Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Onyx: When you’re up, your friends know who you are. When you’re down, you know who your friends are.
Deja roared, “What in the actual fuck?”
Hennessy jumped out of my arms, and I groaned out in agony from her sudden movement.
“Christ, Deja,” I scoffed, trying to lean against the headboard.
I couldn’t believe how sore I was, so I grabbed another pain pill in the process.
“Don’t overdose on those,” Hennessy scolded me. “They’re highly addictive. I can make you something topical for the pain. It’ll numb the wound, but not your body. I can also make you some healing tea.”
I didn’t listen, swallowing two of them with her leftover drink that was warm as shit.
“Until then”—I set the drink down on the nightstand—“this will do.”
“It’s just sangre de grado. It's dragon’s blood resin and will help with the cuts. Copaiba oil will help with soreness. There’s an Amazonian botanical downtown. I can pick it up for—”
“Oh my God!” Deja interrupted. “You both are truly delusional!”
“Deja, if you’re going to keep lecturing me, you know where the door is.”
“Don’t you take that tone with me! You know exactly what I’m talking about. The Brotherhood—”
“Is none of your business.”
“Yeah? Well, your life is my business! Mom wouldn’t—”
With one low growl, I rendered her speechless.
Bowing her head slightly, she corrected, “If Dad would’ve found you two like this, who knows what kind of punishment you’d receive.
Do you understand that? You’re lucky he’s out of town.
Now let me guess…” She paused, allowing her words to sink in.
“Jones said something about the security cameras being out. Did you have something to do with that too?”
“Alfred?” Hennessy announced, trying to follow along.
“Yeah,” Deja replied. “Did you cut the wires so Dad wouldn’t see you with her?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
“I don’t know, Deja. I’ve been unconscious.”
She rolled her eyes, only further testing my temper.
“What time is it?”
“Time for you to get your shit together! Did you not hear a word I said to you this morning? Seriously, are you just allergic to listening?”
“Deja, enough,” I ordered, my body tensing.
Hennessy glanced back and forth between us before grabbing her lunch box and cell phone. “I’m going to go.”
“Deja,” I bit out. “Get out.”
“Onyx—”
“Now!”
She shook her head, backing away. “This is not going to end well, okay? You’re like the modern-day Romeo and Juliet.”
“Romeo and Juliet?” Hennessy caught on, knowing Shakespeare. “Who are the Capulets and who are the Montagues?”
“Does it matter?” Deja clipped.
“Yes.” Hennessy nodded, only looking at her. “The Montagues built their power on loyalty and the Capulets built theirs on fear, so which one are you?”
“That’s the fucked-up part, Hennessy. He was raised to be both.”
“Enough, Deja! Get out!”
“Fine!” she griped. “If you get yourself killed, I will personally bring you back to life just to kick your ass!” Her stare shot to Hennessy. “Will you be able to live with that guilt? You think you can do that? Because let me tell you, I know all about that kind of guilt.”
“Deja, we’re just friends.”
Hearing Hennessy say that to Deja was far worse than the lashing I just took for her.
“Don’t fall in love with him, Hennessy. Not like your—”
“Get the fuck out!” I snapped, groaning from the sudden movement on my back.
Hennessy jolted from my sharp tone while Deja threw another tantrum, mumbling some shit under her breath as she slammed my bedroom door for the second time today.
Hennessy didn’t hesitate. “Not like who?”
I shook my head, lying, “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Bullshit.”
I groaned again, feeling the ache in my back. “I don’t have the energy for this.”
She sighed deeply, giving up faster than I thought she would have, but still managing to sass, “That’s a first.”
Using this as the distraction we needed, I changed the subject. “I have something for you.”
“For me?”
“Mm-hmm… help me up.”
“Onyx.” She shook her head. “You can’t get out of bed yet. You need to rest.”
“Either you help me or I’ll do it myself and rip these stitches.”
She slowly made her way over to me, mumbling under her breath. “Eres demasiado terco, no me haces caso de nada de lo que digo.”
“Yeah, yeah, cuss me out later.”
“Hold on, let me get your wheelchair.”
“Fuck the wheelchair.”
I grabbed the cane that was next to it instead, finding it offensive that my father didn’t bother to wait until I woke up to go out of town. I knew none of the staff would tattle. They knew better, but I did wonder who cut off the security.
