Page 52 of Wilder
Echo stares at him, a look of longing and hope in her eyes. “You mean it?”
I grin, leaning in to brush my lips against Wilder’s clean-shaven jaw. “Fuck yeah he does. I do, too.”
We leave the scene of Bear’s historic defeat, traverse the parking lot, then cross to the parking garage where we left the truck. I jut my chin at Wilder over Echo’s head. “I’ll drive. You should take it easy.”
Wilder shoots me a look that reads what-the-fuck-ever and shrugs. “I’m amped at the moment, but you can drive if you want.” He tosses me the keys, and I hit the button to unlock the doors as we approach. I climb in on the driver’s side. “I’ll text Royal.”
“You want the back or the front, Legacy?”
“With you,” she shoots him a smile, and he pops open the door, helping her into the cab and following after she scoots to the middle of the bench seat.
Once in the truck, I finally feel able to relax. Not fully, though, not until Royal has emerged from that cesspool, and we’re well on our way from here. I peer into the back seat where Echo is tucked against Wilder’s side. “Okay, so first—” I grit my teeth, not wanting to bring it up, but knowing I have to for my own peace of mind. Hell, if I don’t ask, I know Wilder will. “What the hell did Derek Pierce say to you that had you upset?”
Echo’s face falls. “Shit.”
Wilder chuckles. “You can’t believe we were going to forget about that. My win doesn’t supersede that asshole upsetting you.”
“No. I know.” She squeezes her eyes shut. “He basically insinuated that my dad would have taken money to let them fuck me. And also something about his business being a cover for however he actually made his money.”
“What the fuck?” I bite out, surprising myself with the uncharacteristic flare of temper. That’s usually Wilder’s thing. But fuck. “Are you kidding?”
Her face pales, and she shakes her head. “Called meBaby Maddenin a way that didn’t sound so cute.” She shudders, ahaunted look entering her eyes as if she’s reliving what he said. Her eyes flick to mine before she turns to face Wilder. His jaw twitches madly, and when he finally exhales, it’s harsh, almost as if he’s making an attempt to expel his anger. It doesn’t really work.
“No wonder Royal was pissed off.” He rubs a hand over his face, the buzz from the fight stripped away in these short moments. “Do you have any idea what he meant?”
“No. My dad was the CEO of an investment company. As far as I know, he managed things remotely after we moved. He didn’t necessarily need to be there all the time… He traveled back for important meetings once or twice a month, but that’s it.”
Just then, the front door on the passenger side pops open, and Royal climbs in, dropping himself onto the seat with a triumphant smile. He glances around, his easy grin slipping the second he has a chance to take in the energy inside the truck. “What’s going on?”
Echo clears her throat. “I was just telling them that I have no idea what Derek was talking about with my dad’s business. And definitely not why he’d say that about taking money for me—” Her eyes crash shut.
I wince. “You don’t need to repeat it again. It’s okay, Calamity Jane.” I reach over the console into the back seat and put a hand on her thigh for a quick squeeze.
The delicate column of her throat works overtime to swallow, then she looks up. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re back, Royal. I was going to tell them that I didn’t think you were in there to avenge my honor, no matter how much you may have wanted to.”
“Nah. Pierce disappeared into his office. He’s pissed at the loss. But… not.”
I throw a hand into the air as I start the truck and pull out of the parking space. “Am I fucking crazy or was that some oddbehavior from him tonight? He didn’t seem upset during the fight. I was watching.”
Wilder laughs. “Of course you were.”
In the rearview, I peer at Echo as she nods. “He’s right, though. And then at the end, he’s acting like a deranged lunatic over the loss.”
Royal grunts, swiveling in his seat. He shoots me a wink that I have no idea the meaning behind before he produces a fat stack of cash and hands it to Wilder. “Add this to your winnings. Hopefully, it’ll help get your sister free and clear of that dirtbag douche canoe.”
“Where the fuck did this come from?” Wilder grumbles. I glance over my shoulder to see his eyes wide as he flips through the bills.
Royal fidgets for a second before his explanation comes out in a rush. “I was going to bet on you anyway, see if I could recoup what I lost last week. But then… I overheard some shit—it had to do with Derek. This was before he said what he did to Echo.”
Oh, hell. Why do I have a feeling this is going to fuck with our heads?
“They were talking about a girl at first, which kinda piqued our interest”—he glances into the back seat at Echo—“and I wish I knew who they were talking about because they have it out for her.” He pauses to clear his throat. “But anyway, that’s why we were paying attention when the asshole flat out told his buddy, he’d bet big tonight… but not on Bear.”
“Technically, all he did was look at the signage for the fight to indicate who he’d bet on,” Echo murmurs. “But I understood him the same way Royal did.”
Wilder mutters, “What the fuck,” then an audible breath heaves from him. “Bear was hiding an injury tonight. I don’t know if you all noticed. I picked up on it early into the fight. Hell,if I really think back, I sensed something was off before he ever set foot into the ring.”
I take my eyes from the road for a second to glance in the rearview at Echo and Wilder. Echo’s eyes dart together. “Do you think he knew his son was injured?” she asks.
