Chapter 36

Thirty-Six

Rook

T here had been a few times over the past few weeks that I wondered if I could ever tell Regan what I was doing. If I could ever tell her why I had really gone after her when I learned her name, and what I had been trying to do since.

I had thought it over so many times, and none of the outcomes ended up with Regan happy with me.

What I hadn't been expecting was Regan choosing me.

She went far beyond my wildest dreams and protected me, and now I felt like I had a chance. It felt like there might be a chance that Regan would be loyal to me more than to her dad, and I suddenly had a real way out of this mess.

I could get my revenge, and it would only be sweeter when Cameron found out that his only daughter was so in love, she would kill for me.

She held on tighter as I sped down the road to her house. It would all be so easy. I would take her home, we would stay the night together, and I could tell her everything.

My heart raced as I pulled up and parked the bike.

The blinding anger at Cameron Fletcher that ripped through me was unexpected. I knew Regan didn't know what her dad was up to at all. I had learned she was na?ve to every single thing he did, and he had crafted such a perfect world to keep it that way. Keep her close, na?ve, and occupied just enough to not worry about asking about any of it. And when he did, he gave her the perfect excuse as to why she should stay around and not bother him.

Keep your friends close and enemies closer. Regan was his enemy. She was the one flaw in his life, the one person who he knew wouldn't go along with the terrible things he did and would ruin it for him. He saw her as a burden instead of making her an asset. He was too jealous that she would have it all one day, and he couldn't stand to give her an ounce of what he had. He made sure to keep her close and on a tight leash.

Well, now she was mine, and my woman would never be put on a leash. She could rage at the entire world, and I would happily be there to stop anyone who tried to intervene.

She didn't know any of the truth about her own father. Not that I could blame her, a simple Google search wouldn't bring up all the depraved things he had done or played a part in, but she had to know now. She had to understand before I ruined him or she would never listen to what I had to say.

Part of me hummed at the idea she could believe me, and maybe even be on my side. I helped her off the bike, and she gave me a tight smile.

"What did you have to talk to me about?"

"Up to your room first. I have a surprise there for you."

"What were you doing in my room?" she asked, looking from me to the house.

"Delivering presents? I thought you liked that."

"I do, but not after everything that happened, and especially not after you saying, we need to talk. Because if you break up with me after I…shot someone for you, I'm going to be so pissed."

"You think I want to break up after you saved my life?"

"I think that you're being weird and I'm already freaked out, so yeah, it's a concern of mine."

She didn't move, but I grabbed for her, sliding my arm over her shoulder and leading her into the house.

"I'm sitting here building our entire lives together in my head, Regan. I have no intentions of being done with you anytime soon."

"Ever the romantic," she grumbled as we headed upstairs. I laughed, pulling her in to kiss her neck once.

Regan had shown me over and over that she would be by my side, loyal to me and my secrets. She knew every side of me and still seemed to love all of them.

At least, I hoped.

I never trusted people. It took years before I really let them in, and even then, so many people were kept at arm's length. But not her.

I spun her, making her face the bed and the piece of canvas I had hung over it.

"What is this?" she asked, looking over the painting. Her eyes were wide, the awe in them settling me.

The painting always reminded me of the starry night one, the swirls of black and blue in the sky circling around a bright moon. The field underneath was filled with blue glowing stars, and a ghost stood at the far end.

Art never made sense to me. People were always looking for deeper meanings in every piece, but to me, it was just art. But this one always got to me. Something about it making me feel too alone. The ghost felt eerie and beautiful all at the same time.

I stepped up next to her as she looked over the painting. "It's the last thing I have from my home, from my parents."

"And you brought it here?"

"Yes," I said, stepping closer to it now. "I have nowhere else that is safe to put it."

"It's beautiful, and you can keep it here. I wouldn't let anything happen to it. Why did your parents have it?"

I walked around, sitting on the chair she had in the corner of the room, her back to me as she stared at the painting still. "They were art brokers. They dealt with high-end paintings mainly. They had hundreds in the house," I said, trying to tone down the anger that was threatening to come out. It wasn't her, it was her father that took it all away. "Sometimes, I would get so annoyed at the amount of shit they would hang on the walls, but the rest all burned up. I found two paintings left, and this was one of them. Evie has the other hidden away somewhere. There was nothing left of our home but ash." My jaw tightened, the angry curl to my lip making her step back. I tried to stop it, but reliving it brought every ache and memory of them back. "There was nothing left of my parents but ashes."

