31. Forever
FOREVER
LATE AFTERNOON THE NEXT DAY
All eyes were on me as I stepped off the elevators at Everwood Group and moved toward security to leave. I’d only come to grab a file, but knew when Millicent’s assistant glanced up and then immediately reached for her phone upon my arrival that I wouldn’t leave the building without being stopped.
Word had traveled fast from last night, and all it’d taken was Demetrius leading me off the Colosseum main floor hand-in-hand.
I hadn’t told Destiny who I was married to when I dropped the news on her yesterday morning, but now that both worlds had someone to connect me to other than Jayden, I couldn’t wait to see what she’d do with that information.
Last night’s encounter left me feeling satisfied beyond measure. The look on Jayden’s face when I kissed Demetrius made my pussy thump just thinking of it.
“Ms. James,” Millicent’s voice called from the corridor to my right after I returned to the lobby five minutes later, file in hand. “Do you have a minute to talk?”
She hadn’t slept, and not even makeup could cover up the bags under her eyes.
“Eh…” I checked the time and nodded, noting I had some to spare before Demetrius came inside looking for me. “I have ten minutes to spare.”
She gestured to her left. “Conference room three is empty.”
I followed her down the corridor, hands clasped behind my back as we passed a few intimates in the hallway.
“Report to Carmen for your first assignments,” I ordered, feeling generous today.
Millicent closed the door behind us after I slipped past her, then hesitated before taking a seat across from me.
“I never said anything about you and Demetrius kissing at my bar,” she had the nerve to start with. “Because I respect him and he was doing me a solid.”
Because she respected him .
“Do you like my husband?” I asked, tipping my head.
The way she dropped her gaze before speaking felt like an answer enough, but her response was the exact opposite of what I assumed.
“Jayden and I have history, and it’s much deeper than a canceled engagement. We go through phases…” She smiled and shook her head. “This happens to be one of them, only we’ve never gone this far. His seeking you out was never part of the plan. Jeremiah hadn’t been either, but here we are.”
I stared at her, confused by her entire existence suddenly.
“Girl, what are you trying to say? Break it down to me like I’m five.”
“Jayden will call off the engagement as you requested…” She pushed her chair back and stood. “But I feel like there’s more at play here, and I need you to be honest about it.
I smiled and leaned back.
“Okay, I’ll be honest. I’m sure you heard about my father’s request to meet with the board. His goal is to remove me from my post.”
Her lips twitched, but she caught herself.
“And you want my help?” she asked, eager to take on my problem to keep hers under lock and key.
This was beyond Jayden breaking society rules when it came to marriage alliances. But had everything to do with Demetrius being the middleman who could expose Jayden’s involvement in Jeremiah’s death to Seo-Yeon.
If I had to guess, Millicent kept the person she hired to close to the chest.
“You think you can?” I asked, feeding into her delusions for the hell of it.
She nodded and took her seat again.
“Of course. I can help you split the vote, forcing Lucien to step in.”
The board of trustees was comprised of twenty society members with no ties to prominent families before being sworn into their roles. It was their duty to act as representatives for the Collective as a whole, but once in those positions, it wasn’t against society rules to form alliances.
The more trustees you had on your side, the more powerful you were.
A tie would activate not only Lucien’s tie-breaking vote but my veto power, thanks to the Fairchilds.
“But,” she went on. “That’s only if you can guarantee Demetrius won’t ever expose my connection to Jeremiah’s death.”
I hummed and waited a beat before holding my hand out for her to shake.
“You have yourself a deal, Ms. Everwood.
We stood, and I moved toward the door first, leaving without a backward glance but feeling her gaze until I left the building and got into the truck waiting for me.
“One minute to spare,” Demetrius whispered into my neck after pulling me closer across the backseat. “Who kept you?”
I let him suffocate me with Vanilla. He’d been attached to me since Dr. Holland’s husband sent my tox screen. My mom had indeed drugged me with Ativan, and now the man didn’t want me seeing her without him.
