Page 21 of Royal

A moment later, she emerges with Donovan on her hip. He sees me and reaches his arms out. “Wunch?” he says, and I cringe because I forgot to pick him up for lunch with everything going on.

“We will get you something,” Royal tells him, rubbing the back of his head.

I look at Cindy. “I will send you a check in the mail,” I inform her, and she smiles.

Royal rushes us to his truck. “Get in, angel.” He takes Donovan from me, ensuring I’m inside, and then he straps in Donovan.

The way he looks around the area makes me nervous. Lifting my hand, I can’t fight the urge to bite my thumbnail. A black Mercedes is at the corner of the street.

Oh shit.

I sit back in my seat and urge Royal to hurry up so we can get out of there. He gets in and shuts his door, and I hit the locks before he can even start the car.

He gives me a questioning look, so I point over his shoulder to where the car is parked. He growls under his breath. “Fuck that bitch.” He says it low enough that only I can hear.

Hearing him call her a bitch has me busting out laughing, and he chuckles with me. The mood is lighter. “Let’s go pack your shit,” he says and turns toward the direction of my place.

“Wait, what?”

He smirks. “I’m moving your ass in. I was going to go slow, but now that you’re in danger, it gives me the perfect fucking reason to get your ass in my house, in my bed, and make Donovan mine too,” he declares.

Can he be so committed right now? Has he lost his mind? He is smiling and acting like he just said the most normal thing in the world.

“You’re joking, right?” I ask nervously, unsure if moving in with him so soon is a good idea. “If you’re worried about Selene, we can move into a hotel until all of this calms down. We don’t need to move in with you, Royal,” I point out to him, and his head swings in my direction, hands clenched on the wheel.

“Don’t ruin my plans,” he tells me, and I laugh, covering my face.

I must be just as crazy because I’m considering it. My trailer comes into view, and I see the flashing lights before I see the police cars on the other side of my home.

Two police officers are standing outside of their vehicles by my deck. Holy shit. I look at Royal, feeling panicked.

What if they’re here to tell me something happened to my brother? “What if something happened to my brother?” I voice aloud.

Royal doesn’t say anything and remains calm. “Stay inside the car until I come to get you,” he tells me in a firm tone, then walks across the vehicle, eyeing the police officer approaching the truck.

He helps me out of the truck and holds my hand as we face the officers. They have their hands braced on their hips, looking straight at me.

“We had a call about child endangerment.”

I close my eyes. I should have expected that. “Let me guess, the call just came in a few minutes ago?” I ask the officers.

They look at each other. “Yes, we got a call from a woman who said your son was living in dangerous conditions.”

Royal growls. “That is ridiculous, Naomi is a damn good mother. “

The officers raise their hands. “We got a call and have to investigate. May we see your child to ensure he is okay and look inside your home to make sure it’s all up to standards?”

Royal opens the back seat of the truck and takes out Donovan, who is holding on to a small toy. The officers look at my son and then each other again.

I open the door to my trailer and lead them through while Royal keeps a hold of Donovan. I don’t want him out of my sight, don’t want them to have a chance to take him.

I may have been poor, but I take great care of my home and ensure it is clean and safe for my son.

This woman has some nerve to do this.

“It seems there was a mistake. I don’t see anything wrong.”

“Can I file a police statement for false report?” I ask, wanting James’s mother to have some repercussions for her actions.

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