Page 71 of Wilder
“Keep your fuckin’ hands off her,” Royal growls, wrapping both arms protectively around my middle and drawing me away.
“Mama?” Chase’s little voice coming closer sends me into a panic.
I don’t want him to see any of this. “Please,” I gasp out. “Chase.” His name is ripped from my lips, and it only takes a second for River to state that she’s on it, her bare feet slapping against the hardwood as she jogs to the den. A moment later, the heavy door closes, shutting out the pandemonium.
Wilder and Beckham step between us and Davis, an added layer of protection, and I can tell from their rigid stances that they’re pissed. Wilder’s broad back heaves as he jabs a finger in my brother’s direction. “We’ve actually had this conversation before, asshole. Do you not remember how that fucking ended for you?”
“What’ve you got there, fucker?” Beckham asks, his tone casual, but I’m positive it’s disguising a certain unhinged rage that I’ve only seen once or twice before. It reminds me of the night he told me he’d end anyone who thought they could hurt me.
Wilder growls, “Hand it the fuck over.” Before Davis knows what’s happening, Wilder lunges forward and snatches the card, swiftly passing it backward to Royal as he shakes his head. I canonly imagine the look of disgust on his face as he stares down my brother, who is now seething with anger.
Royal’s body goes rigid with tension once he’s read it, and he gives me a brief squeeze before letting go of me to stalk forward, his eyes boring into Davis’s. Royal hands off the card as he nudges his way between the guys.
Wilder gives a disgruntled huff, passing the card to Beckham, who pulls me up between them, putting an arm around me to hold me steady. “The fuck?” Beckham mutters, looking up to stare at Davis with disbelieving eyes. There’s no doubt in my mind that Wilder and Beckham have caught onto what that card signifies.
I step forward. If my brother did what I think he did, this is going to get ugly.
Under pressure, Davis cracks, his entire body slumping. His head drops, and he stares for several long, agonizing seconds at the floor. When he finally looks up, his eyes pin on Royal and me. He breathes heavily, and I know this is what the Sin Keeper meant when he said Davis’s time would come to talk.
My brother wets his lips. “I was so pissed at you to start with. Sniffing around my little sister… and then you hit me with the fact that you got her pregnant and she had an abortion all in one fucking breath. She’s my sister. And you broke my trust.”
Royal’s jaw works to the side. “I told you my truth that day. But you’re still not telling yours.”
He draws in a breath, shaking his head. “You were stupid drunk. Do you really think I’d have let you race my fucking car?” His eyes crash shut.
My forehead pinches. “What?”
Beside me, Royal bristles. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
Davis’s face has turned red, an explosion waiting to happen. “I was fucking driving! I killed her!”
I stare at him, disbelief and utter shock crashing into me in equal measure. My blood runs cold, and I can hardly form the necessary words. “Then why…?” I can’t breathe.Oh, god. He didn’t.
Hands clenching into fists, my brother’s entire body shakes, his breath comes faster and faster.
Royal’s next words fall harshly from his lips, his voice darkly low. “Davis. Just fucking finish what you’ve started. I need you to say it.”
Throwing his arms out from his sides, Davis stutters, “I-I did it. When we were thrown from the car, the way we landed”—he pauses to rub his forehead, pinching it with forefinger and thumb while he drags in several unsteady breaths—“it looked like you’d been driving. And everyone thought you were behind the wheel because they saw you drive away from the bonfire. So, I fucking let it happen. I let you go down for it. And I’ve lived with that split-second decision ever since.”
I lift my hands to the sides of my face, my fingers gripping my head. I can’t have heard him right, but I know I did. A choked sob rips from my throat. “W-why?”
Royal releases a shuddering breath. “You’velived with it? Motherfucker, I lost three years of my life to a trial and going to prison for something I didn’t fucking do! I missed seeing my child born. I WASN’T FUCKING THERE WHEN ECHO NEEDED ME!” Rage pours from him, heady and potent, as he lunges forward. His fist connects with Davis’s chin with a resounding crack, and my brother’s head snaps back. He stumbles, no time to defend himself as Royal comes back in, punching him square in the gut. A huffed exhale exits Davis, and blood from his split chin flicks onto the hardwood as his body folds on impact. Breathing heavily, Royal spits, “We arenotfriends. We obviouslyneverwere.”
Beckham is right there on his other side, barely contained rage coloring the apples of his cheeks. “At least you have your life back, Royal. This bastard never will. Fucking asshole.”
“He’s lucky all three of us don’t give him the beating he deserves,” Wilder bites out, clamping his hand on Royal’s shoulder.
I wish they would beat the shit out of him. Davis stole precious moments from me. A support system. The man I loved. My child’s father. And he acted like I was better off for it. I don’t care if he is my sibling. He hasn’t acted like it since that night.
With my eyes locked on Davis, I move forward to stand directly in front of my brother. He eyes me, the guilt he’s feeling flowing as freely from him as the blood trickling from his split chin. “How are you ever going to make this up to either of us?” Fury races through my veins, fueling me. I slap him across the cheek, and he stares at me, a look of confusion on his face. Like I’ve hurthim. “Fuck you, Davis,” I sob, grief for everything we’ve lost filling me. Blood pounds through my head, a haze washing over my vision, and I strike out, hitting him over and over, pounding my fists against his chest.
I don’t have any concept of how long they allow it, but at some point, the guys step in and pull me off him. I’m beside myself with anger and heartbreak. I shake my head as I give Davis one last glance. “Don’t look at me with wounded eyes. You stole my life from me. You lied to my face.” My lip trembles. “I hate you. I will never forgive you for this.”
Breaths heave from Davis, and it gives me nothing but a sick satisfaction to see how his cheek is red from the slap of my hand and the way blood seeps from his chin courtesy of Royal. He shakes his head. “If you’re mad at me, you might want to look at Mom and Dad, too. They were not who you thought they were. They may have let you have the baby, but they lied to you.” He wipes at the blood with the back of his hand. “I told them whatI had done… and they had me do shit to keep you two apart in exchange for not telling the cops that I was at fault.”
THIRTY-FOUR
WILDER
