A gleeful smile spreads across my father’s face. “Then I’ll take my daughter back.”
The smile turns evil. “Try.”
With that, he lets go of my father, wraps his arm around my shoulder where it already feels natural, and leads me away.
“Where are you going?” my mother asks.
I turn to her with a sad smile. “Away from here, Mom. Far, far away.”
Some people get nice parents. Some people get my parents. Some people might ask why I’m complaining when I had all the luxuries and things I wanted growing up. But they’d be wrong. The only thing I wanted they couldn’t give me. Parents being real parents, keeping the needs of theirchildren above other things. I just wanted someone to love me.
“Maeve.” Mom’s voice breaks strangely at the end. But it’s not enough to make me stop. It used to be enough—a small change of cadence when I thought she might have felt something. But I’ve learned it’s not the truth. I don’t think my parents are capable of loving anyone but themselves and money, and for the first time in my life, I’m okay with that.
We’re slowly walking toward our suites with Noah and Bea hot on our heels.
“I’ll take care of the press. Make sure no bad pictures are spreading.”
“They’ll sell them anyway,” I say sadly, knowing how vicious those guys with cameras can be.
“Not when I talk to them.” He winks at me, and I smile back. “Plus, you look fabulous. Everyone would be happy to even peek at you.”
I lift a brow, glancing down at myself and then back at him. He chuckles when he notices my face.
“Where are you going now? To the honeymoon?” Bea asks, barely able to control her laughter.
“What if they’re going to their honeymoon. Are you jealous, little mouse?” Noah chimes in. Arrogance dripping from his voice.
I want to open my mouth and tell him to keep it shut, but Bea beats me to it.
“I wasn’t asking you, big knucklehead.”
Trying to cover my laughter, I let out an accidental snort, making Ezra chuckle. A quick glance at him tells me that he’s trying very hard not to laugh but failing. His teeth are sunk into his lower lip. Little crinkles are around his eyes. He almost looks like the Ezra from the island.
“Oh, you think you’re so smart, huh.”
“Smarter than you obviously if you think it’s normal to call people names when they don’t even know each other.”
Noah’s chuckle is dark. “You’d say so, wouldn’t you.”
My head whips toward him. His gaze is on Bea while she’s staring ahead. Did I miss something? There’s too much unspoken between the two. My sister’s back is too rigid even for her. Noah’s eyes are too intense. I don’t know him very well, but he’s appeared to be an easy-going person from the start. The fun brother out of the two. And now I’m seeing a completely different one. Do both King brothers have a Hyde side? That would explain a lot.
I shoot a quick glance at my own Mr. Hyde, whose assholishness appears very much nonexistent right now. Quite the opposite—he’s my knight in shining armor.
“If I wanted your opinion, guess what?” My sister’s voice is very bitchy if I may say so myself. She used to reserve it for special occasions forveryspecial people. How Noah has already gotten on that list is beyond my understanding. “I’d ask you.”
“Like I would give you the time of day to respond to it,” Noah snorts. Sarcasm loud in his tone.
“Noah,” Ezra calls out. “What the fuck?”
“That’s okay,” Bea says, shaking off his insult like geese do the water. “Some people’s worlds are so small, they try to bring themselves up by putting other people down.”
Noah lets out a low growl mixed with a mumble. It’s hilarious and a bit concerning if I’m honest. What the hell did I miss?
“O-kay,” Ezra starts after glancing between the two before focusing on Noah. “Are you coming with us?”
“Where?”
“To New York.”
