CHAPTER 17: Taking Risks
Drew drops me back at the mansion around sunset. He opens the door for me so I can step out. Then he presses me against the car and smashes our lips together.
I hook my arms around his neck and sigh when we pull away. "You still haven't told me where you're going on your business trip."
"It's nothing to worry about, love."
"So why won't you tell me?"
"Stubborn, aren't you? Why would you like to know?"
"Because I'm your girlfriend and won't see you for a while?"
"So, you're worried about me," Drew smiles.
"Be worried if I'm not. That will mean I don't care."
"Oh, so that's what I sound like."
I laugh and lightly swat his arm. Drew has been making jokes and sarcastic remarks lately. I like to see it as a sign that he's letting his guard down and becoming less afraid to be himself.
It won't hurt to follow his example. After all, he isn't wrong about the walls I also put up in our relationship.
"Okay, so we both have issues," I concede, "but at least you know about my past! You've only talked about losing your family members but haven't even mentioned their names!"
Drew sighs. "I know, love, it's just—"
"Hard? I know," I run my fingers through his hair. Here I am again, asking him for secrets when I'm still hiding mine. "You know what? Let's not force things. We've just started dating, right? Let's not pressure each other to be so serious. Dating, among other things, should be fun."
"Right."
"But I'm still worried about you. I know you don't like that, but I'm your girlfriend, and I can't help it."
"I appreciate your concern, love but, really, there's no need to worry. I'll come back to you as soon as I'm able."
Drew would have died on the beach two weeks ago if I hadn't been there to save him. The last time I underestimated my lover's threats, Brendan got brutally murdered.
"Come with me," I take my boyfriend's hand. "I want to give you something."
Drew allows me to guide him to my bedroom. I greet the maids on our way upstairs. Some of them swoon at the sight of the Vampire King but keep their distance. Not just because it will disrespect me to do more but also because even when they find Drew handsome, they also find him intimidating.
Guess I'll have to get used to that. I have a feeling not a lot of people will be as bold to approach me at parties if I have Drew on my arm.
"What would you like to give me, love?" Drew smirks. He's getting something, and I'm taking him to my room, so of course, he's feeling cheeky. If he's expecting sex—well, I'll give it to him. Just not yet.
Once we're inside my bedroom, I open a dresser until I find the box I'm looking for. My heart hurts as I pull it out of hiding.
"Love?"
I clutch the slim case to my chest and return to Drew. Drew stares, but I still don't explain.
"May, you're scaring me."
"I'm sorry, it's just," I take a breath, "there's something I want to give you before you leave on your trip."
I can't bring myself to remove the lid, so I just hand the peach case to Drew. Drew raises an eyebrow at me before removing the lid.
"It's a sun diamond," I explain as I come to his side. We observe the orange crystal pierced through with a golden chain. "It's an expensive and rare necklace. The jewel is said to absorb the sun's heat and retain it for several hours. The longer it stays under the sun, the better."
"It's valuable indeed. Very beautiful too," Drew examines the designs of the gold plates encasing the diamond. "Why would you give this to me? Based on the condition of this box, this looks well-preserved and opened once. You've been keeping this with you for a long time."
"Yeah, I have," I speak softly so my voice doesn't break. "I was saving it for when I go traveling with Brendan, but you already know that…I don't need it anymore. You need it more than I do, and I can't bear the thought of you leaving during the upcoming winter and getting cold. This should keep you warm, no matter where you are."
"May," Drew blinks, "you're willing to give something this precious to you…to me?"
"Of course, Drew. I'll do anything for you."
When Drew only stares, stunned, I take the box and carefully unpeel the necklace. "Turn around and bend down, please. You're too tall."
Drew does what I say without a word so I can lock the necklace around his neck. I already feel better seeing him wear it. If I can't be with him out in the cold, at least I've done something to keep him safe from it.
Drew turns back around and pinches the sun diamond. He stares at it, and then at me. Then he grabs my face and kisses me hard. I stumble back before we fall on my bed.
"Drew!" I gasp in surprise.
"My love," he unzips my dress, "you don't know what you do to me."
"Then show me."
And he does.
~.~
I don't follow Drew back to his car. We instead say our goodbye at the front door of the mansion, where there are witnesses. My chest is hurting. If Drew and I are alone right now, I don't think I'll let him go.
"I'll call whenever I can," Drew promises.
"Good."
