Chapter 39 Screaming Color
Screaming Color
Kane
Iwatch her, tracking every flicker of uncertainty in her eyes as she holds the envelope with trembling fingers. The air between us shifts, as the afterglow of what we just shared is replaced with a weight that settles between us like an unspoken truth.
I know it was a little fucked up to do that, but she needs to know what’s in there.
Watching her hover over the seal, tugs at something deep in my chest. I hate seeing her unsure and vulnerable. But I also know she doesn’t need me to swoop in and fix it.
“I can tell you what's in there if you’d rather not open it,” I offer.
Her eyes snap up to meet mine, and I see the weight of a thousand thoughts swirling in those hazel eyes. She’s stronger than I’m probably giving her credit for, and I’m not about to take that from her. No matter how much I want to.
A smile tugs at her lips, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. “No, I've got it.” Her voice is steady but threaded with that biting edge I’ve come to expect. “Wouldn’t want to scar you for life if it turns out to be something spooky.”
Despite the tension, her attempt at humor pulls a faint smile from me. “Fair enough.”
I lean back, but my gaze stays locked on her. She carries everything, hides the cracks, and laughs like it doesn't cost her. It makes me want to shake her. It makes me want to worship her.
She pulls the papers free, and I can see the tension ripple through her shoulders. I knew what was in there wouldn't be easy, but watching her unravel in real time? It’s a hell I wasn’t prepared for.
“Princess?” I say softly.
She takes a shaky breath, blinking rapidly as her fingers tighten around the paper she's holding. “It’s... it’s what Cam found on my family.” Her voice shakes, but leave it to her to sound stubborn even when she's cracking. “…He dug up a lot more than I was expecting.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I already know what’s in there, but if saying it out loud helps her, I'll listen to every word she says.
“Looks like he found some things after all.” She huffs, but her gaze is fixed on the papers.
“My parents… might not be my parents. And my grandparents were… royalty? Which is insane.” A bitter laugh escapes her lips.
“The names on my birth certificate belong to an elderly couple, who are 87 and 89 years old. My birthday isn’t my birthday, but I knew that already from the other envelope. ”
Her voice breaks on the last word, and I clench my jaw. She deserves the truth, and a hell of a lot more than this mess is.
“Basically, we have more answers, yet somehow know less.” She grips the papers like they might disappear if she lets go.
“Cam left a note, though.” Her lips quirk into a shaky smile.
“With a smiley face, no less. He says it’s great news because it means someone’s hiding something.
And, of course, he’s convinced he’ll have answers for me in no time. ”
When her watery eyes finally lift to meet mine, it hits me hard. I reach for her, pulling her into my arms.
She clings to me, her pulse frantic against mine. I keep her where she is, refusing to let her go until she's ready.
A sharp, urgent knock cuts through the room. Instinct takes over. I snatch a blanket, throwing it over her, covering every inch before setting her on the couch. Her wide eyes track me as I stride to the door, another blanket wrapped around my hips.
I open the door to find Ren standing there, face tight with unease. Whatever he's here for, it's bad. He knows better than to bother me tonight. His gaze slips once to my bare chest, and I can see the discomfort flashing across his face before he locks it back on mine.
“What is it?” My tone is sharp, as I step into the doorway, blocking Raven from sight. My body's already coiled for whatever comes next.
“Boss, there’s something you need to see.”
I sigh, “Just tell me.” I hear Raven shift on the couch, trying to hear what’s going on.
“Every light outside is broken. Again.”
The words land, and adrenaline spikes in my veins. My eyes cut back to Raven and she's gripping the papers with white knuckles, and her eyes are wide with fear. Wrapped in that blanket, she looks breakable—and it makes me want to tear the world apart for daring to touch her.
I turn back to Ren, tightening my grip on the door. “Check every camera. I want a full sweep of the grounds and every second of footage reviewed. You find out how this happened and who’s responsible. Now.”
“Yes, sir.”
He's gone before I even shut the door. I hear a soft giggle behind me and the sound is so unexpected that it cuts through the storm in my head like a knife. I turn, and catch Raven’s stare. There’s a hint of amusement mixed with the tension in her eyes.
“What’s so funny?”
She shrugs, a smile breaking free. “You answered the door basically naked.”
