THIRTY-FOUR
Royal wasn’t supposedto fucking fight Duke Valentine. He has a completely different fighting style than Bear does. I don’t know what the fuck is going on. I huff out a nervous breath.
And the hell of it is Royal isn’t in the mental space to be in the ring tonight. Things had gone to hell the minute Davis walked in on Echo with his Sin Keeper card in her hand. Learning that Davis let Royal take the fall for Alicia’s death made for an explosive situation we hadn’t seen coming.
I glance behind me at Beckham and Echo, whose faces are drawn and nervous as they watch the fight from the bench. Echo definitely hasn’t recovered. I’ve seen her upset before, but the way she’d laid into Davis was something else. We had to step in and pull her off him. I’m anxious as fuck for her, because she’s been horribly quiet since she learned the truth. Her parents protected her asshole brother—to her detriment. Poor Echo already had a few misgivings about her parents after what was said at the fight last week, but now? Shit. The Maddens were not good people. Not by a long shot. I feel it in my bones.
Wincing as I watch Duke take Royal’s back, I see the end coming. He gets Royal’s arms wedged under him, and that’s all it takes. Goddammit. I grit my teeth as Duke manages to raise Royal’s head so he can hook his elbow under his chin. My fingers grip the metal cage.
I’ve been right here the entire fight, trying to talk Royal through it. They’d gone to the mat way too fast for my liking. I haven’t seen Duke fight often, but if I was right about Bear being injured, then it makes sense. My eyes flick to Derek Pierce and Tristan Valentine once again, who look no happier this week than they had at the other fight. Fuckers. They probably had it set up to rake in more winnings, assuming Bear would falter again.
The ref calls the fight, and after Duke gets up, Royal scrambles to his feet, too. He exhales heavily, glaring at Duke before he glances back at me, wiping sweat from his brow. He knows it was a fair fight. I hope he’s okay. Shooting him an apologetic smile, I hand him his water bottle in exchange for his mouth guard.
A moment later, the ref calls both fighters back to the center of the cage, and Royal accepts his defeat. With that done, we help him from the cage, where he slumps on the bench, head in his hands.
Echo’s overly emotional, fighting back tears. “It’s okay, Royal. If anyone knew what you’ve been through today, they’d understand why your head wasn’t in it.” She kisses his shoulder, then glares at Ireland, who makes one last attempt to approach “her” fighter like she had earlier when she tried to chat up Royal before the match. The girl’s already used up the last of Echo’s patience, and I wouldn’t put it past our girl to lose it on her.
Royal rubs a hand over his face. “I want to go again. Find someone else for me to fight.”
I press my lips into a tight line. “I don’t think Mr. Pierce would allow that. Let’s get you to the dressing room.”
Royal shakes his head, heavy breaths gusting from him. “I’m sorry. I’m all messed up tonight.”
“It’s okay, man. We’ve got you.” Beckham nods to me, and between the two of us, we help him up, slinging an arm around each of our shoulders. Echo walks beside us, quieter than usual. We weave our way through the remaining crowd and down the back hallway to his dressing room.
Beckham opens the door, and the four of us file inside.
I rub a hand over the nape of my neck. “What can we do? What do you need?”
Sweat slicks down Royal’s chest. “Just lemme shower, and we can get the fuck outta here. Maybe drop by SIN for clothes?”
Echo nods, giving him a reassuring smile. “That sounds good.”
Royal swallows. “Do you think Davis stayed at your house?”
She grits her teeth. “You know, I’m not sure. I can text Kara. Lemme find out.” Her head bowed over her phone, she taps out a quick message. A moment later, she confirms what I was thinking. “He’s still there. Sleeping on the couch in the den.”
Beckham tips his head to the side. “Maybe we’d better stay at SIN tonight, anyway. Give everyone a breather. Head back in the morning?”
“I bet Kara’s had her hands full.” She hadn’t shown up until well after we were done with Davis. I shrug because it makes no difference to me. I’ll deal with the ass if he decides to open his fucking mouth again. I tip Echo’s chin up with a few fingers, so I can get a read on her true feelings. “What do you think? What do you want to do?”
She exhales harshly, rubbing her temples with her fingers. “I feel bad for me. And Chase.” Her face is so pale and drawn, it hurts my heart. “But I’m so fucking upset for Royal and everything he went through. He went to jail for nothing. Missed my pregnancy, the birth of our child. The first years of his life.” Her hands shake as she drops them to her side. “And all because my brother—his best friend—lied to save his own skin. And my parents… they were involved in it. I’m so disgusted right now, and I don’t know how to deal with any of it. My brother doesn’t hardly seem sorry. My parents are dead… but he claims they told him to keep us apart.” She lets out a shuddery exhale. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”
I pull her to my chest and throw an arm around Beckham for good measure. “I think you’re allowed time to process all of it. You need to tell us if there’s something you need because I don’t know what to do except be here for both of you and try to help you through it.”
