Chapter 25 #2
“From everything I found out, that’s true.” Finn thrums his fingers on top of the table. “I also found out why. And it’s …” A visible shiver rolls through his body. “It’s bad. It’s really bad, especially if you are linked to the family somehow.”
“I’m not,” I insist, growing frustrated. River brought this idea up, too, and it’s completely implausible. “I don’t have royal blood in me. There’s no way …” I trail off, my mind drifting back to that message my aunt sent.
I’m not who you think I am.
You’re being targeted by a powerful group.
“What is it?” River hedges, his eyes searching mine.
I wet my lips with my tongue. I’ve been hesitant to talk about this aloud, but maybe I need to.
“What did you find out about the family?” I direct my statement at Finn with my arm resting on the table.
He begins fidgeting with his ring again. “That they went extinct because they were … being hunted.”
Shock whips through me. “What?” That definitely wasn’t what I expected.
“I’m unsure about the details as to why. It took me a lot of digging just to get that information,” Finn explains, dragging his fingers through his hair and leaving blond strands sticking up everywhere. “I need to find out more.”
I trace the lines in the table as I process what he said. “Why? Sure, I have the necklace, but it doesn’t mean I’m an Everford.”
I’m not who you think I am.
You’re being targeted by a powerful group.
Dammit, I need to tell them.
“Although …” My mind is racing a million miles a minute.
What did my aunt mean by that?
“Although what?” River wonders, his stormy eyes assessing me intensely. When I remain quiet, my thoughts muddled inside my temporarily broken brain, he tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. “You can trust us.”
I glance at Finn, who’s watching me, then I look back at River. “Fine. I got this text last night from my aunt.” I open it on my watch and angle my wrist toward River so he can read it. His fingers circle my wrist as he does, and my heart pounds against his fingertips.
“What does it say?” Finn inquires after a handful of silent seconds ticks by.
River’s gaze locks on me. “She sent you this last night?”
I nod. “I’m not sure what she means by any of it. However, while we’re laying everything out there, my phone is missing, and if by chance the society has it, and someone figured out my password, they probably read the message, too. And that sucks because I don’t like people knowing my business.”
“Fuck,” River breathes out, his fingers brushing along the inside of my wrist. “This is … This can’t be a coincidence.”
“Hello,” Finn interrupts. “Can you guys please tell me what the hell is on that watch?”
River traces his tongue along his bottom lip, giving me a look that reads: it’s up to you.
God, this guy is too perfect. He can’t be real.
I rotate forward in the chair and slide my arm across the table so Finn can read the message. His expression plunges as he does.
“You have no idea what she means by any of this?” he asks, his gaze colliding with mine.
I shake my head as I bring my arm back to my side of the table. “Nope. Other than either she’s having a mental breakdown, or she’s been lying to me all of my life.”
A crease forms between Finn’s brow as he reclines back in the chair with his arms crossed. “Which one do you think it is?”
“I don’t know …” That’s a lie. In the pit of my stomach, with everything going on lately, I think the answer is hovering right in front of me like an annoying bug.
“It has to be the latter. She’s been gone, and I haven’t been able to get a hold of her.
And now she sends me this message.” I gesture at my watch.
“I think she’s been lying and something bad has happened to her.
And apparently, it has to do with me, too.
” My jaw spasms, and I lower my head to the table, too hard probably.
“I feel like she’s gotten me into a messy situation. ”
“Hey, be careful with your head.” River slips his hand underneath my forehead as I move to bang it against the table again. “It’s already fragile.”
“It’s just a concussion,” I mutter with my forehead pressed to his hand.
“I’ve had a concussion before,” Finn says. “Trust me; you need to be careful for the next few days. The last thing you want to do is risk hurting it again.”
The doctor mentioned that, too.
I raise my head and massage my temples with my fingers.
“I don’t know what to do. I need to get a hold of my aunt, but I’ve been trying for days and haven’t been able to.
And from that message she sent, it sounds like she isn’t going to get a hold of me any time soon.
” I slump back into the chair. “I don’t know what to do.
She tells me a powerful group is after me but doesn’t embellish. ”
What’s hurting me the most is that, out of all the people in my life, my aunt was never the person who brought danger into my life. She was my safe place. But now, she isn’t.
