Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
IGNACIO
“N o, my daughter doesn’t need to be taken in to be evaluated,” Dad says.
The way he fully adopted Rachelle is awe inspiring. Sometimes, blood doesn’t have a place in these things. I know it doesn’t affect my ability to date her, if she’ll ever give me the time of day.
Well, her mom may castrate me still, that all remains to be seen.
Dad is standing at the front door speaking to the police, his hand wrapped tightly in Barrett’s collar to keep him still at his feet. I don’t know how the Kings Society got their claws into him or found out that he’s her therapist, but it’s one more support thread that’s been taken from Rachelle.
I don’t know if she’ll be able to trust anyone else with her therapy.
“It’s just we received a call from the hospital stating that you’re barring them from the gates,” Officer James says uncomfortably, looking over his shoulder where the ambulance is parked on the street.
“Rachelle?” Dad asks, waiting for her to join us.
Her eyes are swollen, her fingers are twitching with stress, but she’s not having a panic attack currently. She glares at the man at my father’s feet, appearing angry now.
“Ask her any questions you need to, Officer. I’m not hiding her away, but I am going to protect her from Barrett’s thoughtless actions,” Dad says. “I will make sure he can never practice again, and will be taking legal action to strip him of every single penny he has.”
Barrett pales, shaking his head. “See! He’s threatening me,” he complains.
“You told me I was making things up,” Rachelle rasps. “Gaslighting isn’t something that was on my bingo card today, Barrett. I trusted you with my care. I am not suicidal, nor am I a danger to anyone else.”
“Those are the questions I would ask,” Officer James says, deflating slightly. “I take it you’ve had these asked before?”
“I have had some mental health concerns in the past,” she says icily. “I called Barrett to discuss some things, but it didn’t have anything to do with the questions you’d ask. I have a right to speak to my therapist as needed.”
“Of course, Miss,” the officer says, nodding.
Dad has a lot of officers in his pocket financially, and the rest step carefully around him. None of them want to get on his shit list.
“Barrett makes me feel unsafe, as he is threatening me with something he knows scares me,” Rachelle says, shuddering. “This is insider information he received as my therapist. I need him out of my home.”
My heart soars as she claims this home as hers. I know Dad has been discussing leaving with her. Even if I haven’t heard any conversations surrounding it, I know my father and it’s what I would do.
“You heard her,” Dad says. “I don’t care where you dump him, as long as he’s out of my home.”
“I’ll get him booked as being a risk to a minor,” Officer James decides. “It’s a broad enough term that he’ll be at the jail until a judge has time for him. I’ll also block his calls out.”
“That’s against the law!” Barrett yells as the officer forces him to stand, shoving his face into the door frame as he cuffs his hands behind back tightly.
“I’ll worry about that,” the officer mutters. “I’ll tell the ambulance there’s no reason for them to remain here as well. All I see is a very upset young woman who’s been betrayed by her therapist. I hope you have a better night, Miss.”
“Thank you,” Rachelle whispers as the officer pulls away Barrett.
The therapist fights him the entire way, earning himself a punch in the face by the officer. He also slams Barrett’s face into the side of the door for good measure before shoving him inside.
“Next time, play nice,” the officer says, shrugging as he closes the door behind Barrett.
Dad chuckles under his breath as the officer waves at us and gets into the car.
“I need to call my lawyer to spread the word that Barrett isn’t to be picked up as a client by anyone,” he says. “Then, I’m getting him stripped of his license. He fucked with the wrong family. The King Society may believe they can poison the people closest to you, but it doesn’t mean there won’t be repercussions. I need to go fuck with some people’s livelihoods. I’m done.”
Dad leaves to make some calls as I wince. He isn’t someone to be crossed, even by the most powerful of people. It’s why he was tapped to be a King when he was in school.
“Do you need some air?” I ask Rachelle as she gazes at the police car as it leaves.
“What?” she asks, blinking as she looks over at me.
“Barrett is taken care of,” I remind her. “The ambulance people won’t be able to get on the property either. There’s all this nervous energy inside of you. A run always helps when I feel off.”