Beckham nods. “Agreed. This whole day has been fuckin’ devastating for you. And for Royal.”
A tremulous smile reaches Echo’s lips. “Thanks for standing by us through it, though. I was really upset earlier. Still am.”
“Your reaction is justified.” Beckham presses his lips to my temple. “Your brother should be terrified—but I’m unsure who’s scarier, you or Royal.”
Steam pours from the bathroom as Royal exits, tugging a pair of joggers over his ass. He shoots us a grim smile. “I have the answer to that. The mother bear is always scarier.” He joins us, lips twitching as Echo’s mouth drops open.
She shrugs. “Well, you’re not wrong.”
Royal throws his arms around us. “We’ll get through this.”
I nod swiftly, catching his eye. “Together.”
Back at SIN,we make the unanimous decision that all four of us will stay in Royal’s room, as it”s the farthest from the bad memories in Beckham’s. I hadn’t had a particularly easy time of it when Beckham and I slept here the other night. We’d stayed in my room, and all night long, all I could think of was what we’d seen in the bed across the hall and how I’d reacted that night. Can’t fucking let that happen again. I need to be strong, protect them from whatever else comes our way. I rake a hand through my hair. “I’m going to grab a few things. Be right back.” The other three nod, already stripping out of clothes, ready to put this motherfucker of a day behind us.
In my room, I rummage through my drawers, throwing enough clothing into a bag to get by for a few more days, in case we head back to the Madden house. I have no idea where we’ll be, but I’ll be ready. Might have to take to leaving a bag of clothes and toiletries in the truck, but what the fuck ever. Doesn’t matter to me, so long as I’m with Royal, Beckham, and Echo. And Chase. That little squirt has literally been the highlight of staying over there. I’m thunderstruck by the way I need all of them. It’s a heady, overwhelming feeling, but so fucking right, I wouldn’t change a thing.
As I’m about to return to the others, I hesitate, my gaze being drawn to the closet. I work my jaw to the side, considering whether I should take the evidence we’ve collected with me. It can’t hurt, and I’d rather not be worrying over someone discovering it anytime we aren’t here. This is SIN, and I wouldn’t put it past some of these guys to snoop around. I hurry over to the closet, set the duffel bag on the floor, and unzip it.
Stooping down, I pry up the loose board. I stop with my hand outstretched. There’s an envelope in my motherfucking secret hiding place. I hiss, jerking upright, and turn around, not that I think anyone is in here with me, but now I know for sure there’s a fucking camera in my room. Yep. This shit is coming with me. With my heart racing, I pluck the envelope from the top of the pile, then transfer the plastic bags of evidence to my duffel.
Seconds later, I burst into Royal’s room, dropping the bag to the floor. Echo sits straight up, immediately on alert.
“What’s going on?” Beckham’s blue eyes search my face for answers, but I don’t know how to say that I’m about to blow up our lives again.
Shifting an ice pack as he sits up, Royal winces, whether from pain in his shoulder or seeing the envelope in my hand, I have no idea. He gestures toward it, his tone clipped as he barks, “Where the fuck did that come from?”
“It was in my closet with all the evidence.” I hold it out in front of me for all of them to see.
“A Sin Keeper card to cap off our night. Great,” Beckham mutters, sifting a hand through his hair.
Echo shakes her head. “I don’t know if I can handle this. Have you looked yet?”
“No.” I give a swift jerk of my head as I stalk to the side of the bed at the same time Royal climbs from it. He stands close to me as I pull the card out. Truthfully, I don’t think I want to know, either, but I drop my gaze to the card and read, anyway.
I pass the card to Echo and Beckham, frowning as my mind has difficulty deciphering this odd riddle at such a late—or early, however we want to look at it—hour. Then, all of a sudden, the message begins to untwist itself in my head. “Wait. Is River the her being referred to?”
“‘But she’s already been replaced.’” Echo repeats the line, frowning as she hands the card back to me. “What’s that mean?”
Royal’s pale-green eyes grow wide, and he turns his head to meet my gaze. “The he would be Brian, then?”
Echo begins to shake her head furiously. “No. Say it’s not what I’m thinking. We know Brian was away this weekend.”
“He’s cheating on River with ‘K,’” I murmur, the awful truth bubbling to the surface. My stomach pitches and heaves. “Kara wasn’t with Todd this weekend. She was with motherfucking Brian.”