Every Action (The Gifted Realm Book 3)

by Jillian Neal

  “Yeah,” Rainer stated; though, he was finding it very difficult to drag himself from the bed and from the intoxicating feeling of her energy flowing so readily into him. “I just wish I knew what to say.” Emily gave him a reassuring smile as she nodded her understanding.

  Mine

  ~Logan Haydenshire~

  Fury pulsed through Logan’s veins. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t even see. His entire body vibrated in his wrath. He glanced at Adeline, and his anger melted slightly.

  She was stunned from their afternoon. She shivered, all alone, on the bed. He knew he should comfort her. He just couldn't seem to figure out how exactly.

  He began to pace. He couldn't help it. He was infuriated that Rainer had seen her like that. Using most of his resolve to keep himself from sinking his fists satisfyingly into Rainer stomach, he continued to pace. She stared up at him with terror splayed in her eyes.

  “Logan, I'm so sorry.” She quivered as tears spilled from them. He spun around completely stunned. He shook his head and forced his voice into what he hoped was a soothing tone.

  “Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything.” He pled. She stood and moved closer to him; though, she remained a few feet away.

  “Rainer didn't mean to do that. I don't think he wanted to see me like that at all.” Her voice shuddered from her tears.

  “Then he’s a fucking idiot.” Logan spat. His rage returned instantly.

  “Logan, please,” Adeline begged as she finally broke down in all-encompassing sobs.

  He moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. He couldn’t stand for her to cry. Her tears of shame stabbed through his acrimony. “Logan, he’s your best friend. He didn’t intentionally burst in on me in a dressing room. Please don’t do this. He loves you almost as much as I do.” He’d never heard her beg for something so vehemently.

  “I can’t believe either of you saw me in that.” Logan continued to rub her back and try to calm her seemingly endless tears as he wondered who was supposed to see her in that. “It was just a stupid thing to do. We'd been picking out what we wanted to wear under our wedding gowns, and we picked out a few things to wear while we were here and at home. Some of the stuff that saleswoman kept showing us was really over the top, so Emily dared me to try one on. I agreed as long as she did, and that's when you busted in.” Adeline’s cheeks glowed crimson in her embarrassment.

  Logan nodded his understanding. He was still at a loss as to how to comfort her, and he was still furious with Rainer.

  “Please don't be mad at Rainer.” She pled again. “I feel terrible. I mean, Logan he didn't mean to. He didn't even look at me. I mean he only saw her.” Desperately wanting to believe that to be true, Logan drew a deep breath.

  “If I agree not to kill Rainer, will you stop crying?” He asked only half joking.

  “Logan…” she hushed. “Please just forgive him. He's just as embarrassed as I am.”

  Logan rolled his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't shake the image of Rainer Lawson standing and gaping at her dressed in see-through black lace and leather with nothing covered completely.

  Everything he considered to be his and his alone revealed to his best friend. Although Logan had certainly seen her naked, and even in lingerie before, even he'd never seen her in anything so racy. It galled him that Rainer had seen her as well. Even the G-string she'd had on with the rest of the straps and lace had revealed almost as much of her front as it did her back. He added fuel to the fury swirling inside of him. Adeline was asking him to forgive him. He shuddered.

  He felt like he was being rent in two. He willed himself to try to make her feel better, and not to give in to the ire that was boiling so close to the surface. She clenched her jaw and pulled back.

  “Do you remember what Emily was wearing, when you came in the room?” She asked. Her voice was hopeful.

  “Ugh Ad, she's my sister. Trust me I couldn't take my eyes off you, and I don't ever even want to think about my sister in something like that.” Logan shuddered. Revulsion plunged through him, and he convulsed slightly.

  “Exactly,” Adeline gave him a tentative smile. “I think that's probably exactly how Rainer feels about seeing me.” She concluded hesitantly. He wanted desperately to believe that. Logan released her to run his hands through his hair. The day had been more than he was capable of handling. He closed his eyes and tried to let what she was saying wash over him. He sank onto the bed.

