Page 52 of Shattered King

Hunter curled his arm around my neck and kissed the top of my head. “So fucking strong,” he muttered.

I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I have an idea where to start. I have a . . . had a friend, from back then, his father was a close associate of . . .” Shit. I couldn’t say Pierce’s name out loud. It lodged in my throat. “Anyway, Bret hated what his father did, and because of that, we formed a kind of kinship I suppose. I haven’t seen or talked to him since I left, but we were really close. I know he’ll at least hear me out.” I shrugged. “He might know something or have a contact that does.” A lot of time had passed, but Bret had been a great guy, my only friend, stuck in a life he detested, with a father he hated. I was positive he would tell me if he knew anything.

Hunter nodded. “Okay, baby. Call your friend and we can set up a meeting. We’ll go in with plenty of back up, play things nice and safe.”

I nodded, ignoring the unease in my gut. Calling Bret, talking to him, was stepping back into that world, a place I only visited in my nightmares. It terrified the hell out of me.

Van’s eyes were on me, too, and they softened. “Hunt told me what went down, what happened to you. I wanted to tell you . . .”

I held up a hand. It kind of just shot up on its own, self-preservation kicking in. “Don’t.” I shook my head. “I can’t . . . I can’t talk about it. Any of it.”

I couldn’t. What happened to me, what I did to Hunter, who Josh’s father might be—the reality that my mother was lying in a hospital bed, and any day now they were going to call and tell me she was gone . . .—I couldn’t deal. I just couldn’t. So I chose not to. I’d made the decision to lock it all away and work though it when it suited me, or not at all, which I was leaning toward more and more.

Van stared at me. I turned away from his sympathetic expression, and stared at Josh, now sitting on the floor in front of the TV, watching cartoons.

“Okay.” Van’s voice was steady, but almost a whisper. “But we got you. You understand? We won’t let anything happen to you. You and Josh are family, and until Pierce . . .”

I winced. Just hearing it out loud was too damn much right then. Especially with the intense emotions Hunter and Van were radiating.

Van cursed.

Hunter pulled me closer, lips brushing the top of my head. “I won’t let that fucker near you. I promise you that.”

The King brothers were in full-on, pissed-off, protection mode, and I couldn’t take it. They cared about me, us, and right then it was more than I could handle. I couldn’t allow myself to get used to this, to rely on Hunter, not when I had no intention of staying. I was barely hanging on. If I allowed myself to fall apart, I was afraid I’d never be able to put all the pieces back together again. Or they’d never go back the way they were supposed to, and I’d be broken forever.

Josh needed me. He needed his mother in one piece.

Falling apart wasn’t an option.

I pulled out of Hunter’s arms and headed across the living room. “Can you watch Josh while I grab a shower?”

I didn’t wait for an answer. I raced to the bathroom and shut myself in.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Lulu

I squeezed Hunter’s hand tighter as we neared the entrance to the club. This place was exclusive. Only the rich and privileged got to party here. Bret owned it, and after some digging by Neco, we discovered he was still very much under his father’s thumb. This made the guys extremely nervous. But I knew how controlling his father could be and knew how Bret felt about the man. It was common knowledge among his associates that they didn’t get on, which was the only reason Hunter was going ahead with the meeting.

I trusted Bret. He’d been my only friend for a lot of years. My best friend. We were thrown together a lot, and we’d looked out for each other. He’d hated his father almost as much as I’d hated Pierce.

When I’d called to ask for the meeting, he’d sounded as happy to hear my voice as I was his. He’d also made it clear we needed to talk in person, not over the phone. Knowing his family, this didn’t surprise me.

We bypassed the line of people waiting to get in to the club and I felt their stares burning into me as we passed. Not surprising. We were seriously underdressed for this place. Both of us were in jeans. Hunter had on a T-shirt and leather jacket and I had on a plain black jacket and the best top I owned. It was royal blue and shimmery and hit mid-thigh. I’d loved it when I saw it on the rack. None of the women here would be seen dead in it. I knew this because once upon a time, I’d been one of them. I’d worn the designer clothes. I’d had the perfect hair and makeup. Pierce had made sure of that.

I’d hated it. All of it.

These were the young and wealthy. And, more than likely, the bored and resentful. They weren’t my people anymore, never had been. I’d never fitted in. Hadn’t wanted to.

Hunter didn’t seem to notice the stares, or care.

I caught sight of Jude and Neco in the lineup, close to the front, and nearly stumbled over my own feet. They were both in suits, grinning and chatting to a couple of women. Hunter gave my hand a squeeze, silently telling me not to stare.

I gaped up at him. “How do they know those women?”

Hunter smirked and shrugged but didn’t answer my question. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. At least that cleared up my question over how he was going to get backup into the club.

We walked up to the velvet rope and the bouncer guarding it, blocking the way in. The guy looked as if he ate steroids like Tic Tacs.