Royal Prick (A Stepbrother Romance) (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

-Noelle

His grip was tight against my hand, so tight I almost worried that I was losing blood circulation and would end up with a bruise from where his hand gripped mine. Acid burned up my throat as equal amounts of fear and excitement rolled through me. I wanted Royal since the moment I met him, and more and more the longer I spent time with him. Now I was finally going to get him and best of all I was getting him for who he was, not the person he wanted me to see him as.

Not a tame version of him. All of him.

                     “Do you want me to kill you quick or fuck you to death?” he quipped. I couldn’t resist the comment that was sitting on the tip of my tongue.

                     “The second one please!” I must have answered him with far more excitement than he wanted because in the blink of an eye I was slammed against the brick wall of the warehouse, the jagged pieces of the brick digging into my skin as his beautifully dark face showed right in front of me. Barely contained rage burned in his eyes.

                     “Is this some type of fucking game too you, Noelle?” he growled the words out, sniffing the air around me. I laughed, shaking my head no, a small hiccup escaping from my lips.

                     “Of course not, my dark prince,” I giggled making fun of his fighting name.

                     “Are you drunk? You smell like you have been swimming around in a fucking pool of alcohol!” I could see the anger mounting. The happiness I felt just moments ago was fleeting. In its place was my own trembling anger. I told him more than once that judging me wasn’t going to be something that I would allow. I wasn’t going to be told what I could and couldn’t do anymore. I don’t know why he thought he was my fucking keeper or that he had any say in my life.

All he did was play games.

                     “No shit, of course I’ve been drinking. You would have to drink too, to get through my life, asshole. I have a bitch for a mother and then there is you, and your back and forth bullshit!” I yelled at him, my eyes lingering over his lips. I wanted to lean in and kiss him. I wanted to place my soft lips against his hard ones and see where the action would take us.

                     His pale blue eyes darkened, as he looked me up and down. I was wearing a mini-skirt and a shirt that showed more cleavage than was acceptable. I knew the disapproving gleam in his eyes was geared toward that.

                     “Please tell me you didn’t willingly let that fucker kiss you. Please tell me you didn’t go out with Jordan wearing this, and please for the ever loving fuck of God tell me that nothing happened between the two of you?” Fear laced his words. The anger he had for me went out the window and for some reason that didn’t sit well with me.

I wanted the angry Royal, the man that wanted to rip my clothes to shreds. The one that pulled me in here wanting to fuck me against this wall without a care in the world.

                     “Who cares about any of that? I want you,” I purred against his chest, reaching out for him. I just needed to feel his touch against my skin, to feel his body close to mine, and to feel him deep inside of me.

                     “I do, Noelle.” He grabbed my wrists stopping me from touching him. “I care, baby.” Leaning into my face he placed a soft kiss on my forehead, dragging his lips down my face to land against my cheek. There were smear marks of blood on my hands from touching Royal, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care how bloody or sweaty he was, I just wanted him to continue touching me.

                     “It doesn’t matter what happened with him. It’s in the past, and I’m here with you. Only ever you.” I breathed him in— his scent, his touch calming me. My belly was churning, a lightheaded feeling coming over me.

                     “I didn’t want you to see me like that. I’m not the same person when I’m fighting as I am right this second. I’m different when you’re around. This is the guy I want you to see not the one that was in the ring beating the shit out of some guy,” Royal spoke as he ran his hands through my hair caressing my scalp.

“Dammit, Noelle, when I looked up from the fight and saw you standing next to that guy, I was torn between wanting to fuck the hell out of you and strangling him with his own fucking organs. And then when he kissed you…” His confession was so raw, so consuming. He didn’t speak with rage or anger, he spoke with pure honesty.

                     “I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me. I’m so drunk I just wasn’t fast enough to stop him in time.” My words started to slur, and no matter how many times I blinked my eyes open I couldn’t see any better. It was like a permanent fog was casted over my eyes. I could feel my eyes rolling back in my head and a dizziness clouding my mind.

                     “Noelle.” I could hear Royal, but I could no longer see him. It was like my eyes wouldn’t obey my command to open. My legs began to feel heavy and tired. I just needed to lean against the cold wall behind me for a while just to get my bearings back; to get my mind and body to focus. It had to be the alcohol, right?

                     “Noelle!” It sounded like Royal was screaming at me, but I couldn’t really tell if he was or not because he seemed so far away. I tried to respond to him, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get my mouth to move, and my brain wouldn’t connect with the words.

I could feel the bile start to rise in my throat, the acid burning from deep within my stomach and then it was coming out, my body collapsing onto something hot. I whimpered loudly from the temperature difference. The heat felt excruciating like I was lying in a pit of fire.

                     “Mmmm,” was the only sound I could I could get past my dry lips.

                     “We need an ambulance. Now! Someone call 911,” Royal yelled, the panic in his voice obvious. I knew the sound of Royal’s panic should have caused fear to spike through me. But it didn’t.

Instead I felt a sense of calm wash over me. I tried to focus on the hands that were cupping my face trying to get me to look at them. Except I couldn’t. My eyes wouldn’t open, and my body was just so tired. What the hell did I drink?

