unForgiven (The Birthright Series Book 2)

by Bridget E. Baker

  “Either family drama or a boy.” Miss Mason cocks her hip.

  “Family drama,” I say. “Definitely. My friend who is coming to pick me up is very reliable and never creates drama.”

  “What’s this white knight’s name?” she asks.

  “He’s not a knight,” I say. “He’s a normal guy. But his name is Roman.”

  A black sedan pulls up outside, and Roman steps out. He hands a few bills to the driver and turns toward the restaurant.

  “Actually, that’s him now.”

  Miss Mason sprints into the front room.

  “Thank you so much for letting me sit inside and for bringing me food.” I walk toward the front door, passing her where she’s looking out the window.

  She grabs my arm and squeezes me tightly. “That.” She points. “That is not a normal guy!” She gawks at him, her lips parted, her eyes glazed.

  “He’s not bad looking,” I admit.

  “Is he a lot older than you?” she asks.

  “Three years,” I say. “But I like older guys.”

  She whistles. “I can see why. What a hunk.”

  A what?

  Roman reaches the front doors and leans close, with one hand over his eyes, to peer in through the glass. When his eyes meet mine, an electric pulse shoots through me. He came all the way here, alone, because I called. I mean, it’s his job. Or I think it’s still his job. That’s probably why he came. But his words from the moments before Angel knocked me out echo in my mind. I’m in love with you, Judica. I’ve loved you for years and years.

  I shut him down. I told him—what did I tell him? I cast back in my mind and realize I didn’t say anything at all. He took my lack of a response as a refusal. He left while I stood, dazed, unsure what to say. He probably won’t ever say anything like that again. He has probably changed his mind.

  Maybe he’s even met someone since I disappeared. Noticed how much happier he is when I’m not around.

  He taps again and I jump. “Well, I’d better. . .”

  “Yes, of course, dear. Be safe, okay? Don’t let that family drama ruin your future.” She winks and bobs her head in Roman’s direction. “It looks to be a pretty bright one.”

  “I’ll do my very best to avoid any future family drama.” I flip the lock on the door and yank it open. Then, before Miss Mason can introduce herself and suck me back inside, I wave and duck outside. Roman steps back so I have room to walk past.

  I start to do just that, behaving around him exactly as I always have, but it feels wrong somehow. Seeing Roman through Miss Mason’s eyes, I’ve realized how lucky I am to have someone like him hop on a plane the second I ask.

  I change course and barrel into him, my arms circling his torso and squeezing tightly. “You came.”

  He exhales loudly, his hands frozen away from his body. “Of course I did.”

  “I can’t believe you’re here.” I escaped my holding cell in my underwear. I fought off Melina’s armed assailants. I wasn’t afraid on a restaurant bench alone. I was completely fine, waiting inside the restaurant with a total stranger. But now that Roman’s here, tall, warm, and capable, something inside of me splits open, like I’ve barely been hanging on all this time. Like I want to collapse and surrender to someone else.

  His hands stroke my hair. “Of course I came.”

  I want to fall into him forever and never have to slice or shoot or attack anyone ever again. I want Roman to take me away, but not back to Ni’ihau. Somewhere else, somewhere safe, somewhere not haunted by my mother, my sisters, the throne that isn’t mine anymore.

  “Was it hard to get away?” I ask.

  Roman grunts. “I should be asking you that. How did you escape, if they took you and Melina wanted to kill you?”

  If I get in to that right now, I’ll completely lose it. I need some space, between being taken, and between me and Roman. I stumble back a step, outside of the circle of his arms. “I don’t want to talk about it here.”

  “Understood. From my end, I called in a few major favors to leave, but you’ll be pleased to know that Chancery doesn’t know where we are. I doubt she even knows why I left.”

  “Oh Roman, you could have told her. I don’t want to get you into trouble.”

  “That’s your middle name,” he says. “Judica Trouble Alamecha.”

