by Malone, Nana
"You can't stand him, but you want him back?"
Arlington slammed his hand on top of the bar. "He's my son."
If only he thought the same way about me. "We don't know where he is. No leads, no nothing, so I had no choice but to keep up the ruse."
"Then you’d better do something to get him back. Like it or not, he's my fucking legacy."
"You know, my whole life I've wanted a father. I just wish you weren't such a fucking disappointment."
12
Zia…
I had all the feelings about this meeting right now. I was seated two tables away with my back to the conversation, but I could hear it through the comms, and it did not sound good. I didn't know what Theo had expected to get out of it, but it didn't sound like he was at all happy.
And Arlington, what a fucking piece of work. He seemed more concerned with legacy than the fact that his son was missing. And then he had one who was sitting directly in front of his face just begging someone to love him. "Until we sort this out, I need to put my security team on it.”
Theo's voice was low. "I already have security. The king saw to it."
I angled my seat a little to the side so I could see them. Arlington frowned. "The king? What does he have to do with this?"
"Your nephew? He already assigned Royal Elite to protect me."
Arlington cursed under his breath. "You involved my nephew?"
"Well, it was unavoidable. Since somebody tried to kill me at his sister's wedding, and he happened to see me directly afterward, he intervened. There was nothing to be done about it."
Arlington cursed under his breath again. "My people are better."
"Are they really?" Theo's gaze flickered to me as he spoke. "Right now, my guard is everywhere."
Arlington looked around and finally saw me. He raised a brow. "Her?"
Theo nodded. "And others. Some you won't see."
Only then did Arlington look closer. He spotted Queen Penny, and then he scowled. "You have the Royal Guard watching you too?"
"Well, Sebastian was quite insistent. He thinks I'm his cousin."
Arlington cursed. "You are his cousin. That piece of ass, she's a King’s Knight?"
Theo gave me a smirk and nodded. "Yeah, she is. So when you spanked her ass that day, you were closer to death than you probably have ever been in your life."
Arlington gave me a derisive glare. "I don't believe you."
Theo laughed. "Well, believe it. She was the one who saved my life at the wedding. She's very persistent. She's also the one who saved me from being poisoned, and well, the last kidnapping incident, I handled on my own."
I raised my brow with that. Fine, he could have one.
Arlington leaned forward, and I palmed the gun in my skirt. In my ear, Ariel talked me down. "Easy does it. It doesn't look like he's going to hurt him in a public place. And it doesn't seem like he's behind it."
"Yeah, but he's a dick. Can I just shoot him for being a dick?"
Trace chuckled on the line. "Well, then you'll have to shoot Jax too."
Jax's British accent was clear. "I'm not a dick. I'm just awesome. It's not my fault you can't handle it."
I rolled my eyes. Either way, I wasn't going to get to kill Timothy Arlington.
Arlington was speaking again. "Whatever situation you have going on, I need to be a part of it. He's my son."
Theo shrugged. "He’s my brother. I never thought I’d say that."
Arlington's brows drew down. "You're my son too, but I raised him. He is my future."
"Oh really? Considering you've been threatening to remove him since I've been here?"
Arlington sat back. "So, you're the one who wanted to stop the merger and acquisition?"
I shrugged. "I don't care one way or the other. I was just doing my due diligence. Derrick left me in charge, and I had to give it the best shot I could."
Arlington scowled. "You recognize I'm not going to let you continue was CEO, right?"
My stomach flipped. This. This was the problem. I'd warned him about this. But Theo was confident, his smile easy and handsome, and God, he was sexy.
No, not sexy. We're not doing that anymore.
Right. I was definitely not thinking about how sexy Theo was. He leaned forward. Because of his comm unit I could hear him clearly. "You can try and oust me, but then you’ll have to explain how you have a twin son, how you had an affair, and things for you are already shaky. So it's in your best interest to keep me exactly where I am. Everyone will be wondering where the hell Derrick went if I vanish."
Arlington all but growled at him. "You are not the CEO."
"Neither are you. The current CEO has been taken. So if you want your enemies to know and think that you're weak, then by all means, tell everyone. Make the announcement. I'm a big fraud. I'm not the real Derrick Arlington, and you didn’t even realize it. Good luck explaining that."
For a long moment, Arlington glared at him and I watched, anticipating, waiting. I saw Penny angle her body with her big belly, hand in her purse down at the other end of the bar. She had a gun too. God, she was so badass. I hoped I was half as badass as her if I ever got pregnant. Around her, her guards were watching for a threat to her, not who she was a threat to, which I found hilarious. What kind of bodyguard needed a bodyguard?
One who was queen.
But we over anticipated. Instead of threatening Theo, Arlington did the opposite. "In that case, let's get my son back as quickly as possible. Whatever the plan you have cooked up, I want in on it. You run it through me."
Theo just laughed then. "You must have mistaken me for someone who gives a fuck. You're in charge of nothing, Arlington. You know, after all this, I'm ashamed. Ashamed I ever wanted to know you. Ashamed I ever prayed for a father. For the time being, things will remain status quo. We can keep you abreast of what's happening. You can sit down in meetings, but you're not in charge here. And trust me, I have no desire to run your company. As soon as you have your real son back, I'm going back home. If I never see you again, it will be too soon."
