13. Maddison

Maddison

A bout twenty minutes after Finn agrees to help me move out my stuff, the three of us are sitting in a massive SUV with tinted windows, driving in the direction of northside. While River and I waited for Finn to change his clothes, Lily wandered out of her room and asked me if I was still planning on attending the club, something I had completely forgot about. I told her I couldn’t make it, so she moved it to tomorrow despite my protest of not having to rearrange her schedule for me.

“It’s totally fine,” she kept saying. “We can just go tomorrow.” After like my tenth protest, she added, “Wren and I really want to spend some time with you so we can get to know you better.”

I wanted to tell her that she didn’t want to open that Pandora’s box but decided against it. She’s been so nice to me that the least I could do was go and hang with her and Wren.

“Okay,” I’d agreed.

She responded by clapping her hands and squealing. It made me feel upbeat, but that feeling is slowly dwindling the closer we get to northside.

“Your sister’s stubborn,” I remark as Finn steers down the road that curves around a river.

Houses are bordering the area, and they get smaller and more worn out the farther away from the city we get. The sun has set, and the lavish stores, shops, and condos glitter in the distance behind us while

“Yeah, she can be,” River agrees. He insisted on sitting in the back seat with me, and we’re so close that I can feel his body heat seeping into me. It feels wonderful—too wonderful. “You should go out with her, though. It could be fun.”

“I’m going to, but I really doubt it’ll be fun for me.” I slump back in the leather seat and peer out at the starry night sky. “I wasn’t ever a club person, and I highly doubt I’ll be a club person in a royal club.”

River shifts his weight so his leg is pressing against mine. “You can have fun at one. They’re not nearly as noisy, and there’s a lot of entertainment.”

I flick a glance in his direction. The lampposts outside reflect in his dark eyes and cast across the genuine expression. I’m unsure why I say what I do next. It merely falls off my tongue without any forethought, and I may regret the moment I say it, but once it’s done, it can’t be retracted.

“You should go with us,” I tell him.

The corners of his lips twitch. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“No,” I protest, but I’m so full of shit.

“It kind of sounds like she is,” Finn states from the driver’s seat. He casts a glance at us, and a smile plays on his lips. “You two look cozy enough to be on a date right now.”

I straighten in the seat. “What is with you and this cozy obsession?” I snap my fingers at him. “And stop looking at us and focus on the road.”

“Yes, boss.” His tone oozes with mocking sarcasm, but he directs his attention back to the night-kissed road.

River’s exhausted sigh tickles my cheek. “It doesn’t have to be a date,” he says quietly. “I was just teasing you.”

“I know,” I assure him, watching as he traces the back of my hand, his eyes trailing along with the movement as if it’s the most fascinating thing to him. “I’m not sure if we should call it a date yet … With everything going on … I don’t know, I just want my first date to not be under so much duress.”

His gaze darts to mine. “You haven’t been on a date before?”

“I told you I haven’t really dated anyone, so yeah.”

“Right. I just assumed …” He shakes his head. “I haven’t been on one either.”

“I figured as much.”

He bites down on his bottom lip with a contemplative look. “I’d love to go on a date with you, Maddison.”

God, I have such a love/hate relationship with when he calls me Maddison , because I like it too much.

And does that mean we’re going on a date?

This is why I’ve spent most of my life avoiding guys—because it complicates things. Part of me secretly likes the River complication, though.

“Where am I supposed to turn again?” Finn abruptly asks, ruining the moment. “This GPS is being kind of weird.”

I slant forward and rest my arms on the console. “Signals out here can get a bit glitchy. Make a right turn on the next road.” I point at where I’m referring to.

As he turns onto the narrow road lined with old stores and homes, I sink back into the seat. It’s late enough that people have begun to wander outside, but chaos won’t take over until past midnight, so as long as we’re gone by then, we should be great.

But despite the lack of sketchiness roaming around, I can sense the shift in the air between the twins. Finn’s grip on the steering wheel tightens.

“It’s this apartment on the right,” I inform Finn. “The one with the broken sign in front.”

“Oh.” He grows quiet as he makes the turn into the apartment parking lot. The people in the area stop to glance at the SUV, but I expected as much. “This is where you lived before you came to the academy?”