"Call me when you need anything."
"Okay."
"I mean it, love. If there is anything, anything at all—"
"You've told me this trip is important. I don't want to distract or pull you from it."
"May."
"I'll call, I'll call."
I want to say more, much more. From the look on Drew's face, he does too.
But in the end, I only whisper, "Take care."
Drew opts to remain quiet. He pulls me into another hard, bruising kiss, and then strides out the door.
~.~
"Come in!"
Max comes into my bedroom and locks the door behind him. It's five o'clock in the evening. For a Sunday, he's coming home late. My book-nerd brother usually stays in on the weekends. "Uh, May, can we talk a bit? I think I have a plan to solve our problem."
I put aside my water bottle and usher him over. Right on time, since I've just gotten back from the gym. "Really? What have you come up with?"
Max inspects the room before standing in the middle of it with his arms crossed. "We should leave."
"Where?"
"I have friends around the world willing to house us in their kingdoms. I'm going to set up a day when you, me, and Adeline can get together and decide on a place. We have to leave Isle, May. It's not safe here anymore."
"What do you mean not safe? Have you forgotten everything Allistar has been doing? The kingdom is safer because of Allistar. Because of me!" I remind him. "And we're in line for the throne, Max. Our parents spent their whole lives building this kingdom so we can inherit it someday."
"Oh, c'mon, May! Both of us are of age to be king or queen, yet Uncle Davian is still king. If he marries and bears an heir, this kingdom could be his," Max frowns at a family picture I've hung on my wall. It has Mom and Dad in it, so of course, Max and I are children there. "We can either risk our lives fighting for power or retreat with what we have left. We've already lost our parents and our kingdom, May. If we stay longer, we can lose Adeline and my daughter too. We have to go."
I cross my arms. "What about Allistar?"
"I can ask my contacts if you can expand the foundation to their territories. There's more diversity there than here, so extending your reach to non-humans can boost Allistar's reputation—and income–too."
"What about Drew? My boyfriend? You think he'll be okay with me just leaving him?"
"King Andrew travels a lot. He doesn't live in Isle but sticks around for you. Let him do it again," Max clutches my shoulders. "But, May, if we leave this kingdom, you won't have to be with him anymore. You can break up with him and date someone less dangerous. Someone who won't hurt you."
I yank myself away. "Drew has never hurt me."
"But he can."
"Anyone can! Drew may scare you, Max, but he doesn't scare me."
"He's a vampire, May! Worse, the Vampire King! It's like a deer dating a taxidermist. How long do you think this relationship will last until he bleeds you dry?"
"Shut the fuck up, Max! I didn't judge you when you dated and knocked up your teacher."
"Goddamn it, May, just come and leave with us! It's for everyone's safety, not just yours!"
I glance at the frames on my wall and vanity and land on a picture of Brendan and me at a beach. I remember that day. That picture may look like two friends hugging, but I have a beach house at that particular beach. We made love there with our bathing suits on.
If only we knew then what would happen in a year or two.
"You can leave with Adeline, Max. She and your child are the ones in danger," I turn back to him. "Safe or not, I still need to know who killed Brendan."
"You know who killed Brendan," Max grits. "That's why we need to leave!"
"No, that's why you need to leave. If Uncle really is involved in Brendan's death, I need to be sure, and you need to be somewhere safe."
"What will you do if you find out the truth, May?"
Max watches me wearily like he's expecting me to say something violent. I'd be offended if he isn't justified but he is. I've been a violent person since I was a child. That trait of mine is muted enough to function in society today; but as Drew points out, I know my way around a fistfight and how to win it. Those skills don't come from nowhere. I've spent my younger years training to be unbeatable.
Now that I'm a vampire, I'll be even harder to take down.
Just ask Bastien to know how easy it is to lose to me. If Uncle Davian is guilty of what I think he's done and tries to get away with it, he won't get far. I won't let him.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Max waves. "I don't know what just got into your head, but I have a feeling it's not good."
I look right into his eyes. "It's not."
"Are you going to hurt Uncle Davian if he was involved?"
"What would you have done if it had been Adeline and your daughter that died then, and not Brendan and my child?"
"That wouldn't have happened."
"Are you saying you can protect your family better than I can protect mine? That's just hindsight, Max. The only reason you're thinking of running is because you're learning from my experience."
