Page 47 of Shattered Reign

Our gazes met, and a silent understanding passed between us. We were willing to follow Parker’s direction, but he didn’t say anything about not trying to find Iris. At least now, according to him, Bianca would no longer be bothered. But how much did we fully trust him in regard to that?

No matter what the status of everything was, I needed to get Bianca out of there.

“We’re leaving,” I announced. I was surprised at how steady my voice sounded because I was still seething.

Bianca looked down at my bruised knuckles before she looked back up at me. “Okay.”

Together, Nash, Bianca, and I walked downstairs and out the front door of Chevalier Manor.

The rain had stopped, as though it, too, had realized what had just happened inside this building. The crisp, cold air tried to cool me down, but I wasn’t sure how much it actually helped.

Bianca and I walked to my SUV and got inside. I could hear the deep breath that Bianca just let loose as we both stared back at Chevalier Manor.

She was also the first to break our silence. “What the hell just happened in there?”

We looked at one another as we both tried to process the magnitude of what had just occurred. What Parker did and didn’t reveal had answered several questions we’d had, but it was also a bomb he’d dropped on us without any warning.

“I’m not sure,” I confessed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. It was difficult to put my emotions into words as my brain was still in fight mode.

We watched Nash lock the front door and then he walked over to us. He looked pretty bad after the fight we’d gotten into with Landon, and I assumed I looked similarly. I rolled down Bianca’s window so that we could talk.

“You’re going to take her home?”

“Yes, that is the plan. I think we all need to relax; if I do say so myself.”

“Take care of yourself, Nash,” Bianca said. It was easy to hear the concern she had for her brother in her voice.

“I will. I’m sure Raven will force me to sit down somewhere once she finds out what happened.”

“Good. We’ll talk later. I love you, bro.”

Nash gave a small smile. “And I love you too.”

Nash walked away from my vehicle, and as he made his way to his car, I pulled out of the parking spot and sped down the road. As the distance between us and Chevalier Manor increased, I finally slowed, turning to glance at Bianca before shifting my attention back to the road.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Bianca said. I could hear the slight annoyance in her voice because I was asking her again, but I didn’t care. I needed to know that she was okay. “Are you okay?”

“I’m sure my hand and face are telling a different story, but I am. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. I love you, Bianca.”

“And I love you.”

26

BIANCA

The simple words we shared with one another were enough to cause something in me to break. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision as I tried to maintain my composure.

“It’s partially over, princess,” he whispered as he grabbed my hand. He brought it up to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back of it. “We just need to find Iris now.”

Through my tear-streaked vision, I nodded, pulling away to meet his gaze. “I know, but I’m so worried about her. Worried that Parker was lying.”

I wiped my eyes as I looked at him and noticed that a muscle jumped in his jaw. He couldn’t help but think Parker was full of shit too. I stared at him for ten seconds until he spoke. “I don’t think he’s lying.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he hasn’t lied throughout any of this. Sure, he’s avoided answering questions, but he hasn’t outright said something and then we’ve discovered the opposite. So, I do think Landon will no longer be following you. Now, while I’m still not letting you out of my sight for a while, I do think he was being truthful about that.”

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