  “I know, ok? I really do. You’re just going to have to give me some time, Ad. I mean when I think about what he just saw, it makes me physically ill. That's mine! You’re mine! All mine! I don't want him to have seen that. I don't want anyone else to have seen that. I do not share.” Adeline gave a hesitant nod. She looked pale and worn as she sank down beside him

  “I know, and I love that you feel that way, but I really don't think he saw what you saw.” There was a knock on the door and Logan groaned. She squeezed his hand kissed his cheek.

  “Please Logan let him apologize.” She urged as she made her way to the door.

  The Undoing of Logan Haydenshire

  ~Rainer Lawson~

  Rainer swallowed harshly. He couldn’t recall another time in his entire life that he’d been nervous to talk to Logan. The door slowly opened. He forced himself to meet Adeline’s eyes and not recoil. Rainer offered her a timid smile.

  “Uh,” he choked and cleared his throat, before forcing himself to go on with it. “Adeline, I cannot tell you how sorry I am.” After offering him a sweet smile, Adeline nodded.

  “I know, Rainer, and I mean, I really wish you hadn’t seen me like that, but I’ll get over it.” She assured him; though her face was glowing crimson. Not having any idea what an appropriate response to that might be, Rainer nodded and gave her a sorrowful look.

  “Can I uh…?” He gestured into their room. Adeline drew a deep breath and glanced back at Logan. Rainer assumed.

  “Sure, uh I’ll just go see what Emily’s wearing to tea.” She looked pleased with her reason for leaving. With that, they traded places, and Rainer closed the door to Logan’s suite with a quick prayer that he could fix the damage he’d done. He glanced around nervously.

  “Logan, I uh…” He directed his eyes to Logan seated on the bed. “I'm so sorry. I really didn't even see her. I was only looking at Em and I know…” he held his hands up in utter defeat, “That makes you mad too, but I just… please Logan tell me what you want me to do. You’ve been my best friend for my whole life. You’re my partner. I'm marrying your sister. How can I make this better? I'll do anything.” Rainer quickly decided that he wasn’t above begging. Logan refused to meet his pleading gaze.

  “I’m not mad you were looking at Em.” He finally mumbled as he kept his eyes on the bed glaring at it like it had greatly offended him. Much to Rainer’s chagrin Logan looked like he’d very much like to take his aggression out with his fists. Rainer already knew that was the case, but he hoped Logan would go on. He stood after a long moment of harrowing silence. His fists were clenched in tight knots as he began to pace.

  “I don’t know!” He erupted but was still keeping his eyes off of Rainer. “I don’t know what you can do! I just can’t get it out of my head! It makes me sick.” He finally turned his hate filled eyes on Rainer for a split second, but then forced himself to glance away again.

  Rainer’s heart ached as he felt the hated and fury that pulsed in Logan’s rhythms. He was so angry his energy spiked in waves of red. Rainer’s mind raced as he tried to think of what to say to convince Logan that seeing Adeline like that hadn’t done anything for him.

  His mind moved in reverse for a long moment. Rainer knew there had never been anyone Logan had ever wanted except for Adeline. All through middle and high school and even their first year at the Academy girls would flirt, chase, play games just trying to get Logan’s attention, but he’d never succumbed. He’d made out with Rachel McAdams at a middle school party because he knew she was crazy for him, and tr
uthfully he felt sorry for her. His brothers had been harassing him about not having kissed anyone yet.

  He’d laid eyes on Adeline Parker at sub-freshman orientation and that had been it for him. With single-minded focus, he’d worked up the courage to be in the same room with her, then talk to her, and then finally ask her out.

  “Logan man, Em is it for me.” He knew in any other situation Logan would most definitely not want to hear what Rainer was about to say. After drawing a steadying breath, Rainer went on anyway. “I know Adeline gets you going, but Em drives me wild. I mean taking everything else in our relationship away. Emily has all of the features that to me make up jaw dropping sex appeal, and please know that I mean no offense but Adeline just doesn’t.” He laid everything out on the table truly willing to do anything to make Logan understand.

  Logan studied him for several minutes before huffing dejectedly.