Caspian?
No, he wouldn’t be that clever.
Her uncle?
No, he wouldn’t be that fucking dumb.
That only left Jones… but why?
After I threw on a hoodie and we put on our shoes, we exited my bedroom. My thoughts ran rampant. It was probably the pain pills. Once we were outside, she tried to stop me, but I refused. Getting in the passenger seat of the golf cart, I nodded for her to drive.
“Where are we going?” she questioned, stepping in to sit.
“You’ll see.”
Arching an eyebrow at me, she coaxed, “Onyx—”
“Just drive.”
Reluctantly, she followed my directions, and I tried like hell to pretend I wasn’t in pain when every inch of my back was throbbing.
Ten minutes later, we were pulling up to what I wanted to show her.
“What is this?”
I didn’t answer. Stepping out of the golf cart, I made my way toward the massive glass structure ahead of us. Hennessy followed me. I could feel her trepidation burning a hole in my back, acting as acid on my wounds.
The moment I opened the door, warm, humid air shot back in my face, carrying the scent of damp earth from the thunderstorm with it. Once I was standing aside, she walked in with wide eyes as soon as she saw what was around her.
“Qué lindo,” she breathed out.
“It is pretty.”
The greenhouse stretched further than we could see, its black iron framework disappearing among all the vines on the ceiling and walls. Plants exploded on every corner along with flowers, ferns, and literally anything under the sun, growing for centuries.
The sun was setting, pouring in through the ornamental stained glass panels with botanical designs. Color spilled everywhere, and I wanted to remember her this way, deep in thought.
Slowly, I leaned against the archway, taking her in. With her messy, wavy bedhead and her pouty pink lips, still slightly swollen from sleep. Her thin cotton tank and jean overalls. She was adorable, looking the part.
There was no taking my eyes off her. I couldn’t, and I didn’t want to. She was breathtakingly beautiful standing there. Her dark hair glowed in the sunlight streaming in.
She looked like a dream.
My dream.
She didn’t turn toward me or even acknowledge I was there for the first few minutes. She was lost in her own little world as she started to wander. Her fingers skimmed the plants, talking to them in Spanish. It was a world I desperately wanted to be a part of.
I gazed at the side of her gorgeous face, willing her to say something, but her eyes remained front and center toward all the gardens and plants while mine remained on her.
I could see it in her eyes. The doubt, the insecurity, the sadness for me. On top of a new emotion that could only be described as caring for someone. All these concerns weighed heavily on my mind.
I had no idea where we went from here. There were so many what-ifs racing through my mind. So many consequences and scenarios that could happen. So many fucking choices that could be right or wrong.
Unable to help myself, I reached over and caressed the side of her face when she was standing beside me, looking at the orchids. She leaned into my embrace like she had been waiting for me to do so since the second we walked in here.
Her eyes closed, melting into my touch.
One thing I was sure of at this moment. I liked her. I liked her a lot. When I was with her, when I was stalking her, when, when, when… there was nowhere else I wanted to be.
“What is this place? Why did you bring me here?”
I glanced around the greenhouse, unsure of how to explain this place to her. I never shared it with anyone. No one knew it was on our estate. That wasn’t the point of this haven.
“I wanted you to see it.”
She opened her eyes, connecting with mine. “It’s beautiful.”
“It used to be better.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “What do you mean?”
“Some plants are dying.”
“No.” She glanced around for a second before looking back into my eyes. “Whoever is taking care of them has done a good job.”
“I need someone who knows what they’re doing.”
“Is that why you brought me here?”
“Something like that.”
She stepped away, out of my touch, confused. “You want me to care for them?”
I shoved my hands in the pockets of my gym shorts. “You cooked for me. You’re going to make shit for my back.” I shrugged. “It’s yours if you want it.”
“Why me?”
Without thinking, I blurted, “I trust you.”
The statement hung heavy between us before she countered, “Can I trust you?”
I didn’t lie, grinning. “Not a chance in hell.”
She hid a smirk. “Your family won’t appreciate—”
“They don’t have a say. There are no cameras in here or anywhere nearby. Trust me, no one comes in here except for me.”
“This greenhouse is yours, then?”
“No,” I responded.
Before I could think twice about it, I spoke another truth…
“It was my mother’s.”