The Bravest Hero (A Curvy Girls Club Novel Book 2)

by Twyla Turner

  The reoccurring theme throughout the entire impromptu photoshoot was unabashed love and passion. The same love and passion that finally made him walk away from what wasn’t meant for him and walk towards what was supposed to be.

  Royal got up from her spot at the table and walked over to McKennon. She reached for the remote and pressed pause, freezing the screen. She climbed onto his lap, grasped either side of his face, and looked at him for a moment.

  “I love you.” She said and his eyes lit up. “More than I probably should. But I do. Whatever happens. Whatever she throws at us. We’ll get through it together.”

  McKennon pulled her in and kissed her hard. He clutched her face fiercely. Their lips released on a gasp of breath. They leaned their foreheads against each other.

  “We’ve been through tougher shit than Ainsley Prescott.”

  “Damn straight.”

  McKennon spun Royal around onto her back on the couch. He crawled up between her legs with a sly grin on his face.

  “Now, let’s end this night like I meant to,” he said.

  “And how’s that?”

  “Fucking you until even my legs work better than yours.”

  “I’d love to see you try.”

  Royal pulled him down to her.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Mia:

  What the hell is going on? Have you gotten on any of your social media today?

  Kennedy:

  Yeah. Royal, are you okay?

  Payton:

  I saw that article.

  Royal:

  Huh?

  Mia:

  You need to check your social media.

  Royal:

  I just woke up. Can you just give me a hint first, so I know before going in? I’d rather hear it from you first.

  Kennedy:

  It looks like Ainsley has launched a full-scale attack on you on social media.

  Royal:

  I figured as much. Lovely.

  Mia:

  We’re skipping work today. We’ll be there soon. We’ll help you fix this.

  Royal:

  You don’t have to do that.

  Mia:

  Kennedy and I are our own boss and Payton never takes off work. We’re good.

  Royal:

  K

  Royal scrubbed a hand down her face. All the text notifications woke her up before her alarm did. She didn’t have a shoot until later, so she’d decided to sleep in after McKennon had worn her out the previous night. All she remembered was him kissing her cheek before leaving that morning.

  Well, she certainly didn’t waste any time.

  Royal sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed. With something akin to dread, she opened her phone. She had thousands of notifications. Comments on random posts she’d made on The Gram. Private messages on all her social media apps. And even emails.

  One of the notifications was that she had been tagged in a video on The Gram. She opened it and it was a rant video posted by Ainsley. The video had several million views already. And after the video, she’d also posted a pic of Royal and McKennon kissing at their table the night before.

  With trembling fingers, she opened her DMs.

  Slut!

  You’re a whore!

  BLACK BITCH!

  How dare you break up such a beautiful couple?! I hope you both die in a car accident.

  Someone should rape and kill you.

  Royal dropped her phone.

  Oh my God…oh my God…oh my God…

  She sat and just stared into oblivion for a several minutes. She was at a loss at how to fix the situation. She knew how social media could be and the mob mentality.

  Her phone rang and nearly made her jump out of her skin. She picked it up off the floor. It was the designer she was shooting for today.

  “Hello,” Royal answered.

  “Hello, Royal. It’s Sebastian.”

  “Hey, Sebastian! What’s up? Ready for the shoot?” Royal tried to keep the tremble out of her voice.

  “Yeah, that’s the thing. I’m so sorry to have to do this, but I have to cancel the shoot. I love your work…but with this situation online, I can’t take the backlash for working with you,” he said sadly.

  Tears filled Royal’s eyes.

  “I understand. It’s something that I have to get under control. Hopefully we can work together in the future.” Royal managed to get out.

  “Absolutely. I’m sorry again, Royal.”

  “No worries. Bye, Sebastian.”

  Royal quickly hit the end button. The tears came fast and hot. She laid back down, pulled the covers over her head, and decided she would stay there for the unforeseen future.

  Gentle hands pulled her from sleep. The girls were surrounding her.

  “Ugh. I must have fallen back to sleep.” She grabbed the blankets and pulled them back over her head. “Wake me when the world has forgotten about me again.”

  “Come on. You can’t fight this wallowing in bed. Don’t let that bitch win,” Mia said.

  “We’ll help you figure it out,” Kennedy said as she sat next to Royal’s hip.

  “She won’t get away with this,” Payton said with uncharacteristic anger.

  “I’m brilliant with PR shit. Kennedy will write her for filth. And Payton can hack her shit and find dirt on her to spread through the ether. That bitch don’t wanna play with you,” Mia said fiercely.

  “She got some popular blogger to write a piece on the situation with a title that read ‘Beauty Vlogger Left at Altar by Amputee Firefighter for Photographer.’” Kennedy said as she scrolled through her phone. “Then she proceeds to write half truths and posts a video someone took of him telling her he couldn’t marry her, along with the pic of you two kissing at that restaurant. So, now everyone has an opinion on the story without knowing the whole truth. She didn’t even mention that you saved his life.”

