“You’re rife with them, princess.”
I bite back the urge to ask Tyler not to call me that, but instead, I’m stuck recalling how differently Zeke sounds when says it. He always whispers it like it’s a secret between us, like I’m precious to him, and he doesn’t want anyone else to have me.
“You make me sound like the Wicked Witch of the West.”
“Have you been online? You might as well be. People think you faked your death to garner sympathy.” I did fake my death, but the last thing I cared about was their fucking sympathy. “The scandal is already brewing and has been for weeks. You don’t even have to start the fire. You just need to fan the flames.”
I drum my fingers on my thigh as I give it some thought. “What about Allesi?”
“Theblogger?” Tyler immediately exclaims. “No.Hellno. Allesi is a fucking psycho. I don’t think we need to go that extreme.”
“I’ve met psychopaths,” I say, thinking of Isaac. “Allesi isn’t one of them. He’s a pest, but he can make waves. The bad kind we need. And he can make it believable since everyone knows he hates me. We need to get the job done quickly, and Allesi is nothing if not a sweeping plague.” When Tyler still doesn’t look convinced, I add, “We’ll only create just enough of a scandal that itfeelslike the perfect storm but nothing that I can’t bounce back from.” But then I remember how it was the last time the wholeworld was against me, and I begin to lose some of my nerve. “Fuck.”
“Fuck,” a small voice echoes. Surprised, I twist to see a partially nude Coda ambling into the room, wearing only a diaper and clutching his father’s drumstick. He loses his balance and then rises to take more unsteady steps toward the couch where we’re sitting. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
I clap a hand over my mouth while Tyler and I stare at each other with guilty eyes. Coda stumbles over to me and then uses my knee to stay upright, so I lean down and lift him onto my lap. I see Tyler frowning down at my stomach when my shirt pulls tight over it from the movement. I’ve always had a bit of a belly, but it’s rounder and firmer than before. When his questioning eyes snap up to meet mine, I shake my head, silently telling him I don’t want to talk about it.
I take the drumstick from Coda before he pokes his eye out, and a moment later, there are multiple footsteps rushing toward the room. Rich enters first. And then Braxton, Loren, and Houston taking up the rear.
Loren stops abruptly when he sees that Coda’s fine, which causes Houston to collide into his back. Coda, seeing all of his parents together, rises onto his feet excitedly while I hold him steady. He’s back to babbling again as if he’d never spoken.
“Did he just speak?” Rich asks with a mixture of excitement, confusion, and dread in his gray eyes at his son’s first word and possibly missing it.
“Nope,” I immediately lie with a shake of my head. “I don’t think so.”
The members of Bound all give a collective sigh. Braxton takes her son and the five of them leave the room until Tyler and I are alone again.
“Oni said you wanted me back as your bodyguard,” Tyler says before exhaling shakily. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” His voice cracks. “I’m still not at a hundred percent.”
“Of course I’m sure. There’s no one else this side of Canada that I trust to keep me safe. But only if you’re willing. You don’t owe me anything, Tyler.” I take his hand, and he squeezes mine in return. “It’s me who owes you everything.”
“I’m here for you, Aurelia. For however long you need me.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Rich asks a week later. His brows are dipped with concern as he and the rest of his family stand together in the front door of their home facing me. “You don’t have to go so soon.”
But I do. I’ve already lost too much time. Now that I’m alive and the world knows it, according to Oni and her investigators, my uncle has been selling off my property and stocks without my consent, using the proceeds to fund his own businesses and portfolios, and slowly hiding as much of my wealth as he can before I have a chance to reclaim it.
He nearly killed Thor, and now he’sstealingfrom me.
“She’s ready,” Braxton answers when she notices the look in my eyes.
“Then good luck,” Houston offers.
“You know where to find us if you need us,” Loren says with a salute.
“Thank you. For everything.”
Tyler and my bags are already waiting for me in the car, ready to ferry me back to Los Angeles, so I turn to go.
“Relly!” Loren calls out before I can climb in. I turn my head to silently regard him. “You’re still the second baddest to ever live,” he says with that magazine-worthy smile.
“And let me guess, you’re the first?” Climbing in, I slip my shades over my eyes and shut the door to the sound of Bound’s raucous laughter.
EXCLUSIVE | AURELIA STUNS IN FIRST OFFICIAL SIGHTING
2 hours ago
By Allesi | The Tea Sip
