The Princess and The Jester - A.D. McCammon Page 0,75

tried hard to cover it up though, providing me with more false smiles and lies.

My mom follows behind me, pausing at my bedroom door. “That’s all I get? Is everything okay?”

“Uh, yeah.” I toss my bag onto the floor and grab my laptop. “Sorry, I need to take care of this real quick.” She studies me with concern as I finally turn to meet her gaze. “I’ll come tell you all about it once I’m done. Promise,” I assure her.

A smile spreads across her cheeks. “Well, I don’t want all the details.” She gives me a wink before walking away.

Chuckling, I close the door and sit on my bed.

Once I get into Gwen’s phone from my laptop, it doesn’t take long to find the source of her tension. The first thing I see is a message from Shane. My head spins as I read it.

Satan: I’m so sad we didn’t get more time together last night. Your smell lingered on my clothes though. Made the visuals extremely vivid.

He was with her at the dance last night. And the motherfucker touched her—was close enough to get her smell on him.

This is the real reason she disappeared. Why didn’t she tell me? I thought we were past this bullshit. Why the hell would she let him do this to her again? Does she not trust that I’ll protect her? That I’ll love her no matter what?

Another message pops up, this one a reply from Gwen.

Gwen: You’re a disgusting creep. Leave me alone or I will tell Cole. If you go to the cops, I’ll tell them you attacked me.

Attacked?

My stomach drops. Gwen had bruises on her this morning. She said it was nothing. Blamed it on being clumsy. I have no idea why she’d lie to me or cover up for that asshole. But I know it was Shane, and I’m going to kill him.

Satan: And what about the secret you’ve been keeping from him?

Satan: What do you think he’ll do when he finds out it was his real father who killed Nicolas Masterson?

All the air leaves my body, my head swimming with confusion.

Gwen: If you were going to tell him, you would’ve done it by now.

Satan: I already did. You just don’t realize it yet.

I slam my laptop closed, feeling the contents of my breakfast churning in my stomach.

This can’t be true. My real father killed…

No. No. It’s a lie.

I’m up and walking out of my room before even being fully conscious of it, my steps carrying me toward the sound of humming coming from the kitchen.

“That didn’t take long,” my mother says as I walk in the room. “Are you hungry? I’m making a sandwich.” When I don’t answer, she focuses her attention on me. “Cole? Are you all right, baby?” She rushes over to me, concern puckering her features.

“What’s my father’s name?”

All the color drains from her face, her eyes widening with horror. “What?”

“Was my father Nicolas Masterson?”

Her stare drops, taking my stomach with it. “I—” She gives a slight shake of her head as she meets my gaze again with watery eyes. “He was your daddy.”

“But he wasn’t the man who got you pregnant?”

Tears fall down her face as she reaches out to comfort me. “Cole, honey, I…”

I put my hand up, not wanting to be touched. “What was his name? The man I share DNA with.”

She places a trembling hand over her heart, shame and guilt darkening her features as she answers, “Brody Kenton.”

That’s a name I know well. One I’ve despised since the first time I heard it over a decade ago.

Rising country star Nicolas Masterson was beaten and stabbed to death outside of a Nashville honkytonk Saturday night by Brody Kenton. Police aren’t releasing any details about the case, including the Louisiana man’s ties to Masterson.

What Shane said was true. My mother has been lying to me my entire life. Gwen knew and didn’t tell me. How could she do that to me?

My mother chases after me as I walk away, heading for the front door. “Cole, where are you going? Please sit down and let me explain.”

I scoff. “You’ve had nearly eighteen years to tell me the truth, and you chose not to.”

“You have to understand, baby. I was only trying to protect you.”

I come to an abrupt stop, turning to face her. “Why? You didn’t want me to know Dad is dead because of me?”

And there it is. The real reason this feels so fucking awful. My dad loved me, and it cost