Library

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

June bit her lip as she fretted. When Cal returned with their food, he’d seemed to have gotten over whatever had bothered him earlier. He’d laughed and joked with her as they ate as much of the delicious food as they could. He’d totally gone overboard, but June enjoyed everything he’d ordered. She’d only been able to take a few bites of the chocolate torte, but it was heaven.

Not since her father passed had anyone done something as simple as make sure she was fed. She’d been ordered around, ignored, and belittled for ages. Cal even gave her the remote and told her to find something she wanted to watch. She hadn’t watched TV in years, and she had no idea what the popular shows were these days, but she ultimately settled on a cooking competition show that looked entertaining.

She’d taken a shower earlier, while Cal was outside waiting on their food, and felt much better now that she was clean.

A shower, a full belly, and a night with nothing better to do than watch a show on TV? It was enough to make a girl feel spoiled.

“What do you think they’re doing right now?” she asked quietly.

She and Cal were sitting next to each other on the bed, pillows propped up behind them as they watched the program. He was scrolling through his phone, occasionally typing something, but she could practically feel the tension rolling off him and knew he wasn’t relaxed. Very unlike the man she’d sat next to in the car all day, or even the man who’d dined with her a short while ago.

“Probably pissing themselves that they had to make their own dinner,” Cal said with a small smirk.

June didn’t really find any amusement in his words. It wasn’t that she felt guilty . . . okay, she felt a little guilty, but there was a thread of worry deep inside that she couldn’t shake. She knew her stepmother. Knew the woman was mean down to her core. She wouldn’t let this go. June had no doubts about that.

“Elaine’s going to be mad.”

That seemed to get Cal’s attention. He put down his phone and turned toward her. “Probably,” he said after a beat.

When he didn’t elaborate, June sighed and returned her attention to the TV. “I can’t believe he thinks just putting those onion straws on top is using the ingredient to its fullest,” she said.

“June, look at me,” Cal ordered.

She couldn’t deny this man anything. She turned her head.

“Your days of worrying about your stepmother and stepsister are done. You’re right, neither of them is going to be happy. They thought they’d snagged a prince, and with their toy snatched away, they’re going to want someone to pay. And it sucks, but I’m guessing you’ll be the one they blame. The one they try to take their frustration and anger out on. But I’m telling you here and now, that’s not going to happen. You’re safe with me and my friends. I’m not going to let anyone put one finger on you. You’re free, princess. Of them, of feeling obligated, of being afraid. You’re free to do whatever it is you want.”

June couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Had she ever had someone stick up for her like Cal?

Yeah . . . once. Her dad. He was her champion. Her cheerleader. She’d looked up to him, and her devastation knew no bounds when he was snatched away from her so suddenly.

Cal had appeared out of nowhere, and he’d taken her from a life she’d hated but didn’t know how to escape, offering her a new beginning.

He lifted a hand and placed it on the side of her head, his thumb brushing away the tears on her cheek. “Don’t cry,” he pleaded. “I can’t stand to see you cry.”

“Then you need to stop being so awesome,” she retorted.

He gave her a small smile. “Tell me you believe me. That you know you’re safe and don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

“I believe that you’ll do everything you can,” she hedged.

But Cal shook his head and frowned. His fingers burrowed into her hair and tightened. “Not good enough.”

June reached up and wound her fingers around his wrist and held on as she stared back. It felt as if they were the only two people on earth right now. Having his complete attention on her was a little discomfiting, but it also felt really good to be truly seen for the first time in years.

“You don’t know them, Cal. They aren’t going to let this go. They hate me. Carla is going to accuse me of stealing you away from her. They’re going to want revenge.”

Cal didn’t look concerned in the least. “They hate you because you’re the complete opposite of them. Because you’re sunshine and light and everything that’s good in the world, and they’re bitter, moneygrubbing, fame-seeking bitches who can’t stand it when good things happen to anyone else.”

A small snort of laughter escaped her. He went on.

“I actually want them to try something. Because I have a lot of people who have my back. And not just my military friends. My parents, my cousins, the entire royal family. I don’t care that they don’t live here, no one messes with one of their own. Certainly not useless, lazy American women with overblown senses of self-worth.”

Wow. That was harsh. But he wasn’t wrong.

“Okay,” she told him.

“Are you saying okay because you truly believe what I’m telling you, or are you saying that because you’re uncomfortable and want me to shut up and don’t know how to make that happen?”

“I believe you,” she said honestly. And surprisingly, she found that she did. Every muscle in Cal’s body seemed coiled, as if her trust in him to keep her safe was as important to him as breathing. He was intense, and she was sensing he could be a little scary, but she wasn’t afraid of him.

With every minute she spent in his presence, June found herself falling deeper under his spell. She had no idea what the future held, but she suspected if he wasn’t in it, she’d feel an emptiness and an ache so heartbreaking, she wasn’t sure she’d survive it.

But she kept those thoughts to herself as she closed her eyes with a sigh and tilted her head into Cal’s hand.