  He’s mocking me. That’s a clear sign that he’s not feeling the same thing that I am. He might not have missed me at all. In fact, his life might have been better if I didn’t call him and never returned home. I can’t swallow past the lump in my throat. “I’ll make things right, I swear. But first I need your help with something here. Something big.”

  “Why are you here?” he asks.

  “At this restaurant, you mean?”

  “You said Melina kidnapped you and brought you here. What did she want?”

  “She wanted me to tell her why Mother changed her mind and named Chancery.”

  “Do you even know the answer to that?” Roman’s brow furrows. “Isn’t that what everyone wants to know, including you?”

  “Exactly,” I say.

  He frowns. “Why would she think you knew?”

  Mother said I couldn’t tell a soul, which certainly includes Roman. But she’s gone, and I’m here. “Is that driver waiting for us?”

  Roman nods. “He’ll wait however long we need.”

  I walk over to the bench I was warming earlier and sit down. Roman sits next to me. Mother didn’t approve of Roman. Mother told me not to pick him for my Consort. Well, Mother’s not here. And she promised me that she’d make me her heir, and she didn’t. Maybe she wasn’t infallible after all.

  “Here’s the thing,” I say quietly. “No one else knows this, just me, Chancery, and Inara. But Chancery tried on Mother’s staridium ring, and something happened when she did. It set off an electromagnetic pulse of some kind, wiping out the island. Twice.”

  Roman frowns. “Chancery did that? On accident?” He scratches his cheek and then folds his hands in his lap. “That makes sense.”

  “Does it? When Mother had me and Inara try it on, nothing happened. Not a single thing.”

  “How would Melina know anything about that?” he asks.

  “I don’t think she did, or not any details. Angel told her about the EMP, because she asked me about it. They both knew that Mother changed her mind shortly after that bizarre occurrence. But Melina thinks the whole heir changeup has more significance than that, even. She has this wacky prophecy tattooed on her arms, and she thought Mother changed tracks because she discovered Chancery was the queen it talks about, sent to unite the families and save the world. If I’d told her what I just told you, she’d have executed me on the spot, I guarantee it. The only reason I’m still alive is that she was waiting for confirmation from one of her spies in court that Chancery was chosen to replace me for a reason.”

  “She’s really nuts, huh?”

  I think about how I let Angel go. How she took me to Melina and had clearly been working for her all along. Angel lied to my face, and I believed her. When she told me about the promise she made to Mother. Tears threaten and I blink them back. “I’m virtually positive Melina and Angel killed Mother. As we all know, Angel had means, but no motive. Somehow, her connection to Melina gave her the motive.”

  “Wait, Melina didn’t tell you that she killed Enora?”

  “I accused her and Melina never denied it.”

  Roman slings an arm around me and pulls me close. I lean my head on his shoulder. “It’s been a really hard couple of days for you. I’m sorry.”

  I listen to the smooth rhythm of his heart. “I’ve been thinking about running away from everything.”

  Roman tenses. “That’s not like you.”

  It sure isn’t. “I can’t do it,” I say. “Don’t worry. But that it even occurred to me gives me some insight into my sister.”

  He squeezes my shoulder. “You’re more like Chancery than you realized?”

  “
Maybe,” I admit. “But Alamecha is everything to me.”

  “So we’re headed back to Ni’ihau?”

  “Maybe not quite yet.”

  “What do you need to do first?” he asks.

  Roman knows me. “I can’t just leave her.” I look up at his face.

  He closes his eyes. “You want to kill Melina.”

  “She’s unhinged, Roman. I have no idea what she’ll do next. She could come after me again—we know she has people at court—or she could target Chancery instead. What if Melina decides she’s the ‘Eldest’ in her weird prophecy who is supposed to lead Alamecha to save the whole world? Or what if she thinks Chancery’s off the path and kidnaps her to pull her puppety strings?”

  “Is this about any of that?” Roman peers down at me.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, you finally found out who killed your mother.”

  My voice is flat. “Would it be wrong, if that was my only reason to do it?” Am I really a monster?

  “We’ll make her pay,” Roman says, “and then we’ll go home.”