A slow smirk curves my lips as I cross my arms, leaning against the wall. “Didn’t exactly have time to grab a robe, now did I? Besides—” I let my voice drop lower, winking. “You didn’t seem to mind.”
Her cheeks flush, and she bites her lip, shaking her head.
The sight sends a rush of heat straight through me, and I can feel my cock twitch in response.
I don't miss the way her eyes drop, and I’m seconds away from pinning her to the couch when her giggle fades, swallowed up by the weight in the room.
I push off the wall, and move closer. Her smile slips into something more fragile, and her eyes drop back to the papers still clutched in her hands. I can see the battle playing out behind her eyes, and the war she’s fighting with herself.
“Are you okay?” I need to know where her mind is going so I can pull her back if she starts to spiral.
She lifts her eyes to mine, wide and uncertain. Her lips part like she wants to say something, but nothing comes out. The silence stretches, until she takes a shaky breath.
“I… I don’t know how to explain it,” she whispers, looking out the window. “But I think… I think that was me.”
A flicker of something dark stirs in my chest, and I close the distance between us, narrowing my eyes as I study her face. “What do you mean? What was you?”
She swallows hard, looking down at her hands. She’s fidgeting with the edge of the blanket, like she thinks the answers might be written somewhere in the fabric. “The lights…” Her voice trembles. “I think I… I might’ve done that.”
Her confession hangs between us, fragile and raw.
For a second, I almost think I misheard her.
I want to tell her that's not possible, that it doesn’t make sense, but the look in her eyes stops me cold.
I’ve seen enough to know that not everything can be explained, but this can’t be something she caused.
But the look in her eyes says she fully believes she's responsible.
“Raven,” I say softly, sitting beside her. “Look at me.”
She looks up at me, fear and confusion written all over her face. Fuck. This isn't something I deal with.
“I'll handle it,” I tell her. I don't know how yet, but I know one thing—it wasn't her. I'll find out what happened.
Her lip trembles, and for a second, I think she might pull away, locking everything down tight. But then she nods.
“It’s late,” my hand cups her cheek. “I don’t think you should be alone right now. If you want to go home, I'll take you, but I think you should stay.”
I can see the war raging behind her eyes, but she whispers, “Okay.” The word is so small, it hits me harder than any goddamn punch. “I’ll stay.”
“Why don’t we go to my office and see what they’ve found,” I suggest. “Unless you’d rather go to your room.”
She hesitates, lifting her hand to necklace at her throat, a gesture I’ve seen her make a hundred times. “I’m for fucking sure coming with you.”
“Okay.” I nod, trying not to smile. “Let’s go.”
As she pulls herself together, I watch the way her chin lifts, as she squares her shoulders. And fuck, if that doesn’t make me want her even more.
When she’s dressed and ready to go, we leave the room. The hallway feels longer tonight, and shadows flicker and dance with the storm raging outside.
I reach for her hand, half-expecting her to pull away. But she doesn’t. Her fingers curl around mine, and it feels like a small victory.
When we step into my office, two of my men are already there, tension written in every line of their bodies. They stand as soon as we walk in, nodding at Raven before gesturing to the laptop on the table.
“You’ll want to see this.” One of them says.
I keep Raven close, her hand still locked in mine. Her eyes are already locked onto the screen, but her face is unreadable.
The footage plays, showing the estate’s exterior from multiple angles.
At first, everything looks normal. The soft glow of lights, the crackle of the storm.
Then a bolt of lightning streaks across the sky, lighting up the grounds in a blinding flash.
The thunder that follows rips through the air, and every single light explodes in a burst of sparks and glass.
“They all shattered at the same time.” His disbelief echoes through the room. “No movement. No one was outside. No animals tripping the sensors. Just thunder, lightning… and then this.”
He gestures to the screen as the footage replays, I can feel the vein in my neck twitching. Raven’s hand tightens around mine, and I can feel her fingers digging in.
“I'm guessing it was some kind of electrical surge from the lightning,” one of my men offers, but the doubt in his voice is almost laughable.
Raven stiffens beside me, her tension radiating through our joined hands. I squeeze her fingers back, even as my mind turns with questions. She thinks this was her, but there’s no way that’s possible.
Why would she think that? What is she not telling me?
I slide my eyes to her, trying to read her expression, but she’s locked up tighter than a safe. The only clue to her turmoil is the shallow rise and fall of her chest.