I felt Royal shiver against me, so I tightened my hold. Touching my nose to her neck, I breathed her in before whispering, “I won’t let him hurt you.”
“So what’s the plan?” Royal asked yet again.
“Peanuts.” Forty-Three suddenly said.
Royal blinked at him. “What?”
“Dr. Cumfucker. He’s allergic to peanuts.”
She sighed in frustration. “Can we please focus? Aaron is out there, and we don’t know what he’s up to.”
She didn’t realize the golden nugget Forty-Three had just given us. But I did.
Carmichael framed Royal, took penicillin off a woman’s charts so he could blackmail her. He made a woman die from an allergic reaction when the asshole himself had an allergy.
Aside from my knife across his throat—which, unfortunately, would be way too incriminating—this was the next best way for him to die. Poetic justice and shit.
“Peanuts seems like a good way to go,” Rogue added speculatively, and I knew the exact moment Royal realized what Forty-Three meant.
“You’re going to kill him the way I—he—killed Mrs. Almendarez? How do we even get him to eat peanuts?”
“My birthday is next week,” Godfrey said. “I’m sure our family would be more than willing to host a party. If he knows you’re there, Aaron will show up.”
“Absolutely not,” I growled while clutching Royal closer. I didn’t want her anywhere near that sick bastard. If he was as volatile as she said, then I wouldn’t put it past him to try something, regardless of an audience.
“Normally I’d agree, but we’ll all be there, and you know my mama will invite Savannah’s elite. He isn’t stupid enough to try anything.”
Bonham shoved his dark blonde hair off his forehead. “One of us will be at Royal’s side the entire time.”
Forty-Three piped in. “Number thirty-two was a waiter in the Hamptons. I have the perfect outfit.”
Rachel stopped filing her nails to look at Royal before coming over to us. She placed her hands over Royal’s before speaking again. “I know you’re scared. But none of us would ever let him touch you again.” I leaned forward to look at Royal, and I nearly lost it when I saw her catch a falling tear with her tongue. “Men like this deserve to die. Do it for yourself. Do it for Mrs. Almendarez.”
“I just... I’m scared. What if the moment I land back in Savannah, he calls the cops? What if he finds me?”
“He’s banned from the Shady Oaks,” Bonham offered. “You could stay there until the party if you’re worried he’s going to show up. Luis’s security is already there, and we have round-the-clock security and officers patrolling the place for patient safety. If you stayed with Mrs. Salvador, he wouldn’t stand a chance getting in. I have his picture posted everywhere so they know to turn him in if he shows up.”
It was smart, and despite the dangers, I knew we had to do this. “I’ll keep you safe, mi amor,” I whispered into her hair, hating that she was even in this position in the first place.
Royal let out a shaky breath as Rachel rubbed a thumb along her hand. “Okay,” she breathed out. “I trust you.”
My heart bloomed. Those words rocked me, and I knew the moment we got back to our cabana, I’d reward her for taking another step in our relationship towards demonstrating her faith in my ability to take care of her.
“So tomorrow we’ll fly home. Luis and Royal will stay at the hospital, it’s the safest place for them right now. Godfrey will work on getting the party details solidified,” Rogue summarized.
“And I’ll work on making something delicious,” Forty-Three added. “Ooh! I need to buy some peanut recipes and write the script.”
“Script?” I asked, shaking my head in annoyance.
“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” the crazy hit man said with a smile. “Bon Appetit, Motherfucker. Easy as pie. Eat, drink, and be merry.”
“I like that one,” Rachel added with a bright smile. Or how about, the proof is in the pudding.”
“A peanut a day keeps the doctor away?” Rogue added with an awkward shrug. I was surrounded by lunatics.
“Lame!” Scarlett said before slapping her boyfriend’s arm. “Chow down, dick breath? This is fun. Can I help you set the stage?”
“Yes. I’m thinking we should cater a traditional Ecuadorian dish, just to really honor Mrs. Almendarez.”
“She loved ceviche,” Royal whispered, sobering up the brief, lighthearted moment.
