The Prince and the Pawn

by Reid, B. B.

  “How exactly did you take care of it?”

  I ran my sweaty palms down my jeans. I still hadn’t gotten up the nerve to tell her that her sister was a psychopath. I couldn’t get the comments she’d made at the club about her father out of my head. “Did she ever tell you how her father died?”

  Slowly, Tyra shook her head.

  “Selena killed him. Or at least the police think she did. She was out on bond when she skipped town. For some reason, they didn’t think the crazy bitch was a flight risk. She’s been hiding out here ever since. Selena sought you out because she blamed you for killing her mom. Quite frankly, I’m pretty sure she’s insane.”

  “How do you know all of this?”

  “Because after I knocked her out and locked her in my trunk, I did some research.” Digging into my back pocket, I pulled out the folded slip of pale, pink paper. “I also found this.”

  Recognition erased the wariness in Tyra’s eyes as she took it from me. Her lips were parted as she slowly unfolded it. The final page of her mother’s letter to her father. The one Selena had claimed never existed. I already knew what it said, along with the rest of the letter.

  I know by now that you must have grabbed your keys and coat and plotted the quickest route to get to me…to us. I want you to know that there’s no need. I might have broken my vows to Sam, but the promise I made to you is the only one that ever mattered. I’m leaving him, Cedric. I’m coming home to you, and I’m bringing our baby girl, both of my girls, with me. I love you. No matter the trial and doubts we’ve faced, that has always been true. And will never change.

  Forever yours,

  Monica

  …loves Cedric

  Tyra’s hands were shaking uncontrollably by the time she’d finished. Her mother’s affair with her father, the lies Selena sowed, had broken apart everything Tyra believed in love. Even if I couldn’t win her heart back, I hoped to give her this last healing kernel before she walked away for good.

  “Thank you,” she said when the tears clogging her throat finally cleared.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “So…what happens now? We can’t just let Selena literally get away with murder.”

  Taking a quick glance at the clock on the wall, I nodded toward the window. As if on cue, Selena appeared on the other side of the street. Tyra wasn’t the only one I’d asked to meet me.

  “You called her here?” Tyra spat. She was already standing before I could respond. This time, I let her go, but I was right on her heels as she stepped outside into the warm spring air.

  It didn’t take long for Selena to notice us, wariness in her gaze when she saw us together. Still, she kept coming, that cocky boldness returning to her eyes with each step. She never made it past the line dividing the street before two squad cards appeared, blocking her path and any chance to escape. They were out of the car, guns raised, screaming at her to put her hands up.

  The mayor appeared and spoke to the arresting officer before making his way over to me. “I appreciate you notifying me of her presence, nephew. I’ve collaborated with the chief, and we’ll have her extradited soon enough.”

  “Thanks.” It was all I could muster for the man. My mother’s family hadn’t been any kinder to me than my father had. For years, they stood by and let my father abuse me out of fear of standing up to him. Neither of them had thought to protect anyone other than themselves. Taking a page from my father’s book, I pointed this out to him, and fear of me tarnishing their good name had my uncle using his influence to arrange Selena’s arrest quickly. I’d already deleted the video of Tyra from her phone and cloud drive.

  My uncle scurried away, and while Tyra was distracted, I used the opportunity to pull her back into the coffee shop. I sat next to her this time to keep her from running away though neither of us spoke as we watched the cops do their job. Selena was still hurling obscenities even after she’d been put in the back of a squad car and had the door slammed in her face.

  Once they drove away, Tyra’s head turned, her whiskey eyes glistening. I said a quick prayer that I hadn’t hurt her more. “You did this?”

  Grimly, I nodded. She didn’t speak, and I was ready to admit defeat when she threw her arms around me.

  “You really didn’t sleep with her?”

  I pulled away before gripping her shoulders. My hands shook when they touched her, and I wondered if it was what made her body tremble or if it was the same raw emotions flowing uncontrollably through me. “I love you too much to hurt you ever again. Please, please believe me and come home.”

  Chewing her lip, she stared at me so long I thought my heart would stop from the agony of wondering if maybe we were too far gone to ever be again. And as if she were life itself, she revived me with three words.

