Page 72 of Crown of Death

With slightly jerky movements, Cyrus drives us back to themansion.

I’m numb. Not in the present. I don’t even remember walking up the stairs, but suddenly I hear the sound of a door shutting and look around to realize I’m in my room. Cyrus stands at the door, looking at me with concernedeyes.

“Thank you,” I whisper. And he holds me there,captive.

“I apologize,” he says. He takes one step closer, but no more. “I should have intervened sooner.I-”

I shake my head. “You stopped a very bad man from doing something very…” my voice cracks just a bit. “Very bad. Thankyou.”

Cyrus’ lips form a thin line. I see all kinds of questions in his eyes. He gives a smallnod.

I walk to my closet. I’m so out of it, I forget to even close the door as Ichange.

I throw the clothes in the trash. I don’t ever want to see them again, remember the feel of his hand on the outside of them, see the button heundid.

I put on a pair of sweats and pull on a tanktop.

Cyrus sits in the chair in the corner when I walk out. I sink onto the bed and stare at thefloor.

“I went to Shylock for the money to finish school,” I explain without him even asking. “I told you that I had enough money to finish one semester after my money was stolen from my car. The bank wouldn’t loan me anything. My parents didn’t have enough. So I asked around, and Shylock’s name cameup.”

I shake my head, thinking how stupid,stupidI had been to go to someone like him. I should have just taken a few semesters off, worked. But I’d been so determined to keepgoing.

“He loaned me all the money up front. Set up a payment schedule.” My throat is thick. “It was ambitious; I knew I’d barely be able to keep up with it. But I was desperate, so I agreed. I was keeping up with it by working nights while I was at school. I didn’t get more than a few hours of sleep here and there, but I was making itwork.”

I nod, thinking of those ever-tired days. I was always exhausted. Falling asleep in classes at times. Occasionally falling asleep at work. But somehow I always got away withit.

“But then in January my dad had an accident,” I say, remembering when my mom had called me. “He’d fallen off a roof he’d been working on. He broke hisback.”

My chest hurts. I grip the neck of my top, clinging to thatache.

“He wasn’t paralyzed, but he needed surgery, and he was going to have to learn how to walk again.” I picture my dad, getting rolled away to the operating room. “He’s self-employed, so insurance is always a nightmare. He didn’t realize his insurance hadn’t renewed. So suddenly they were slammed with tens of thousands of dollars in bills. They…they were going to lose their house, ‘cause Dad couldn’t work. Mom about had a heart attack from thestress.”

I squeeze my eyes closed, remembering sitting with Mom at the kitchen counter while she just sobbed. Eshan sat on the other side of her, trying to keep it together, but he didn’t know what to doeither.

“I borrowed another ten thousand from Shylock and paid their mortgage without them knowing,” I continue. “They thought some of the neighbors had helped out. But when I borrowed more, the payments went up and Shylock got a lot more demanding. I started at the mortuary and was making more money, and things were okay for a few months. But then Amelia moved in with her boyfriend and I had all of the rent to cover by myself. And I just…” I suck in a breath. “I couldn’t keepup.”

“This is what’s been bothering you all week,” Cyrus says, leaning forward, fixing his eyes on me. “That lowlife has been holding this over yourhead.”

I nod with my eyes fixed on theground.

I hear Cyrus stand and he sits on the bed besideme.

“I know you’re fiercely independent, Logan,” he says. He sits near, but he does not touch me. “You’re determined to take care of yourself, and everything you’ve done to do so, and help your family, it’s commendable.” He shifts, taking something out of his pocket. He holds out a piece of paper. It has an account number on it, and a card taped to it. “Fredrick got this set up just after we confirmed you are a Royal. You will never have to worry about money again, as a Royal. Of course, it is up to you if you ever wish to use it ornot.”

Tears pool in my eyes as I take the paper. My liptrembles.

I’m strong. I’m nasty when I want to be. I can sling hurtful words and show anyone who’sboss.

But right now, I’m just a girl who was nearlyassaulted.

I’m just a girl who is so thankful to the man beside her, but so confused all at the sametime.

So for just this moment I let a little bit of vulnerability show. I lean into Cyrus, and let him cradle me against his chest and hold me as Ishake.

Chapter 16

The weightoff my shoulders is an incrediblething.