TWENTY
Ten minutes later,I’ve all but finished up playing nurse to Royal. His shoulder is a fuckin’ mess, but I think it’s mostly surface damage—abraded skin. Painful sure, but he’ll live. The blood flowing down his face when I first set eyes on him had scared the shit out of me, but scalp wounds can bleed profusely like that. Upon inspection, it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had assumed.
Now, all I have to do is watch him for signs of a concussion and try to get him to listen when I tell him to rest. Fat chance of that, though. Last year—the day after some asshole guy from Gamma Chi had accidentally smashed a beer bottle over Royal’s head at a party—he’d been scheduled for fight night. It turned out the guy he was lined up to fight was also a Gamma Chi brother, and once Royal found out that little coincidence, I couldn’t keep him from getting into the cage and kicking that guy’s ass, despite the cut on the back of his head. It wasn”t pretty, but I wager he’d channeled all that pain those frat brothers had caused him into anger. He’s good at that, kinda like I am. Only with me, it’s almost always emotional anguish that brings out my fierce temper. So, will I be able to convince Royal to stay home for my fight tonight to recover from his run-in with the van? Fuckin’ doubtful.
I blow out a deep breath, thinking through things. The burner phone Freya had is with the police, according to Cassie. But it’s not a leap to assume the fucking psycho in the van is the sender of the text message. I don’t fucking know what to make of it. “Maybe it’s for the best that this happened,” I murmur quietly, affixing a last strip of medical tape to hold the bandage in place.
Royal throws an irritated glance in my direction, complete with a comically arched brow. “Glad you think so,” he grinds out.
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it. Between you coming inches from being involved in a hit-and-run and then receiving that threat via text, it’s not only put us on high alert, but it’s also straight-up made us angry.” When he doesn’t immediately agree with me, I grip his chin in my hand before pressing an intense kiss to his lips. I hold him there, nipping at his mouth, then slide my tongue inside to tease him while pushing him back against the counter, pinning him at the hip with my body. I don’t stop until I feel his chest rise with a deep intake of breath as we sink slowly into each other. He grabs the back of my neck, tugging me closer. He’s reminding me of every fucking moment we spent making each other feel good last night—every kiss, every touch, every thrust. Breathless, we finally break the kiss. My forehead lightly touches his as I stare into his eyes. “Definitely didn’t mean I wanted this to happen to you. Never want you to hurt.” I ease the pad of my thumb over his lower lip, breathing him in. “Scared the fuck out of me, asshole.” What could have happened shakes me to my core.
A teasing light enters his eyes. “Worried about me, huh?”
My brows dart together. “I know you can handle yourself, but there’s only so many good outcomes when it’s man versus large vehicle, you know?” I cock my head to the side. “I don’t want to fucking think about how differently today could have gone. That’s all I was trying to say. And I’m really fucking glad no one has to explain to Chase where Woyal went. If we fucking lost you— Sorry. I didn’t mean to get all fucking morbid.” But I can’t help myself. That’s where my head goes. Especially right now.
He presses his firm, yet sinfully soft lips together, looking at the floor with a wince. “The thought of leaving any of you makes me fucking sick to my stomach. So. You’re right. I’d much rather we’re all fucking pissed off and watchful than sitting here waiting for the next threat or attack. Because I have no fucking doubt—this isn’t over. Not by a long shot.” He grasps me tightly to him with the hand that had found my hip while we were kissing, his fingers digging in, like he’s making sure I’m still here with him. That I’m not going anywhere. He releases a heavy breath. “I think I don’t give a fuck what threats are made about where we stay. Echo is at TZE, so is this crazy fuck. She’s here, the psycho still attacks. So, we leave because we’re told to, and people fucking die. I don’t think it matters. Thoughts?”
“I’m with you. Always.” I nod just as the doorbell rings.
From the other room, the conversation I’d been faintly aware of Beckham and Echo having comes to a pause. He’d told me how that bitch Megan is no longer incarcerated before all this happened with Royal. I feel for him, as he’s hyperfocused on it. It makes me fucking hurt for him.
Echo must have gotten up to answer it when Beckham’s agitated voice travels easily through the house. “Fuck no, you’re not. I’ll get it.” Her exasperation can also be heard in the disgruntled groan she lets out. A second later, it becomes clear that Beckham won the argument because the door opens and he quickly asks, “Can I help you?”
More hesitation, both from Beckham and whomever has come to the door has me on edge.
I exchange a tense look with Royal before pushing away from his body and gesturing for him to follow me to see who’s interrupting our already fucked-up day.
“Not even one hour without something,” he mutters as we turn the corner.
