Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I nstead of heading home right after work like usual, I headed to the mall since it was the only one with late-night shopping.
I hadn’t been in one since before Lockland, but since I needed a few things, I wanted to try.
The thought of walking into one, though, made my throat close up and heart pound to a point that I worried I’d black out.
My reaction stemmed from the whole town knowing what happened in that restaurant. News of a famous singer’s death—I swallowed hard and closed my eyes—had spread like wildfire, making international headlines.
The thought of going where I could be talked about and stared at made my skin crawl.
It’d been another reason why I didn’t venture anywhere else other than home or the library. Both places had been guarded—home with Dad and work with security—and anyone, reporters included, who tried to approach me for my side of the story was quickly sent away. Talon had offered for me to have my own protection with the brothers of the club, but I hadn’t wanted to make things any harder. I didn’t want to take them from their own work to babysit me.
But finally, I felt like I could enter the shopping centre without my nerves eating at me.
At least, I thought I could.
Sighing, I climbed out of my car and pocketed my keys and phone. As I walked to the electric doors, they swept open, and the noise hit me.
It was loud and busy.
Swallowing, I stepped through and paused to take a deep breath.
I’m fine.
There’s nothing to worry about.
Enough time has gone by. Surely no one will recognise me.
Swallowing hard, I made my way into the first clothing shop. The music blared through the sound system and made me grit my teeth.
I walked right back out and made my way along the other shops, sticking to the wall.
A child screamed. I flinched and stopped.
That was when I heard it.
“Look over there. Her.”
“Is it her?”
“Yes! I remember her picture. She got him killed.”
“I heard he wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for her.”
No.
No, no, no.
Why?
Why do they have to say something?
I wanted to shout that I didn’t know that would happen to him.
And I would swap places with him if I could.
“If I were her, I wouldn’t show myself in public.”
I shouldn’t have come here.
This was wrong.
Tears clouded my vision. I blinked rapidly and gripped at my chest.
The urge to run pressed down on me.
I thinned my lips, ground my teeth, and looked ahead.
“Record her,” one said.
Panic frosted my veins.
I needed to go. To hide.
I focused in front of me, my gaze snagging on the bathroom sign. Quickly, I made my way to the corridor and rushed down it. I slammed into the door and pushed, hearing footsteps behind me.
They’d followed.
But no one entered as I went to a stall and shut the door. I put the lid down and sat staring at the wood in front of me, listening, shaking.
They were waiting for me outside.
Waiting to get me.
My hand shook as I pulled my phone out.
Did I call someone to help get me out?
Was I being ridiculous by hiding? I should have just left. I should have turned around and rushed to my car, not locked myself in a stall to wait while I trembled in fear.
Now I wasn’t sure if I could leave on my own.
I didn’t want to face them. I didn’t want their cameras in my face or for this moment to be spread over the internet.
My life had already been torn open when it happened.
The reporters were relentless, hounding me like a dog after a bone.
What had been worse, though, were Lockland’s fans.
My parents probably thought I didn’t know about the death threats or hate mail I received online. But before they took my phone to “fix” something on it, I’d already seen enough. So when I got the device back, knowing Dad would have had blocked everything he could, I decided to shut down all social media accounts.
I hadn’t been on since.
But the damage had been done.
The pure hate his fans had for me was vicious.
Yet understandable in a way since he wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for me.
They hated his mother, his agent, and the woman who murdered him too. I just didn’t care what online attacks they got from Lockland’s fans.
At least those three were incarcerated for what they did.
The only punishment I got was to live a life without Lockland.
To me, that was enough.
To the fans, it wasn’t.
They enjoyed being online warriors.
Though maybe there weren’t as many as there had been a year ago. I wasn’t too sure.
But what I didn’t need or want was to be brought into the spotlight again, and if a video of me surfaced, things could worsen.
Bile rose, but I swallowed it down.
I wanted to leave without the audience.
Maya could make things less dramatic than if I called Dad. He would bring the brothers, and that would definitely draw more attention.
Goddammit.
I was such a wuss for wanting help to get out of a damn shopping centre.
Tears welled again; I bit my knuckle to keep my sobs at bay.
I pushed on Maya’s number and held it to my ear.
“Hey, girl. What’s happening?”
“I’m sorry, Maya,” I whispered.
“Swan? What’s wrong?”
“Shit,” I hissed, sniffing. “I-I thought I was going to be okay. I-I thought no one would….” A broken sound left me, and I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry. I’m in the bathroom at the Storewood Shopping Centre. Down the end where Darling’s is. These girls… they’re waiting outside. T-They knew who I was. Knew it was my fault.” A choked sob left me until I locked my lips.
“I’m coming. We’ll get you out. You stay there, okay? Don’t worry about these silly girls, Swan. They’re nothing. They don’t know you. And, girl, it isn’t your fault. Do you want me to stay on the line?”
Drawing in a breath, I dropped my head back and glared at the ceiling. “No. I’ll be okay. Sorry to be a pest.”
“You’re not a pest. Be there soon.”
The line ended, and I gripped my phone in my hand.
If Maya was at her home, it wouldn’t take long to get here. If she was at her parents’, it would be longer. That was the same for the compound.
I hoped she’d been at home.
Bouncing my knee up and down, I wrapped my arms around my waist, hands still clenching around my phone.
I waited.
And waited.
When the door opened, I let out a noise and stilled.
“She’s still in here,” one of them said.
“Hey, are you hiding from us?” There was laughter.
The door opened again. I pulled my feet up onto the toilet and hugged my legs.