“Yep.” I reach to unfasten my seat belt. “It’s apartment 238. You can just back up to it.”

Finn slows down to turn the SUV around. As he does, this unsettling feeling of being watched presses against my chest. It could be from the fact that we are, but it feels like more than just the rubbernecking of my bored neighbors.

“Something feels off,” I mumble as I glance around.

“Maybe it’s because of what happened the last time we were here?” River offers an explanation while reaching to sweep a strand of hair out of my eyes. “If you want, Finn and I can handle this.”

I shake my head and give him a look. “No way. I already hate that you have to help me.”

“Not have to. I want to,” he promises.

“River,” I groan. “You’ve got to stop saying stuff like that to me. It’ll make me feel too spoiled, and then I’ll turn into a bratty princess that expects things.”

He chuckles, his eyes crinkling around the corners. “I doubt that. And me helping you isn’t spoiling you. It’s what you deserve.”

“Aw, my brother, the Romeo,” Finn cracks a joke as he shifts the SUV into park.

“Oh, shut up,” River retorts, throwing a dirty look at Finn. “I’m just telling her the truth. Not being overly romantic.”

“You might not be trying to, but I bet Maddy’s about to swoon in the back seat.” Finn dazzles me with a cheeky grin as he rotates around and rests his elbow on the back seat.

I offer him a bored look in return. “No swooning here.”

“Liar,” he taunts, causing me to swat his arm playfully.

“I’m with River,” I say. “You should shut up before I put you in a headlock and make you swoon into unconsciousness.”

Finn blinks, taken aback, but then he busts up laughing. “You’re so weird, and I love it.” With that, he hops out of the vehicle and closes the door.

“Your brother’s kind of annoying,” I state as I push open the door.

“You think he’s annoying to have as a friend? Try being his twin,” River replies as he scoots toward me.

I shove the door open and hop out, my boots scuffing against the pavement. River follows suit, and as I stretch my arms above my head, he grazes his fingers along my lower back, as if he can’t resist the urge to touch me.

I can’t stop a smile from gracing my lips, but that soon goes peace out as I face the apartment. The lights are off inside, but that only makes me more wary—I learned early on that darkness doesn’t mean no one is around.

I nervously fidget as I approach the front door with the key in my hand. I loathe that my fingers tremble ever so slightly as I unlock the door and push it open. The air reeks of booze and cigarettes, but that’s typical.

I step in and flip the light on, only for darkness to remain.

Of course. Duh. Like earlier, the power has been turned off.

Grimacing, I face the guys. “There’s no power.”

“I’ll turn the car around, and we can use the headlights,” Finn offers, backing away.

Part of me wonders if he’s procrastinating going inside. Not that I’d blame him.

I flip on the flashlight on my phone before stepping inside. River remains right behind me with his hand on my back.

As we make it to the middle of the living room, his hand travels around my side and his fingers curl around my hip. I feel safe, even in the darkness, and the feeling is weird, making me a bit uneasy.

Yeah, I’m a regular basket case.

River and I spend the next few minutes making sure no one is in the apartment. It’s empty and, surprisingly, the boxes are still there, though I’m unsure if all the papers are.

We begin loading everything up in the SUV. I don’t have a lot of belongings, which works to our benefit since there’s not a lot of room in the back. The guys mainly remain quiet as they carry my stuff out. I assume they’re unsettled about being here.

Then Finn abruptly stops me on my way back into the apartment.

“Hey, Mads,” he says after capturing a hold of my arm.

I squint against the brightness of the headlights to look at him. “Yeah?”

“I …” His lips part then shut. “If you ever need anything, I’m here for you, okay?”

I nod, and he walks off.

I enter the apartment, his words replaying in my mind. How did I go from having no one to having people who will help me with no strings attached?

Speaking of which …

“I think this is the last of it,” River tells me as we meet up in the living room.

He has a box in his arms and a bag slung over his shoulder.

“I’ll double-check that we didn’t miss anything,” I tell him as I start forward. “I’ll be out in a second.”

He nods, wisps of his hair falling into his eyes. Then he heads out while I go into my bedroom.