I glance at him over my shoulder and chuckle. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and it’s a Girl Scout with cookies.” My brows dart together as I realize there’s a quiet conversation in progress at the door. I stop in my tracks, eyes locked on Royal. For some reason, my heart has begun to thud and squeeze in my chest, like it’s fucking telling me something. I try to swallow, but my throat goes dry as every single nerve in my body has tripped and is on full alert.
“Wilder.” There’s an anxious quality to Echo’s voice that doesn’t ease my mind one bit. It’s not fear in her voice, though, it’s more like concern laced with a heavy dose of compassion. At the confusion on Royal’s face, I bite the bullet and face whatever problem has come to our door head-on.
My stomach bottoms out as I take in my sister’s lithe form and the way she’s awkwardly standing just inside the threshold with her face angled away from me. Beckham’s face has gone pale, his eyes wide as he looks back and forth between River and me. She’s wearing a sweatshirt and leggings, which is weird as fuck for September around here. She has to be sweating to death. “River. What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.” Her chin tips up, and she meets my gaze through only one eye. The other is swollen shut and bluish purple.
Shock hits me first, like a jab to the jaw, knocking me for a loop. Then fury flickers to life, wicked and potent, shooting through my veins. I know I have to control my reaction for her sake, but it’s so fucking hard to see her like this again. This might be the worst it’s ever been. Motherfucker. Mother. Fucker. I cross the room in less than a heartbeat and fold her into my arms. River doesn’t say a word, but trembles against my chest as my hand goes protectively to the back of her head. A muffled sob rips from her lips. Barely controlled anger fills me as I feel her pain with my entire body.
I finally manage to utter, “I’m going to fucking kill that bastard.” Breathe. Fucking breathe. I can’t do a damn thing about the asshole who did this right now, but I can help my sister. Easing back, I take her head between my hands, assessing the damage. “Let’s get something cold on that eye, okay?” I have to bite my tongue because I want to rage. This is so obviously Brian’s handiwork, violent plans for his demise formulate in my head.
“Okay,” she whispers.
I glance to one side where Beckham and Royal are looking on, concern slashing their features, then I notice Echo hasn’t budged, even while I was holding River… and now I see why. My sister’s got a death grip on Echo’s hand. I swallow, then roughly manage to grit out, “This is my sister, River.” My head swivels back to her without introducing anyone else. “I’m going to fix you right up, okay?”
“You don’t have to.” River blinks rapidly, a breath barely skittering from her. “I survived.”
“You shouldn’t have to survive your own damn husband,” I bite out, and the second the retort slips past my lips, I know it was too harsh. Her face falls, making her injuries appear even more severe. My jaw tightens. “I didn’t mean?—”
River releases a desperate sigh. “I know it. This situation isn’t your fault. I know it’s been hard for you to watch and not step in.”
Echo murmurs, “It’s not your fault either, River. Your brother is just upset to see you like this, I think.” Her eyes flick to mine, as if to say, Everything’s going to be okay, with a hint of Calm the fuck down. “Right, Wilder?”
I heave out one breath, then another, in an attempt to calm myself. “Of course. I’ve only ever wanted the best for you. Brian is not it, no matter that you’re married. No matter what pretty apologies he gives you. You can’t continue on like this. We can figure out what to do to get you away from him. I think it has to be now.” It’s clear I’ve shocked her, because she stares at me, wide-eyed.
No one says a word, the tension in the room having risen to the nth degree. But fucked if I’ll allow River to stay with that abusive prick another minute. Final fucking straw.
We’re a good ten seconds into some very uncomfortable territory when Royal finally breaks the silence, putting a hand to his chest. “I’m Royal, by the way.” He gestures to Beck with a jerk of his thumb, clearly trying to keep things casual. “This is Beckham.”
“And I’m Echo. We’re all very close to Wilder.” She bites her lip, glancing at us with a shrug. Hard to know how to explain our relationship, and this isn’t the fucking time, anyway.
“We’re going to go find Kara and Chase. Give you some time alone,” Royal murmurs. He gives me a subtle nod, then offers River a kind smile. “Nurse Wilder is on duty. And he’s fucking amazing. You should let your brother help you. I did.”
Her sole functional eye scans over Royal’s heavily bandaged shoulder and other assorted scrapes and bruises. She frowns at the extent of his injuries but says nothing. I wouldn’t want her to take on our worries right now, anyway. She has a heap of her own trouble to deal with.
Royal and Beckham both search out my eyes before I can take a single step. Are you good?,What the fuck?, and Are we kicking someone’s ass later? sum up the questions written on their faces. I nod, my expression grim. No, I don’t know, and Potentially are my gut-reaction answers.