And with that, Theo stood and headed straight for my table.
I quickly finished my club soda. "Are you okay?"
He gave me a sharp nod. "You're in charge, let's go. I need to pick up a couple of things at the office, and then we'll head back to the palace."
I gave him a nod, communicated what was happening to the rest of my team, and then he took my hand. His was warm, enveloped mine, but it felt like peace, like coming home. It felt like he needed me.
And so, for once, I set aside my anger and squeezed back. Because after everything he'd just gone through, all I wanted to do was hold him.
* * *
Derrick
I hadn't seen Alistair Cummings since I was nine years old, although, he'd acted as the boogeyman in my dreams for far too long.
So what? Confronting him now is a way to exorcise those demons? You're crazy.
Oh, I was definitely crazy. But I needed to do this. When the prison guard let me into the room, I could hear the shuffling of his chains before I saw him. Sure, I could be all cavalier as an adult, but somehow just seeing that face again took me back to when I was a little boy, tied up with a gag in my mouth, not sure if I would ever see my father again, if I would ever see anyone I loved ever again. Which, back then, had basically been Elena.
It took him a few moments to recognize me, but then he frowned. "What the fuck is this?"
"Alistair. I bet you never thought you'd see me again."
He scuttled back. "What the fuck is this?" he repeated.
"Look, I'm not here to rattle your cage."
"Bullshit. Then why are you here? Look, your kidnapping back then wasn’t my idea. I was just the guard."
I smiled at him, well aware it wasn't a nice smile. "Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night? You abducted a kid. Me, I was that kid. You abducted me, and I'm supposed to act like it's okay?"
He struggled with the chains
and yelled, "Guard."
"Look, I already slipped the guard three hundred bucks to make sure that he wouldn't come unless I called him."
"Shit."
"All I want is a name. I want confirmation, and right now, you're the only guy who can give it to me."
"I ain't giving you shit."
"You know what, that is your choice. You don't have to give me anything. But it certainly would be helpful. Just a name. Who paid you?"
"I'm not fucking telling you anything."
"Oh, come on. We’re just having a nice time seeing each other like old friends after all this time."
"I'm not telling you anything. They can get to me in here."
"Oh, I'm counting on it. Give me the name, or I will make sure some very nasty men get it from you."
He shook his head. "No, I'm not telling you fuck all. Go fuck yourself."
"That is an interesting prospect which I am not quite flexible enough for, but I hear there are people who are. The name, or I find some lovely inmate named Tank to make you his new best friend. How does that sound?"
"You're a sick fuck."
"I could say the same thing to you. I was a child."
Cummings leaned forward. "Look, you weren't supposed to get hurt. That wasn't me. The plan was to pick you up, hold you for a few days, and then release you. And that was it."
"You forgot the most important part. Ransom money. Get paid, right?" His gaze shifted, and I leaned forward and whispered, "Unless that wasn't the point. Unless you never intended to get that ransom."
He shifted in his seat. "Look, of course that was part of it. Why take someone if you don't want money for it?"
"You know, that is my question. Why go through all the trouble… unless there's an ulterior motive?"
"Guard."
"You don't listen that well. They're not coming for you."
He fought his chains again. "Goddamn it."
"Tell me what I want to know."
"Look, I'll tell you the same thing I told the girl. I don't know who was behind the whole thing. That was Gus’s gig."
I frowned at the name. I didn't recognize that name. "Tell me more."
"I was just a guard. When Gus went to do business with whoever was in charge, I had to stay back and watch your sorry ass."
"Oh, and that's why I bested you, right? A nine-year-old kid slipped your watchful gaze."
"Yeah, I guess so. It's why I'm in here, isn't it?"
I frowned at him. "You really don't know, do you?"
He shook his head. "No, I don't. I don't know anything, okay? It wasn't my gig. I wasn't in charge. I was an introvert, kid."
I scowled at him. "I still got hurt, didn't I?"
He shuffled back. "It didn't have anything to do with me, okay?"
"I am amazed that you actually believe that. The words that are coming out of your mouth, you full-on believe that bullshit. As if not knowing what was supposed to happen is going to absolve you in any way."
"Look, I already told you everything I know. I want to go."
"Fine. Go. Though I can't guarantee that someone named Tank isn't going to visit you."
I didn’t really know anyone named Tank, but he didn't know that. He didn't know if some huge badass was going to pay him a visit or not, and that's the way I wanted it. I certainly wasn't going to let him off the hook now.
"If I find out that you're lying to me, I'm coming back. And I will be none too pleased. Do you understand me?"
"Fuck you."
"God, I'm hearing a lot of that recently too. See you around."
13
Theo…
It was a quiet ride back to the palace. After all, I'd said all I had to say in the bar, and everyone had heard me on the comms.
Once I was in, the rest of the team headed toward the king's quarters, Penny at the helm. I just couldn't though. I figured he'd demand my audience tomorrow, but right now, I needed to be fucking alone.
Behind me, I heard the soft click of Zia's heels. Okay, mostly alone.