  “You’re Rainer Lawson. You could have who ever you want, and I’ve always been fine with that. I was good with it all, with the car, and the money, and the looks, head of Ioses Order, and being Joseph Lawson’s son, and you’re my best friend, but God man I swear I will kill you over her.” Logan choked quickly blinking back tears.

  Rainer tried desperately to think of how to respond to that. The truth of it all bit harder than Logan’s fury for the moment. He shook his head and finally simply allowed himself to be who he was. He stopped fighting the unearned fame and wealth that his father had bestowed on him. In that moment, he accepted the truth because he couldn’t change it.

  “Maybe,” he admitted. “But you know what? I have everything I could ever want, and you’re Logan Haydenshire, the Crown Governor’s son.” He vowed adamantly as Logan’s brow furrowed from the sudden realization of what was to come. “And one of the finest men I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. You’re my best friend Logan, my blood brother.” He edged finally getting a slight smile out of Logan. “But friendship, and Emily, and who our fathers are, putting all of that aside, for just a minute, you need to understand something, so hear what I’m telling you.” His voice rose in accordance with his fervor. “I couldn’t have her.” He jerked his hand back to the room the girls were in. “Not only because I don’t want her, and I would never ever do that to you, but because she wants you and only you, Logan.” He continued on determined to make Logan understand. “You know everyone’s always telling me how me and Em were kismet or whatever, and maybe we are, but we’re not the only ones.

  “Man, I was sitting right beside you when she walked into orientation that night, and I saw your eyes bug out of your head and your mouth hang open. I saw her catch your eye and then glance away. You may not know this but Adeline’s kind of shy.” Rainer chided with a wry grin. He was pleased that Logan chuckled slightly. “But I saw that split second when you saw each other. I swear to you. I knew then and there you were sold and so was she. It was done. All the dozens and dozens of girls that had been chasing you since kindergarten could hang it up because the game was over.”

  The fury seemed to ease from Logan’s face slightly as his fists unclenched.

  “Can I ask you something?” Logan quizzed with pain perforating his tone.

  “I don’t know. If I come over there, are you gonna hit me?” Rainer quizzed wryly.

  “Maybe,” Logan allowed. He decided to chance it knowing that if it would help he’d let Logan hit him. He moved to sit near his best friend. He waited as Logan seemed to draw courage from the air around him in a long pause. Whatever he wanted to know was obviously extremely important, so Rainer waited patiently.

  He drew a deep breath and braced himself. Logan stared into Rainer’s eyes. He wanted to make sure Rainer wasn’t going to lie to him.

  “Fair warning…” Logan drawled. “You better tell me the truth, but if I don’t like your answer I will probably pound you.”

  “Great,” Rainer quipped as fear swirled in his stomach. Logan seemed to force himself to go on.

  “Do you remember that campout when Garrett and Levi snuck all of those Playboys and what were the other ones?” He seemed caught up in the details of his recollection.

  Rainer studied him incredulously but supplied: “Uh as I recall it was Juggs and Spank.” He grimaced slightly as he recalled that evening.

  “Right,” Logan agreed. Not certain where this was going Rainer continued to study his best friend. He and Logan had turned fourteen that summer. Rainer was spending two weeks with the Haydenshire’s while his father traveled to Europe and had gone on the campout that he’d always been included in. That was the first year that Will and Garrett had talked Governor Haydenshire into staying home and letting them take care of Logan and Rainer. They’d insisted that Logan and Rainer weren’t babies anymore, and that they would be fine.

  Rainer’s father had been killed the following November. As Garrett had just turned twenty-one, making he and Will both in their early twenties, the Haydenshire’s had agreed. Beer and porn had been passed around in heavy doses and indulged by all of the Haydenshire boys and Rainer. With a slight shudder, Rainer recalled just some of the images he’d seen in Spank magazine.

  “It’s amazing we’re not more screwed up.” He quipped. Logan chuckled. He seemed momentarily distracted from his interrogation of Rainer.

  “Anyway…,” Logan’s face hardened again. “I’m sure you remember what happened after they started passing out magazines.” He scowled. With a slight shudder, Rainer recalled Garrett handing out the girly magazines and then spending the rest of the night making fun of Cal, Connor, Logan, and Rainer for having the normal male reaction to seeing scantily clad women. After more than a few rounds of harassment, Will had called Garrett on it.

