Volumes of the Vemreaux Complete Collection: A Dystopian Adventure Trilogy, page 88
Killian began to breathe heavily as he opened the stapled shut wound even further, now that he knew he was safe. “They put a paper crown on me and took off my blindfold so I could watch them saw off my bodyguard’s arm. He’s changed Vemreaux, so it took them forever. I can still hear Isaac screaming when I’m in a dark room for too long. I slept with the lights on last night.”
At this, Blue stood up and limped over to the door. Killian relaxed when he saw that she locked it so they would not be disturbed. “Thanks,” he whispered.
Blue nodded and tripped on her way back to the bed. Killian moved stiffly over and helped her to her destination, surprised that she did not snap at the offer as she had in the dining room. He decided against teasing her about it.
“How’s your leg and your shoulder?”
“Can you keep my secrets if I keep yours?” Blue questioned, sizing up his answer while checking for tells.
“Of course. You can be my new therapist, and I’ll be yours. That way we can cry like girls in here with no witnesses, but out of this room, we’ll look all well-adjusted and put together.”
Blue smirked at the notion as she shifted on the bed. “My leg hurts real bad. It wasn’t too terrible when I woke up, but the pain keeps getting worse. My shoulder’s okay when I don’t move it, but every time it jostles just a little, it’s…not so great.” She shook her head. “Ugh! I’m whining. Gross! Sorry about that.”
“You don’t sound like you’re whining,” Killian offered. “But you do need to let Sam help you. You’re going to make it worse if you don’t rest.”
“I hate that word.” Blue frowned. “That’s all anyone tells me to do, but I can’t! Every time they give me the medicine for the pain, it puts me to sleep. But when I sleep, I see…bad things. Almost not worth the trouble.”
“What do you see?”
“The people I murdered. Their faces all bloody. Brody. My hands covered in blood and brains. They chase me until…until Frederick finds me.” She looked down at her lap guiltily. “He chases them off and stays with me in my dream. Ugh! I’m such a baby!” Her fingers began to itch with disgust again. She rubbed her free hand on her pants uncomfortably.
Killian had compassion on her newfound neurosis and pulled out another wipe. He spoke softly to her while he tended to her hands.“Dad’s probably in your dream because he stayed with us all night when we first got back. They put me in this room, too, at first, but then they moved me because you were screaming in your sleep. Dad held your hand most of the night, but when you started yelling and thrashing around, he held you until you calmed down.”
“That’s…that’s, um, really nice.” Blue’s lower lip quivered as the rest of her body began to tremble. “Why would he do that for me? What’s the angle? Why’s he so good?”
Killian switched from the foot of the bed to the head as he scooted in next to her. “Because he’s grateful that you saved my life and brought me home. There is no angle. He stayed by your side because he cares about you.” He put his arm around her head and brought it to his chest, careful not to bump her shoulder.
She permitted the comfort, indulging in the soothing embrace. “He shouldn’t. I’m not a good person.”
“I don’t know any who are blameless.”
Blue’s walls could take no more of his tenderness and understanding. Hard as she was, she began to break in Killian’s arms. “I always wanted a dad like Frederick and a mom who liked me! But now I finally get a dad, and he’s a rapist? What kind of crap is that? Why can’t I have a real dad?” She shook into his side as the emotions she’d been bottling up exploded. “Baird lied to me! He knew that Jack was my dad and he lied! I’ll never be able to see him again, and that could have been my one chance to have a dad. Even if it was only for a few minutes, I still would have wanted it! Baird’s never lied to me before, but I can’t trust him now. He’s a different person to me after this.” Killian kissed her hair, but the sweetness magnified her self-loathing. “And now you’re losing your uncle because of me! You get an A-blood murderer in your family, sir. I should be locked up, too!”
“Angel,” he cooed. “I don’t know who told you that Jack was a rapist, but he wasn’t. He told Baird and the police that all the women he slept with were consensual. Now, your mum died, but the other two testified that they were not raped. So yes, he’s still a criminal and he did a bad thing by being with women he was supposed to be watching over, but you weren’t conceived from rape.”
