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1
One month earlier.
“What is it, Asia?” Camden asks, gently grasping hold of the paper. I let it slide from between my fingers unable to react.
It can’t be true.
It can’t.
I stumble a little, my knees sagging. Eastern hauls me upright, pulling me into his side as we all listen to Camden read the note out loud. Every word slashes against my skin, widening the cuts they’ve already made, scarring me deeper than a knife ever could.
“You’re hisdaughter?” Camden accuses, his hand dropping, the note fluttering to the floor. In my peripheral vision I see Sonny crouch down, reaching for the piece of paper, but my attention is fixed on Camden.
“I…”
“This is bullshit, of course she isn’t. There’s no fucking way!” Eastern snaps, hauling me closer, crushing me against him as if that alone can protect me from the truth. I can barely stand upright, let alone form any words to protest as vehemently.
He’s my father.
Monk’s my brother.
They have Pink.
“We don’t know anything for certain,” Hudson says, but I can tell he doesn’t believe his words any more than I do.
He gives me a sorrowful look and there’s something about that which makes this so much worse. If it’s true and I am the King’s daughter, then his blood runs in my veins.
“Him…?”
My voice trails off as I try to wrap my head around the news. The room seems to expand then shrink and I feel strange in my skin all of a sudden, like I don’t belong. A dull pain begins to thud in my head, a feeling that has become familiar lately. I reach for my temple trying to rub away the oncoming migraine and the weird feeling inside.
“This is bullshit,” Eastern repeats as my mind races with questions.
Do I look like him? I know I’ve got my mother’s olive skin and dark hair, but my nose is a completely different shape to hers and my lips are fuller. And what about Monk? He’s my half-brother. Did he know I was his sister when I started Oceanside Academy? Had he known when he’d hunted me down with his wolves? When I hit him, intent on hurting him as much as he hurt me. When I beat him in the fight, did he know who I was then? Or was it after? Is that why he accepted me into the HH crew? Is that why he took Pink because he knows what she means to me and he wants revenge? All these thoughts flit like angry ravens trapped inside my head, their claws and beaks tearing at my flesh and bones, reaching inside for my DNA, searching for the truth.
I want answers, I want to understand.
But there’s not one person in this room who can tell me. The only man who cangive me what I need is the arsehole who’d rather kidnap my friend and use her against me to get what he wants, than to actually act like a father should. Well, fuck him and fuck his shitty son too. Fuck them both…
“Fuck…They’ve got Pink.” I shake my head, trying to rid myself of the feeling that somehow I’m responsible for all this.
“None of this makes any sense. How could Monk walk out of Oceanside with Pink? Tell mehowthe fuck that happened!” Eastern snaps, his anger drawing everything back into sharp reality. He’s glaring at Frank who clears his throat with a loud cough, sending my scattered thoughts into chaos. I shake my head trying to focus on what he’s saying.
“…One of the kids set a fire in the rec room in the main building. Both Buddy and I went to deal with it… Monk must’ve made his escape with Pink whilst we were distracted.”
“So you were tricked by a bunch of fucking teenagers? Is that what you’re saying?” Ford asks, his voice is cold, deadly in its calmness as he approaches us. “I thought you were an ex-marine or something? Aren’t you supposed to be the best of the fucking best?” He barks out a laugh. “No match for a bunch of street kids, eh?”
“We underestimated them. We made a mistake not checking on everyone after the fire had been put out. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“Fuck your apologies. Fuck you all. Pink is in the hands of that little prick and his bastard dad because you couldn’t see past a simple distraction trick. Fuckingidiots,” Eastern seethes.
Frank flinches. “It was a mistake. One that won’t happen again.”
“Damn fucking right it won’t if I have anything to say about it,” Camden says stepping forward and smashing his fist into Frank’s cheek before anyone can stop him. “That’s for fucking up!” he roars, spittle flying from his mouth in anger.
Frank doesn’t retaliate. He simply rubs at his cheek and nods his head, accepting Camden’s form of punishment. Beside him Hudson grits his jaw and I can hear Cal swearing under his breath, but neither make a move to step in.
“I’ll do everything I can to help get her back,” Frank responds with a clipped tone, before turning on his heel and striding from the room, his large muscles bunching with stress as he walks away.