I look around for anything else I want to take, but the only items left are a few pieces of paper and some garbage. I move on to my mother’s room, which is now empty, as well.

We didn’t live here for long, so it isn’t like memories are dancing around me. Plus, in almost every place I did live in, the memories weren’t great. Although, since some of my memories have randomly been resurfacing, I’m not positive I trust most of what I remember. Not that I don’t believe the ones I can remember. I just question how many of my memories have been blocked out?—

“Maddison,” someone whispers from close by.

I spin around, my hair whipping around me as I scan the flashlight around in a panic. “Who’s there?”

I can’t spot anyone, and as the air grows quiet, I question if I’m losing my damn mind.

Shaking my head at myself, I begin to lower the light of my phone when a figure appears in the doorway. They’re wearing a suit and tie, their shoulders are broad, and they’re tall enough that the top of their head nearly touches the doorway.

I open my mouth to shout for help when I note another suited guy looming behind the doorway.

Crap, this is bad.

“Maddison Averly, you need to come with us,” the man in the doorway demands.

I snort a nervous laugh. “Yeah, hard pass, dude.”

“You have to—Grey Devenport has requested to see you,” the man continues as if that means something.

I recall the name as belonging to the man in the grocery store who knew my aunt, but that guy creeped me out.

“Good for him.” I step back toward the window, planning to bail.

The man sighs as if I’m a mere nuisance. “I guess we’re going to have to do this the hard way.”

I raise my fists instinctively, preparing to fight. But the man doesn’t try to come at me. He turns to the man behind him and says, “If she doesn’t come with us, plant the drugs in the car and call the cops of the Aversons.”

I grit my teeth from side to side. “Are you freaking blackmailing me?”

The man turns toward me. “Nah, I’m just giving you a bit of motivation.”

I shake my head from side to side, the muscles in my jaw ticking. On the one hand, I could bail out the window and run, but after everything River and Finn have done for me, that’d be a shit move.

“Fine, just leave River and Finn out of this, whatever this is.” I step forward with my hands clenched at my sides.

The jerk smiles. “Good choice. Smart girl.”

“Yeah, you can shove your fake compliments up your ass,” I inform him with a sugary-sweet smile.

He returns it as he steps aside and gestures for me to go ahead.

I do, but the man standing just outside of my mother’s room ends up walking in front of me, and the other guy stays behind me. When we step outside, I find five other suited bodyguard-like guys standing around, two of which are forcing River and Finn to stand by their SUV.

The moment I step foot outside, River’s gaze finds me. “Maddy, don’t go with them.”

“I have to,” I tell him with a pressing look, begging him to understand.

“No, you don’t,” he calls out as I get herded toward a sleek, dark car with tinted windows.

I want to tell River everything, but the man behind me urges me to climb into the back seat of the car.

Once I’m in, he ducks his head into the cab. “Give me your phone.”

I cross my arms. “No way.”

“You’ll get it back,” he tells me in a tolerant tone. “We just need to make sure no one tracks where you’re going.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” I reply without moving to grab my phone.

As he continues to patiently wait, I finally give up, shove my hand into my pocket, and begrudgingly give him my phone. He closes the door then, and the car rolls forward. There’s a dark window blocking my view of who is driving.

The car ride feels like forever. Every time the vehicle comes to a stop, I contemplate jumping out, but then I worry that the bodyguard guys will do something to River and Finn. So, I stay put and stare out the window as the car drives me to the outskirts of the Royal City, where the most lavish and expensive houses are.

The scenery is mostly made of hills encompassing the city, and they also make up properties belonging to some of the most wealthy people. The house I end up at is settled on the edge of a hill that has a view of the city. The place has a lot of windows and definitely has a modern vibe, along with a gated entrance. Once the driver punches in a code, they drive through and park in front of the front door.

I wait, unsure what to do when the divider window cracks. “You can get out and go inside,” the driver instructs.

I can’t see their face, but their voice is feminine.

I want to ask if I just walk in, but they roll the window up.

Summoning a deep breath, I push the door open and get out. The night air is cool against my skin as I make my way up the brick path and to the front door. I decide to walk in, figuring I was forced to come here, so there isn’t any need for politeness.