“No one feels the way I do,” she whispers. “I’m a freak.”
“You’re not, let’s go,” I say, my arm looping around her waist to pull her away from the door. I don’t want to manhandle her, but the negative self talk isn’t going to fly either. “We’ve already established that we’re all one bad experience away from falling apart. Now, go change into something you can run in.”
“Nacio,” she groans.
The little mouse has been very careful not to call me that. My heart feels as if it’s reforming itself, and the nickname I’ve had for her feels less derogatory. Maybe I have a chance after all.
“Nope,” I say, escorting her toward the stairs.
“Where are you two headed?” Julia asks suspiciously, her head popping out of the living room.
“For a run,” I tell her. “Figured it would be a good idea since she still looks as if she’s a little twitchy.”
“Rachelle, do you want to go for a run?” her mom asks, slightly amused.
Damn, I’m still making her do shit. I’m someone used to issuing commands, making decisions, or arguing to get my way.
“It may help,” Rachelle sighs. “My body doesn’t know what it wants right now.”
“Don’t over do it,” her mom reminds her.
Nodding, we continue up the stairs, and I watch as she trudges to her room to change. She doesn’t really want to go, but at least she agrees that it may help. Going into my room, I change quickly.
Rachelle is leaning against the wall as I come out, putting on her midnight blue sneakers. They look good on her, something I never thought I’d say.
My phone buzzes in my pocket as I gaze at her, and I dread checking it. There’s few people who would be messaging me right now. Pulling it out, I see several messages from different people.
Theo:
Why is there an ambulance outside your house? Did your stepmother finally decide to shoot you?
Lips twitching in amusement, I shake my head.
Me:
No, she didn’t. Thank you for the concern. Rachelle’s therapist was tapped by the Kings’ Society and pushed too hard. He’s been detained by the police.
Theo:
I didn’t know she was seeing a therapist.
Me:
That’s because I enjoy being alive, Theo.
Theo:
Well, fuck. That’s going to make keeping an eye on her difficult. I get it, though. I’d prefer to keep you alive too.
Smirking, I check my messages from Liliana as well.
Lili:
Dad says he needs me to stay home for a few days. Don’t push her, and don’t fuck this up.
Me:
I promise. Ah, you should probably know that Barrett her therapist tried to fuck Rachelle over today. The Kings Society got to him. She had a panic attack.
Lili:
I hope your father ruins his life and makes him beg to end it.
She’s feisty, loyal as fuck, and sexy. I love the way she immediately jumps toward the worst possible punishments for people who hurt Rachelle.
Me:
I punched Barrett, and Dad is working on ruining his life now in his office. Barrett is headed to jail.
“Ready?” Rachelle asks, straightening.
She’s wearing a pair of form fitting leggings with a sports bra that makes my mouth water. There’s a bracelet on her wrist that I noticed when we were at the lighthouse, and I wonder if she ever takes it off. I also noticed that Lili was wearing a matching one.
“Yeah,” I agree, walking toward the stairs with her and putting my phone away. “Let’s grab some water, stretch, and we’ll get moving. Lili texted to check on you.”
“She mentioned she was going to have to hang at home for a bit,” Rachelle says. “I figured she might since I’ve been taking up so much of her time.”
“It’s the summer, and you’re always connected at the hip,” I remind her. “Mr. Cruz is well aware of that. I’m sure there’s another reason why he wants Lili home. He has a big family, maybe they’re having some sort of gathering and it has nothing to do with how much time you’ve been spending together.”
Nodding, she and I walk down the stairs and through the house, and I detour at the kitchen to grab two reusable bottles of water.
“Mr. Cruz is kind of scary,” she admits. “He’s very intense.”
“He is,” I agree, handing her a bottle after I fill it. “It’s what makes him really good at his job. Mr. Cruz is also becoming very protective of you through his daughter. I heard a very interesting rumor circulating toward the end of school.”
“Ugh, I really hate those,” she sighs, following as I leave the kitchen with my own water to walk outside.
There’s a chill in the air, forcing me to glance at Rachelle as she shivers.
