Royal Line (Tattered Royals #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,62

to happen now.”

“You’re right. It’s not. Don’t take it personally. I did care for you.” She looked at her nails rather than my face as she said it.

“Oh yes, of course.” I shook my left wrist. “These restraints prove that.”

“Don’t be mouthy. No one likes that in a woman.”

“You know what’s weird? In the last three days, I have learned more about love and connection than I have ever known. My brothers love me, but you kept me separated from them most of the time. And you did that on purpose, so I wouldn’t know how much they loved me. I could hate you for that alone.”

She snorted. “Oh sweetheart, look at you having opinions and thoughts all on your own, not ones that were given to you.”

My hands shook. “I always had these thoughts. I felt sorry for you. You had no one to love you, so I made that my job. Too bad. But now that I see you clearly, I find you lacking.”

Over the years, I’d learned to read Aunt Rebecca’s rage button. It was in the corner of her mouth, the way it pressed ever so tightly when she was furious, even if only for just a second. Like the time Wilder had broken her priceless Ming vase, one that she’d acquired with her own money after Uncle George had died. She had been furious. Part of me thought that she would actually hit him or something, although, given what was going on now, that possibility probably hadn’t been too far off.

I needed to get away, and if making her talk long enough so I could form a plan would work, I’d keep going. “Look, Aunt Rebecca, I know you’ve had a sad, sad life. You didn’t get to rule like you thought you should. Too bad. But doing all of this is not going to change who you are inside. It won’t make you any less miserable. You’ve believed that you were unlovable your whole life, and well, you’ve proven it now.”

I didn’t see it coming, didn’t anticipate it and couldn’t brace for it. And the sharp blow she dealt me exploded like a bomb inside my head and sent the edges of my vision graying as I once again slumped forward on my seat.

Chapter 17

Kannon

I never expected her.

My heart was doing its level best to jump outside of my body.

You idiot. You sent her out running away from you. And now she’s gone.

My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as I peeled out onto the main road. Next to me, Olly clutched at the door handle. “Jesus fucking Christ, boss, I thought the goal was to save Sparrow and London, not die on the way there.”

I shot him a withering glance. “You have something else to say?”

As one hand death-gripped the door and the other clutched his laptop, he shook his head. “Nope. Carry on.”

I held back a snarl. “Where is her beacon?”

“It’s stopped right now.” He frowned as he peered closer. “Looks like it’s headed toward the airport.”

“If they’re headed to the airport, they must have some big plans in place.” This scheme had been well thought out, or at least sufficient enough to get by us. Damn it.

“I don’t know. But judging by the blood we found by the pool house, one of them is in nasty shape. Either that or Sparrow took a piece of someone’s ass. But if she was okay, she would have radioed in. The blood has to belong to one of them. Wherever the hell she is, we need to fucking find her soon. There was too much blood there, Kannon.”

My heart continued to hammer. The spike of adrenaline that was normally a boon in times of crisis was instead making my head feel cloudy and foggy, and I had that brassy taste of fear and worry in my mouth.

I knew that taste well. It was the same one I’d had when Phoebe was murdered.

Is that going to help right now?

No, it wasn’t going to help.

What would help was getting to her as fast as possible. And when we did, I would grovel the shit out of this. I’d fucked up. Pulling away had been the wrong move. Making her think I didn’t want her had been absolutely the wrong move. I’d hurt her, and it was a move I could have killed myself for.

I wanted a chance to fix it, but I had to find her first.

Olly was busy in the passenger seat as he alternated