“I think we need to find out more about the Everfords,” River mumbles, staring off into space. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence you have the necklace and it was given to you by your aunt. And then she sends you a message that says powerful people are after you?” He gives me a pressing look.
I want to continue living in the land of denial, but what he’s implying does make a tiny bit of sense. Let me stress the tiny part.
“I still don’t get how I could have royal blood in my veins, but if you think we should look into it more, then I’m in.” I scratch my neck. “But I still want to try to get a hold of my aunt. I’m emailing her every day.”
“Why email?” Finn wonders as he pushes his chair back from the table.
I shrug. “I don’t have a phone. Unless you want to find out if the society has it and get it back for me.”
“I’ll look into it.” He rises to his feet, taking his empty plate with him. “And I’ll try to find out more about the Everfords, too. It could take a while.”
“You need to stay safe until then.” River reaches out and slips his fingers through mine, lacing our fingers together on top of the table. “Let me buy you a phone.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “I knew you were going to say that, and the answer is—”
“Please,” he talks over me. “This isn’t about me buying you things. It’s about you being safe.” He grits his teeth, and his fingers twitch. “After what happened, you need to have a phone. If you didn’t have the watch on you, I don’t even …” He blows out a tremulous breath.
He’s right. I loathe that he is, but it’s reality right now.
“I’ll let you get me one, but I’m paying you back.” I heave a sigh. “Hopefully, I can get this job with the event planner that your mom knows, and then we’ll work out a payment plan.” When his lips part, probably with a protest fluttering on his tongue, I cover his mouth with my hand. “No arguing.”
Finn snorts a laugh, drawing my attention to where he’s standing in the kitchen, watching us with a bottle of juice in his hand. “Man, this is comical.”
My brows knit as I lower my hand. “What is?”
“You bossing my brother around.” He flashes me a cheeky grin. “River’s spent years trying to boss me around, so it’s fun watching him get his ass handed to him.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.” Well, sort of.
I think …
My gaze travels back to River, whose eyes are on me. He’s chewing on his bottom lip. Then he slants forward toward me.
“Whatever this is between us,” he utters quietly, “I like it, so ignore my brother.”
And now I can’t breathe.
Jesus.
This is so bad.
Because I like it so much.
Like him.
“Don’t fall for a royal,” my aunt once told me. “It’ll destroy you, Maddison.”
I believed her at the time, that she was telling me that because of the reputation royals had with northside women. Now I’m wondering if she said it because I could be an Everford.
No, there’s no way …
“I have class,” Finn informs us as he collects his bag from off the sofa. “But I’ll stop by the library and dig around some more later today. And then at tomorrow, at the society meeting, River and I will try to find out what they did with your phone and if they’ve read what’s on it.”
“Wait … meeting?” River turns, glancing at his brother. “Why the hell do I have to go?”
“Because you’re in the society now.” He slings the handle of his bag over his shoulder, items inside jingling. “I’m sure they’ll send you details sometime today, but I thought I’d give you a heads-up.”
River continues to frown as Finn heads for the door, throwing me a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Once the door clicks shut, River rotates to face me again. He yanks his fingers through his dark hair, but wisps fall right back into his eyes.
“You’re stressed out,” I state the obvious. “Maybe you should get some rest.”
“What I need is to get you a phone.”
I rub my lips together. “Didn’t you just give me a lecture about resting after you get hurt? And weren’t you just shot?”
“It wasn’t even a real shot,” he mumbles. “It was a graze.”
I point at his side. “Those bruises are crazy, River. They have to hurt.”
“Maybe.” He studies me then reaches out and brushes his fingertips along my temple. “How’s your head?”
“It doesn’t hurt that bad,” I assure him as his fingers sketch down my cheek and to my jawline. “You keep touching me,” I murmur.
He stops moving his fingers but doesn’t pull away. “Do you want me to stop?”
I could say yes and stop this madness of flutters filling up my chest and stomach, but I don’t.
“No.”
He remains still for another slamming heartbeat before he gently traces his thumb along my bottom lip. His eyes zero in on my mouth, and then he leans in and places a soft, heart-melting kiss on my lips.