“I could go with them if you’d rather talk to Wilder in private,” Echo says in a soothing voice. Her brows slowly pinch together as my sister trembles beside her. “Or… I can stay with you, if that’s what you want.”
River’s eyes dart around to what she can see of the Madden home before shifting slightly to peek out the window. Her tongue slides over the painful-looking cut in her bottom lip. “Please… stay.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Echo gives her a reassuring smile, then turns around and flips the dead bolt on the door. “There.”
The sigh of relief River lets out once the door is locked makes me so fucking sad for her… and I don’t have the heart to tell her that if anyone really wants to enter a home—this one, or any other—they’ll find a way. Especially her slimy-ass husband, the cop. The one who is supposed to protect not only her, but this community. Fucking asshole. Anger bubbles under my skin, hot and slick, and my fists clench.
“Wilder.” Beckham lifts a brow when I swing my stormy gaze to his. I read his expression perfectly without any further words. He senses my temper getting out of control, knows me like the back of his hand. Because of this, he’s well aware I’m hanging on by a thread to my sanity over this entire situation. I swallow roughly and nod. “Good,” he says as his perceptive eyes wander over me. “We’ll be wherever Chase is if you need us for anything.”
I release a careful breath. “Okay, thank you.” I watch them depart, before turning my focus fully on my sister and her banged-up face. Fucking hell. I hope I don’t lose it when she shows us the full extent of the damage. My eyes bore into Echo’s with a single message. Help me get through this.
Nodding, Echo murmurs, “Let’s get you taken care of, River. Wilder already has all the medical supplies in the kitchen from patching up Royal.” I let the ladies lead the way, marveling at how calm, cool, and collected our girl is, and also how my sister immediately gravitated toward her and trusts her, even though they’ve only just met. River has no idea who Echo is to me, but there’s something about her that is helping my sister cope. I don’t know why I’m surprised, though—Echo is compassionate and kind. She’s been through enough shit that she can totally handle this.
I go straight to the sink and wash my hands again, then gather the medical supplies and bring them to the table where Echo and River have pulled out chairs and are sitting side by side. River continues to clasp Echo’s hand like it’s a lifeline.
“There are probably a bunch of bags of veggies in the freezer.” Echo points to the refrigerator. “You’re welcome to use one for her eye.”
“Good call.” When I open the freezer, I pick up the first thing I see, which is a small bag of lima beans. I give an exaggerated shudder. “Who likes lima beans?”
Laughing, Echo shrugs. “No idea. Certainly not me. You know where the clean dishcloths are if you want to wrap it in one.”
After doing exactly as Echo suggested, I bring the makeshift ice pack over to River. “Can you hold this on your eye for me?”
She nods, gingerly bringing it to her swollen eyelid. The air she sucks in as the coldness comes into contact with her skin is audible. But instead of complaining, her entire body sags in relief, and she exhales in a slow, steady stream.
Echo whispers, “I bet that feels good on it.”
“Y-yes.” River nods. I hate that I know her signs of being close to losing it, but I do. The stuttering is for sure one of them, as is the lack of eye contact. She’s trying to hold back, but whether she’s attempting to be brave for my sake or Echo’s, I have no idea. I wish she’d let it all out, go ahead and cry if she needs to.
I squat before her, cupping her cheek as I dab at the dried blood near the split in her lip. My teeth clench hard as I set the damp cloth, stained pink with my sister’s blood, aside and gently ease her hand away for a quick couple of seconds so I can probe the area around her eye with gentle fingers to make sure the motherfucker didn’t damage her eye socket. Thank fuck. “It’s a nasty black eye, River. It’ll heal with time.” I clear my throat. “Echo, could you get her some pain meds, please?”
She nods. “I sure can. One sec.” She gently squeezes River’s hand before letting go. “I’ll be right back.”
After Echo leaves the room, River meets my gaze. “She’s really nice.”
I stand up, nodding, unsure what to say about Echo and me. I deflect for a minute by putting away the medical supplies, since we’re mostly dealing with bruises. “Well, I’m glad you like her because she’s really important to me.”
River’s brow arches, but she puts the bag of veggies back to her eye without further comment, seeming to sense I’m not ready to discuss the nature of the relationship yet.
A moment later, Echo is back with some pills that she drops into River’s hand, and once she’s popped them into her mouth, Echo hands her a bottle of water. River takes several sips before giving it back.
Echo sets the water on the table, then turns back, lifting a careful hand to River’s brow. “Aren’t you awfully warm in what you’re wearing?”