Her eyes went wide, but she didn't look at me. Her focus was still glued to the painting. "Picture it. A pile of dust is all that's left of your life and they have to dig through it to find the burned bones of your family."

That seemed to do it. She turned back to me now, her face falling with sadness as she came over. I didn't even have to ask before she sat on my lap. Blood was still splattered on her and her dress, but I had smeared most of it off her face.

"Rook, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"They aren't your sins to apologize for, are they?"

"No, but I still wish it had never happened to you. There were really only two left?"

"Yes, the fire burned it all. There was nothing else."

"How? The fire department didn't get there fast enough?"

"No," I said, finally meeting her eye. "They did. But fires burn hotter and faster when the person who started them uses accelerant."

"Someone started the fire on purpose?" she asked. Her lips curled now, the disgust in her voice obvious. "The idea that someone could purposefully burn your house down with all of you inside. Of course you are angry. I would be, too. How could someone do that?"

" Someone did it, and someone was happy about it. "

"Do you know who?"

My hands tightened on her thighs, the sudden worry that she would run away making me want to hold her in place.

"Yes," I said.

"And? Are you going to tell me who it is or what happened to him? Or is that some sort of secret, too?"

Her voice was so soft, the sadness in it making my chest tighten. "It has been a secret. One I've kept from you, but I think you should know."

"Okay. That kind of freaks me out, but I'd like you to tell me more about it. You've kind of kept me shut out of a lot and it's made me wonder if this would be over for you soon. Like, you didn't want me intertwined in your life, so it was easier to take me out of it."

"No, Rebel. I've been weaving you into my life, even when I didn't want to be."

"But you want to have me in your life now?"

"Yeah."

"Then tell me."

I took a deep breath, pulling her harder against me. I wasn't sure if I would let her run away, even if she wanted to.

"I know who did it, and I know exactly what he is doing today. He is on top of the world. Nothing bad has ever happened to him. I waited for karma and nothing ever happened. He only got more in life. More money, more power." I shifted her again, holding her so tight my fingers were digging into her thighs now. "It was your dad, Regan."

I could feel her body go rigid, the way she nearly stopped breathing as she took in what I said. I almost felt bad for her until I remembered how much better her life would be without him.

Another beat of my racing heart and she was fighting against my hold.

"Do you think that's funny, Rook? I have enough issues with my dad right now. I don't need you making it a joke."

"It's not a joke. Your dad used my parents, and when they wouldn't help him any longer, he killed them."

"And you know this for a fact? Or are you just trying to find someone to blame?"

"For a fact." She fought against me again, but I held on. "Stop moving, Regan. You're not going anywhere until you understand."

"I'm not going anywhere, but you are. You should leave."

"Do you understand that I've known? I've known since I was dropped off in front of that burned house and investigated more into who would have done it. Your dad killed my parents, and he tried to kill me and Evie."

"My dad wouldn't do that. I know he's been mean to me about a few things, but he wouldn't kill people. He wouldn't try to kill children!" she yelled.

"He would, and he did. My family wasn't the first he ruined, and I know for a fact it wasn't the last."

"That can't be true. He protects people. He runs a security company to protect people and their things, not hurt them."

"Oh, he does, but it's not even close to what you are thinking. He protects disgusting, terrible people who can't find any upstanding company to do it. Do you know what else he did?" I asked, pulling out my phone. "He burned down our business today because he found out who I am and that I'm with you."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the screen and back at me. For one second, I thought she might be on my side about this.

"You've thought this from the beginning?" she asked, pushing away from me now. I let her go, thinking she might need a little air until she came back to me.

"Yes," I said.

"The night I told you my name, I saw the look on your face and the way you stormed off. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me, but then you came back around stalking me. I never understood what that was about and stupid me, never thought to ask because I was just so damn happy that you cared about me in some twisted way."

"I do care about you, and not just in a twisted way, although that is included." I grinned, wishing she would come back over to me.

"Shut up, Rook!" she yelled, her eyes wide now. "You knew I was his daughter, and that's why you cared about me. Because you have some stupid idea that he killed your family, what, ten years ago? That's the reason you were stalking around here, for him. I thought you wanted me, but you were really looking for him."