Forty-Three clapped his hands. “Ceviche it is, then!”
Royal pulled away from me to stand up, and when I saw her wringing her hands with nervousness, I quickly got to my feet. Grabbing her elbow, I pulled her in closer to me for a hug while staring at Godfrey. His face was dipped in concern, the protective energy rolling off of him in waves. We had a silent conversation, one only our brotherhood could communicate. And as expected, he spoke up with exactly what I was thinking. Royal needed a distraction.
“Now that that’s settled, let’s drink. We have one night left, and I think we should have some fun.”
“Fine,” Bonham gritted, the dark asshole. “But if you all start humping like rabbits, I’m out. I feel like a creepy third wheel. I’ve seen Scarlett’s tits twice, man. TWICE.”
Rogue growled. “What the fuck did you say?”
“Okay!” I interrupted with a clap. “Let’s get this party started.”
Royal turned to face me, and I cupped her cheeks as I searched for the wild in her eyes. We stood like that for a moment in the middle of the room while Forty-Three dug around his bag for tequila and Rogue interrogated Bonham. She smiled when Bonham called Rogue a territorial cave cunt. There she was.
“You look beautiful,” I whispered while stroking her cheek. “Mi amor es muy fuerte. No puedo esperar llevarte a casa y recompensarte. Te voy hacer que te vengas en mi boca.”
Her eyes grew heavy. She loved when I spoke Spanish to her, and the way her little tongue darted out to lick her lips made me hard.
“No!” Bonham yelled from across the room. “No fucking dirty talk, either, Salvador. We’re keeping tonight PG. The sexual tension is driving me insane.”
“Well, maybe you need to get laid,” I offered back while keeping my eyes on Royal, continuing to stroke her cheek with my thumb.
“Te amo,” I whispered.
“I love you, too,” she replied.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Royal
The moment the jet landed in Savannah, it felt like someone was standing on my chest. Luis grabbed my hand and held me tightly as we exited the plane. Standing on the tarmac, we all looked at each other, like we had to mentally prepare ourselves for our return back to the real world.
Rachel gave Godfrey a small smile, while Rogue had his arm tossed over Scarlett’s shoulder.
“You guys all good?” Bonham asked, propping himself up on the handle of his suitcase.
Luis nodded and stepped closer to me. He’d insisted on carrying his duffel along with my bright pink one. “Yeah, we’re good.”
We’d been over the plan at least a dozen times, and that wasn’t even including the hours that the eight of us hashed out all the details. As much as I’d wished Luis and I had been able to enjoy our last night at the cabana alone, every time we tried to party, a silence would fall over our group, or a detail would need to be ironed out. There had been too much to plan. My anxiety wasn’t any better now that we were back in Savannah. In fact, it was worse.
Bonham looked from his phone to me. “Carmichael just bought gas at a station outside of Savannah.”
I started tugging on my shirt, like I could stretch out the worry coiled inside of me. “Okay. Let’s go see Mrs. Salvador, then. I don’t want to run into him.”
Godfrey’s lips thinned. “I’m coming with you.”
Rogue shook his head. “We’ve been over this. You can’t go with them. You need to talk to your grandparents and mom about hosting your birthday party.”
“I
don’t want that fucker to be able to get the upper hand with my sister,” Godfrey snapped.
“He won’t,” Rogue promised. “Which is why you and Bonham need to swoon your parents. The faster we can get it going, the sooner he’s dead.”
“I won’t let anything happen,” Luis assured my brother.
“They got this,” Rachel agreed, patting Godfrey on the stomach.
“Yeah, and if they don’t, there’s always Plan B,” Forty-Three said cheerfully.
“You are not stabbing him in his sleep.” I felt like I’d been saying that way too often lately. My life was so fucked up.
Forty-Three just winked before turning to walk off. He was wearing a sports jersey for a baseball team, tight shorts, and tennis shoes that were so white they looked like they were glowing in the sun. “Just saying. Options are always nice.”
Godfrey mumbled something about an option of him shutting the fuck up. Rachel smacked him on the arm.