  “Leave them alone Garrett. Geez we could all sleep under the tent you just popped.” Will had effectively shut Garrett up. As the story replayed in Rainer’s mind he suddenly realized where Logan was heading with his question.

  “Oh my God Logan! You are not about to ask me what I think you’re about to ask me!” Rainer felt sick. He and Logan had talked their way through childhood, through Rainer and Emily’s first kiss, and all through adolescence. He’d talked Logan through his first time, but this question was over the top.

  Logan stared him down, and Rainer moved off of the bed. He was too angry to sit. He began pacing and trying to will calm.

  “You really want to know if I got a hard on after seeing your fiancée in lingerie! That’s really what you think of me!” Rainer demanded hotly. His eyes flashed in acrimony.

  “Are you insane?” He spat. “First of all, I thought someone was trying to kidnap the love of my life, the reason that I exist, so even after seeing her in that get-up, I couldn’t have if I’d wanted to! Keeping her alive seemed to take precedence over banging her!” He shouted. “Secondly, I keep telling you I didn’t look at Adeline. I was staring at Emily, and you know what, still didn’t happen! Man we’re not all fucking wired like you. What did you think? I was gonna see her dressed like that and decide I had to have her. You and Emily be damned!” He threw vengefully as he glared at Logan.

  All of the pain and fury pent up inside of Logan seemed to exit through his lungs in a battered hiss.

  “All right I know,” Logan finally relented. “But that is what happened to me!” He admitted with his face coloring rapidly. “I spent my whole life watching you and Em, and I kept thinking I want to look at a girl the way Rainer drools over my sister. I want someone who’ll love me like Em loves him. I went through school looking for that one girl, and all of the notes in my locker, and girl’s who’d ask their friends to ask me if I’d dance with them at Middle School dances. I didn’t want any of that. Then, just like you said, she walked into orientation, terrified and all alone, and I couldn’t stop staring at her. She took my breath away.” Logan confessed in a hissed choke. He refused to meet Rainer’s gaze. “But, I also couldn’t walk over to her and introduce myself. Trust me that would’ve freaked her the hell out.” Logan shook his head abashedly
as Rainer found himself laughing hysterically.

  “Man, I get it. Believe me!” Rainer returned to his seat on the bed near Logan. “I mean I’m not freaking because you’re Em’s brother, but if any other guy had seen her dressed like that I’d be going nuts too.” He conceded. Silence blanketed the room for a moment.

  “Maybe someday we’ll laugh and tell our kids about this.” Logan huffed. With a hesitant nod, Rainer considered.

  “Uh, I’m gonna go with probably not, but it was a good thought.” Logan’s laugh eased the tension that had been churning in his stomach.

  Logan nodded, “Yeah son, let me tell you about the time Aunt Emily dressed up like a dominatrix, and I walked in on her.”

  “Yeah, so you see how that could be bad.”

  “I’m sorry I freaked.” Logan admitted.

  “Totally understandable.“

  “I just kind of think of all of that as…” Logan hemmed still trying to apologize feebly.

  “Yours,” Rainer interjected.

  “Yeah, but don’t tell her I told you that.” Logan ordered. Rainer shook his head.

  “I won’t, but I kind of get the impression she really likes being yours, man.”

  “Yeah, I hope.” Logan murmured.

  “Trust me,” Rainer pledged as he offered Logan his hand. With his signature smirk while trying valiantly to make a comeback, Logan shook Rainer’s hand in the handshake they’d made up when they were kids.

  “So, shall we take them to have tea and try to figure out what to do about Fitzroy and all of the other insane things that have happened today?” Rainer suggested.

  “I’m really thinking we need to stop vacationing together.” Logan quipped. Rainer nodded his adamant agreement.

  Proper Tea

  Logan held the door to the tea salon open as they all entered. Henri, a large, round man, with soft wrinkles displayed in his smile, and a twinkle in his eye, greeted them at the ornate, antique desk situated near the door.