“You’re not in Florida anymore, baby,” I say, sighing as I pull off my hooded sweatshirt to hand it to her.
“That thing is huge,” she says, shaking her head even as she shivers. “I’ll warm up as I run. I always forget how much cooler it gets in the summer once the sun goes down.”
“Mmhmm,” I say, shaking my head as I pull my sweater back on. “Follow my lead for stretches, please. I don’t want you to pull something.”
Quietly, she watches as I begin, mirroring what I do. After a few minutes, I can tell she’s about to burst from curiosity.
“So what was the rumor?” she asks, making me hide a smile as I stretch out my hamstrings.
“Miss Hailey had a visit from Mr. Cruz the weekend before she packed up her shit after she was fired,” I say. “Apparently, he scared the fuck out of her, and she was shaking the Monday that she left. The rumors never specified that it was Lili’s father, but no one else would put the fear of God into her for fucking with you.”
“Well Miss Hailey also threatened Liliana and her position at the newspaper with what she did,” Rachelle says stubbornly. “He could have done it just to prove a point not to mess with his daughter.”
“Doubtful,” I say. “Yes, it was partially to ensure Lili didn’t have any repercussions from the stunt, but my dad and he were livid when they found out what happened. Their daughters are untouchable.”
“That’s still so hard to hear,” she mutters. “My dad was never like that. He worked too much to spend time with me.”
“There’s a difference between working hard and being negligent,” I state, straightening. “Ready?”
“I still don’t like running,” she huffs, though she nods.
“You run with Lili,” I tease her, taking a slow swig of water before we begin.
“I do a lot of things I don’t like with her,” she sighs.
“Then why do it?” I ask, starting to jog at a slow pace. I like to ease in, especially when I run with someone unused to keeping up with me.
Elijah fucking hated running too, but started to go with me because he knew he needed it for rugby.
“I run because I have to,” she says. “I don’t want to be caught unaware again. There are other things too that I do because I need to, not because I want to.”
“Is swimming one of those things?” I ask. It’s a shot in the dark. I need to know that she’s learning to swim, though.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of about it, but she needs to know how when there are so many opportunities to drown. While it sounds harsh, it’s the reality of having a known weakness.
“If I wanted to tell you that, I would,” she says, shutting me out.
Recognizing that I pushed too hard, I focus on running, bumping up the pace periodically. Rachelle stays with me, though I notice when she starts to breathe harder. I refuse to slow down, and instead maintain that pace until I can run faster.
I want her to know how far she can push until she hits her limit, though I don’t want her to puke, either. Elijah will run until he vomits to punish himself. Rachelle doesn’t seem like someone who would hurt herself in this way, though. There are plenty of other ways for her to accomplish that.
I’ve shown her that my loyalty is split. I’m straddling the line between being a King and wanting to protect Rachelle. My chest hurts from more than just exertion, I’m physically hurting myself as I try to figure out what to do.
My heart wants Lili and Rachelle. It wants my best friends too, the guys I lost my virginity to, who kept me sane whenever I couldn’t sleep. Nightmares aren’t something I’m unused to, though seeing dead girls when I close my eyes is.
Keeping Rachelle close by helps me remind myself that she’s here, she’s alive. She may not be mine, but as long as she breathes, there’s a chance.
It’s a morose, possessive idea, yet I couldn’t care less. Fuck, I hate that I need to choose. My friends are on the wrong side of this, and I’m the reason for it.
We are running the perimeter of the fence, the men who watch the house amused as we pass by. I’ve been known to keep odd hours, while Rachelle isn’t. The fact that we’re running together is definitely different.
Some of my father’s men are very aware of why Rachelle and I should be enemies. I’m tired of staying away, worrying about her, wanting to see her gorgeous eyes as a way to see if they’re stormy and conflicted or clear and bright.
“Fuck,” Rachelle gasps out, forcing my steps to slow down.
“Work on controlling your breathing,” I instruct. “Keep your feet moving, even if it’s in place. Come on, go, go, go.”
“If you ever choose to go into the military, you have this whole drill sergeant thing down pat,” she gasps.