“We need to leave,” Bonham told us, still coordinating and checking everything on his phone. I didn’t know how he kept up with half the crap he did, or how he managed hacking into stuff, but the man was scarily good at it.
Scarlett rushed forward and squeezed me in a hug. “You want me to come with you? I’ll be less conspicuous than Godfrey.”
I shook my head before she could even finish offering. “No, I’m good.”
I was nervous out of my fucking mind, but the last thing I wanted was to get Scarlett in Aaron’s line of sight. “Okay,” she replied. “But say the word and I’ll be there.”
“Like hell you will,” Rogue mumbled under his breath before steering her away. The Heirs were an overprotective bunch. She rolled her eyes and mouthed, “Ignore him,” as she walked away, smirking when he frowned at her.
Luis and I walked off the tarmac, waving goodbye to the others as we got into his car and drove all the way to Shady Oaks Rehabilitation Center. When we pulled up, I let out a slow, shaky breath before turning to face Luis. He sported a deep frown, and he kept flexing his jaw, like he was grinding his teeth. He was paler too, and he kept fidgeting, which was so unlike him. Since learning about Aaron, he hadn’t once shown any fear or uncertainty, but right now, he looked terrified.
“Luis, we don’t have to do this,” I said, squeezing his hand. “We can find another way,” I offered in a soft voice.
“Why would you say that?” he asked before shaking his head, like the movement could erase the turmoil on his face.
“Because you look completely freaked out. I get it. You don’t have to do this. We can figure something else out.”
Luis lifted my hand up to his lips before softly placing a kiss on my knuckles. “Mi amor, I’m not worried about that,” he replied before sighing. “I would never be doing this if I thought you’d get hurt. You’re safe with me.”
“Then what is it?” I pressed.
“It’s this place. It’s Ma. Every time I get my hopes up that she’s better, I just end up disappointed again. Despite all the shit that went down, it was really nice to spend a week away from it all. I hate watching her process. I hate helping her through something I know is just an inevitable cycle that she’s going to restart. I hate...this version of her.”
My heart broke for him. “Luis,” I said, his name like a prayer, but then my words dried up. I didn’t know what else to say. He was hurting so badly, and I just wanted to help, but I didn’t know how. I knew what it was like to have disappointing family. They destroyed others, not just themselves. I’d been shipped away from mine, but Luis had been forced to pick up his mother’s broken pieces every time she fell apart. He carried her and her legacy on his shoulders. It wasn’t fair.
“I just know I’ll go in there and it’ll be the same. She’ll beg to get out. She’ll beg for a hit. For Xanax. Heroin. She doesn’t feel regret long enough to actually recover. Never sees the toll it takes on me. She’s so wrapped up in her addiction that she doesn’t see me. I need her right now. We need her. I’m just so fucking tired of this, and I don’t want to hate my own ma.”
I cupped Luis’s cheeks in my palms and looked into his eyes which were shining with unshed tears. I leaned over the center console to press a kiss to his lips. It was tender. Sweet. Emotional. We’d moved from forbidden like, to intense lust, to devastating love, and now we were wrapped up in all three, the fervor of our gravity pulling us together and grounding one another.
If I was a blade, he was my sheath. He protected my edges. He held me close. I existed in him, and he surrounded me, always reminding me that I was strong, sharp, powerful. That I could defend and protect. With Luis, I felt like me. He saw every wild desire, every outrageous impulse, and he embraced it.
I broke our kiss and rested my forehead against his. “I’ll be with you every step of the way. It’s not wrong to want your mother to be better. It’s not wrong to feel disappointment or resentment. It’s not wrong to hope. The only wrong answer is to bottle it all up and act like you feel nothing.”
Choked emotion escaped his lips, but he just reached up to grab my wrists, holding me like I was an anchor in stormy seas. “Thank you.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Let’s get this shit show started.”
