Yours Completely (Reign 2)

He clasped my hand in his, and when I thought he’d kiss me, he pulled away, taking me with him.

“We’ll save the tour for another time,” he said, taking me back into the hall, only this time, instead of going toward the living area, he took a sharp left and went down a narrow hall with doors on each side. Bedroom doors.

He opened the one on the end. It was a small room with light blue walls and built-in cabinets. The Murphy bed was pulled down and lined with white sheets, a simple blanket, and two pillows. Aside from a few pictures taped to the wall, there was little else. This space was obviously meant for just sleeping. It was quiet, but I could hear the low hum of music and guys chatting off in the distance. Though Cal wanted to talk, and honestly, I wanted to vent, I still didn’t like the idea of being viewed as “that girl” by his crew.

“Everyone is still in the living room, and didn’t see us come back here,” he said, as if reading my mind. He sat me down on the bed, then took a seat next to me. “And, by the way, I’m not looking for you to be a random woman. I’m looking to know you.”

“You already know the gist,” I said casually. “So, this is your room?”

“When I’m on duty, yes. But my house is only a few blocks away.”

I nodded.

“Stop stalling and tell me what’s going on.”

I frowned at him. “Stop telling me what to do.”

All the easygoing charm left his face. “Look, I know what happened while you were with Jack. I know about your step-brother and your family of assholes. I know that they used you, I know that they hurt you. In a lot of ways. So, yeah, I know the gist.” His voice was vicious on the last statement, and I sat there in shock. Not because I didn’t think it was possible he’d gotten details throughout the whole mess last month, but because he seemed to know about all of it and wasn’t dancing around the truth.

“I’m on your side, Lana. I’m not going to pretend that your safety and wellbeing doesn’t matter to me, because it does. I’m also not going to pretend that I am naïve to your family, especially your step-brother. So, if something is going on and you’re in danger—”

“I took care of it,” I whispered, glancing at my hands. God, he knew more than I’d thought. “Did Jack tell you everything?”

My heart sank because Cal’s face turned heavy with emotion. He nodded once.

Great. So, he knew about my past with Brock, knew how he hurt me. He knew about my dad using me to get to Jack, which led to Jack leaving me.

“Tell me what you ‘took care of’ tonight,” he said softly, and ran his finger along my chin.

I swallowed hard and looked up at him. “Brock was by my car, waiting there after I got out of my meeting with my advisor.”

Cal took a deep, angry breath.

“Please tell me that you kicked him in the nuts and ran back inside.”

“No. I just told him I wasn’t afraid of him, and I wasn’t going to play his game. He’s just trying to freak me out so, I got in my car and left.” Although it worked, the more time I had to think about the encounter, the more terrified I was becoming.

There I sat, on Cal’s bed, and all I could do was stare at the ceiling and wonder what the hell I was going to do. When this would end?

Cal’s whole hand cupped the side of my face, and he got real close, his bent knees brushing mine. “The next time that asshole comes near you, you turn around and get to where people are. If he’s at your school again, you go back inside. Understand?”

“No,” I shook his hand away. It was the “understand?” that got me. Jack would tell me something, then follow up with that one, simple word. “No, I don’t understand because I’m not some weak pathetic thing that is going to cower from him.”

“I’m not talking about you cowering or being weak, I’m talking about physics.”

“Physics?” My balloon of anger deflated a little.

“I don’t doubt your strength, Lana. I know you can handle yourself.”

Those words stuck to that empty spot in my chest and heated it a bit. Cal thought I was strong? Thought I could handle myself? His praise and confidence in me was something foreign and…nice.

“But if you believe that, then why are you telling me to run next time?”

Cal raised a brow like I’d lost my mind. “Ah, A) because that dipshit is capable of a lot of things and B) he outweighs you. All he has to do is find a reason to snap and throw his weight around enough to get you in a bad position.”

And I knew what kind of position that was. One that left me vulnerable in more ways than one.

“You’re a fighter, Kitten.” He winked, but the playful side of him lasted only a second. “But, again, it’s physics. The person with the more mass usually wins.”