On the other side of the doorway is a high-ceiling entryway, and the walls are a mixture of brick and blue paint. A massive light dangles above, and on my left is a doorway that leads to a living room. Inside is a fireplace and light blue velvet sofas. And sitting on one of these sofas is Grey.

He looks how I remember him—a middle-aged man with dark hair and eyes. He’s wearing slacks and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and he has a half-drunk drink in his hands as he sits with his arms resting on his legs while staring at the rug.

He must not hear me come in since he doesn’t glance my way, so I clear my throat.

He jolts, and his gaze lifts to mine.

“Shit, I didn’t hear you come in,” he mutters as he sets the glass down on the coffee table and quickly rises to his feet. “You can come in.”

“Can I?” I question without moving. “Or do you need your bodyguard dudes to come threaten me first?”

He scratches the back of his neck. “I’m sorry for that, Maddison. It was just imperative that I get you here as discreetly as possible. No one would’ve hurt you, though. I promise.”

I eye him over. “What do you even want from me?”

He shifts his weight then gestures at the sofa across from him. “Will you please come sit down …? What I have to say is going to be a lot for you to process.”

I stubbornly stay where I am for a few seconds longer before doing what he asks.

He sits down as I do and reaches for his glass to down the rest of his drink. Then he studies me, staring at me in an uncomfortable way, just like he did in the grocery store.

“You look so much like her,” he tells me in an awed tone.

“I’m assuming you mean Aunt Ellie,” I reply, sinking back in the chair.

He nods, slanting forward. “Has she ever told you anything that seems, I don’t know, strange?”

I don’t respond immediately, and he must take my silence as a yes because he continues.

“I don’t want to scare you.”

“I’m not scared.” It’s a lie. “But I’m annoyed.”

“You don’t need to be annoyed,” he assures me. “I didn’t bring you here to hurt you. I brought you here to protect you.”

I let out a dry laugh. “You have a weird way of doing that.”

“I wanted to make sure no one knew where you were … because if anyone found out—if someone figured out what I think might be the truth—then you’re in so much danger, Maddison.”

His words send a surge of uneasiness through me.

Does he know about the necklace?

I play dumb. “Why do you think that?”

He rotates the empty glass around in his hand. “Because … because …” Shaking his head, he sets the glass down and sits up straighter. “Because I think I might be your father, which would make your aunt Ellie your real mother. And if this is true, and anyone else has found this out, you’ll be in much danger.”

I stare at him. And stare. Then a laugh bursts from my lips. “My aunt Ellie isn’t my mother.” I rise to my feet. “And I’m done here.” I start to leave, but he rushes after me.

“Does the name Everford mean anything to you?” he calls out in a panic.

I slam to a halt, my breathing quickening as I twist around. “Am I here because you want to kill me?”

He shakes his head as he steps toward me. “No, not at all. Like I said, I want to protect you.” He swallows audibly. “Because if you are my daughter—which I really do believe you are—then protecting you is going to be hard.”

“Why?” I wonder as I face him. “Your last name isn’t Everford.”

He hesitates. “Before I can tell you more, I need to have you take a DNA test.”

The thing is, he doesn’t have to tell me anything—I can see it all over his face. It takes me a moment to put it together, but it makes sense. People do it all the time in northside, especially when running from the police.

People may know him as Grey Devenport, but his actual name is Everford. And if he is my father, that means I am, too.

But how?

How can this be possible?

I could run, refuse the DNA test, and try to live my life. I mean, how could this be the truth? That means everyone in my life has lied to me.

It’s that thought that gets me to agree to it, because my parents—fake or not—have always lied to me. And I just found out my aunt Ellie has, as well.

“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll take the test.”

The sad part is I’m not even sure if I want it to be positive or not. Do I want to keep my old life that was full of secrets, lies, and corruption? Or do I want to enter a new world, full of the same things? In the end, I’ll still always be at risk of being hunted, either by royals or by people my “father” has pissed off.

Will I ever be able to live my life without being afraid of being hunted?

I have no idea, and that is more terrifying than anything else.