Page 48 of Vicious King

I hate that I left Mildred without so much as an explanation, and I’m pretty sure Carson won’t let me text her.

I hate that I wasn’t able to get more from the house and close it up properly.

I hate that my choice was taken away.

Charlie buckles his seat belt and pulls his tablet out of the tote I packed for him. He’s happy to sit and play a match game while we get settled and prepare for takeoff.

“Would you like anything before we get in the air?” a flight attendant asks, but all I can muster up is a shake of the head.

“I’ll make this up to you,” Carson says as he sits next to me. “I know it’s not what you wanted.”

“All I want is for Charlie to be safe,” I reply, sounding resigned. “And to stop being so fucking scared. I don’t remember what it’s like to not be afraid, Carson. It’s exhausting. And to find out that my own father⁠—”

I can’t finish the thought. I shake my head and dig my fingertips into my forehead, trying to keep the tears at bay because I don’t want Charlie to be upset.

“I’m going to take care of all of this,” Carson assures me. “You don’t need to be afraid, Rina. I won’t let anything touch either of you.”

“But it already has,” I murmur. “We’re on this plane. And I have a feeling we won’t be coming back.”

He sighs and leans over to kiss my temple.

And he doesn’t deny it.

We’re not coming back.

But I have my husband, and my son is healthy and whole, and that’s what I need to focus on because otherwise I’ll go out of my mind.

All this time, my father knew where I was. He knew I wasn’t dead. He knew he had a grandchild. And rather than come help us, he simply watched.

Because he doesn’t love me. He never did.

“You’ll get to meet the other girls,” Carson says. “And Rome’s new baby. There are a lot of good things about being in Vegas, Rina.”

“I know.” I blow out a breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I just wasn’t ready.”

The plane takes off, and I watch through the window as Portland gets smaller and smaller and then leaves my line of sight altogether.

Fifteen

CARSON

Ifucking hate the look on her perfect face. There is no world where my girl should ever look so goddamn lost.

Last night, we were finally making progress on getting to know each other. To trust each other. Fuck, she let me work her body over perfectly on her porch, and she was ready for me to sleep with her at night.

I was finally going to have my wife in my arms all night long.

And now, she’s pale, her eyes unseeing out the window of the SUV as we drive to the house. Julian peeled off from us and went home, and now I’m taking my wife and son to the home that I’ve made for them here in Vegas.

“There aren’t a lot of trees here,” Charlie says, his bright-blue eyes eagerly taking everything in. “It’s kind of brown.”

“We’re in the desert,” I tell him. “So, it’s dry here, and hotter too.”

“Is it two hundred degrees?” he asks with hope written all over his face.

With a chuckle, I check the thermostat on the car. “No, it’s eighty-six today.”

He nods, and then we turn off the main road onto the driveway that’ll lead us to our new house.