  “I believe you.” The moment my mind processed the words, I leaned down to kiss her to keep from crying out like a bitch, but she stopped me with a finger pressed to my lips. “I just have one request.”

  “Name it.” I didn’t give a damn how eager I sounded.

  Glancing out the window toward the minivan, she turned back to me with her nose wrinkled. “Can we at least trade it for a pretty red one?”

  I laughed a little harder than I should, but if the other patrons only knew what this girl did to me…it had taken me too damn long to realize it myself. Now that I had, all bets were off.

  “Deal.”

  I HUFFED FOR A THIRD time. Even though this was going to be one of the most memorable days of our lives, I was miserable. It turned out the thong that had been oh so necessary for this dress was two sizes too small. My ass hadn’t quite rebounded to its original size after giving birth, but until now, I hadn’t minded. And neither did Vaughn. Maybe it was the sand stuck between my toes or my so-called waterproof mascara burning my eyes.

  “Maybe if you stopped crying, your makeup wouldn’t be ruined,” I heard whispered in my ear.

  I peered over my shoulder to where Vaughn was standing behind me, waiting for our cue. “I can’t help it,” I blubbered, hiccupping and sniffling at the same time. “She was so beautiful. You should have seen her. It’s all just so beautiful,” I sobbed.

  I couldn’t pull it together if I tried.

  “If she looked even half as gorgeous as you do right now, I’m sure I’ll be amazed,” he gamed.

  I blushed despite rolling my eyes. Vaughn looked even more intimidatingly beautiful in his black tux.

  Jamie, who’d put this all together in a month, began to play some soft melody on his guitar, and I started my slow walk down the sandy aisle. The bouquet of white flowers I clutched in my trembling hands shook as I stared despite my blurry vision at the waves crashing ahead. The sun was slowly lowering, so the sky glowed as blue gave way to the gold and orange of sunset. I could feel the silk material of my blue gown swishing about my feet and was grateful we hadn’t been required to wear heels.

  I gave a shaky yet reassuring smile to the male pretending not to be nervous as he waited under the arch that looked like a giant wreath of white silk and gold lanterns. Once Vaughn and I were in position, facing one another with a few feet separating us, Bee followed. Jamie, clad in a tux as well, couldn’t take his eyes from her even as he played. Four and Ever were next to walk the aisle. Heart-stuttering moments later, the handful of guests rose from the elegant, white folding chairs.

  I discreetly wiped away my leaking mascara and blinked away the tears so that I could see clearly. This wasn’t a moment I wanted to miss. Lou appeared, and she was just as breathtaking as I remembered her not five minutes ago. She looked like a princess in the white, ball gown with her dark hair pinned up. I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t take my eyes away. Wren, who had been stoic—the only emotion he ever allowed anyone but Lou to see—melted before everyone’s eyes. The Hendersons, Lou’s former foster family who’d flown from Texas to be here. Miles and Leo, who’d run the streets with her whenever she ditched her foster home. How Jamie had tracked them down, I didn’t kn
ow. He’d do well to manage his family’s billion-dollar business one day since he was a wizard at getting what he wanted. Kendra was in attendance as well, and everyone had held their breath, hoping Lou wouldn’t claw her eyes out. She’d seemingly gotten over Kendra’s history with Wren. Of course, Winny, Wren’s grandmother, had come and even Thomas and Evelyn. There’d been a seat left for Sean, even though he couldn’t be there, and it was still up for debate whether Wren would have wanted him to be. He was currently awaiting trial for the murder of Fox and Franklin after taking the fall. Thomas hadn’t hesitated to get him the best lawyers to work on his defense, but it was too soon to say whether the outcome would be good

  And then there were the mysterious vampire twins.

  Royal and Scarlett Fox.

  I’d only met them briefly before, and my first thought was how eerily similar they reminded me of the undead. Especially Scarlett. I’d never seen anyone so pale or with hair as dark as hers. It was as if someone had taken the night and poured it onto the strands. And her lips had me wondering if it was how she’d gotten her name or if she really did drink blood in her free time Jamie called her Snow White ever since. Scarlett had barely muttered two words or even moved for that matter, so naturally, she hadn’t reacted to the name.

