Just Between Us (The Kings)

My knees sankinto the mud as Veda fell apart and I held her.

My heart pounded as orders were barked and yelling swirled around us. She was small and fragile in my arms, and I wrapped myself around her. My father was hauled to his feet after being stunned by the Taser. His khaki chinos were covered in mud, and he’d pissed himself.

Officers walked Bowlegs away in handcuffs, his head hung low.

Veda’s chin tipped up, a tear creating a clean path through the smudge of dirt on her cheek. “I’m sorry, Royal. I am so sorry.” She broke down again, repeating the words I’m sorry over and over.

I held her close and hummed. We rocked, and I tried to calm her in whatever way I could. Anger boiled inside me, but she was safe, and I forced myself to focus on that simple fact.

Veda’s hand swiped across her face and under her nose. “He said it. Out loud.”

I studied her pinched features, trying to make sense of what she was telling me.

Her chin wobbled. “He took your mother’s life. She’s gone.”

Emotion swelled and burned in my nose. My jaw flexed. I nodded and held her closer, unable to speak.

We finally know the truth.

From behind me, footsteps drew my attention, and I turned to see Abel and a man I didn’t recognize shaking hands with a police officer. I carefully adjusted Veda, helping her to her feet. Abel and the man approached.

“Royal,” Abel said. “This is John Cannon, the PI who’s been working Mom’s case.”

I shook the man’s hand. John was tall and broad. Though his jaw was set, his green eyes gave away a weariness that he’d seen a lot in his time as a private investigator.

I wrapped my arm around Veda’s waist. “This is⁠—”

John held his hand out for Veda. “Good work, Miss Bauer. You were incredible.”

Veda sniffed and gave him a watery smile as she shook his hand and exhaled. “Thank you.”

I looked down at her. Questions and confusion swirled in my mind.

Veda gave me a small smile. “We met earlier today . . . to compare notes.”

John had been searching for any information about our mother, so it made sense that Veda would want to see whether he had uncovered anything that would be relevant to the work she’d been doing.

A harsh silence fell over the group as my father was led down the trail path in handcuffs.

My father turned, red faced and resisting his bindings. “This is entrapment! She’s a damn liar! I was coerced!” Spit dribbled onto his chin as the officer urged him forward and out of view.

My fist curled. I shook my head and exhaled. “I’m still trying to wrap my brain around what happened here.”

John stepped forward. “He confessed to harming your mother.” He jiggled his phone. “We don’t have all the details, but his confession was recorded, thanks to Veda.”

Abel dragged a hand through his hair. “He just . . . admitted everything?”

“Veda knew what buttons to push, and he admitted enough.” John shrugged. “It’s called an excited utterance—something blurted out in the midst of an emotionally charged event without premeditation or deliberation.” He shook his head. “It’s a damning piece of evidence that is absolutely admissible in court, which, in short, means he’s fucked.”

“Unbelievable.” Abel looked over the black waters of the lake.

John gestured toward Veda. “We met this afternoon, and Veda filled me in on what you’ve been up to.” He shook his head in disbelief. “The pictures around town, a nosy reporter, the billboard—even Sylvie wearing your mother’s old jacket. Veda suspected your father was nearing the end of his rope. She thought maybe all he needed was a little nudge.”

My fist clenched at my side. “And you thought it was a good idea for her to do the nudging.”

Abel stepped forward, sensing the tether on my anger was about to snap.

“Hey.” John’s hands raised. “This was her idea. She wanted to go in with a wire. I had the police ready to intervene. We had a code word. She was safe.”

I took an aggressive step forward, tucking Veda behind me. “Look at her face, asshole. You call that safe?”

“Royal, I’m okay. I promise.” Veda’s hand rested softly on my forearm. “Your dad doesn’t like women, especially women who push back. It had to be me. I was confident that I could goad him enough to get him to crack.”

I faced her, smoothing her tousled black hair away from her gorgeous face. Her eye was already swollen, and an angry bluish purple had bloomed at the corner. “It was reckless.”

“I took a few notes from the Royal King playbook.” She lifted a shoulder. “I guess sometimes breaking the rules works.”

My hands framed her face, letting the world around us fade away. “Goddamn, I love you, Precious.”

Her pretty face split into a grin. “I love you too.”

I bent to capture her lush mouth with mine. My hand planted against the center of her back, pulling her into me. Veda opened for me, sliding her tongue against mine and moaning into the kiss.

Every cell in my body ignited.

Behind me, my brother cleared his throat. I broke the kiss, determined to finish that particular conversation later, when I could get her alone and check every inch of her to make sure she was, in fact, unharmed.

“This is really fucking messy, you know.” Abel dug a thumb into his palm. “I have a feeling this is far from over.”

My lips flattened. “I know.” I looked down at Veda’s gorgeous face and grinned. “This is just the beginning.”

My siblings and I stood in a line outside the house as we stared up at the King estate. It had never been a home—not really. Though Aunt Bug had always done her best, the threat of our father showing up had always lent a tense edge to the air inside the house.

“We could burn it down.” I glanced at Abel and realized he wasn’t joking.

Whip shrugged. “Or sell it.”

MJ kicked the dirt with the toe of her canvas sneaker. “This is Bug’s home. I think she should decide what happens to it.”

JP wrapped an arm around our little sister’s shoulder. “I think so too.”

Sylvie was quiet as she stared up at the huge house with its white siding and ornate awnings. Her chin wobbled and my throat went thick.

“She’s really gone.” Sylvie’s voice was barely above a whisper. I closed the gap between us and held her in my arms. She looked up at me. “Did you know? Did you know she was dead?”

I rested my chin on her head as I looked at our childhood home. “I didn’t know. I think a part of me hoped she had just left, maybe?” I sighed. “But what’s worse? A mother who never loved us and left, or the fact that he took her from us?”

MJ’s chin lifted. “I hate him.” I watched as sweet MJ, who never spoke a bad word about anyone, looked as hard as stone.

I could hate him for that alone.

“We don’t need him,” Abel said, his booming voice commanding. “I know I sure as fuck don’t.”

MJ linked her arm with Sylvie’s and then her other with Whip’s. “We’ve got each other, right?”

He smiled at our little sister and thumped his hand on Abel’s back. “Damn right.”

I looked at JP, who had barely spoken a word since we’d gotten there. “You going to be okay?”

His jaw clenched and he nodded.

Worry rippled through me, but I tamped it down. JP was a big boy, and I had to rely on faith alone that he’d help us all out of the mess Dad had created.

I slipped my hand into the pocket of my slacks and pulled out my phone. “I’ll let Bug know the house is hers. In the meantime, let’s get Dad’s shit moved out of there.” I pointed at Abel. “That, we can burn.”

A wry, uncharacteristic laugh slipped out of Abel. “Deal.”

The corner of my mouth lifted. Our father may be a soulless, murdering bastard, but maybe the Kings would make it out on the other side after all.