                     “What did you take, Noelle?” Royal pleaded with me to answer him.

Take? What the hell is he talking about? I didn’t take anything.

“Please tell me, I just need to know. I won’t be mad, I promise. I need to make sure you’re not having an allergic reaction, or make sure you’re not overdosing on something.” I could feel a crowd surrounding us, a swarm of whispers meeting my ears, but I couldn’t say anything or do anything to let them know I was in here.

“Noelle, please, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you took.” The sound of Royal begging me caused sadness to bloom inside of me. I wished I could answer him; reassure him in some way that I was okay and that I didn’t take anything.

My mind was starting to fill with fuzzy images, everything was blurring into one image until there was nothing but darkness.

Everything went black.

                     The last voice I heard before everything went quiet was Royal’s. He was trying to soothe me. Telling me that everything was going to be alright, he was here for me, and that paramedics were on their way.

                     He was right. I had him. It was always going to be okay with him here.

Chapter Twenty-Five

-Royal

Panic seized my heart as the beat of it pounded loudly in my ears. It was all I could hear even though the room was filled with voices. I never knew this kind of fear in my life. I didn’t know what I would do if I lost Noelle, or if something happened to her. I could feel the distinct thump, thump of Noelle’s pulse under my finger, but it was weak and that more than anything was making the worry intensify.

I wouldn’t believe that she was okay until the paramedics got her to the hospital and a doctor looked her over and told me she would be fine. I sat there on that cold concrete floor holding her lifeless body in my arms until they pulled up and even then I still wouldn’t let her go. They had to forcefully pry her body from mine, and as soon as they had her loaded up on the stretcher I lost my shit. Someone was going to pay for what they did to my princess.

                     “Which one of you fuck heads did this to my girl?” I growled getting in the fuckers faces. Jordan was trying as hard as she could to hold me back, but she was nothing but a small bump in the road. I pushed her away with more force than I meant to as I headed straight toward the Gabriel guy’s friend. Jordan briefly filled me in on what happened while I was cradling Noelle, waiting for the ambulance to get here.

                     “Dude, she grabbed my beer in the car and started chugging it down. It had some Molly in it. What the fuck do you want from me?” He sneered. This prick was a dumb fuck for thinking he could get away with this fucking shit.

                     “What do I want?” I roared as I slammed him against the wall, my hand going around his throat in a tight grip as I watched his head bounce off the brick wall behind him.

                     “Did she fucking know it was laced, asshole? Huh?” I asked, anger rolling through my body. What the fuck was wrong with this dickhead that he found nothing wrong with what he did?

“Uh I don’t know, man, I didn’t tell her but she also didn’t ask. It’s her fault for taking someone’s drink and not asking questions. I just figured she was looking for a good time or something.” This little weasel kept running his mouth, but I was done fucking listening.

“Are you really going to stand here and try to defend your part in this? You just hurt what’s mine, and you act as if it’s no big deal. You want to know what I want?” I seethed, too angry to stop.

“I want you to keep your fucking drugs to yourself. I want you to keep your fucking hands to yourself too, before I break every bone in your pathetic little body,” I growled as I pushed his shoulders firmly against the wall. The sound of his head smacking off the brick only giving me a small amount of satisfaction.

                     “Royal. Stop. I know he deserves so much more, but they’re taking Noelle now, and they want you to ride with her to the hospital.” My grip on the asshole’s throat tightened briefly before I released him with a shove. I wanted so badly to break some of his fucking bones, but I couldn’t let her go through this alone. Noelle needed me right now, and I wouldn’t let her down. Not just to make some fucker pay. No, Noelle was far more important than revenge.

                     “You’re lucky that she needs me right now because if she didn’t then it would be you they were loading up in that ambulance and on the way to the hospital,” I spat, giving him one final death glare before walking away and heading over to the ambulance. I got in, my eyes taking in Noelle. She was strapped down to the gurney, her eyes were closed, and they had a needle in her arm along with what I assumed was an IV bag. There was a man working furiously on her, and I could hear some kind of machine going off around her. I sat there in shock as we rode to the hospital for what felt like forever, wondering how the hell we had gotten to this point.

                     ***

                     Heads were going to roll as soon as I got Noelle out of this fucking hospital. Hearing her mother’s fake ass weepy voice in my ears for the last hour had me on the edge of insanity. I couldn’t stand the woman, and I was about to go off on her at any minute. I knew if this was going to work out that I needed to get away from her. Tearing her a new one wasn’t going to do Noelle or myself any good.

                     “This is your fault! I knew you would end up hurting my daughter.” She pointed her finger at me, accusations swimming in her hateful eyes. I wanted to laugh in her face. Apparently she was that fucking stupid. All of this was on her. Not me. Noelle was trying to escape her mother and the expectations she had for Noelle.

                     “It’s no one’s fault, Viviana.” Mark tried to calm her down by hushing at her. Even I knew that wasn’t going to work. Did my father not know his wife at all?

