“What else did Uncle Ace say?”
“He wanted everything on the kid, so he could kill him,” Dad replied, all calm and casual, as if murder was something fathers and sons discussed all the time. Dad’s arms fell to his side and gestured towards my knuckles. “However, it was quite the surprise when I discovered he was already in the hospital with a number of injuries.”
“Surprised? Really?” I mean, the man did raise me after all.
“Surprised that you hadn’t said anything,” he clarified.
I laughed. “Tell Uncle Ace and Aunt Ava that Ashton Childress has been taken care of, thoroughly.” I shrugged a shoulder. “But if they still want him dead, that can happen.”
Dad eyed me. “Is it all taken care of?”
I knew what he meant. He wanted to make sure we had covered our asses. “Yeah, it is,” I assured him. “Mad took care of any cameras.” Then that word brought me up short, and Dad must have seen it on my face.
“Ram?” Mom and Dad were the only ones who called me Ramsey or Ram, while the rest of the family called me R.J., sometimes Ram. Everyone else who didn’t matter called me Reed.
I stared at my dad and asked, “How did you know Mom was the one for you?”
His brows furrowed with the change of subject. “What?”
“How did you know she was the one for you?” I asked again. “How were you so certain?” Thoughts of Lake Warren have been assaulting me all day, and it was more than thoughts about what she might have seen last night. I had this swirling feeling in my gut, and it was directly tied to her.
When I had come across those pictures on her camera and thought she had lied about having a boyfriend, I had felt sincere jealousy for the first time in all my life, and it had left me a bit unhinged. Blackmailing her for those pictures had been low, but I justified it by knowing that I’d never share those pictures with someone else.
The plain fact of it all was that, the second I had put my hands on Lake Warren, something had changed. And the desire to own her was growing with each passing minute of each passing day. And since my parents’ love was legendary, I needed some input.
“The second I saw her, I felt her,” he finally answered. “We were at a party, in a house full of people, but there was only her.”
I knew it was the truth, but I still asked. “You’re really telling me it was love at first sight?” There have always been jokes, and looking at the both of them, you’d believe it. But still.
“For me, it was,” he clarified. “Your mother…uh, she had different feelings about it.”
I laughed. “Made you work for it, did she?”
His face softened, and there was so much pride in his expression, it felt like I was intruding on something very personal. “Your mother made me fight for it, Ram,” he corrected. “She was the most magnificent thing I’d ever fucking seen. She still is.”
I felt what he was saying, and that was scary. “There was a witness,” I admitted.
His back straightened as his expression cleared. “And?”
“She’s the most magnificent thing I have ever fucking seen,” I told him.
He didn’t say anything for a bit, but when he finally did, I’d never felt more grateful to have a man like my father on my side. “Just let us know whatever it is you need, Ram.”
I let out the deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding in. “Thanks, Dad.”
Then he smirked. “Good luck, son.”
I laughed. “Thanks,” I told him. “Because I’m going to need it.”
Chapter 6
Lake~
It was Wednesday afternoon, school was out, and I just wanted to go home and eat my confusion and feelings away.
My pictures haven’t been plastered all over the internet, nor has anyone attempted to kidnap me in a bid to ensure my silence. But my nerves were still pretty much frayed by this point.
I didn’t like being at the mercy of Ramsey Reed, and that’s how I felt. As much as I was grateful to have my camera, it wasn’t worth the price of my sanity, and I was seeing that now. I could have easily gotten a cheaper camera or something to tide me over until I could afford better. Sure, this newfound realization was a few days too late, and that was what was grating on my nerves.
I let Ramsey bully me and I shouldn’t have.
“Hey, do you think you can borrow your Mom’s car Friday?” Eden asked.
“For the party?” We never drove to parties. We either walked or hitched rides. A few times, we’ve called a cab or Uber’d our way around because, not only was drinking and driving dangerous, our families didn’t have the money or clout to get us out of drunk driving charges.
“No, not for the party.” Eden smiled. “The drama department got a new donation, so they’re getting rid of a lot of old costumes and props and stuff. I wanted to grab a few things.” Eden wanted to be a producer, whether plays, movies, music, whatever, she just wanted to create from her imagination, so she was heavily involved in our arts program.
“Oh, okay,” I replied, pretty sure Mom would say yes. “I’ll ask.”
“Thanks, Lake. That’s so-holy shit,” she rushed out. “Is that…that Reed Jr.?”
My head jerked around, and holy shit was right. Parked in a goddamn reserved parking spot for faculty was a shiny black Range Rover, and Ramsey fucking Reed Jr. was casually leaning up against its side with muscular, sinewy arms crossed over his chest.
Goddamn it.
While my hope was that he was here for something legitimate, my entire being screamed that he was here for me. But why? He’d secured my pictures and silence already, what more could he possibly want with me? Other to torment me, of course.
And I hated how shitty I felt at possibly being ‘caught’. I hadn’t told Eden anything about how I’d met Satan 2.0 up close and personal on Sunday night, and that made me feel like the worst kind of best friend. I had really hoped I’d seen the last of the guy when he had let me go, but I guess I was wrong.
“What in the hell is he doing at SC?” she mumbled quietly, like she was thinking out loud. And my stomach sank even further when she said, “He doesn’t mess with girls outside of Windsor, or so I’ve heard. And he’s not friends with any of the guys here, so what the hell?”
And then, before I could comment or fucking turn around and head the other way, his chin lifted in challenge, and he crooked his finger at me. Beside me, I heard Eden let out a little gasp, and that was enough to ignite my anger. Sure, it was my fault I’d kept this thing with Ramsey from Eden, but him showing up here was uncalled for. Eden was right. There was no reason for him to be here.
“Did he just…is he calling you?” she whispered in surprise.
“I’ll explain later,” I promised her. “Just…don’t show any weakness, okay?”
“Don’t show any weakness?” she squawked under her breath. “Why? What the hell is going on?”
“I’ll tell you later,” I repeated, but before she could ask the millions of questions that were racing through her mind, Ramsey straightened to his full height, a clear indication that he didn’t like that I hadn’t jumped when he had ordered me to.