She felt the mattress shifting . . . then she felt his lips brush against hers.

Her eyes popped open, but he was already moving away.

“I’m going to shower. Do you mind if I turn the lights off?”

She shook her head and watched as he flicked off the light next to the bed on his side. Then he strode to his duffel bag, rummaging through it for a moment before disappearing into the bathroom.

June put a finger to her lips. He’d kissed her before, but it had been those light, airy cheek kisses he’d claimed were the norm in Europe. Had he simply missed her cheek?

No, she didn’t think so.

Scooching under the covers, June lay down, lowered the volume on the cooking program, and was half-asleep when Cal finally emerged from the shower. From the light of the TV, she was surprised to see he was wearing flannel pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt.

She wasn’t an expert, but she didn’t think most men slept in so much clothing.

Then she remembered.

His scars.

This guy was the strongest, most masculine man she’d ever met in her life, and yet he was obviously still very affected by what he’d endured. She recalled the pictures she’d glossed over online. The awful ones that were still-shots from the videos his captors had posted for the world to see. The ones that showed his torso and thighs literally dripping with blood.

She remembered the remoteness of his gaze, the emptiness. She couldn’t imagine what he’d been through, and it was obvious, at least to her, that he was still struggling with his scars. Probably physical, mental, and emotional.

Anger rose within June. She was furious that anyone had dared touch him. They had no right. And for what? For pleasure? For revenge? For fame? It made no sense.

She longed to reach over and snuggle up against his side. To reassure him that she was attracted to him no matter how many scars he had. That she trusted him, and she thought the world was a better place with him in it.

But as soon as he got under the bedding, he turned on his side and put his back to her.

June reached over and clicked off the TV. The sound of laughter coming from the pool area across the hall seemed much louder now that the television didn’t drown it out. She ignored it, mostly because all she could think about was the man next to her. She could practically feel the heat coming off his body. The bed was small, but she hadn’t realized how much smaller it would become with Cal lying under the covers with her.

She lay silently, listening to Cal’s breathing. It was obvious he wasn’t sleeping, but June had no idea what to do or say to make him relax. She supposed it was probably awkward for him to sleep next to a stranger, but she didn’t feel awkward at all. Somehow in the last few days, he’d stopped being a stranger to her and had started feeling like a friend.

Which was silly, really. She didn’t know him, and he didn’t know her. She was probably just feeling grateful that he’d helped her. Very soon, she’d need to put on her big girl panties and figure out what to do with her life, now that she was free.

Cal had said it more than once, and she let it sink in. Free. She didn’t have to put up with Carla’s mean-spirited digs. She didn’t have to do Elaine’s bidding. She might’ve lost the house her dad loved, but she’d gained so much more. The ability to do what she wanted. To be who she wanted.

She was grateful to Cal, but that gratitude was mixed in with so many other feelings, she couldn’t separate one from the other.

Unconsciously, she moved closer to his back. Her nose was almost touching him, and when she inhaled, she could smell the clean scent of the hotel soap he’d used in the shower. The urge to put her arm around his waist, to tell him that he didn’t need to hide from her, that she accepted him exactly how he was, scars and all, was almost overwhelming, but she managed to keep her hands to herself. It would be embarrassing for him to reject her, to look at her with pity and say that she’d misunderstood his motives, that he would keep her safe, but friendship was all there would ever be between them.

The thought of losing that friendship was enough to make her roll and face the other direction, giving him as much space as she could. She needed this man in her life . . . even if it was only as a friend.

“She’s a whore! A fat, ugly, deceitful bitch!” Carla raged as she paced the sitting room in agitation. “She stole him right out from under my nose! She knew I wanted him. That was the only reason he was here! Because I was going to marry him. I can’t believe she snuck out of here without a word. After all we did for her. She’s ungrateful and ugly and stupid and . . . and . . . I can’t think of what else! I’m too mad!”

“Calm down, Carla,” her mom said.

“How can you be so calm?” Carla asked in disbelief. “You raised her, gave her everything, and this is how she repays you?”

“She’s gonna get hers,” Elaine said with a glint in her eye.

Carla took a moment to study her mother, then sat beside her on the love seat. “What do you have planned?” she asked, a hint of excitement sparking.

Elaine smiled. “Well, I had something all worked out to prove that you have a stalker . . . and I talked to the guy today, after we found out what that bitch had done. Now he has a new target.”

Carla gasped in delight. “Seriously? That’s awesome! What did you tell him to do?”

“Whatever he feels like. I gave him a menu of sorts.”

“What do you mean?” Carla asked with a frown.

“Scaring her with notes or leaving dead animals and other things on her doorstep will get him a hundred bucks. Beating her up will get him five hundred. Putting her in the hospital? That’s good for three grand.” Her mom’s expression hardened. “Making sure I never have to think about her ever again—but not before she deeply regrets defying me? Ten thousand.”