Blue’s muscles tensed up so that she would not give in to the tears that threatened her every breath. “Are you lying to me to make me feel better?”
“How about you and I don’t lie to each other?”
“Deal.”
“I’m not lying at all. Dad did the right thing by reporting him. And you’re not a bad person. You saved my life! If you hadn’t killed those people, they would have offed us, no doubt about it.” Blue’s shaking began to worry him, so Killian rocked them back and forth together, humming an old lullaby Josephine used to sing to him when he was a boy.
Several minutes passed, permitting her nerves to calm. “You’re nice,” Blue observed.
Killian chuckled. “What were you expecting?”
She shrugged, but regretted the action immediately. A rip of hot pain sliced through her shoulder. Blue swallowed down her yelp like a champ.
“Ah.” Killian smiled sadly as he leaned against the headboard. “Sam.” When Blue did not answer, he sighed. “He has every right to never forgive me. I destroyed him over a misunderstanding. What did he tell you?”
“Sam doesn’t lie to me, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I just didn’t know how much you knew. You don’t seem to hate me, so he can’t have told you everything.”
“It’s not my business.”
“Well, you’re my therapist, right? Confession’s good for the soul and all that?”
“Sam will tell me when he wants me to know.”
“How about I tell you everything now, so you can decide how bad of a person I am?”
“I can’t choose sides. You’re my family now, and he’s my…mine. It’s not my business, Killian.”
“A girl turning away from fresh gossip? That’s a first. I’ve got nothing to hide, Blue. I tried to destroy my best friend, and he’ll never forgive me for it. He shouldn’t forgive me. I don’t forgive me.” When Blue did not pry, he found that he wanted to confess his sins to her. She was the first person in his life who never asked what had happened to make Sam hate him so much. Taking in her bruised and scraped body, he wished with all he was that he did not have to take away her good image of him. “Have you met Claudia?”
Blue nodded once, her expression guarded.
“That’s what I thought. I’ve been trying to forgive her and let her into my life and my fiancée’s, but it’s a slow process. People who want forgiveness should try to forgive, right?” He leaned his head back and began his confession. “Sam’s been my best friend since we were kids. He saw everything my mum put us through. The affairs, running around on Dad for years before leaving him. Leaving us. Slept with Uncle Jack, too, the bastard.”
Blue gasped, betraying her interest.
“Why do you think Dad shipped him off to serve his sentence in the Americas? Liam got past it somehow, but I couldn’t. I shouldn’t have been surprised that she came onto Sam, really. Fems are always throwing themselves at him. Sam lived with us growing up because of his dad. Did he tell you about his dad?”
Blue nodded.
“Wow. You guys must be serious. He doesn’t talk about that with anyone. Punched a guy in the face once for just asking about his scars. But I saw her kiss him and I snapped. I’d never felt so betrayed. And Sam could’ve had any Fem. I didn’t bother getting my facts straight. I went straight to his dad’s and…”
“I know what happened with Sam’s dad and the absinthe,” Blue offered, not wishing for the man to feel worse after all he’d just been through.
“Do you know about his mum?”
Blue shook her head curiously.
“His mum’s a prostitute.”
“Don’t be cruel.”
“I’m not. I’m being truthful. That’s how she earns a living. Sam rarely saw her growing up. She was in and out of his life, like Claudia. Well, I didn’t believe him when he said he did not initiate the kiss, and that he pushed Claudia away. So I…” Killian swallowed. “I tracked down his mum and hired her for the night. Made front page of all the gossip tabloids that week. If dragging his dad back down didn’t obliterate him, that sure did.” Killian could not look up at Blue. “Do you regret saving my life now?”
Blue thought for a moment, and then ducked out of his embrace. When she spoke, it came out a whisper. “No. Sam deserves the chance to kill you, not those guys.”
