Page 29 of Madness & Mayhem
I stare into his eyes, the darkness that swirls with dark pools that I get lost in every time I glance at him. There is so much unsaid, so many answers that are left unresolved. If he wants me to take a full leap, to go in blindly into whatever future is laid out for us, I need the truth. All of it.
“Tell me everything then,” I say simply.
His eyes narrow as his shoulders tense. “Where do you want me to begin, Lakyn?”
My body is trembling, anticipation over the words to come. I’ve been waiting for so long, for the entire story to be unraveled, yet I’m too worried to even open the cover at this point.
“Why did you leave me?” I whisper.
He stares at me, and I watch him closely. His gaze doesn’t waver; if anything, he’s never looked surer in his entire life. I don’t know why he left, but he doesn’t feel guilty about his decision.
He cocks his head to the side. “I already told you, Lakyn. I left to protect you.”
I glance up at him through my eyelashes. “Tell me why you left me, Reign. I deserve the truth. No more of thisI did it for youbullshit. I want the real reason.”
His eyes flicker as a wall slowly builds. “You know how our parents are,” he starts, and I lean forward, my fingers pressing against his tense jaw. He relaxes a second, watching me until I watch his guard lower.
“Your parents. You killed mine, remember? Well, my father, at least,” I snap, pressing a little too hard on his jaw. I release him, dropping my hand to my side.
He growls deep in his chest, and a shiver breaks along my spine. “Watch your fingers and your mouth, Lakyn. Just because I’m injured doesn’t make me weak.”
I know. I feel as if he’s more dangerous than ever.
I blink up at him. “Keep going.”
He leans back, relaxing ever so slightly. “Our parents are fucked up, Lakyn. All of them. You know the type of shit they get themselves into.”
I nod my head, leaning forward and turning down the small knob that adjusts the volume on the TV. I let the TV go silent, though I can still see our pictures flash across the screen. My insides wince. I’m a fuckingfugitive.
“My father became wrapped up in something he couldn’t handle himself. It wasn’t just his career, but his entire life. His family. Me…” He takes a breath. “You.”
My gaze shoots to him. “Me?”
He watches me closely before he nods slightly. “Yeah, Lakyn. My father was in some shady shit with some people in New York. Some offshore trading scandal went wrong. They wanted my dad to pay money that he didn’t want to give up. So, he didn’t. And the guy got pissed, started threatening my father, started putting his people on my father, tailing him, following him to work, and then it came to me. They started watching me, what I was doing, who I was hanging out with…”
My eyes widen as the realization hits me. “And they realized you have a girlfriend.”
He gives me one single, slow nod. “They realized there was someone in my life, and they found the wild card they needed. It was enough to set not only my father off, but me off too.”
I let out a shaky breath. “And why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve helped. My family… our friends could’ve helped.”
He leans his head back, barking out a laugh. “Are you fucking kidding me? You think a ton of high school teenagers could’ve helped this shit? You’re out of your damn mind. I did what I had to do.”
I stare at him, feeling the lump in my throat growing larger and larger with each swallow. “Which was…?”
He blinks at me.
“What did you do, Reign?”
He tilts his head to the side. “What the fuck do you think I did? Someone was after you, so I went and killed them, Lakyn. Gutted them until they we’re fucking dry.”
I swallow, knowing he’s a murderer, but hearing him say it so easily brings a chill across my skin.
“What happened?” I whisper.
“What else happens when you murderer a politician in New York City in his own penthouse? You get fucking caught, because my father is a piece of shit and didn’t warn me at eighteen years old what I was supposed to do. It’s almost as if he knew I’d end up in jail. He knew I’d take the fall, but at least he’d be saved, and his life wouldn’t be at risk. He knew what I was capable of, which is why it was me he handed the loaded gun to.”
My nostrils burn, and the urge to cry is strong, but I hold back, because I only know it’ll piss him off. “You got caught?”