathroom. I lead her back out and down the road to the closest affordable hotel I can find for the night and check us in.
Once we’re in the room, she’s back in the bathroom throwing up again.
“I’m sober enough. What the hell is going on?” Jeremy asks this time. I run my hand over my face and tell him what happened.
“Jesus. Where’s the gun?” I reach into my jeans and pull it out, showing it to him. He walks over and grabs it.
“I’ll take care of this. Take care of her,” he says. I nod my head and watch him walk out of the room before I go to the bathroom to deal with River.
She sits on the floor, clinging to the toilet as tears roll down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry.”