“In the meantime, Nite can stay here—”
“No,” I interrupt Luca. “The women aren’t staying here. They’re coming home with me.”
“Do you need extra security?”
I go to say no, but Bones speaks. “We have it handled.”
Luca nods. “I’ll send you a text with an address and time once I have it.”
“Thanks, man.” I shake his hand.
“Don’t mention it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
EMILEE
FOR THREE DAYS, I lived in a world of pain and fog. It came and went. I would wake up in agony, Titan would give me a pill, and then it’d fade away and so would my consciousness.
Today, I don’t feel so bad. I can actually open my eyes, and my ribs don’t hurt as much as before. Sitting up in the bed, I look down and see I still wear the bandage. I vaguely remember the doctor who takes care of the queens in this room, wrapping it up for me.
The door opens, and a woman enters. “GiGi.” I give her a weak smile, excited to see a familiar face.
“Hello, dear.” She comes to my side of the king-size bed and places a tray on the nightstand. “I’m here to give you your daily meds and some food.”
“Oh, I don’t think I need them anymore.”
“Titan’s orders.”
I let out a long breath. “Where is he?” I know he brought me and my mother to his house. I didn’t even try to argue. I may not believe that my father owes money, but I no longer felt safe at that house. If I’m being honest with myself, I haven’t felt safe there ever since I found out that George was with my mother. It’s one of the reasons I avoided going home at night and stayed at Kingdom so often.
“He’s in his study with the Kings.” She picks up two pills and holds them in front of my face.
I take them from her along with the glass of water. I swallow, and she places the water back on the nightstand. “Eat your toast and get some rest. I’ll be back in a couple of hours to check on you.”
The moment she closes the door, I spit the pills out into my hand. Getting up, I make my way to the master bathroom and use the restroom. Then I flush the evidence.
I look at myself in the large mirror. I do look much better. The bruises have turned a greenish color, but I can open my eyes. I have a few stitches here and there but nothing too major.
I enter his walk-in closet and find a white T-shirt along with a pair of sweatpants. They swallow me up, but it’ll have to do.
Leaving the bedroom, I look over the balcony down into an open living room. I’ve never been in his house before. Crème walls, with dark brown trim that match the doors. Dark wood floors cover the hallway and staircase. It hugs the wall and takes a sharp left turn at the bottom, ending in the grand foyer. I turn left and step down into an open living room. The dining room is to the left. I see two sliding glass doors to the right that are open, showcasing the study. I can see Bones sitting in a chair from here. I make my way over to it.
“We could dig him up,” Luca says as I enter.
“Why?” Bones asks. “It’s too late for an autopsy.”
“One should have been performed,” Titan growls.
“There was no foul play,” Bones argues.
“That’s what she was told. And she just took George’s word for it.”
“I didn’t know I had any reason to be suspicious,” I add, making my presence known. “Plus, he was cremated. Even if we needed to, there’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“Em, you should be resting,” Titan growls, standing from his chair.
“I think I have a right to know why I was attacked.”
“Em …”
“I’m not a child.” Someone has been fed wrong information. They were after my father when he was not the intended target.
“You’re right.” Luca nods. “You’re not. The Kings and I had a meeting two days ago. We found out that your father owes Nicholas Royce one million dollars.”
There he goes again. “No …”
“He had proof.”
“I don’t believe it.” I swallow the knot that forms in my throat.
“It was a video. We saw your dad sitting in an underground poker tournament. He was there over twenty-four hours and …” He pauses. “Well, you can connect the dots.”
My knees give out, and I fall into a chair. “They killed him for it?” I whisper. That has to be the only explanation. Why they are concerned about an autopsy and foul play. He made a mistake, owed money, and his life was payment.
“That’s the thing,” Bones starts. “Nicholas didn’t send anyone to collect payment. He gave your dad six weeks to come up with the money, and it had only been four.”