“Believe me, I agree. If it helps my case at all, he did blow up my favorite car.”
“Doesn’t count. I’ve seen the garage. You’ve got lots of cars. Sam’s only got two parents.”
“Yep. Thought about that after the fact. He moved out for a while after that, drank a lot, slept around more than the norm with lower quality Femreaux than he usually demanded. I couldn’t look my dad in the face anymore, so I moved out. Finally, Liam went out and brought Sam home. They’ve been inseparable ever since. They have similar interests: drinking and women. They get along just fine. Always have. I began to see what an empty life I’d been living and what it drove me to, so I took up the campaign trail with Dad and accepted the offer to be groomed to rule after he retires. I’ve changed a lot since then. It was years ago, all of it. But I threw Sam away just like everyone else did. I was his best friend.” Killian sighed. “That he’ll never forgive me is irrelevant. I’ll never forgive myself.”
“I can’t believe that’s the kind of person you are. I thought maybe Sam was just holding a grudge.”
Killian snorted. “He’ll commit to a grudge more easily than a menu order.” Killian looked up at the ceiling, and then closed his eyes. “There’s more.”
“Honestly?” Blue was astounded the two ever existed under the same roof. “What more could there possibly be?”
“Do you know about Celilia?” When Blue shook her head, Killian hesitated. “Maybe Sam should tell you about what I did, then. I don’t want to cause problems.”
“Why would I be mad at Sam for something you did? Out with it.”
Killian took a deep breath to ready himself for the confession. “Celilia was the closest thing he had to a girlfriend before you, though he never called her that. They were a terrible match, but they were content being miserable together. Off again, on again, big fight, off again…you get the idea. Well, on one of their break-up periods, I slept with her to get back at him.”
“Killian!”
“I know. It was years ago. Stupid thing to do. Didn’t even like her. I just wanted to take her away from Sam.”
“I can’t believe you could hate someone so much.”
“It wasn’t even about Sam in the end. I took all my issues out on him. My mum. Julia dying. All of it was heaped onto him. Once I opened that door, the anger just kept on coming. I was young and foolish. I tried to make it right, but how do you come back from that? We’ll never be what we were, and we’ve both accepted that.”
Blue shook her head. “That’s not good enough.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t,” she scolded the powerful man. “If you break something, you fix it.”
“I tried to apologize, but he won’t hear it. Can’t say I blame him.”
“I didn’t say to apologize, I said to fix it.”
“Blue, I…”
“Fix it,” she commanded, training her most dangerous glower on the prince. “You will not lift a finger for yourself until you fix what you destroyed for Sam. If you want to be a good man, you will make up for what you did. Sorry fixes nothing.”
“But Blue,” he started.
“Nothing! There are two types of men: those who create and build and then the ones who destroy. You can’t just turn your back on the people you’ve crushed because they’re still in bits and pieces. Be a good man, Killian. Be a good man like your father. Find a way to repair the damage you did. Then make it your business to build Sam back up. Sam, his mom, his dad and Celilia. Everyone you broke.”
“I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to make good on the damage I’ve done.”
“I’m your new counselor, right?”
Killian nodded, retrieving a faint smile that got lost in the sea of guilt. “Yeah. I thought you were supposed to make me feel better.”
“You don’t ask for help to feel better. You ask for it to be better.” She stared up at him with sad eyes. “Be a better man, Killian. I didn’t bring you all the way back here so you could live an average life. Be a builder. Be a rebuilder. That’s your destiny.”
Killian took in her determination and pondered her words. “Thank you. No one talks to me like that.”
Blue picked at the hem of her shirt. “You were being honest. Seemed cruel to tell you only what you’d want to hear.”
“I just thought you should know it all up front. You can decide if we should be friends now, before we spend any more time together. Sam seems pretty attached to you. Like a completely different person than before I left.”
For several minutes, neither of them spoke. Killian shifted into the pillow, bumping his shoulder to her uninjured one. “What are you thinking?”