Carla’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

Her mom rolled her eyes. “Torture, honey. Then killing her. The next time I see her name, I want it to be in a news story about her murder. Then you can play the poor brokenhearted sister and win the prince back.”

Carla sat up straight and grinned. “Yes! I can do that. But I’m not wearing black. I look awful in black.”

Elaine snorted. “Of course not, honey. But we can’t talk about this to anyone.”

“I won’t,” Carla said immediately. “Do you think he’ll do all of them, though? Like, work up to torturing and killing her? I want to know she’s suffering and scared out of her mind.”

Her mom stared at her for a long moment.

“What?” Carla asked defensively. “She’s been a pain in my ass for years. And in yours ever since you married her dad. Do you . . . ?” Carla bit her lip. “You don’t think she discovered he didn’t die of a heart attack, do you? That you’d put that suc . . . sucin . . .” She paused to find the right word. “Succinylcholine in his drink?”

Just like that, her mom morphed from the smirking, happy-with-herself woman she’d been a moment ago into someone Carla had never seen. Someone who actually scared her a little.

“Don’t ever say that again. I mean it, Carla. Ever! My poor husband died of a heart attack. One careless slip, and there’s always a chance someone could decide to dig him up and do an autopsy. If that happens, we’re screwed. I should’ve had him cremated, but Juniper pitched such a fit that it would have seemed suspicious if I’d insisted. But he’s dead and gone. I got the money I wanted, and you’re living the life you are because of me. So don’t you dare bring that up again. Understand?”

“Yes, Mother. Sorry,” Carla said in a contrite tone. It was five years ago that her mom had admitted what she’d done, during a drunken night of celebrating with the modeling agency Carla had just signed with. She’d made her promise never to bring up the death of her stepfather to anyone, and she hadn’t . . . until now.

“I should’ve taken her out too,” Elaine muttered. “But it’s never too late. This will be better. This will support the story about your stalker. The prince put up those cameras, after all, so it’s really his fault the stalker couldn’t get to you and had to turn his attention on your poor sister,” she said, smiling wickedly. “Hurting your loved ones in order to make you suffer. To prove what he’d do to you next.”

“Where did you tell him to find her?” Carla asked, impressed by her mom’s creativity. She didn’t like having to think so hard herself. She was used to being the pretty face, to having people take care of her . . . not having to plan things like complicated murder plots.

“Maine. That’s where your prince lives. I’m certain he’s taken her to that ridiculously tiny town he lives in. It’ll be easy to find her but harder to get to her there. If she was in a big city, my guy could just take her out in a robbery gone wrong. But he’ll figure it out. And to answer your earlier question, he seems desperate for money. I’m sure he’ll run through my menu before he gets to the dessert.”

Her mom laughed, and once again, Carla felt an iota of unease. She was very glad her mother was on her side. And why wouldn’t she be? She was her daughter, after all.

“So, what are we doing about breakfast in the morning?” Carla asked. She felt much calmer now that she knew Juniper was going to get what was coming to her . . . and that she’d get her chance to marry the prince. Surely, he’d realize he was gravely mistaken about the stalker and come running back to protect her.

She’d also make sure she talked to Karl soon, let him know how terrified she was and help stoke the flames.

She was going to be a damn princess if it killed her. She deserved it.

“When you get up, you can make us something,” her mom said offhandedly.

Carla frowned. “Me?”

“You don’t expect me to do it, do you?” Mother asked with a raised brow. “After everything I’ve done for you? You wouldn’t have that modeling contract if it wasn’t for me. We wouldn’t be living in this big house if it wasn’t for me. You know it’s true, so don’t try to argue.”

Carla took a deep breath and nodded. She didn’t know how to cook, but she could make them toast or something. She understood what her mom was saying, and the fact that she’d not only killed her second husband but knew someone willing to travel to Maine to take care of Juniper made Carla think twice about going against her wishes.

She’d just have to look into hiring someone who could cook and clean and do the shopping, everything Juniper had done before stealing her prince and taking off. She’d use her own modeling money if she had to. There was no way she was going to do all the work herself.

Satisfied with the plan for her stepsister, and the idea of hiring someone to help around the house, Carla said good night to her mom and headed upstairs. She had some pictures to take for her social media pages, a bath to enjoy . . . and then she wanted to FaceTime with Karl. Start laying the groundwork for guilting the prince about leaving her alone in her time of need.

After that, she had to pay some attention to her side hustle.

She wasn’t making nearly enough money modeling. She blamed her agent, who wasn’t getting her the big gigs she wanted. So she’d become a camgirl. Carla had paid good money for her boobs—well, her mom had. She wanted to get as much money out of them as she could.

Going online every night and flashing a bit of herself was like taking candy from babies. It was almost ridiculous the number of men who would literally throw money at her just to show them some tit.

Carla had no idea if her mom knew what she was doing in the wee hours of the night, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was money.

And making her stepsister pay for stealing the prince, of course, so Carla could become a princess. The end justified the means. And she was more than satisfied with the plan to end Juniper.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.