AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why’re you sorry? I’m the ugly one.” He smiled, but it must’ve tugged at the burned flesh because he stopped. “I won’t be the ‘chick magnet’ and have to worry about women loving me for my pretty face any longer.”
Ray couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “You’re crazy.”
“I know. They caught the guy?”
“Macey did. Slid down the copper pipe like Kiera would.” He shook his head. She was incredible, and she was gone.
“Sweet. Who was it?”
“Lisa’s ex-boyfriend, Jobe.”
“Kid who kept climbing up to the castle?”
“Yeah. He had a friend climb it with him that night—a distraction. The friend claims it was just a dare, promises he didn’t know what Jobe was planning. Jobe has done it enough times that he knew where the cameras were and the guard’s rotation, knew you left your window open at night. He scaled the side of the castle with Gecko gloves. Lisa’s been questioned extensively, and they don’t think she was involved at all. She’s blaming herself because she loves you and she broke up with him over six weeks ago. That’s why Jobe went after you and when the notes started. Stupid, jealous kid.”
“Crazy.” T closed his eyes again. Ray wondered if he’d drifted off that quick. “Where is everybody?” he asked, keeping his eyes closed.
“Getting some rest at Steffan’s house. Malik’s coming at two. Everybody else will be here in the morning. Unless you want them to come now.”
“Nah. I’m pretty tired. I’ll take the morphine and rest.” His eyes flickered open. “After I talk to Macey.”
Ray’s stomach turned over. “Why?”
“To break off our engagement. My fiancée fell in love with my twin.” He smiled again, but stopped and muttered, “Ow.”
Ray stood and paced away from the bed.
“Ray?”
He paced back, not sitting down, clenching his fists. “Macey’s back in San Diego. Working with Sutton.”
T’s eyes widened, and he looked fully awake. “Why?”
“I … she … it’s what’s best, all right?”
“No, it’s not,” T hissed. “You love her. She loves you. Get over your tortured, sacrificing for everybody else, proud self-importance, and go get her.”
“It’s not about my pride and self-importance,” he protested.
“What is it about?”
Ray swallowed. His brother didn’t need this right now, but he heard himself say, “A few days before Mum died, she said to me, ‘You would do anything to protect this family, protect this kingdom. I know we’re safe with you around …’” He trailed off, and couldn’t look at his brother.
“So that’s why.” T sounded exhausted. “Mum would never expect you to take the load on yourself that you have. Mum would never have blamed you for her death.”
Ray knew that. In theory. But believing it … He clenched his fist and thumped it against his leg. Forcing himself to meet his brother’s gaze, he said nothing.
T’s eyes were tired but determined. “Mum’s death is not on your head. I’m fine. I’ll heal up, or I won’t. What do scars matter? Your soul mate is what matters. Go get her.”
Ray sank into the chair and stared at his brother. “If I hadn’t been so weak and kissed her, I would’ve been in the room with you and kept you from getting burned.”
T was worked up now, and even though it took a lot of effort, he laid into Ray. “For someone so smart, you’re being really stupid. Think about the timing. You wouldn’t have gotten there soon enough to stop the bomb. You would’ve gotten burned like I did. You’d be dead, or lying in a bed next to me. Let go of whatever guilt you have, about me and about Mum. Go get Macey. Mum would want you to.” He closed his eyes and seemed to sink into the bed, exhausted.
Ray shook his head, though T was probably right. He wouldn’t have made it in fast enough to stop Jobe; he would’ve just been lying in a hospital bed too. Or a coffin. It didn’t stop him from feeling guilty. His love for Macey was all tied up in that guilt. ‘Let go of whatever guilt you have’? He had no idea how to do that.
Besides, he had been responsible for security, so no matter how you looked at it, this was his fault. He’d even given T a hard time about leaving his window open at night and T had laughed and said the only person who could scale their walls was Kiera.
“I’m not leaving your side until you walk out of this room,” Ray insisted. “I need to be here.”