"I was looking for a weak point in his life, yes, and I thought it would be you, but it wasn't. Not in the way I was expecting. I want to ruin his life the way he ruined mine, and I thought I could use you to do that." I got up, walking towards her. She stepped back, but I didn't care. I reached for her hands, forcing them onto my chest. "Using you quickly became needing you instead."

"No, no, no," she said, ripping away from me. "You don't get to act like any of this wasn't some fucked up plan to use my dad or hurt him. Were you going to kill me? Is that what all this was about? All those times I wondered if you were going to kill me, and you were, weren't you? You were going to take me away from him, so he had to feel your pain."

"Honestly? No, that wasn't a part of my plan. It might have crossed my mind when I first found out, but I thought you were worth more than a sacrifice to ruin your dad's life. And I was right."

"Your plan ?" she asked, like the words left a bad taste in her mouth. "You are sick. You have a plan? To what? Kill my dad, ruin him? Use me to ruin him, and then what? Walk away when my life is in ashes and never talk to me again. What?"

"All of it."

"That's still your plan, then? You want to kill him?"

"I want him to see his entire life crumble in front of his fucking eyes. I want him to know there is nothing left on this Earth for him before he dies, yes."

Her mouth dropped open. "And how did I unknowingly help with this plan?"

"You gave me access to his schedule, his house, his life. I know that he and Elliot are working behind the scenes to steal shipments of drugs from the top drug lords. He wants to become one himself. I know Candy has been one more pawn in his game to hide what he's doing. He's using her name on buildings and storage units to hide stolen drugs. He probably doesn't even want to marry her, but needed to string her along." I stepped closer, already knowing she wouldn't believe this. I barely did when I pieced it all together. One thing after another, pieced together like a puzzle. "And I know he burned down Maverick Moto because he found out who I was after he saw us at Sweet Haven. Which I knew could happen, but I didn't care because I was worried about you, not him. Not that I expected him to burn my business down. I also know that the man you killed tonight was after us because your dad put word out to kill me. A hit. He is paying to have me killed, and the girl that rides with me. They will be paid more if they kill you first and leave me alive for a while, then kill me. He's paying more for my pain, Regan." The anger inside me swelled and surged until I felt like I would burst, but I held it back.

"You think my dad put a hit out on me? His daughter? And that he will pay more for me to be killed because they think you care about me? Have you lost your mind? I understand you are wrapped up in this dark, twisted world, but that's not where the rest of us live, Rook."

"I am telling you all of this because you showed me you can be on my side. You want the truth?" I asked, angrier now. "You don't want to be left in the dark? Well, then, you are going to need to see that the entire fucking world is dark and twisted. You're the one that's been shielded from it all. A na?ve fucking princess who I thought wanted to know what was happening around her. Nothing I have told you is a lie, and every single thing can be proven."

"And you thought now was a good time to let me in on this plan? Not weeks ago? Not when I was crying to you that I don't want to be lied to and left out of things?"

"You also said you could handle the truth. And weeks ago, I didn't realize you were going to fall in love with me. I also didn't realize I was going to fall in love with you. So no, it wasn't an option then."

"I am not in love with you. You're sick. You think my dad kills people and put a hit out on his own daughter? And you, because we are dating? Are you insane? Get out and do not come back."

"I already know you love me, Regan. There is no way you would have done what you did if you didn't love me. I liked you the first night we met. I was already chasing you down before I knew who you were. Don't forget that I didn't know who you were until after Hallows Night."

"It doesn't matter! You still used me after. And maybe I thought I loved you when I did that, but you just made one thing very clear to me."

"And what is that?"

She squared her shoulders, picking her head up, but I could see the hurt in her eyes. "You never loved me. Never really cared about me, either. Not even close. I was a pawn in your game, and you can't suddenly change that fact. That's not what you do to people you love. Now get out."

I shook my head, already heading towards the door. I wasn't truly leaving, but I needed five minutes to sort out my mind.

"I loved you, do love you, all of it. I did plan to use you as a pawn, and that plan quickly went to fucking hell. Now I have a new plan, and yes, you are a part of it."

I slammed the door, everything piecing together so easily.

Unfortunately for Regan, I was still convinced she loved me, and like it or not, she was still mine.