  “You have two choices,” Mia began. “You can either run with your tail between your legs, waiting for it to blow over while you don’t make any money because you’ve been canceled by everyone, and eventually start from the bottom again taking family portraits and shit. Or you can make a rebuttal video, telling your side of the story.”

  Royal sighed deeply, “I choose option B. Although I think it’s bullshit that I have to defend my relationship.”

  “It’s Cancel Culture,” Kennedy shook her head.

  “So, in your rebuttal video, you can either read her for filth or you can go the ‘I fell in love after saving this man’s life’ angle,” Mia suggested.

  “I’m not stooping to her level. The latter please.”

  “Eh…I’d read her for filth. But that’s me,” Mia conceded.

  “I think telling your side of the story without dragging her is the best way, Royal.” Kennedy rolled her eyes at Mia.

  “Y’all have your way. I have mine,” Mia shrugged. “Payton can you hack her shit and find dirt on her?”

  “Uh…that’s highly illegal. But…I do know how to do it and cover my tracks.” Payton rubbed her chin.

  “There you have it. Problem solved. Because you know that bitch was doing something she had no business doing. All that time ‘wedding planning’ instead of being there for her man. Nah, I ain’t buying it.”

  “You’re probably right, but I’m not so sure I want to dig into her personal life. She knows a lot of people. She could find someone who can dig into mine. Once you start slinging mud, everybody gets dirty,” Royal said logically.

  “She’s got a point,” Kennedy agreed.

  Royal’s phone vibrated. She looked down and it was McKennon.

  “Hello,” her voice wobbled.

  “Are you alright?”

  “I’m okay. Barely. But the girls are here.”

  “I’m so sorry. I should’ve known she’d do this.”

  “Mia thinks I should make a rebuttal video.”

  “We’ll make a rebuttal video. I’m not leaving you out there on a limb b
y yourself. I’m the reason for all of this anyway. Just wait for me to get home from work and we’ll take care of it.”

  “Okay.”

  “I love you, Royal”

  She could hear the fear in his voice. The fear that he might lose her over this. Not on that bitch’s life.

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Once McKennon started getting hit with messages from the few people in the modeling industry who had his number, telling him about what had went down, he’d been terrified that this would be the thing that would make Royal walk away. She reassured him, but he knew what an angry keyboard mob could do.

  He was clumsy on the job all day because his mind was so preoccupied. They’d just gotten back from a fire when he got a message that could possibly save the day.

  “You’re no good to me today. Go home, Mack. Get this shit figured out and come back one-hundred percent,” Nick said.

  “Sorry, Nick.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I know you’re itching to protect your woman. I’d probably think less of you if you weren’t this worried and distracted.” Nick winked at him.

  “Thanks, Nick.”

  “Go on. Get.” Nick jerked his head towards the outside beyond the garage doors.

