Mykel (King's Descendants MC #3) - Bella Jewel Page 0,4
know? I’m going to ask her the moment he’s out of this room.
“Where are your parents?” I ask, looking to Mykel.
Immediately, his face hardens again.
What an absolute jerk.
He’s not going to get anywhere with any woman with that attitude.
“None of your business.”
“Mykel,” Briella scoffs. “Don’t be such a dick to her. She’s done nothing wrong to you. You’re better than that.”
He stares at Briella a second, and then he goes quiet and walks out of the room.
Well then, that was enjoyable.
The moment he’s gone, Briella looks to me. “He doesn’t like talking about his parents. Don’t take is personally.”
“Did they die?”
Briella shrugs. “No, but he doesn’t talk much about it. It’s a bit of a mystery, really.”
Very strange, indeed.
“Well, he’s certainly sensitive about it,” I mutter. “You know he’s in love with you, right?”
Briella’s head whips around and her eyes widen, then she puts a finger to her lips and whisper-hisses shhhh.
“So you know?” I say, a little more quietly this time.
“Yes, I know. I’ve known for a while. He told me . . .” She pauses and takes a breath. “. . . the night he was shot.”
“Oh, oh god. I’m so sorry; that must have been horrible.”
“It was. All I could think about was him dying and not being able to tell him how sorry I was that I couldn’t offer the same feelings in return.”
“Did you suspect it?” I ask her.
“I honestly just thought we were great friends. I never realized he wanted more. I feel bad, I couldn’t imagine loving someone that you know is never going to love you back.”
“You’re in love with Alarick; you’ve always been in love with Alarick. You don’t have to feel bad for that. Sometimes life doesn’t offer up what you want.” I should know.
I’ve been in the exact same boat as Mykel. I’ve loved someone who didn’t return that love. Even worse—he used me for it.
I shake the memory away and redirect my mind back to the here and now.
“He’ll get over it,” I assure her. “One day, he’ll move on.”
“Yeah, I know. I just feel so bad that he’s suffering now.”
I give her a sympathetic smile and then turn and glance at the large room. “This place—it’s incredible.”
“Yeah, he’s super lucky.”
Perhaps.
Or maybe living here haunts him more than anyone knows.
I guess I’ll find out.
“HI,” I SAY, PICKING up the phone and glancing around to make sure Mykel isn’t going to just barge into the room and ruin the fact that I’m talking to the one man they want dead, possibly more than anything in the world.
“How are you, sweetheart?”
Dax’s voice is smooth and masculine, and I can understand how women fall for his charms. He makes you feel safe and secure. Unlike most human traffickers, who use, abuse and beat the women they sell, Dax traffics in a way that’s smart and calculated, and keeps him flying under the radar.
He’s smarter than most people give him credit for.
“I’m not doing so well,” I lie, putting on my soft, innocent, broken voice. Gone is all the sass, and the smart attitude, and the strong woman.
When Dax is around, I put on my show. I act like a broken, damaged girl who needs him to fix all her broken pieces, just like the club ordered.
The only way I can bring information back to them, and help bring this man down, is to put on the best damned show of my life.
“What’s happened?” he asks.
“Well, my ex came around and he . . . he begged for me to come back. He had drugs, and I thought . . . I thought maybe we could make it work, but then I remembered what you said about having a better life, so I told him no and he lost it. He hit me.”
“He hit you?” Dax asks, sounding so genuinely pissed that it makes me angry, so damned angry, because he’s extremely good at what he’s doing.
“Yeah,” I say softly, my voice hoarse. “Only once. I kicked him out, but I think he’ll probably keep trying.”
“I think it’s best if you come and spend the night here, then. We don’t want you around if he does come back later. I’ve got a few people I want you to meet, and we’re having a nice dinner. What do you say?”
I hesitate, even though I know damn well I’m going to go. “I don’t know . . .”
“C’mon, honey. It’ll be great.”
“Okay,” I say. “I guess. What time?”
“Anytime you’re ready.”
“I’ll see you soon then.”
I