I find it odd that River ignores the question, but stares openly at Echo and stutters, “I-I’m sorry to show up like this to your home. When Wilder texted me yesterday, he told me where he was in case I needed anything.” She lifts a shaky hand to her temple. “Wilder, he’s going to be so mad. I didn’t know what else to do.”
My jaw works to the side. “You’re going to stop apologizing for starters.”
“I knew better than to confront him, I learned that lesson a long time ago… but I was so mad I couldn’t hold it in. This is my fault.”
No, no, no. My sister is a shell of the person she was before Brian. And I silently seethe… because River knows how I feel about her husband. “It is not your fault. He’s been a manipulative fuck ever since before you were married. He gaslights you at every opportunity, so you’ve gotten it into your head that the way he treats you is okay. Like you deserve it, because you’re somehow to blame for him taking his shit out on you.” My jaw tightens so hard, I swear I’m going to crack my teeth.
River draws in a sharp breath, turning to face Echo, who has been taking in the finer points of a situation she was only partially aware of until now. My sister murmurs, “You’re the one Wilder mentioned who helped him find?—”
Echo’s mouth forms an O, and her eyes widen. “Yes. The date circled on your husband’s calendar and the printout for the hotel stay.”
I’m trying to be cognizant of what a delicate, dangerous place River mentally resides in, all while desperately trying to beat back the angry beast hiding inside me. “Tell me what happened, Riv.”
“Like I said, I-I confronted him. The minute he got home, I marched outside and right there in the middle of the driveway, I asked him who he was seeing for the weekend at a local hotel when he told me he was going out of town for work.” She swallows hard, then stops to pull her arms inside her sleeves before tugging her sweatshirt up and off. “He’d been so pissed that I found him out, he didn’t even bother to ask how I knew before he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the house.” She sticks her arm out. “This is what I was hiding.”
I can plainly see marks from the fucker’s hand on her forearm. Wrath burns inside my chest, and I have to wrench my gaze from it, but everywhere I look, I see my sister’s pain.
“He wanted me inside the house because we have cameras outside. He didn’t want what he was about to do to be recorded.” She points to the bag of lima beans covering her eye. “Got me good once before I huddled into a ball to protect myself.”
My eyes ping from one bruise to the next on her arms, every black-and-blue mark fueling the rage building inside me. “There’s more? Under your shirt?”
She nods. “My back, mostly.”
“Could you show me?”
River hesitantly stands and turns, curving her spine as she hikes the shirt up high enough for us to get a look.
Echo’s intake of breath and the muttered, “Holy shit,” is a match for everything I’m feeling. My sister is fucking black-and-blue. The thought of that asshole beating my sister makes me want to hunt his abusive ass down and beat him to a bloody pulp. Grabbing my attention, Echo holds up her phone and raises her brows in question.
“Riv, is it okay if we take a few photos? I’m not saying we have to do anything with them, but I’d rather have a record of it than not.”
Her body quakes, but she nods. “Y-yes. Go ahead.”
I signal to Echo that she should snap a few. Once she takes them, she sets her phone on the table and gently helps pull the T-shirt back down. River turns around, lowering the bag of frozen beans from her eye, and I gesture to Echo to capture a few up-close images of my sister’s face and arms, and then a full body shot so there’s no denying that what she endured happened all at once. Who knows what funny business might happen with any photos we submit to the police department. I don’t trust that piece of shit husband of hers not to have friends who’d help him get rid of evidence if it comes down to us reporting this. Which, it might… but if I know my sister, she’ll dig her heels in. But that’s fine because I’m ready to kill the fucker and dump him in the swampland east of here.
Throughout the documentation of River’s injuries, we remain silent because the situation seems to call for it, but now, looking at her, there are things I want to know because I need to know how best to help her. I exhale heavily. “I’ve worked hard to save as much money as I could because you told me you were scared. Tell me what you need me to do. I’ll do it.”
“I know you would. And I’ve got the money with me.” She blinks up at me, tears beginning to fill her uninjured eye.
“I don’t understand why you’ve stayed with him. Can you be honest with me? For once, River. Please.” My touch is gentle as I pull her into my arms, even as the beast inside me that wants to maim Brian threatens to burst free. Over her shoulder, I lock eyes with Echo and let her see all my worries and fears. I allow her this glimpse into our world. And she doesn’t look away. She simply waits, living in this awful moment with me. River tenses up, and I hold my breath, my head full of all the things she might be about to confess.
Against my chest, River’s heartache spills out. “Wilder, we got married because—” She releases a hiccupping cry. “We got married because I was pregnant.”
