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When I next looked up, Caleb and River had joined.
“Is it so odd for someone to be cooking in your kitchen?” I asked.
Emily chuckled. “It’s odd for you to be out of your room. You know, after everything.”
I smiled. It didn’t feel quite as forced, but it also wasn’t as happy either. I wasn’t over what happened. “Does Drake do some counseling in between his work for you guys?” I asked.
“Not that I’m aware of, why?”
“Let’s just say he helped to draw me out.”
“Drake did?” Gael asked.
I nodded.
“Well, fuck me. That guy is pretty useful after all.” He let out a snort.
“A man of many talents,” Caleb said.
“Yeah, and I know you’ve guys have been really nice putting up with me and all, but I was wondering if it would be at all possible to go back to England?” I’d been thinking about this all afternoon, and it was where I wanted to go.
“England?” Emily asked.
“Yeah.” I looked between all five of them, and they seemed a little surprised. “Is everything okay?”
“England’s not your home,” Gael said.
“Actually, it is. Crude Hill isn’t my home. I don’t belong here.”
“Ashley, this is your home.”
“No, it wasn’t. My mom lived here to fuck your dad easily. She wanted a good life, and she got it. I totally understand what she wanted, but I’m not her. This life isn’t mine. There is nothing here for me, and I don’t want to stay here, waiting to see if you’ll marry me off or something.”
“That would never happen,” Emily said, slamming her hand on the counter.
The last thing I wanted to do in the world was upset her. She was heavily pregnant.
“I don’t mean it like that. You’ve all got a job around here, and I cook. That’s it. I’m not designed for this life with you all. My mom dragged me into your world, and with the threat now gone, don’t you see? I should be able to survive without any of you, right? I can go back to England, but as myself. I don’t even have to go to London. I can go anywhere. I just, that place felt more like home than this one. It’s time for me to move forward, not look back. Earl made his choice.”
Emily got to her feet and came toward me. I’d already added some tomatoes to the pot as well as some good vegetable stock. It smelled amazing, and I was hungry.
My best friend pulled me into her arms.
“I don’t want you to go. I don’t think it’s fair.”
I wrapped my arms around her. “I know, but this isn’t about you. It’s about me, and I know I can’t truly heal being here. He’s not coming back, Em. I need to do this for myself. Please.”
Emily pulled away enough to cup my face. Tears glistened in her eyes, but I wasn’t going to back down. I’d made my decision. Crude Hill had offered me nothing but pain, from my mom, Emily’s dad, and now Earl. I needed to leave. To find my own roots, to find my own way of life.
“Fine. We’ll help every single step of the way. You’re always going to be family to me, Ash. Blood or not, I’ll help you.”
****
Earl
“What do you want me to do?” Caleb asked.
I didn’t want him to talk. He’d already said enough, and now I was pissed off. Sitting in my office, in my kingdom with the Knight threat close at hand, this wasn’t the news I wanted to hear.
“This is what she wants?” I asked.
“This was all Ashley’s suggestion. Nothing Emily or we say is going to change that. She wants a clean break.”
Against the Monsters’ Crew liking, I’d found a way to get regular updates about my woman. I’d asked them first, but they’d refused. Then I’d gone to Emily. After that, I’d reached out to Drake.
They were all loyal to the Monsters’ Crew and to Ashley. So I’d had no choice but to hire someone to find out how my woman was doing.
Ashley had struggled.
No, she was downright fucking in pain. I didn’t know how they managed to get close to her, but I’d been sent a video of the noises coming from her room. The man I’d hired had turned up dead with the Monsters telling me not to send anyone else or they’d all end up the same way.
We were all kings in our world, and working together proved difficult. The fact Caleb was even giving me this call was a giant fucking leap.
“Why are you calling me now?” I asked.
“I didn’t have to call you,” he said.
I wanted to drag his ass right in front of me so I could pound it. Then he’d be done with his smartass answers.
“I know what you didn’t have to do, fucking prick. I want to know why you’re contacting me now when you told me to stay the hell away.”