But instead of heading straight to my quarters, I took a hard left to one of the gardens. She followed behind me. "Theo, what are you doing?"
"If you don't mind, I need a minute. I’ve got to have some fucking fresh air."
She didn't argue with me for once and just followed quietly behind.
I hated that shit. Her-walking-behind-me thing, but she was my bodyguard, not my damn girlfriend.
Maybe she could be.
No. She'd made it clear. I had lied to her. And even though I had a really good reason, it was still a lie. And I probably shouldn't have slept with her when she had no idea who I was. So, my bad.
More than your bad. She feels betrayed.
She was right to feel betrayed, and there was nothing I could do to make any of it any better. But I'd been between a rock and a hard place, and faced with the same situation over again, I probably would have made the same decision. In the meantime, I had to sort out my fucking head. I had no damn idea where I was going. I meandered aimlessly through the garden. Zia said nothing and just followed. Finally, I turned around. "Jesus Christ, say something. Anything."
She blinked up at me, surprised. And then the words out of her mouth were something I didn't expect. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
I blinked. "What?"
"I said I was sorry. I don't know what it's like, you know, to not have a dad. I mean, mine died when I was a teenager, but I had him. I had a marker to go on. I had something. So I don't know what it's like to think you didn't have one and then meet him and find out he's a complete dick. I have no idea what you're going through right now. I mean, not only did you find out he's a complete dick, but he basically didn't even acknowledge what he'd done to you. So, I'm sorry."
With those soft words, she captured everything I was feeling. How had she done that so easily?"
It was one thing to have Derrick say we were twins. It was a whole other thing to have some kind of confirmation that Timothy Arlington had known about me all that time and just didn't give a shit.
"I'm sure it's complicated Theo. Parents usually are. I know that you probably don’t want consoling right now, but it sucks. It sucks how he just dismissed how you would be feeling and is only focusing on Derrick. But he's a narcissist. People like that only think about themselves. They only think about their legacy and how they're feeling. And I'm sorry. You deserve better than that. The good news is you have someone who clearly loved you very much. And whatever mistakes she made, maybe she made them for you. I mean seriously, can you imagine having grown up with that guy as your father? Growing up with that guy in your ear telling you that you're not good enough, telling you how you needed to be would suck. Can you imagine having him as your example?"
I watched her. And the way she said it, made it sink in. That motherfucker might not have wanted me, but I had escaped. I had been the lucky one, not Derrick.
Yeah, Derrick had money and all the trappings that went with it, but I'd at least had love. Because despite what he’d said, I was pretty sure Timothy Arlington did not know how to love. As for my mother, well, that was a whole other complicated set of emotions I would deal with later. "The way he looked at me was chilling. All he wants is his goddamn legacy. The son he raised. Never mind that he had a son right in front of him, who has made it clear he wants nothing to do with him. But Derrick's the one he wants, and I’m left behind just like before."
"Try not to look at it that way. Do you really want Timothy Arlington to want you? I know the rejection stings, and I'm sorry you had to feel that kind of pain. But you are loved. She made mistakes, sure. Like really bad ones. But she loved you. I can see it in the way you talk about her. You were willing to sacrifice and put your life on hold just so that she can get well. You don't do that for someone who hasn't taught you love. And what about Kyle? You might not have had the chance to know your twin, but it’s obvious that Kyle is like a brother to you. And let's be clear; everyone that you have encountered as D
errick has liked you significantly better than the original. That includes the king and queen and everyone you worked with. So, Timothy Arlington can take his rejection of you and shove it up his ass."
I had to chuckle at the way she said that. She was so small and adorable, with her dimples and her hair gently blowing in the breeze. But she looked like she knew exactly how to shove it up Arlington's ass and wouldn't hesitate to do so. My tiny warrior. God, I was so in love with her.
Fuck.
At least I hadn't said that out loud because she certainly would not welcome that. And even I had to face the truth. At some point, I was going to have to leave because the Winston Isles was certainly not my home, despite how I felt there. This wasn't permanent. It wasn't real.
I wanted it to feel real though, but sooner or later, I was going to have to go back to my real life. The one I had walked away from. But before I could do that, I needed to answer some questions.
"Okay, so if Arlington is not trying to kill me, then who is?"
Zia searched my gaze for a moment as if trying to determine if I was okay. But she didn't ask, didn't even mention my emotional state. "Actually, I've been thinking about that. So, here’s where we are right now; Derrick is gone again, and we don’t know if he did a runner or if someone took him again. Arlington doesn't know who's trying to kill you. Which leads us back to the question of who wants you dead. If it's not your father, which, you know, was kind of fucked up anyway, then who is it?"
I turned and kept walking through the gardens. We were in a massive maze that wound around us, and I certainly hoped Zia knew her way back because I had no idea how to get out of there.
"We have to think this through. Who stands to gain the most with me gone? Theo, not Derrick. No one. I don't stand to gain anything. I'm not Arlington's real son. Not the one he wants anyway. I don't actually have a stake in this company. But if they've taken Derrick, it has to be someone who does have a stake in the company, and likely a heavy one. We have to look at the executives."