  Royal was her twin in every way except he wasn’t as pale, and his lips were more of a dark pink than blood red. Wren and Vaughn had invited them to Blackwood Keep a few days ago, but not just for the wedding Jamie had forced on Wren and Lou but to negotiate a truce between Exiled and Thirteen. Jeremy had been the only wild card, but surprisingly, he’d agreed. Jeremy didn’t seem like the type to lead with the wrong head, but I couldn’t help wondering if the interest he’d shown in Scarlett was the reason why. I only wished I understood what he’d muttered in Russian when I tried to peer into his mind.

  “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I dared to ask as I came to stand beside Jeremy. He’d been watching the twins walk away after they agreed to a “temporary” ceasefire. Vaughn would probably throw a fit if he found me this close to his frenemy, but I was too curious. He had this aura that yes, was dark and dangerous, but magnetic as well.

  “YA ne smotryu na neye. YA smotryu na nego.”

  With an expert flick of his fingers, Jamie played Lou’s cue to begin moving down the aisle, so I pushed the memory away and focused on the present…and the future. Somehow, my gaze found the will to shift away from the vision Lou created, and I found Vaughn watching me. After a knowing tip of his lips, he winked—a promise that our day would come. I inhaled, feeling the butterflies in my stomach take flight. I couldn’t wait.

  Needless to say, I’d quit dancing at the Suite of Dreams. Come the fall, I would be heading back to Harvard to finish my sophomore year. Since I’d taken so many AP courses in high school, I’d been on track to graduate an entire year early, but now it looked like I’d be graduating only one semester but still early.

  With Vaughn footing the bill.

  He’d been relentless, so I gave in on the condition that he didn’t give up on his dreams, either. USC might have been a colossal bust, but Vaughn was too talented not to have his pick of the litter. After doing my research, I convinced him as ruthlessly as he had done me that if he acted now, he could still complete his college eligibility in time to qualify for the draft. He was adamant, however, about not straying far from River and me. It limited his options for the well-funded and preferable division one teams, but…at least he still had a chance. I still shivered, remembering his promise to me that day.

  “But you won’t get as much publicity at a lower division,” I argued.

  “Then I’ll make them notice me. I’m not leaving my family.”

  Lou reached Wren underneath the arch, and I watched, willing myself not to cry when they faced each other. Lou had refused to wear a veil, so nothing was hindering them from staring into each other’s eyes with all the love and hope they shared.

  The officiant began, and I forced myself to listen to him drone. When it was time for the vows, Wren went first, shocking everyone—saying vows required flaying yourself open and allowing nothing to stay hidden. It wasn’t exactly in the top million of the things he considered a good time.

  “Fuck, Lou,” he began, despite the officiant standing next to him. I knew right then that Wren hadn’t prepared a word of what he said next. He blew out air as his eyes began to glisten. Wren Harland—former Exiled lieutenant and king of the stoic—was crying. “This is the last place I ever thought I’d be standing. When I found you in that snowstorm, I thought you’d be my end, not the beginning. I carried you like a burden on my shoulders for a long time, not knowing I held you in my heart instead. I accepted you as the penance I accepted for what I’d done because I was too blind to see that you were a gift. I had no idea just what you had in store for me. You were the knight to slay the darkness, my light and salvation. Stubborn and willful to the end, you kept me alive so we could be here right now, and for that, I am indebted to you. If my heart is worthy and yours is willing, please let me spend every breath I have left repaying it.”

  My mouth dropped as I gaped. I then felt the well inside my chest, filling up fast—a force to be reckoned and too determined to stop.

  Holy fuck, this is going to burn.

  I didn’t care so much this time as I let the tears and mascara fall freely.