"May, just stop! I don't want to fight again. I just don't think hurting Uncle Davian is the right way to go. The legal system exists for a reason. No king will get away with what he's done—if he is guilty of it."
I doubt that, but of course, Max doesn't understand. He's only lost his family once; I've lost mine twice. He gets the luxury to be arrogant and ignorant because he hasn't lost as much as I have.
"Just leave with your family, Max. I'm staying to finish this. If I can't save Brendan, I can avenge him."
"Uncle is powerful, May. Taking him down won't be easy," Max warns. "And if you do take him down, someone may avenge him. He has powerful friends–or he's at least involved in things that need him alive. If you hurt or kill him, May, the same may happen to you. If you don't go to jail—that is. Or die there under mysterious circumstances."
"Max, everyone has had their happy ending but me. I've changed people's lives with my foundation but haven't done anything to change mine! I'm tired of being passive, Max. I need to do more. Not just for Brendan but also for me."
"You can get hurt."
"Then I'll finally pay for what I've done."
Max face palms and groans. When his hand goes down, he adds, "What about King Andrew? How would he feel if you got hurt?"
I tense. I've been so focused on getting my revenge that I've neglected to consider how it will affect Drew. That man is the most protective person I've ever met. I can't imagine how he'll react if he finds out I'm risking my life like this.
But in the end, it doesn't matter, does it? This isn't about him. This is about me and making things right.
"Does he know you're planning your revenge?" Max asks.
"No."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"No, this doesn't involve him."
"He's your boyfriend; of course, this involves him! And even if you want to keep him out of your plans, do you think he'll stay away?"
I slump. We both know the answer to that. "I'll deal with him. I don't have a plan to deal with Uncle yet anyway, so I have time. You're the one with a time constraint. When are you planning to leave with Adeline?"
"I don't want to leave without you, May," Max frowns.
"You don't have a choice. Uncle can find out about your baby at any time, and if he does…"
"I know, I know," Max is already grieving. "I'll talk with Adeline."
"Good. Just keep our plans between us, alright? Adeline can know what she needs to know, but not her sis—"
My phone chimes with an incoming text message. When I unlock the screen, I can only stare at what I see.
"What? What is it?" Max glances at my phone. He also freezes at what he sees. "Oh shit."
I know who killed your lover: Brendan Birch. Meet me alone tonight at eight PM so I can disclose this information. Call this number for the coordinates. If I see that you are not alone, our arrangement will end, and you will never know the truth.
"What the fuck?" Max screeches. "Who's this person, and how do they know you dated Brendan?"
"Only one way to find out," I call the number.
The phone rings twice before an automated voice recites latitude and longitude coordinates. When the call ends, I restart the recording so I can write the location on a piece of paper I rip out of a notebook.
"May, what the fuck? What the fuck?" Max paces across the room. "You're not going to go there, are you?"
"This is the first lead I've gotten to solving Brendan's murder," I tuck the paper into my leather jacket. "Do you really think I'm going to pass this up?"
"It may be a trap!"
"I know. I'll be armed."
"That's not enough! There's no way you can go there alone! Call the cops! Have a guard escort you!"
"Max, this person knows I dated Brendan," I remind him. "The only ones who know that are you, me, Dawn, and the court. I know Dawn didn't kill my boyfriend, so it must be someone at court like we'd predicted. We can't trust anyone to be there with me, especially not someone affiliated with the court. I have to do this on my own, Max. I don't have a choice."
Max grips his hair, making a mess of his black locks. "I can come with you, but…"
"No, you're not. You have a partner and a child. I'm not going to risk them losing you because of me. I have to do this on my own, Max. I'm the only one with nothing to lose."
"What about…King Andrew?"
"Drew? You mean the man you keep accusing of being a danger to me? That King Andrew?"
"Yes, that King Andrew! Goddamn it, May, anyone is better than you alone, at this point!" Max yells. "You can't go there, May! You're going to die!"
"No, I won't. I'll come out with what I want and finally put an end to this. Get out of my room, so I can change."
"But, May—"
"Now!"
Max leaves the room but stays in the hallway the whole time. When I see him again, I'm wearing my biker boots and a weapon under my jacket.
"It's only six o'clock, May," Max mutters weakly. "Where are you going?"
I pat his shoulder at first, then pull him into a big hug. Max squeezes me so tight, I have to wiggle out of his hold.
I throw him a smirk and walk away. "Target practice."