  He doesn’t answer the question I didn’t ask, but how can I expect him to? Immediately, though, he’s on my side. I quickly outline my plan.

  “That’s quite a list of materials we need,” he says. “From weapons to flash bombs to ammunition. How exactly did you plan to procure all of those things?”

  “You have money, right?” I ask.

  Roman bobs his head. “It makes the human world go round, but they don’t just have a store where you can go and buy whatever weapons you want.”

  “We’re in Texas. I heard they do.” I shrug. “Well, if they don’t, then we need to figure out how to find them here.”

  When a red Porsche Cayenne rolls up in the parking lot, Roman and I both sit up, identically alert. When Ambrosia and Billy hop out, I curse under my breath.

  Roman unsheathes his sword and pulls out his 1911. I put a hand on his arm. “Stand down. They’re friends.”

  “They’re human,” Roman says as though I don’t have eyes or ears of my own.

  My mouth turns up on one side. “I’m aware. They’re still friends.” Friends I meant to leave behind. But then I sat here, at the place Billy suggested, for far too long. I’m an idiot. Or maybe I wanted them to find me.

  “I can’t believe you ditched us!” they say in unison.

  “I’m bad for your health,” I protest. “I wanted to keep you safe.”

  “OMG, is that him?” Ambrosia asks. “You did not mention how hot he is.”

  I suppress a grin. “Roman, this is Ambrosia and her older brother Billy. They sheltered me from Melina and gave me food after my escape. They also helped me disarm and incapacitate Melina’s people and make it here.”

  “And then you bailed on us while we were sleeping,” Billy says. “Which was pretty lame. Humans need sleep.”

  “Evians need sleep as well.” Roman smiles. “Less than a human, but we do sleep. In any case, we greatly appreciate your service.” Roman sheaths his sword and tucks his gun into his back holster. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wad of bills. “I hope this adequately conveys my gratitude.”

  “We don’t want your money,” Ambrosia says, one eyebrow lifted.

  “Speak for yourself,” Billy says. “That was one rough night.” He snatches the wad of cash from Roman and stuffs it in his pocket.

  “Give that back to him,” Ambrosia says. “Right now.”

  “Hey, look. When we woke up, we had to drive home and clean up the mess before Dad got off and freaked out. I think we may have to throw that steam cleaner away. They are just not meant to clean up dried blood. But then we had to drive over here in Dad’s car. He’s going to be pissed if he realizes that, and he might even take my keys. In which case, this money will really help me out. And if they’re telling the truth, they have like a gazillion dollars.”

  Ambrosia shakes her head. “Dad’s back in surgery. He’ll never even notice we took the car, and I doubt he knew we had a steam cleaner in the first place.”

  “Keep the cash,” I say. “But share some with your sister.”

  “Are you going to do it?” Billy asks. “Are we going after your sister?”

  I nod. “I’m doing it, but you two are not helping. It’s far too dangerous.”

  “But I bet you need some help getting the items on that list we made. Even if you have money, which clearly you do,” Billy says, “you probably have no idea where to buy it all.”

  Roman whispers, “He’s got a point.”

  “Fine,” I say. “But you help us find the supplies I need, and then you’re done. You go stay with a friend until all of this is past. Promise?”

  Ambrosia smiles and Billy nods.

  “It’s a deal,” Ambrosia says. “Now let’s go put a stop to your homicidal sister, once and for all.”

  14

  The Past

  Nihils was going to die. I know that; I do. I killed him before his kill pill could, that’s all. But walking away from him is still much harder than I expected it would be. Especially since everyone else thinks I killed him for supporting my sister.

  I didn’t think I cared what people think of me. Maybe I don’t, to a certain extent. But I care what Roman thinks, and he’s looking at me with searching eyes. He wants answers. And I can’t give him any.

  After I storm past him, he follows me to my room doggedly.

  “Umm, I need a shower,” I say. “Ridding the world of the people who support my sister is exhausting, so I’m going to go inside and close the door now.” When I open the door, Death is waiting patiently on the other side. He licks my hand eagerly. He doesn’t believe I’m a monster, at least. I try to slip into my room and close the door, but Roman shoves past me, closing it behind him.