“I hate rules,” I say. “I would be a terrible recruit for the military.”
Shaking her head, she jogs in place with me as she takes a small sip of water. Continuing to breathe with me, she appears amused.
“Why is that funny?” I ask her.
“You play a sport, doesn’t that require some kind of following of the rules?” she asks.
“It does,” I agree. “Soccer is something I enjoy. I don’t mind following those rules. I will gladly do my part to win a game. I don’t need to be the center of attention during it either, though I am the reason for a lot of goals.”
“So modest,” she mutters, making me grin.
“I don’t know the meaning of that,” I say. “Being humble feels like an excuse to tone down your accomplishments, and you work hard for those. I won’t shove them in other peoples’ faces, but when I walk into a room, everyone knows who I am.”
“A King,” she scoffs, and I shake my head.
“Accomplished,” I correct. “While I am a King and my name has weight there, I’m also a Reyes. I’m not someone to be fucked with. Even if I were to step away from the Kings, the Society would have a difficult time fucking me over.”
“I suppose that’s why they place friends together as Kings,” she says. Rachelle’s mind is fascinating to me. She’s smart and sexy.
“This time they did,” I say. If I’m being honest, they try to do that more often than not. “It’s harder to turn your back on people you have history with.”
“Why do you sound like you want to?” she asks.
“You’re becoming important to me,” I sigh. “More moving, less talking. Let’s go.”
Continuing on our run, we move at a pace that doesn’t invite conversation. It’s becoming too personal, and I’m too close to saying things that I can’t come back from. I want to tell her that I’d be willing to work as a double agent, with my loyalty to her. The words ‘I don’t want to live without you’ are also on the tip of my tongue.
It’s too soon. I don’t want to scare the shit out of her. When I say the things running through my head, I want them to sound sincere. I want her to believe them. Lili has told me she doesn’t mind sharing, which is an interesting notion.
I’m not uncomfortable with the concept because I’ve been sharing my best friends since we first became curious about kissing and sexual experiences. We fucked each other first before we moved on to girls, though a few of us only fuck teachers.
There’s less chances of anyone catching feelings that way, and I enjoy the fact that it’s so damn illicit. Otherwise, I don’t mess around with the girls my age. Jared fucks girls that allow him to use them , but Theo and Elijah also prefer teachers.
It’s less messy.
“You’re thinking really hard,” Rachelle gasps out as she runs.
Her cheeks are rosy, and I can see her perfectly because the garden and front lights are on for visibility. I want to make sure she doesn’t trip or twist her ankle. The reminder of what her feet looked like a week and a half ago makes me wince.
How are they now?
“There’s a lot to think about,” I respond finally. “One more lap, little sister. You can do it.”
“We’re still going to call me that?” she asks, her breaths labored but steady.
“Do you want a truth for a truth?” I ask her suddenly.
“Yes, even though that sounds really scary,” she says.
“I would still call you my little sister if I was balls deep inside your gorgeous pussy,” I say as we pass by some of my father’s men.
Their faces are fucking priceless, but I’m not worried about them. Rachelle’s foot trips on air in surprise, and I reach out to snatch her up without missing a beat. Her arms come around my neck, both of us having dropped our water bottles.
“What the fuck, Nacio?” she breathes, eyes wide as I grin.
“That’s what I’ve been thinking about,” I tease her. I could run with her for miles, but I slow my steps in case she wants to finish this loop. “What’s your truth, Little Mouse?”
Her lips twist at the nickname, and she pulls my ear hard.
“Ow, is this foreplay?” I ask her. “I could be into this.”
“You’re insane,” she says. “Is this the truth you want?”
“No,” I say quickly. Fuck, now I have to choose something I really want to know. Everything feels too damn personal right now. “Do you like when I kiss you?”
Okay, that’s safe enough. Not only is it something I’m dying to know, it’ll give me an idea if there’s any hope for us. She looked like she liked it earlier, but I could have imagined the way she leaned into me too.
“That’s what you want to know?” she asks, eyes wide. “Huh.”