I let out the most embarrassingly yet quiet groan.
To cover it up, I place my hand on the nape of his neck and guide him closer to me.
We’re face-to-face, and our knees are pressed together.
He lets go of my hand but only to place his palm against my cheek.
Then he angles my head back and parts my lips with his tongue, kissing me so intensely I forget to breathe.
When he bites down on my lip, a whimper fumbles from me.
He pulls back. “Did I hurt you?”
I shake my head, my pulse humming throughout my body. “No, not at all.” I start to lean in to kiss him, but he moves back.
“I want to kiss you so fucking badly.” His gaze descends to my mouth, and then he blinks. “But with the concussion, I just … I want to make sure your head’s clear when we do this.”
Do what exactly?
God, the possibilities are endless. I’ve never been super turned on by a guy, but I’m learning that when it happens, my imagination goes wild.
“For fake or for reals?” I wonder, questioning if I’d say the words if my brain wasn’t a bit foggy.
He must sense this, as well, because in typical sweet River style, he says, “Let’s talk about it tomorrow, okay?”
I nod then let out a yawn. “Sounds good to me.”
“You should go rest in my bed,” he says, standing to his feet. “And I can go get you a phone while you do.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m only resting if you are. Remember, injuries mean rest.”
The edges of his full lips tug upward. “Fine. I’ll order one online for you then.”
I feel like I should protest, but the dizziness in my brain is whispering, sleep. So, I end up nodding.
I don’t even remember the walk to River’s bedroom. One minute, I’m standing in the living room, and the next, I’m lying in his bed. He lies down beside me, and in the depths of my mind, I’m aware of how much trust I’m putting in him. I’m out of it and in his bed. He could do anything to me.
He won’t, though.
It’s the first time I’ve felt safe with someone before. Honestly, I’m not even sure how to deal with it.
“You’re so nice,” I whisper to him as my eyelids lower.
“Okay, you have me worried,” he replies, brushing his fingers through my hair. “You’re being so nice.”
I frown without opening my eyes while resting on my side. “I’m not nice usually?”
“No, you are, but you’re also so feisty. You seem … subdued right now.” He brushes his fingers across my cheekbone before withdrawing his hand. “Get some rest, okay?”
I’d argue, but I’m so damn tired. So, I nod and let the darkness swirling in my mind sweep me away …
“Maddy,” my aunt says. “Maddy, you need to run. Go hide out at the playground by the river for a bit. And whatever you do, do not let anyone see you. I need you to be sneaky, okay?”
I nod, staring up at her. “Okay, but why? And where’s my mom?” I glance around the living room, but it’s empty.
“She’s …” My aunt trails off as she crouches in front of me, looking me straight in the eye. “She’ll be back soon. But don’t worry about that. Just get to the playground. Take the trails and be careful.”
I feel nervous as I nod then hurry for the open front door. The sky is cloudy, and lightning is echoing in the distance. It’s scary, but I keep going, rounding the side of the apartment and heading down to the trail that briefly dips into the trees. I walk quickly, heading toward the playground—
“Oh, Maddison …” a voice singsongs from the bushes, startling me.
I freeze, frantically peering around, scared and wanting to go back to the apartment. But sometimes it’s just as scary there.
I start to step forward again when a branch snaps from behind me. I don’t turn around; I run, barreling down the path that ends in a parking lot. Once I reach there, I keep going, staying behind buildings until I reach the park. It’s empty, probably because of the storm.
I hurry across the grass and toward the slides. Then I climb into a tubed one and hide there, listening to the sounds of raindrops splattering against the top of it. I start to shiver as the air grows colder and hug my knees to my chest.
The storm grows fiercer. Above the rain, I swear I hear my name shouted.
“Maddison!” a man yells.
He sounds familiar, and yet, he doesn’t.
“Maddison, where are you?” His voice is getting washed out by the rain. “Just answer me, sweetie! I promise I’m not going to hurt you!”
People who say that usually mean the opposite, so I remain quiet, hiding, even when the night comes and I can’t see anything at all.
I stay, waiting for someone to find me.
But it doesn’t happen.
It never does.