A gasp fires from between my lips, and my eyes widen as my mind fights to process what my sister is telling me. Echo covers her mouth with a few fingers.
“I wasn’t far along when h-he hit me. During an argument. I l-lost the baby.”
“River, why didn’t you tell me?” I whisper into her hair.
“Because… he said he was sorry. He was so heartbroken and sick over it. Or so I thought. We were okay for a while.” She goes quiet for a few seconds, but then she eases from me, dropping the thawing lima beans on the table. Sucking in a wet breath, she finishes, looking me square in the eye. “But then, six months ago, we started having problems again. He claimed he didn’t want me anymore. And it started again. Because he also didn’t want anyone else to have me.”
“You can leave, Riv. I keep trying to get you to leave.”
“But you don’t understand. I can’t. Because I’m pregnant again. I found out, and he lost his shit.” Her lashes are spiky with moisture, and a tear leaks from her swollen eye. “Brian is a possessive sick fuck, and he will follow me to the ends of the earth if I try to run. He doesn’t want me. But this baby is his.” Her face crumples. “I wish I’d never told him.”
I stare at my sister, trying to take in everything she’s told me. “You’re… having a baby?” My mouth snaps shut. My sister has always been tall and thin, but now that she’s said it, the T-shirt she’s wearing is huge on her, and I would imagine it hides a lot. And no wonder she keeps tucking her arm between us when I hold her. It hadn’t registered until now what she was doing. “Is it— Are you—?” All the words get stuck in my throat.
She looks down, putting a protective hand to her stomach. “Yes. And… I think she’s okay. I think.” Her teeth trap her lip, and I see the worry there, plain as day.
Echo tilts her head to the side, eyeing the small bulge under the T-shirt that none of us had noticed until now. “Do you think maybe we should get you to your OB? Make sure? Babies are pretty safe inside you, but—” She bites her lip. As if on cue, a shrill toddler shriek carries to us from somewhere upstairs, and then a fit of giggles. “That’s my little boy, Chase.”
The surprise on River’s face is evident, and her eyes dart to mine, the question hanging there.
A strained laugh huffs from my lips. “He’s not mine. I just met Echo a couple weeks ago. He’s Royal’s. I love the little man, though.”
River smiles despite the split lip. “Nice. I didn’t know you were getting your practice in now, Uncle Wilder.”
“Oh.” Everyone turns to find Kara staring wide-eyed as she digests the fact that there’s a woman with a black eye in her kitchen. “I’m so sorry, I was on my way down the stairs and heard voices… and maybe some of what was said, too.”
The women make introductions, but my mind isn’t on the social niceties being exchanged as it twists and curls darkly. I run my hand over my face. My heart is thumping in my chest like mad at the idea someone would hurt any of my people… and what I’d do if they did.
I blink, trying to pull myself out of the place my head has taken me. I watch Kara fill tall glasses with iced tea. How did I miss when she got the pitcher from the refrigerator… or fail to hear her ask if anyone wanted something to drink in the first place? I’m fucking losing it. I exhale hard several times in a row as I try to get my head screwed back on straight.
Echo sidles up to me, placing her hand on my back. “Hey, are you okay?” Her touch brings me back to myself like nothing else can.
I nod, even though I’m seriously not fucking okay, and manage to grit out, “Yeah.” I’m ready to charge off in search of my sister’s douchebag husband and end him. I think Echo might understand because she doesn’t leave my side.
While I skid toward my breaking point, I can tell Kara is assessing the entire situation, and I’m almost positive from the twist of her lips and the intense expression on her face that she’s going to tell us she’s had enough of all of us in her home.
Almost as if she senses my thoughts, Kara glances up, meeting my gaze. “Wilder, she’ll be safer here than if she goes back home, right?” Before I can answer, her eyes drift back to River as she hands her a glass of tea. “I’m sick over what you’ve been through. You can stay as long as you need to.”
“Really?” My sister’s lip trembles, but she takes a sip of the drink to hide it, then glances down at her stomach and softly says, “Thank you. And thanks for the tea. She moves around a lot after I have something sweet, so she’s definitely going to like this.”
My heart slams around in my chest, and I lift my hands to my head. That’s my niece that sadistic brute could have harmed. My sister he viciously attacked for no fucking reason except that she caught him at whatever twisted game he’s playing with her. “I’m gonna kill him,” I rasp.
A shuddering breath passes between River’s lips as she shakes her head and tugs me close. Her words punch me in the gut as they rush forth in a frantic whisper. “You got away with the first. I’m scared you won’t get away with a second.”