“Millicent,” I muttered, resting my head in his lap after he released me. “She doesn’t want Jayden finding out she hired you, but is also trying to protect him from Seo-Yeon’s wrath. I agreed to let her help split the trustee vote.”
He hummed, brows pulled together as he stroked the side of my face.
“She can’t do shit for you,” he said, frowning now.
I lifted and kissed him to change his expression, liking it better when he had that playful look on his beautiful face.
“You’re right, but I went along with it to save us from having another problem on our hands before the board convenes.”
In the grand scheme of things, Millicent was collateral damage. Not just to us but Jayden, too.
“I’ll kill her afterward. Fewer problems for later.”
He said it with such nonchalance, like ending her life was the least important thing on his to-do list.
“Whatever you want,” I murmured, eyes drifting close.
I woke to the sound of him calling my name, what felt like hours later, but had only been ten minutes based on the time.
The Society’s private psychiatric facility had the feel of a boutique hotel; patients were checked into their own suites with private nurses and six rotating doctors.
I’d been thinking about what my mom said the night she drugged me. How I couldn’t remember anyone hurting me as a kid other than her, but under the guise of protecting me.
It felt… significant.
Like my life with Demetrius wasn’t the only thing I’d forgotten.
“I need to go in alone,” I said, shaking my hair back into place before meeting his intense gaze. “We might be married, but until the official announcement, there are some places you can’t be.”
He had this defiant look in his eyes, and I decided to take it for what it was, wrapping my fingers around his Cuban link chain and tugging his lips to mine.
“You tryna placate me with kisses, my forever?”
I smiled into his mouth.
“Is that a problem?”
“Nah…” He chuckled and nudged my head back with his forehead. “But they won’t stop me from doing whatever the fuck I please when it comes to your safety.”
Demetrius’s grumpy mood brought a smile to my face; this version of him was growing on me.
I went inside, signed in at the reception desk, and ignored the way the attendant’s eyes lingered on my face a beat too long.
“The doctor is on rounds, Ms. James,” she said, after I set the pen down. “Third floor, room 307.”
Dr. Patel was waiting outside my mother’s room when I arrived, tablet in hand as he swiped at the screen. He was younger than the usual for this facility, maybe mid-thirties, if that.
“Ms. James,” he greeted, extending a hand I deliberately didn’t take. “I’m Dr. Patel, overseeing your mother’s care.”
“I know,” I said, cutting straight to the point. “What’s next for her now that she’s here?”
He blinked but quickly recovered from my directness.
“Your mother is experiencing an acute manic episode, complicated by paranoid delusions. We’ve stabilized her with medication, but she’s still in a fragile state.”
“Fragile.” I tasted the word, finding it inadequate. “And the bruises? Has she mentioned where those came from?”
I had an idea, but what the fuck did I really know about any fucking thing?
Dr. Patel’s gaze shifted briefly to the tablet in his hand.
“She hasn’t been forthcoming, and in her current state, her accounts are… unreliable.”
“Unreliable,” I repeated, hating how jaded I was about society doctors but wanting to believe she was in the best care. “How long since you’ve had this post?”
He seemed surprised by the question but answered without pause.
“Six months and I worked hard to be here.”
Mm.
“You also took more than one oath to be here, right?”
He nodded, stared me dead in my eyes, and said, “I understand your skepticism, but I assure you, your mother is receiving the best possible care. With me as her primary.”
“Is she?” I stepped closer, appreciating the way he stood his ground. “Would you gamble your life on it?”
His eyes darted past me before I got my reply, relief washing over his face. I turned to see Kai approaching, his expression caught between concern and exasperation.
“Baby sis, let’s dial it back a notch,” he said, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Dr. Patel is on our side, and I made sure of it.”
Kai pointed to the door, arm draped over my shoulder now.
“Can we see her?”
He nodded.