Her head drops to my shoulder as she thinks, while my heart begins to pound. Maybe that wasn’t a safe enough question. Fuck.
Rachelle’s fingers tap hard on my chest, getting my attention as I continue to walk.
“Stop freaking out,” she says. “I can hear your heartbeat.”
“Then answer the question,” I breathe. I like the feeling of her body in my arms, the way her chest rises and falls, and how she gently plays with my hair with the hand along my neck.
“Alright,” she says. “I like when you kiss me, though it’s been too soft recently for me to really enjoy it.”
“I’ll have to do better,” I say, smirking. “How dare I give you the space to push me away.”
“Exactly,” she says, looking up so I can see her lips curving up slightly. “Are you going to carry me the rest of the way? I think we lost our water bottles.”
“Someone will bring them back,” I reassure her, placing her on her feet. My hands need some encouragement to let her go completely, but I manage. “Come on lazy bones. Let’s go.”
The tinkle of her laughter as she tries to outrun me makes my dick rise and my heart begins to pound for another reason entirely. I think I may love this girl.
I can feel my priorities shift with every moment I spend with her, and I decide it’s what has to happen. The Kings are thoroughly in the wrong.
Rachelle Reyes is to be protected at all costs.
* * *
RACHELLE
Checking to make sure my door is closed and locked as I always do, I walk over to my bed to crawl under the covers. I’m exhausted.
Everything that happened with Barrett, the way Nacio leaped at him and knocked him out, it’s hard to believe. I told Emil that I’m going to need to pause any attempt to find me another therapist. It’s clearly not safe when everyone seems to have a price.
Lili:
I miss you, baby. I wish I was holding you right now.
Gazing at my phone as I lay in bed, I sigh as I read her text. I’ve become used to her sleeping with me. The nightmares have their moments of winning sometimes, but it’s not as scary when she’s here.
Me:
I miss you and wish you were here too. Love you.
Feeling more comfortable saying that to her, I turn my phone on silent mode, and put it on the charger on my side table. Snuggling into my blankets, I turn off my light with the slide switch next to me.
Slowly, my eyes begin to get heavy, and my yawns get even wider. God, it’s been a really long damn day. Lili and her mouth are very much corrupting me, because I’m finding it much easier to use curse words now.
Drifting, I begin to fall asleep, my dreams pulling me away when I hear a faint thump by my door. My body twitches so hard at the sound, I gasp, sitting up.
I guess sleep is going to be hard to come by alone tonight. When I have Lili with me, I sleep deeper, because I feel safe. My mind isn’t searching for danger, my ears aren’t straining for every sound.
Ugh. I hate the way my brain works because of the shit in my past.
My feet slide along the cool sheets as I sit up before they hit the carpet. I’m wearing pajamas now, and though they aren’t something I’d parade around the house in, it’s fine to see who is at the door.
Standing, I walk slowly to the door in the dark. It’s silly, I should have turned on the light, but I’d rather catch whoever this is unaware. Unlocking the door, I pull it open to see Nacio gazing up at me sleepily.
“Go to sleep, Rachelle,” he says, yawning. “Fuck, I’m tired.”
“You have a perfectly good bed across the hall,” I remind him.
Is this because of what he said to me about seeing me dead when he closes his eyes? While I could say that he’s seen me alive all day, logic means nothing in the face of the lies your mind tells you.
“I like it here just fine,” he mumbles, his eyes starting to close before they jerk open.
Shit.
“Why are you on the floor?” I ask gently.
“I already told you,” he mumbles. “You’re on the other side of the wall. It’s easier to remind myself that you’re fine if I can keep saying that.”
Swallowing hard, I gaze down at him, because despite his words, this isn’t working.
“Get up,” I tell him. I can already feel the kink in his neck that he’s going to have tomorrow. “Come on.”
I can’t sleep without someone with me, would I be able to if that someone was Nacio? I have freaked out before due to not being able to see him, but the situation was different than this one.
This is all such a mess.
What if I throw down a pillow and a blanket on the floor by my bed? Would that help me, or would I have a hard time sleeping as he shifts in his sleep? God, would that be enough for him to convince his mind that I’m fine.