  “You need to tell me the truth about what is going on,” Roman says. “Everyone else may believe you threw a tantrum back there that killed someone, but you’ll never convince me that’s what happened. You’re not a psychopath.”

  “All evidence to the contrary.” I sigh and cross my arms. “What if I am?”

  He shakes his head. “You aren’t.”

  Tears well up in my eyes. Why does he have faith in me when every piece of evidence is stacked against me?

  “Don’t cry,” he whispers. “But you need someone on your side, someone you can trust. You’re not in this all alone.”

  I wipe the tears away with bloody hands. I probably look like a hunk of aging meat hanging from a hook. “Nihils poisoned my mother.”

  Roman’s mouth drops open. “No.”

  I nod slowly.

  “No wonder you killed him.” Roman pulls me toward him for a hug, apparently unconcerned about me needing a shower.

  I resist at first, but it hurts too much to be strong. When his arms wrap around me, a tightness in my chest eases and I can breathe again, freely. I should tell him how I feel. My body heals in seconds, but my heart? It hurts so badly every day that small things fall away. Nothing else matters, and so I’m numb all the time. I want to tell him all of that, but I can’t. Saying those words would destroy me. “It hurts,” I finally say. Even those two little words leave me bare, vulnerable. I want to laugh them off. Make a joke about some wound or another.

  But that would be cowardly. I am many things, but I am not a coward, so I let them stand.

  “I know,” Roman says. “That pain probably won’t ever go away, but you’ll handle it better with time.” He should let me go. He should step away and look anywhere but my face. I need to scrounge up some kind of pride, some semblance of normalcy again, but I can’t do it. He releases me a little, and then he gathers me closer, but shifts me so my face is against his chest. “It will get easier, I promise.”

  “Mother deserved better,” I say. “I ruined everything.”

  “You killed him,” he says. “Which is exactly what would have happened after a trial, or days and days of torture. You have always been efficient. Your moth
er knows you, and if she can see any of this now, she knows what you’re up against. She is proud of you.”

  For challenging Chancery? For running my sister away? For fumbling this investigation so horribly? I shake my head against his chest. “No, you don’t understand. Nihils was working for someone. There’s a bigger group that orchestrated this. He has a boss, at least one, and he died before I could find out anything useful.”

  Roman’s voice is clearly set to ’soothing’ when he asks, “I don’t mean to upset you, but if he had information on whoever he reported to, why did you kill him?”

  I clench my hands and shove away from the comfort I don’t deserve. “He took a poison pill,” I say. “He was going to die without telling us anything either way.”

  “So we explain that. No one will think ill of you for doing what you did.”

  “But if everyone knows why I beheaded him, the real reason-”

  Roman closes his eyes. “His boss will know, too.”

  “It was my only play to try and salvage something, anything, I don’t know. I had a split second and I panicked.”

  “If you’d done nothing, his boss would surely have heard that he died of poison.”

  “And given what people think of me.” I shake my head. “His boss might not know why I did it, or even realize I was on to him. No one knows I went to his room, since I did it alone, and he has been slated to fight me for weeks on the schedule.”

  “We need to search his room and belongings immediately,” Roman says, “but without alerting anyone that we’re doing it. I can send someone to officially prepare his belongings to be sent to his family.”

  “Clean-up crew,” I say. “Wait.” I bite my lip. “What if we put the word out that we found something. A journal, or a notebook.”

  “I’m listening,” Roman says.

  “His boss would be nervous, right?” I begin pacing from one end of the room to the other. Death is so accustomed to my pacing that he lays down against the wall with a huff. “He or she might show up to grab it, if we put out that we had it. But where would we take it that they might ambush us?”

  Roman smiles. “If I ‘find’ it during the search, I could read a page or two, and see who contacts me. Then, instead of rushing it to you, I could tuck it in my bag. I could ask the other members of the crew not to say anything.”