We got out of the car and made our way up the white, modern building, past the trimmed hedges and marigolds lining the walkway. When we passed through the automatic doors and into the shiny reception area, we didn’t even have to check in. The woman behind the desk simply nodded at Luis and buzzed him in. I wasn’t sure if it was because Bonham’s family owned this facility or because Luis was such a regular here that they just expected him.
My question was answered when Luis greeted a nurse passing us in the hallway. “Pam, how’s your son doing?” he asked with a dimmed smile. The older nurse with curly gray hair rushed to greet him, her yellowed teeth bared in a warm smile. She instantly enveloped him in a hug, squeezing some of the breath out of him along with a choked laugh. I watched their exchange with a mix of warmth and sadness. I was glad that he’d built up relationships here, but sad that he had to. How many times had Mrs. Salvador been in different rehabs? How many times had she been admitted here?
When the nurse pulled away, she shook her head at him. “You little rascal. I tried calling! You got Joey that management job at the hotel, didn’t you?” she asked, reaching up to pinch him on the cheeks.
I couldn’t keep the grin from breaking out over my face at seeing his blushing face be assaulted.
Luis shrugged and pulled away shyly. “You’ve done a lot for Ma. It’s the least I could do. Plus, he’s got a baby on the way, right? Can’t let your grandbaby go without,” he said as he started to walk backwards.
“You’re a real sweetheart, you know that?” Her eyes flitted over to me. “Ohh, Luis Salvador, you brought a girl,” she called out, wagging her eyebrows.
Luis grinned as he continued to walk, tugging me along with him. “I brought the girl, Pammy,” he replied with a wink. My heart tripped along with my feet.
Pam followed after us, curiosity flooding her expression. “Is that right? I’ve been wondering when Luis would find someone. I’ve watched him grow up, you know. He’s always taken care of everyone else. It’s real nice to see he finally has someone to shoulder this with him. Now, I’m inviting y’all over for dinner. I won’t take no for an answer! And bring the girl!” she said, making Luis chuckle.”
“You got it, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you, sugar,” Pam called to me.
“Yeah, yeah,” Luis cut in. “Don’t you have rounds to make?”
“Hush, boy!” Pam called.
Luis laughed and then pushed open the swinging doors, leading us to the next hallway.
Now that we were walking forwards again, I stole a glance over at him. “I’m the girl, huh?” I teased.
“Damn straight.”
“And what does that make you?”
His brown eyes flicked over to me. “That makes me yours.”
My stomach did a somersault. “Mine,” I said, letting the word roll over my tongue. “I like the sound of that.”
Luis dropped my hand to hold me by the waist, tugging me close to his body. “When this shit is all done, you’re gonna marry me, Royal Taylor.”
My eyes flew to him in shock. “Luis!” I whisper-shouted. “You’re only—”
“If you’re about to say I’m only eighteen goddamn years old, I swear to fuck, I’m gonna drag you into a supply closet and not let you out until you remember that age doesn’t fucking matter.”
My mouth snapped closed.
He chuckled smugly. “Thatta girl. And they say an old dog can’t learn new tricks.”
The smack I landed him against his stomach was so loud that it echoed down the hallway. “You hypocritical jerk!” I hissed. “I am not old.”
“Exactly,” he said, reaching down to pay me back by smacking me on the ass. “Now smile for my ma and stop thinking about my dick. That’s not polite manners when visiting the in-laws.”
I was gonna kill him. Right after I stopped smiling.
Before I could form a response, he was tugging open a door and leading me inside.
The room was clean, fairly large, and decorated in whites and blues. All the surfaces were shiny, white, and rounded, with a modern feel to it, while still having the comfort of a comfy couch, plush rugs, and photographs of the ocean hanging on the wall.
“Ma?” Luis called as we walked further into the room.
I could see a doorway that led to a bathroom and a bedroom on the other side of the small kitchenette, but her voice answered us through the sliding glass door that led to the little patio area. “Mijo? That you?”
“Sí, Ma.”
We walked outside, finding Mrs. Salvador wearing just a one-piece bathing suit and a lace cover up. When she saw Luis, her face lit up. “Mijo! You’re back.”
Wild: Savannah Heirs Page 24