  He didn’t have to tell McKennon twice. He strode out to his truck and headed for Royal’s place.

  ~~~

  Royal looked away from the show Outlander they were watching, when she heard her elevator coming up. She got up and left the girls sitting on the couch.

  When McKennon opened the gate, she flung herself into his arms. He wrapped her up in his warm embrace.

  “Don’t leave me for this.” He whispered in her ear.

  “Never.”

  They eventually pulled apart. McKennon cupped the side of Royal’s face and stroked his thumb over her cheek.

  “We ready to do this or what?” Mia shouted over from the couch.

  “She’s been dying to go on the attack for hours,” Royal told McKennon.

  “So, have I, Mia. So, have I,” McKennon confessed.

  He pulled Royal over to the couch.

  “Sit,” he commanded. “I have something to show you all. I got a message earlier when I redownloaded my Gram app. Check it out.”

  He pulled up the message, tapped something, and turned the phone around. It was a video.

  “Have you been with him since?”

  “Ugh, no! You can’t imagine how unattracted I am to him now. I don’t want a husband who’s missing a leg. Gross!” Ainsley shuddered on camera. “But I want my dream wedding. Everyone will go nuts on The Gram over my dress. It’s gorgeous. So, just wait for me. I’ll get married, then get it annulled a few days later, and then we can be together afterwards.”

  “Okay, Ainsley. I’ll wait,” The faceless man said.

  The video continued on with them kissing, and then him bending her over and fucking her doggystyle. The guy came on her back and then the video cut off.

  Royal looked at McKennon and then her friends. They all had varying degrees of shock written over their faces.

  “HOLY SHIT!!!” Royal jumped up onto the couch.

  The girls followed.

  “Fuck that bitch! She’s about to get her comeuppance,” Mia shouted.

  “That was the best shit I’ve seen in a long time!” Kennedy jumped with Royal.

  “Ha! I didn’t have to even hack her. The dumb bitch let some asshole record her!” Payton cheered and they all stopped and looked at her. “What? I can be petty too sometimes.”

  They all fell out laughing.

  Royal jumped back down, grabbed McKennon’s cheeks, and gave him a wet smack on the lips.

  “Who sent it to you?” She asked him.

  “It was from an anonymous profile, but I’m gonna assume it was the guy who was fucking her in the video. I’m also gonna guess she did something to piss him off in typical Ainsley fashion, which is why he sent it to me.”

  “Well, let’s send up a ‘thank you’ to whoever he is.”

  “Thank you!” They all shouted in unison.

  “Let’s do this shit.” Royal smiled down at him.

  “I’m ready.” McKennon held out his phone. “We can use my camera.”

  “Oh, no, my love.” Royal held up her hand. “I can do you one better.”

  She walked over to her studio, grabbed her camera and tripod, and walked back over.

  “My camera records video, and in beautiful HD quality too. Our rebuttal deserves nothing but the best with a splash of professionalism as we drag her to hell and back.”

  Mia held out her hand for a high five. Royal slapped each of their hands.

  “I know some of them will still be on her side, but I’m not worried about them. I just want my reputation as a photographer to be left alone. I draw the line when someone comes fucking with my money.”

  “They’ll see after this, for sure.” Kennedy nodded.

  The girls got off the couch and Royal and McKennon took their places. They practiced a little of what they were going to say. Payton checked the camera angle on the digital screen and gave them the thumbs up.

  “Ready?” She asked.

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Yep.”

  “Rolling!”

  “Recently, Ainsley Prescott, beauty vlogger, social media influencer, and my ex fiancée decided to launch a smear campaign against me and my new girlfriend Royal King. In her video she posted, as well as the blog article a friend of hers wrote, she left out very important bits of information.

  “One, she forgot to mention that Royal is the woman who saved my life the night of my accident. The link to the news video about it is in my bio for anyone interested. This woman could’ve left me for dead. But instead, she sat with me while I was bleeding and broken on the freeway and only minutes from death. She kept me here when I wanted to slip away.

  “Two, she came to the hospital to keep me company. To make sure I was comfortable. And to feed me something other than hospital food. Ainsley, my fiancée at the time, rarely came to visit me and when she did, she spent more time on her cellphone than talking to me. She didn’t even want to acknowledge that my leg was gone. She was never there for me like she pretended to tell all of you,” McKennon finished.

  “And three, while it was not our intention to fall in love, we did,” Royal continued. “We shared an intense experience that bonded us unlike anything else could. We tried to stay away from each other. But the bond. The connection between us was too strong to ignore.”

  “I wanted to do right by Ainsley, because I put a ring on her finger. I felt obligated to go through with the wedding even though I loved someone else. But that’s not a good enough reason to marry someone. I should’ve done it long before the ceremony, but it wasn’t until then that I realized it would ruin all three of our lives if we married when we knew we didn’t love each other.” McKennon said into the camera.

  “So, that’s it. That’s our story. It’s not some sordid, dirty thing like she made it out to be,” Royal added.

  “But…for anyone else who thinks we’re lying and Ainsley is an angel who can do no wrong, I present to you Exhibit A.” McKennon paused for a second. They would add the video of her later. “And there you have it. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

  “Or is it a snake in the grass,” Royal said.

  “How about phony?” Kennedy shouted from behind the camera.

  “Or hypocrite,” Payton added.

  “Or she thinks her shit don’t stink. But I beg to differ.” Mia yelled, and then started singing the chorus to Outkast’s Roses.

  “Now, we ask that you cease and desist all the lies you’ve told. Have your friend retract her blog article or you will be hearing from our lawyer,” McKennon stated.

  “You’ve been warned,” Royal finished. “Oh! And for anyone interested, we’re holding a fundraiser to raise money for first responder and veteran amputees who want to reenter their fi
elds but need assistance getting there. The details and website are on my page. Thank you in advance.”

  Payton hit the stop button.

  Royal let out a swoosh of air, “Now, let’s fucking drank!”

  “Yes!”

  They all jumped up.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  With Royal’s editing program she quickly edited their video together. She cut the video of Ainsley just before they started having sex, so they wouldn’t be accused of sharing revenge porn. When she was finished, she posted it to all of her and McKennon’s social media pages. They tagged Ainsley in all of them and then shut off their phones and partied the rest of the night.

  By morning, all hell had broken loose on social media.

  “Royal! McKennon!” Mia shouted up to them. “Get your butts down here so you can see this.”

  Royal wiped the crust out of her eyes and looked over at McKennon. They both jumped out of bed at the same time. McKennon took a bit longer, since he had to put his leg on. But he’d gotten pretty quick at doing it. They were both downstairs in record time.

  Mia held up her phone. The video had gone viral. Millions of people were calling for Ainsley’s head. The makeup brands who sponsored her were dropping like flies. She’d already lost three-quarters of her followers, and it appeared Royal had gained them. People were fickle. Overnight Ainsley’s life was ruined and Royal was suddenly adored.

  Royal felt marginally bad for Ainsley. But she’d brought it on herself. If she would’ve just left well enough alone, Royal and McKennon would’ve never had to fight back.

  “Hey, even some of the nurses at the hospital who took care of me posted a video confirming that Ainsley rarely visited me or when she did how she ignored me.” McKennon said in shock as he scrolled through his Gram feed.