Page 23 of Save Us
“When Caz began describing his sister’s sudden change in personality, how she shied away from men she didn’t know, or shivered whenever someone tried to touch her, Roman became suspicious. He followed the sister for nearly a week before he caught the guy in the act. He dragged the asshole back to the base, called Serena to come and help with the poor sister, then went to town on him. Beth, it wasn’t pretty. The only reason he didn’t let Caz have a go on the scum first is because he knew he would kill him much more quickly than he deserved.”
“They killed him then?” I ask to which Kai nods just the once. “And the sister?”
“I mean, she’s living, trying to make something of herself, but she’s not the same as she once was. But then, you would know all about that, wouldn’t you?” he says, still staring out into the middle of the park.
“I think you could say that about both of use, Kai,” I reply, fighting the urge to place my hand on top of his. He nods with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Anyway, after he had his fill, he left Caz to finish him off,” he says casually. “We walked back to his place, him still with blood over his knuckles, and calls for this damn moggy, who immediately came running up with a little bell dinging along. His face nearly split in two when he caught hold of him. He cradled that thing like a baby and started tickling and cooing. He couldn’t understand why I was looking at him like he was insane. I guess, to some extent, he was.”
“Did he ever hurt innocent people?” I ask, “Just because they were Mayfield?”
“Not that I know of,” he admits, “but he was going to come after you, after Angela. He was desperate to get to Oliver and Steele.”
“Why? I mean, I know why he would have wanted to hurt them, but why was he so desperate that he’d hurt someone innocent?”
“I guess if he was still alive, you could have called him Uncle Roman, Beth.”
“Wait…what?” I gasp as I turn to look at him with my face screwed up in shock. “Roman was-”
“Carl Steele’s illegitimate son. Turns out he has a few of them, though he would never admit to such a thing. In fact, Roman was nothing but an inconvenience, an embarrassment whom he would prefer to remain hidden.”
“Why was he an embarrassment?”
“Because none of Carl’s other children are ‘pure’ Mayfield,” he says with a long sigh. “Your father was his only ‘pure’ child because of who your grandmother was. The only reason he didn’t cast you aside for only being half Mayfield is that you have the blood of two founding fathers running through your veins; that and because he has always been obsessed with Rosalie. Even when she left him, he never got over it, never let go of his desperation to clutch hold of her again. Unfortunately, he’s done that through you.”
“God, Kai, this just seems to get bigger and bigger every day!” I let out a whimper and cover my face with my hands. I honestly feel like I cannot deal with all the worms that keep coming out of the woodwork.
“Roman rebelled against his father after Carl had his mother ‘mysteriously disappear’ and ended up being the head of Acid Brothers, who have always caused a lot of shit for Mayfield. Especially seeing as they also have plenty of valuable info on virtually all its members. As soon as Carl found out who the president was, he threatened to have Roman banged up in one of their private healthcare facilities, aka a place to put people to forget about them. Roman ignored him because he now had so much protection, he didn’t think he needed to worry about his threats.”
“Was he wrong?” I ask, even though I already know the answer to that question.
“No,” he says, but then looks back at me grimly, “but I wasn’t so protected.”
“Oh, God, they got to you to get to him?” I gasp, to which he simply smiles and nods.
“A deal was struck; me for him,” he explains matter of factly, “however…”
“What? What happened, Kai?”
It takes every ounce of willpower not to reach out for him, to offer him the kind of comfort any friend would give to another who is in pain. However, I know I will only be endangering both of us if I succumb to this natural urge.
“As soon as I was put in the car with Parks, I heard a gunshot,” he says. From just the hurt I can see on his face, I force myself to clamp both hands over my mouth to try and stop myself from emitting a loud sob. “Your grandfather shot his own son straight in the head. Took both Parks and Will to hold me down so I wouldn’t jump out and go after him right there and then.”
“Kai…” I shudder, trying to imagine how I would feel if that had been Xander. An eerie image instantly conjures up inside my mind. One that has me gasping for breath and trying to shake away the thought of Xander’s lifeless body.
“I don’t know what to say. I can’t even hold you right now,” I whisper sadly. “I can’t believe he killed his own son!”
“So, can you do this for me, Beth? Can you help me?” I nod rapidly, promising to give him my help before he’s even finished asking for it. “I became a different person that day, Beth. I won’t be going to the pearly white gates of heaven when I depart this life. I’ve done what I’ve had to do to get closer to my goal, a goal to end both Carl Steele and Oliver Lawrence. But I promise I won’t risk your life.”
“Don’t worry about my life, Kai,” I reply with a sad sigh. “Beth Taylor died, remember?”
“Didn’t you hear?” he asks with a smirk. “That bitch has nine lives and she only lost one that day. Trust me and have patience. I love you, English Rose.”
His words have me smiling and looking out toward the park with a renewed purpose for me being here, for living this hellish existence. By the time I look back, he’s already gone, though I’m not surprised by his sudden disappearance.
It feels like I spend a ridiculously long time sitting on this bench, staring at the space my friend was just occupying, with his beautiful smile and gentle voice. Leo makes no move to come and get me, and I can’t for the life of me, will myself to get up. Things seem to feel so simple here, just sitting on the wooden slats beneath me, so much so, I don’t want to move. Once I get up, my regular life will kick back into place again, one which is like a bad dream I cannot wake from. With each new day, it feels as if, yet another bomb is exploding all around me.
Over the long years of being Mrs Lawrence, I’ve built up walls of steel around my heart, but it still beats for those who I love, including Kai. He’s lost so much. He was such a beautiful person back at school, the only boy to reach out and make me his friend. I remember his smile used to make me instantly feel better, even after the hard days, and now his hatred and hurt have wiped that smile far away. If I really think about it, my poor best friend has been hurting ever since the day he found out about his father’s affair. If only Mayfield had never existed, where would we all be now?