Page 36 of Shattered Queens: Veronica
With his eyes on me, Cam, whoever the fuck he is, responds. "I wanted to update you on a situation.” I see Miles put his finger to his lips. Signaling me to stay quiet. I’m too shocked to speak.
“Is Vee okay?” my brother asks, concern in his voice.
“Yes, she’s home,” Cam, or whoever the fuck this is, says, his eyes locked on mine, dark and unreadable. “But you should know she decided to walk home from the gym. Apparently, she sent the driver away earlier.”
That son of a bitch. How does he even know that? I shouldn't even ask; he knows everything. I feel the hot, sharp surge of hatred for him through my body. For the way he stands there, composed and untouchable.
“She didwhat?” My brother’s voice vibrates through the speaker. He’s livid. “I can’t believe she’s being this irresponsible. There’s a reason she has a driver. For her goddamn safety! The driver is fired. Fucking fired!”
I flinch at the finality in his tone. I can feel my eyes burning with tears. I look at Miles, and he’s unmoved. He isn't just a lapdog; he’s the one holding the leash.
“Listen, Gabe, we know how she is. The driver didn’t stand a chance. I do agree that he’s inadequate for this job.”
“I’ll arrange everything. Don’t tell Ian,” my brother orders.
“Copy that.”
The call ends with a sharp click, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in the room. I turn and make my way toward the door. I’m done. After everything that happened tonight, I don't have the strength left to fight. My body aches from the adrenaline crash, but my heart feels worse—hollow and bruised. I can't decide which is more painful: the memory of being attacked or the sound of my brother’s voice, cold and dismissive, talking about me like I’m a broken piece of what? Property. I didn't do anything wrong.
A toxic mix of rage and resentment bubbles up in my throat, bitter. I feel like I'm drowning in it. Before I can reach the handle, Cam, Miles, fuck, I don’t know which. He positions himself between me and the exit. He’s a wall of muscle and lies, but I can’t even bring myself to look at him. If I see his face right now, I might actually lose my mind.
Miles
Chapter 19
What I did mayseem cruel to her, but she has no idea the level of danger she put herself in tonight. She never thinks about the consequences. When I checked her location and saw she was walking home, alone, in the dark, I lost it. I immediately hacked into the city's security cameras, hopping from camera to camera, tracking her every step. It wasn't until she was two blocks away that I saw it, a shadow stepping out from an alley, trailing her. By the time I sprinted out of the building, I heard her scream. The attacker bolted. I went after them, but they were fast. They knew exactly how to vanish.
I was in such a hurry to reach her that I left my door unlocked. It’s just my luck that Veronica would be the one to find it open. Then she did exactly what I expected: she snooped. She got into my laptop, but thankfully, the most damaging files are buried behind a secondary security protocol. I don’t even want to imagine her reaction if she’d seenthe rest. We don’t want her to find out.Idon’t want her to find out. Not like this.
Calling her brother in front of her, forcing her to hear his reaction, was cruel, but necessary. She needs to understand. We can’t protect her when she’s making reckless, impulsive decisions. She has a driver for a reason; his only job is to keep her alive. I refuse to pity her for that. She has people who care enough to keep her guarded, people looking out for her. Some people aren't so fortunate.
I end the call with Gabe and move instinctively, stepping in to block the door before she can escape. She refuses to look at me, and honestly, I don’t blame her.
But truth be told, I’m glad the mask is off. Whatever friendship she thought she had with "Cam" is dead, and I'd rather it be overshadowed by the disdain she has for Miles than built on a lie. At least now, she's looking at the man who actually exists, because Cam is a facade I put on for the world. Miles is who I really am.
Miles is the one who watched her after she ran following her mother’s fall months ago. When she decided to drink and fuck her way through her feelings. The one who’s had security carry her to her hotel after a night of drinking with leeches who called themselves her friends.
"Ver—”
The word is cut short by a sharp sting across my face. She slapped me. Hard.
I don’t move; I just take it. I can see the tears tracking down her cheeks, and for a second, it guts me. I’ve watched Veronica for years, and I’ve seen her cry more times than I can count. But this is different. This isn't me hacking into her phone or canceling a date; this is raw, jagged emotion directed solely at me.
"Go to hell, lapdog," she yells, her voice cracking. "You tricked me. All of this…every bit of it was just so you and my brothers could keep an eye on me."
It’s not a question, but I answer anyway.
"Yes," I say, giving her a partial truth. It was to keep an eye on her, but it was neverjustfor her brothers.
She tries to shove me aside to reach the exit, but as she moves, I see her wince. The pain flashes across her face, sharp and unmistakable. Before she can bolt, I reach out and catch her right arm as gently as I can.
She needs to be looked at. I’ve already called Tomas to come over and check her injuries. She can hate me all she wants, but she isn't leaving this room until I know she’s okay.
“Get the hell away from me!” she shouts.
Fuck.This is going to be a nightmare, and I don't have the mental capacity to handle her rebellion right now. My mind is already thinking about how I’m going to find the person who attacked her.
“Veronica!” I bark. She flinches at the sudden volume, her eyes wide. “You aren’t going anywhere. I have a friend coming to look at you. He’s a doctor.”