“What’re you looking at, lady?” snapped one of them.
“Nothing.” Whoever had come in quickly left.
There was a bang on the door I hid behind.
“Come out, murderer. We just want to ask a few questions.”
When I said nothing, they banged again and again and again.
“Don’t be a pussy.”
They laughed.
“Wait, she can’t be a pussy. Her name’s Swan . What a pathetic name.”
More laughter.
“Come out here.”
We all screamed when the main door was thrown open and hit the wall.
“Leave.” The voice was rough. Clipped. Drake.
My heart jumped up into my throat.
“Who are you?—”
A loud whistle sounded around the room. “Bitch, he said leave.” Texas was there.
They scrambled outside, and I heard more voices.
“Birdy?” Drake called.
I planted my feet on the floor, unlocked the door, and pulled it free before I flew into Drake’s arms.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I muttered over and over, gripping his club vest and pushing my forehead into his chest.
When had he gotten so tall?
Idiot, that doesn’t matter now.
What did was that I’d involved them when I shouldn’t have. But I couldn’t handle those women. I didn’t want to be recorded.
And family leaned on each other.
Maya was my family.
So were Drake and Texas.
They were club.
They were safe. Here.
They would take care of me.
I didn’t have to be embarrassed, even though I was. I could breathe and relax.
I’m safe.
“You’ve got nothin’ to be sorry for,” Drake said, running a hand up under my hair to cup the back of my neck and gently squeeze.
Another hand landed on my shoulder. “No stress, Swan,” Texas said. “We’ll always come to help.”
“I shouldn’t need help,” I told them softly.
“They were arseholes for crowding you. Intimidating you,” Maya said. I rolled my head to the side and saw her standing next to her brother.
“Are they gone?”
“Coyote, Hex, and Cowboy are getting them away. We’re good to go.”
Nodding, I unglued my fingers from Drake and took a step back. My face warmed as I stared down at the floor.
Fingers touched under my chin. I raised my head to see Drake’s warm smile. He tapped my nose and then curled an arm around my shoulders.
“Let’s get you home.”
I nodded, my skin tight and tingly.
We walked out. Texas and Maya were behind us in a similar embrace as we made our way out into the car park.
“Drake’s going to drive your car. You want to come with us or him?”
I shook my head. “I’ll go with Drake. Saves you coming over there too.”
“You know we don’t mind. What did you need at the shops? I can go in and?—”
“It’s nothing urgent.” I shrugged, realising Drake’s arm was still around my shoulders. Licking my dry lips, I said, “I just wanted to see if I could go in there.”
Maya smiled gently. “You did it.”
Snorting, I pressed a hand to my stomach. “I guess I did, and then it all went downhill.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Texas said. “If it wasn’t for those bitches, you would’ve been fine.”
With a thin-lipped smile, I told them, “I was flinching at sounds and in a state of panic.”
Drake drew me into him more. My pulse raced. “Which was bound to happen when it’s been a long time and after everything.”
Maya nodded. “I was like that after what happened to me. Don’t be hard on yourself, Swan. You’re doing well. I can come to yours?—”
“No, really. I’ll be fine. Thank you for coming. Do we need to wait for the other brothers?”
“Once they follow the girls out of the area, they’ll head home. Just us now,” Drake said.
We said a goodbye to Maya and Texas and made our way to my car. I grabbed the keys out of my pocket and handed them over. Drake opened the passenger door for me and closed it after I was in. I put my belt on.
My stomach started to act up, and I was putting that down to what just happened.
It had nothing to do with being alone with Drake. I shouldn’t even be thinking about that. Not after I made them show up just to walk me out.
Drake got in, secured his belt on, and started the car. He backed out and started driving. I swiped my hands up and down my thighs; they felt a bit hot and sweaty.
I hoped I didn’t interrupt anyone from anything.
“I’m sorry ag?—”
His hand landed down over mine on my thigh, quieting me.
“Don’t, Birdy. I’ll always come for you.”
My heart thundered.
Texas would do the same, you idiot. And he had. Like Drake and Coyote and the other brothers. Drake doesn’t mean anything more than what he said.
Why am I reading into this?
God, I’m an idiot.
“I, um, hope you weren’t busy at the time.”
He patted my hand before placing his back on the steering wheel.
He had nice hands.
“I was just hangin’ at the shop with the others when you called Maya.”
At least I hadn’t disrupted anything.
“How you doin’, Birdy?”
“Thinking that I overreacted and should have just walked out.”
“Nah, you made the right choice. They had their phones out ready to record you. They would’ve made some shit up and put you on social media.”
“That’s what I was worried about. I’m not online, but I hoped that things were, um, settling after what it had been like.”
He brushed a hand through his messy dark waves.
They looked so soft.
“Did you see things when it first…?”
“Yeah. Not that I told Mum and Dad.”
“Fuckin’ sucks you had to see how people can hate someone over somethin’ they know nothin’ about.”
“It does. That’s why I mainly kept to work and the house. I-I haven’t been good company, Drake.”
He glanced over at me. “Birdy, you’re always good company. You’ve just been dealin’ with a lot. Understandable you wanted to pull back from everyone for a while to cope.”
“Thanks, Drake. I mean Dragon. Sorry.”
“Keep using Drake, Swan. Don’t care when it comes from you.”
My belly fluttered.
Stop reading into things.
“Things have settled online, babe. But just make sure next time you have people with you when you want to go out, yeah? Until you’re comfortable and I know nothin’ will happen to you. The club protects family, right?”
“Right.”
See, he’s just being himself and acting like any of the brothers would.