  Seven years later

  Boston

  MY EYES DRIFTED OPEN, AND I immediately rolled over. After checking the time, I groaned, not at the early hour, but because I knew that soon, I’d be boarding a flight for the first game of the season. Taking Tyra’s advice not to give up on my dreams, four years ago, I signed with the Boston Breakers as their new quarterback after playing for the University of Massachusetts right here in Boston. Every decision, every move I made had been on the condition that I stayed close to home, and I didn’t mean Blackwood Keep or the beautiful condo I’d found in the suburbs.

  Entering the en suite, I took a quick shower, dressed, and grabbed the bag my wife had packed for me before heading downstairs. I listened to the telltale sounds of my son eating his breakfast before school and pictured the mess he’d make for his mother to clean up. Just as I knew I’d find her, Tyra was darting around the kitchen dressed in charcoal slacks and a black blouse, packing River’s lunch while making herself breakfast at the same time. It was anyone’s guess when she’d find the time to eat again. She was two months into her five-year surgical residency at Massachusetts General, and of course, she had to be top of her class.

  Dropping my bag and finally catching her attention, her stress seemed to fade away when she looked at me. It made me even more reluctant to go and guilty for leaving her to do this alone despite the fact that it was only for a few days. Even with River being in school, football season was always a rough time for us with my frequent absences and her long hours.

  Palming my son’s head in greeting and feeling his soft, brown curls under my palm, I moved to stand before my wife. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.”

  Tyra and I let the world pause long enough to share a kiss that deepened by the second. Our lives might be chaotic as fuck, but we still had this and more.

  “We need to talk about this situation of ours when I get back.”

  “What situation?”

  “About needing help with River. We need to hire someone.”

  Picking up her coffee mug, she stared at me over the rim with an amused twinkle in her eye. “We did discuss it, remember? And then we tried to find someone, but somehow, you find something wrong with each person we interviewed.”

  I waved her off as I headed for the fridge, where I knew I’d find my morning smoothie already waiting for me. Goddamn it, I love this woman.

  “I don’t care what you say,” I said as I removed the tumbler. “That guy looked like a—” Glancing at River, who always seemed to hear more than he let on, I spelled out the word, “P-E-D-O-P-H-I-L-E.”

  “Mm-hmm. A
nd the nice lady with all the amazing references? She was more than qualified.”

  “If she was so qualified and amazing, why did all the others let her go?”

  Tyra shook her head, a wry smile twisting her lips. “You’re impossible.”

  Coming to stand behind her, I fingered the diamond ring I’d put on her finger four years ago. “And you promised to put up with it forever.” I leaned down, and she lifted to meet me halfway before I pulled back. “So, the joke’s on you.”

  Hitting my chest, she shoved me back, making me laugh.

  River turned his head from the TV, letting me see his hazel eyes, a perfect combination of my jade and Tyra’s whiskey, before deciding his parents weren’t as entertaining as his favorite cartoon. River was like a damn zombie when the TV was on, but when it wasn’t, he was a hurricane. He seemed to take an interest in sports whenever we went a few rounds in the backyard, but he was also wicked smart like his mother. A little too smart if you asked me. Some of the shit that came out of his mouth astounded me. The only peace we seemed to have was when the TV was on. Despite his miniature size when he was born, he was easily the tallest in his class, surpassing all of our hopes and expectations. None of it would have mattered, but I was grateful for this boon. Our son wouldn’t spend the rest of his life paying for our mistakes.

  “I’ve always meant to ask,” I said even though it had been seven years. “Why River?”

  Tyra looked up in surprise before biting her lip and turning around in my arms to stare at our son. “Because he was proof that no matter which way the water flowed, it would always lead me back to you. You were the definite course.”

  I sucked in a breath. Tyra had known, even when she resisted, that she’d be mine again, and I’d be hers. The doorbell rang, saving me from responding. No way could I have managed any more than the chaste kiss I placed on her head before stepping back and noticing the wrapped gift on the counter. I’d almost forgotten that today was my best friend’s twenty-seventh birthday. Tonight, Tyra and River would be heading to Blackwood Keep for the surprise party that Four was throwing him. Warmth bloomed in my chest at the thought of home as I moved for the front door. Four and Ever had been the only one of us who hadn’t left the place behind. The distance between us wasn’t significant, but it felt as if we’d been spread to the four corners of the world.