Page 51 of Carnival
Footsteps fill my ears, and I turn to see James leaning against the doorframe, arms folded in front of his chest. His eyes are still sleepy, his upper body bare, and he's wearing a pair of gray sweatpants that are already giving me naughty ideas.
He smirks and clears his throat. “You should take a picture; it’ll last longer.’’
I roll my eyes. “Clever.’’
He pushes off the wall, closing the distance between us in a couple of long strides, coming to a stop right in front of me. He looks down at me, and sometimes, I can’t help but think that the massive height difference between us isn’t fair.
He takes the wooden spoon out of my hands and steps closer to the stove, stirring the eggs in the pan. I just stand closely, watching him as he adds seasonings, then finds plates with ease, and splitting it into two portions. He puts the bacon on paper towels, extracting extra oils before putting them neatly next to the scrambled eggs.
I take a seat at the kitchen island, and he sits across from me, pushing a plate in front of me.
“Eat,’’ he says. “You need it.’’
I don’t argue, my stomach announcing its presence with another loud growl. Embarrassed, I simply dig in, blowing on the food before taking a bite, busying myself with the meal.
“So,’’ I swallow another mouthful of eggs. “What did you and Hudson… discuss?’’
James scoffs, taking a bite himself. “He’s not killing me just yet. As of right now, I’m in charge of your protection.’’
I lift a brow. “And I need protection… why, exactly?”
It takes him a moment to respond. His eyes are glued to my face, and he’s internally debating how much to reveal and whether or not it would be a good idea to fill me in. However, I don’t relent. This is something I need to know, and if he doesn’t tell me immediately, I won’t stop pestering him until he tells me what I need to know. This isn’t the same as him keeping me in the dark about the past — this is very much happening right now.
James sighs, noticing the look of determination on my face. He finishes his food quickly, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. He straightens his back, then starts speaking.
He fills me in on everything that happened in the basement, and I have to admit I’m somewhat relieved that he definitely wasn’t harmed.
It takes him approximately ten minutes to recall every detail, and I don’t interrupt. My attention is solely on him as I absorb the information he’s giving me. It’s a lot, and I have to try and keep shock off my face.
“Woah,’’ I breathe out, putting the fork down. “You’re telling me that my parents died because… what? They were a part of that organization and wanted to leave?”
James nods. “That’s what Hudson believes. And I’m inclined to agree.’’
“Right,’’ I nod, swallowing. “And… why would they care about me? They can’t possibly believe I have that flash drive, can they?”
“I’m not sure,’’ he sighs. “If that’s the case, that means that you were at the carnival twice, meaning you could’ve died twice. Once it was my fault,’’ his jaw clenches. “And it’s sheer luck that you’re unharmed.’’
“It’s also why I have security on me at all times now.’’
“Correct. You’ll be watched closely by Hudson’s men, and in the meantime, Arlo will find those that followed us from New Orleans.’’
“But I really don’t have that drive.’’
“I know that,’’ he nods. “They don’t. Even if you tell them that, they won’t believe you, because if somehow your parents got their hands on it and wanted out, which resulted in them getting killed, it would be reasonable to believe they’d leave it to you.’’
“I was four years old when they passed. I don’t even remember them.’’
“I know, it’s ridiculous. But that just means we need to find it before they do.’’
I lean back against the chair, multiple thoughts swirling through my head. James notices the look on my face and pushes his chair back, then comes to stand next to me. In one swift motion, he lifts me up to sit on the kitchen counter, his hands on each side of me, caging me in.
“Rest assured, I won’t stop until all of them are dead. Anyone who is a threat to you will be dead, Rose. I won’t let them hurt you.’’
Warmth spreads through my chest, and my eyes swell with tears. He reaches up, brushing a fallen tear with his thumb. Surprisingly, his touch is gentle, a stark contrast to his rough personality.
“It shouldn’t take us long to find the drive.’’
“How can you be so sure?” I ask, voice barely above a whisper. I’m reluctant to believe him, because if it were that easy to find it, his organization would’ve found it by now.