“That Vemreaux have a lot of sex.”
Killian laughed at her unexpected reply. “I suppose we do get ourselves into trouble with the excess, sure. I’m monogamous now. Engaged, actually.”
“Bernice,” Blue stated flatly.
“Have you met her?”
“At Thanksgiving. I don’t think she liked me much.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Killian replied. Though, as he thought about it, he began to doubt his quick assessment. He’d noticed Bernice was easily swayed by whatever was popular, and did not associate with the help whenever possible. “Well, she’ll love you now, what with you bringing me home and all. She hasn’t stopped by yet, but when she does, I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”
“I thought Frederick was keeping my identity a secret, sir.”
“From my fiancée?”
Blue shrugged with one shoulder.
Killian opted for a change of subject. “They’re talking about you out there, you know.” He reached over and picked up her hand, warming the rough knuckles between his palms. “This is definitely a hand-holding moment. I’ve got to tell you something else. Something big.”
Blue’s mouth fell open. “What next? What else could you possibly have done to Sam?”
“Not Sam. This one’s about you. My turn to be your therapist.” He watched her eyebrow pucker. “First off, Sam and Alec killed the guy what shot you. No one’s left who captured and tortured us.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good. Saves me a trip back to the island. That’s the big thing you had to tell me?”
“No. It’s about Jack. My uncle. Your dad.” He took a deep breath to steady himself before turning her world upside down. “Uncle Jack used your mum’s blood to fake your blood type when you were born, so he wouldn’t get caught. You’re not A-blood, Blue. You’re B-blood. Vemreaux, just like me.”
This snapped her out of the pit. “What?”
“Doctor Victor confirmed it and everything. Baird and Griffin are AB-blood, which still makes them Wayward. Probably why Baird doesn’t smell as strong as a true A-blood. But you’re Vemreaux, Blue. That’s why you don’t smell Wayward, and probably where some of your strength comes from. Jack’s Original Vemreaux, just like my mum and dad. You all got his eyes, but you also got the blood type.”
“What?”
Killian wrapped an arm around her for solidarity. “Dad’s explaining to everyone out there that the money Liam put out to free you is being transferred, since you should have been a free citizen in the first place. Baird’s already owned, so we just have to lay down another five hundred thousand to free him. His owner already signed him over to Dad. Half of Liam’s payment is being put toward that, and the other half will go toward freeing your friend, Elle.”
“What!?” she exclaimed loudly.
“Dad said that the two of you made a deal before you left. That if you brought me home, he would free your brother. Well, Griffin’s got A-blood in him, so he has to stay in The Way until he’s of age. Soon as Griffin hits nineteen, we’ll get him. I promise. Dad had to lean on your old headmaster, Greely, a little bit, but Griffin’s being transferred to The Way East here in Europe, so we can go visit him whenever we want. Threatened him with the press and came in with a petition signed by the king himself.”
Blue opened her mouth, but had no words.
“It’s done, Blue. You’re our family, and you belong here with us.”
“I can’t believe Joe just gave up Baird and Elle like that. She’s the best waitress, and Baird runs everything. I don’t believe it. It isn’t true!”
“Liam helped out there. He reported Joe to Wayward Services again when Baird told him that nothing had changed. I guess your living arrangements in the Americas wasn’t up to code?”
“No kidding.”
“Joe had time to do something about it, but he didn’t. So his Waywards are being taken from him and placed back in The Way West. Dad and Liam stepped in and offered to pay the remainder to free them.” He smiled to himself. “I guess my little brother’s really an adult now. I’m pretty proud of him.”
“Well, what about Grettel? Is Androo free now, too?”
Killian shook his head. “I guess Androo was bought by another restaurant in the area at a bargain price. And Grettel chose to go back to The Way. But Elle and Baird are free now, or they will be, once the paperwork’s settled. I guess Baird’s flying out tomorrow to go get her.”