“Briefly. Try not to agitate her.”
I snorted. “Unlike some people in my family, I don’t make a habit of agitating vulnerable women.”
Kai shot me a warning look, which I ignored as Dr. Patel swiped his key card against the door sensor. Before he could push it open, however, my father’s voice had us all turning.
“Seems to be a family affair today.”
He strode down the hallway, gaze focused in my direction. I sighed, hoping he used the private entrance and Demetrius hadn’t seen him enter.
“Father,” Kai acknowledged, never calling him dad. “We were about to check in on her.”
“Were you?” Eliel’s eyes were fixed on me. “Kai, give me and your sister a minute.”
I shook my head.
“Nah, we don’t need a minute to ourselves. You’ve made yourself clear, and I feel my non-response should’ve done the same.”
He loosened the single clasped button on his tailored suit.
“I heard some interesting news from Lamar Holt,” he said, ignoring my reply. “What’s your relationship with Demetrius Cannon?”
Thank you, Destiny.
“He’s my husband.” I moved toward him, stopping just short of invading his personal space, and lifted my left hand. “Do you like my ring?”
He stared at the pretty red diamond for a long while, and I let him, wanting him to see just how against him I was and will always be.
“You married a rejector,” he mumbled, shaking his head as if he were dreaming.
“I married the man I love,” I corrected, letting my hand drop back to my side. “Your reach isn’t as far as you think, Eliel.”
“Is that a threat?” he asked, voice dangerously soft.
I smiled and shook my head.
“It’s a promise. But don’t worry, I can show you better than I can tell you.”
For a moment, we stood locked in silent combat, neither willing to be the first to look away. Finally, I stepped back and looked at Dr. Patel, knowing if he stayed here any longer, my husband would make an appearance.
“I’ll come back when she’s more lucid,” I said. “And when the company is more agreeable.”
Without waiting for a response, I strode past Eliel, deliberately letting my shoulder brush against his. I was halfway to the elevator when Kai caught up with me, grabbing my arm to slow me down.
“What are you—”
He glanced back down the hallway, then pulled me into a surprising hug. I stiffened, unused to this kind of physical affection from my brother.
“What are you doing?” I muttered against his shoulder, arms dangling at my sides.
“Making it look like I’m talking you down,” he whispered. “No meed to give anybody here a hard time, alright? I made sure everyone’s solid.”
I pulled back enough to see his face. “You did?”
He nodded.
“That’s why I made friends with Patel before he got transferred here. Took care of something for him, and now he’ll take care of Ma for us.”
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. As soon as they closed, I turned to him.
“Who else have you made friends with?” I queried, knowing he’d understand.
“I’ll tell you when I have something to share. Where are you headed now?” he asked as the elevator descended.
“To Cannon towers.”
I left out the part about Demetrius waiting for me outside.
Kai nodded, seemingly unsurprised. “Let me come with you.”
I studied him, searching for any sign of deception. Kai had always been the most straightforward member of our family, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be manipulated by others.
“Why?”
“Because I’m a nosy nigga and want to see what the fuck they up to over there.”
The elevator doors opened to the lobby. I could refuse, but something about pushing my brother away at this stage in our lives didn’t feel right.
“Whatever,” I said, playing it off as if it weren’t a big deal. “Just don’t touch anything.”
We stepped outside, and Demetrius was waiting on the curb, leaning against the back passenger door with his phone to his ear. He ended the call at the sight of me, raising an eyebrow before acknowledging Kai with a head lift.
“Y’all good?” he asked, tugging me into him.
I wrapped my arms around his waist and hummed, not wanting to mention my dad.
“Oh, me?” Kai asked, not really looking for an answer. “I’m doing great. Our pops, not so much. She just told him y’all married, and I could see the murder plot forming in his cold, dark eyes.”
Despite myself, I laughed.
He never took shit seriously, and that was how I wanted to live my life from this moment on. Not giving a fuck and killing anybody against it.