Page 58 of Royal

“What is going to happen to me?” Donna asks before we leave.

“That is up to my woman,” I tell her. Then I lock the door, shutting her screams immediately, silencing her. The room is soundproof.

Recently, Gage bought a funeral home, so we can use the cremation chamber when we need to get rid of bodies.

“Let’s shower here so we don’t scare the girls,” I tell Shane. “There are usually clothes in the cabinets in the bathroom.”

We have particular rooms we use to clean up after we leave the torture room. I lead him over to one and go to the other.

Once we shower, he follows behind me in my truck. I know he is not in the mood to talk, having to fight back the demons.

Before we walk into the house, I stop him outside the door. “You need to talk at all, you come to me anytime.”

He swallows hard. “You gave me something I never thought I’d have. I thank you for that.”

I shake his hand. “You took care of my woman. You protected her from that shit. It cost you the most.”

“Let’s stop being pussies,” he says, and I laugh, exhaustion starting to hit me. It is almost three o'clock in the morning, so we must’ve been in the room for over five hours.

Shane walks down to his apartment in the basement, and I go to hunt my woman. I peek in Penny’s room and see she is asleep in her bed. She has a small pull-out bed that stays under her bed for when she has sleepovers. On that bed is Presley, asleep, changed and clean.

I walk over to Penny, needing to kiss her. She doesn’t stir. I kiss her forehead and know my sweet girl has helped that girl more than she’ll know. “I love you, baby girl,” I say softly.

I look at Presley, running my hand down her head softly. “I promise you, you will never suffer by another hand. You’re safe.” I know she can’t hear me, but I want to promise her this nonetheless.

Naomi

I listen to Royal promise that little girl he will protect her before he turns around and faces me. He is freshly showered, wearing different clothes than what he had on before.

I walk back out of Penny’s room, and he follows me and enters our bedroom. I have already checked on Donovan before I saw Royal come home.

There is so much I want to ask him. “How is my brother?” I ask first.

“He is going to be okay. He was face to face with his demons tonight and won. He must learn how to deal with it. He is strong, baby,” he reassures me.

We both change into our night clothes. He puts on a pair of sweatpants and climbs into bed with me. I put on one of his shirts and a pair of shorts.

Royal wraps himself around me, holding me tighter than ever before. It’s been a long evening.

“How was Presley?”

I sigh. “She was okay, but someone has been spanking her hard because the backs of her legs have whip marks, and she was filthy. She told me she hadn’t had a bath in the whole month she was there.”

He growls. “Seeing that little girl staring at me in fear is a look that will haunt me for the rest of my days.”

I nod, turning around until I press my face into his chest. Breathing in his scent. It washes over me like a blanket of protection and safety.

“How did Penny react to her?”

I laugh. “She told her she looked like the princess from the movie Brave. She demanded they have their first sleepover tonight. Honestly, Presley was thrilled with the idea. She was scared to be alone.”

“We will make sure she heals, and we will get her therapy and anything else she needs. I have to talk to the lawyer in the morning.”

“Let’s keep Donna alive until we get her to sign her rights over to us.” I yawn and snuggle deeper into his chest, practically wanting to crawl inside of him.

“Yeah, we just have to get married first,” he says so easily, like he didn’t just drop a huge bomb.

“Wait, why?”

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