“Rachelle,” he groans as I poke my foot at him.
“No complaints, get up,” I tell him sharply.
Forcing himself to his feet, he starts moving to his room. Grabbing his hand, I shake my head, tugging at him.
“There are rules, and you’re going in the wrong direction, big guy,” I say, moving my head toward my room.
“Okay,” he drawls, his feet moving toward me. “What’s your plan, Little Mouse?”
Why do I not hate it when he calls me that? There must be something wrong with me.
“Just get in my room,” I sigh, walking him in.
“It’s dark as fuck in here,” he says, blinking as I flip the switch on the wall.
“Too bright,” he complains.
“Get in the bed so I can turn it off then,” I say, rolling my eyes.
They’re going to stay up there if I’m not careful.
“I’m going to keep my mouth shut and do as I’m told,” he mutters, almost to himself as he gets into the bed.
“That’s probably a first for you, huh?” I ask, wincing as I shut off the light.
I can still see light bombs flashing in my eyes from messing up my night vision, but I close the door to my room, deciding I won’t need it locked. I don’t know what’s gotten into me right now.
It’s late so I’m going to roll with it.
Walking slowly, I find the bed and climb up onto it. I can see the outline of Nacio’s body, and it’s a reminder of how masculine and big he is. That’s not something I should be thinking about right now, even if I can smell how amazing his scent is.
“What’s the deal here, Rachelle?” Nacio asks, yawning.
He probably hasn’t slept in days if what he said is true.
“I can’t sleep,” I say slowly. “It’s obvious you can’t sleep either, so maybe we can help each other.”
“And the rules?” he asks. If I could see him, I’m sure I’d be able to see how amused he is right now.
“This is crazy,” I mutter. “Lili told you that I have really specific triggers. Sometimes, I don’t even know what they’ll be until I’m in the middle of it and it feels like I’m drowning.”
“You’re not,” he says. His hand reaches out to squeeze mine as he takes a sharp breath. “You’re right here. What are your triggers?”
“Unwelcome male touches,” I say, swallowing hard. “Especially if I can’t see who it is.”
It actually helps right now that the lights are off to tell him things I would never tell a soul outside of Lili. Fuck, and Barrett. I hope someone sodomizes him with a rusty pole in jail.
Shaking my head to clear the cruel thought, I focus on the here and now.
“I don’t even know if I’ll be able to sleep with you in my bed,” I confess. “I just know that you look like you haven’t slept and even if you just sleep on my floor, the movements outside of a bubble I can control will keep me up.”
“What’s the bubble you can control?” he asks.
“My bed. I know all of the blankets, pillows, everything that should be on my bed is here,” I explain. “So, if you’re in my bubble with me, maybe my brain will shut off from looking for the boogieman where none exists.”
“Is that why you can’t sleep?” he asks, laying down on the bed and getting comfortable. He shouldn’t look this good in my bed. “I want to snuggle, come lay with me?”
“I didn’t take you as a cuddler,” I murmur, getting under the blankets to join him.
His thick arm drags me closer, until half my body is over his chest, my head resting close to his neck. I can feel his heart beating, the sound as comforting now as I found it earlier when he was carrying me.
My eyes immediately start to droop. Why is Nacio the insomnia whisperer?
His hand rubs up my back slowly, making me sigh as the stress from today starts to drain from my body.
“Anything else I need to know?” he asks softly.
My words are sluggish as I speak, but I need to say something, even if it’s jumping the gun or hurts his feelings.
“Don’t touch me under my clothes while I’m sleeping, Nacio,” I whisper. “I’ll freak out.”
Liliana is a whole different situation, because not only do I trust her, my body knows her touch. Nacio doesn’t have the same privileges with my body.
“Don’t worry, little sister,” he murmurs, his fingers running through my hair now. “When I touch you under your clothes, it’ll be because you begged me to.”
The whimper that escapes is embarrassing, because my pussy just clamped hard at his words in desire. Holy hell, my stepbrother has game. His low chuckle is the last thing I hear as I drift off to sleep.