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I did it. I really curled up a fist and socked Prince Samsyn of Arcadia in his huge, arrogant shoulder. Didn’t matter that it felt like punching a lead pipe or that his whole form shook with his answering snicker. I felt better. A little.
“Well,” I finally muttered. “You sure as hell found a good way to pay me back for the boba.”
He stood, still smirking, though reestablished his military stance. Even re-parked the sunglasses over his eyes. “No,” he stated while pulling a crisp white envelope out of his shorts pocket. It was definitely for me. I spotted my name in swooping letters. “This is proper payback.”
I took it from him—with shaking fingers. “Wh-what is…”
“Just look at it.” His tone was back to military mode too. The commanding officer part. “And as you do, know two things.”
I arched a brow while sliding a thumb under the flap. “Two things I want to know?”
I was pretty sure, beneath the shades, his ice blue eyes executed a perfect barrel roll. “Number one: I have some meetings up at Hueneme today, and will not be leaving from LAX until tomorrow morning.”
Okkaaayyy.
Curiosity. Spiked.
“What’s number two?”
“The training team is on a few days of leave.” He paused before stabbing me with the inevitable conclusion to that. “Shiraz is enjoying it at home, in the Palais.” He added a blatant grimace. “‘Enjoying’ being a relative term for my brother right now.”
The man actually made that his parting shot.
In a little disbelief, I watched him cover the walk back to the parking lot with wide, sure strides. A group of women in business suits, enjoying an early lunch break in the park, boldly gawked as he strode by. Their faces fell when his wedding ring glinted in the sun. There went another Cimarron man, shattering libidos and hearts in his wake.
The thought would’ve likely spurred a laugh—if I wasn’t so terrified of what this damn envelope contained. I looked down at the expensive vellum inside the flap. My head throbbed. My heart played a drum solo against my ribs. I felt like Bella Swan, splashing across an Italian fountain on the way to her possible doom.
I took a huge, long breath.
Tugged at the paper inside.
“Time to get wet, Luce.”
I’d had to say it.
Because the next moment, I turned it into prophecy. New tears burst, drenching my cheeks, as my eyes skimmed down the imprinted text inside, and zoomed in on the hand-written note at the bottom.
Lucy:
Pleasecome.
Weallneed you here.
You are family.
Jayd
Everything mushed together. The words on the page. The sun and the grass and the waves. Hard, stupid crying had that effect on the world, I guess.
So did the power of six dumb little letters, formed into a word that had never meant a thing to me.
And now meant everything.
Family.