                     “Actually it is her fault. Everything that has happened tonight is Viviana's fault, but don’t mind me while I let you convince her that she has done nothing wrong. Like she is this perfect mother who actually gives a shit about her kid.” I was on a roll and there was no stopping me now that I had started.

“It’s not like Noelle’s health is important or anything. It’s because of what you’ve said and done to Noelle; the expectations you require of her and the fact that you constantly belittle her and try and break her down that she needed to escape. She put herself in harm's way tonight just to prove that you didn’t control her. Just to be free of you even if it was only for a few hours.” I had so much hate for this woman, but I needed to focus on Noelle because otherwise I would take things too far.

                     “Royal,” Mark warned, shooting me a look that said I’d gone far enough and I needed to stop. I could go all day; didn’t he get that? Viviana’s rap sheet of bullshit was a mile long.

                     “No. She’s a bitch, and she’s making everyone’s life a living hell, especially her daughter’s. I know for a fact Noelle never would’ve went to that party if her bitch of a mother had just left her alone or shown her just an ounce of support for anything in her life.” I narrowed my eyes at Viviana, a growl ripping from my throat.

                     “I think you need a breather, Royal.” Mark stepped in front of me, stopping me from getting any closer to that bitch. I stopped but only because my chest clashed with my father’s.

                     “I need that stupid cunt out of my life and out of Noelle’s as well,” I gritted out, shooting daggers at her from over my father’s shoulder. She was mother of the fucking year standing here playing the fucking victim even with her own daughter in the hospital.

Noelle had the street drug Molly slipped into one of her many drinks at the party tonight. An allergic reaction occurred causing her body to shut down. The doctors told us shortly after we arrived that Noelle could have died from it, and still her mom was sitting here placing blame on anyone and everything when she should have been sitting in the room hugging her daughter. Being thankful that she was still alive and here with us.

                     “Cunt? Did your mom not teach you an ounce of respect you little delinquent?” Viviana spoke the words over Mark’s shoulder, her eyes clashing with mine. She was only saying it because she could hide behind my father and feel protected.

                     “Didn’t your mom teach you not to be a no good lying whore?” I slammed my shoulder into Mark’s trying to get to her. I just needed to get a little closer. Just one touch and I would bring her ass to the ground. I didn’t usually lay a hand on women, but then again I didn’t really see this bitch as a woman. She was scum. My mother deserved that retribution, and I would be the one to give it to her.

                     “Mark…your son is making a scene. Whatever is he talking about?” she said, scooting further and further away from me as if she knew the second I got my hands on her I would end her.

This bitch was rich thinking that I didn’t know what kind of person she was and the lies that she told to break of my family. She might’ve had my dad under her thumb and she might be able to break Noelle down, but there was no fucking way that she could tell me what to do or try and demand my respect. To me she was nothing but a disgrace to the world, a pitiful fucking excuse of a human, and one of the biggest mistakes my father’s ever made.

                     “No worries, Daddy dearest, I’ll show myself out. I wouldn’t want to make a bigger scene than I already am,” I mocked, shoving away from Mark while giving Viviana a shrill look. The bitch could rot in fucking hell for all I cared.

                     I scampered from the waiting room they had placed us in, and headed in the direction where they were holding Noelle. I wanted to scream in anger and frustration as I saw her lying there on the cot-like bed, IV’s hooked up to her body. She looked so small and fragile lying there in the bed, completely out of it.

                     This was Viviana's fault. All of it. She was toxic and needed to pay for all that she had done. My fingers reached out, circling around Noelle’s. My touch was gentle against her skin. Her hand felt so small in my large one, her skin was warm against mine.

I couldn’t stop the thoughts from entering my mind as I stared down at my beautiful princess. Was it possible that I loved her? I didn’t even have a real taste of her yet, but I loved the person she was, and I craved her touch when she wasn’t near. I could feel her presence from across a room and seek her out in the middle of a crowded place.

                     “She will pay for hurting you, princess. She will pay for all the damage she has caused you,” I whispered the words as I placed a soft feather light kiss against her forehead and then to her cheek. That sunshine-colored hair of hers was a disastrous mess, and she smelled like a mix of alcohol and the antiseptic stench of a hospital. Still she was the most beautiful fucking woman in this entire place.

Quite possibly the entire world. That and she was all mine.

                     I placed my ass in the uncomfortable blue chair right next to her bed, patiently waiting for her to wake up, my eyes never once leaving hers not even when the seconds seemed to turn into hours.

A nurse came in and administered some drugs into her IV and asked me if I wanted anything to eat or drink. I shook my head no, vowing not to leave Noelle’s side until she woke up. I wanted to be the first thing she saw when she finally opened those beautiful hazel orbs of hers. She would know that I was here for her.

I wouldn’t let her mother twist my image, or make Noelle think that I didn’t care enough to be here for her when I did. I sat in that chair for almost an eternity. My ass hurt, and my arms were stiff, but it was worth it. I would sit here for the rest of my life if that’s how long it took her to wake up. My eyes drifted closed, too heavy to stay open any longer. I was merely trying to catch a breath of sleep when a soft squeeze awoke me.

I blinked my eyes open, the feeling of joy and relief coming over me, my eyes meeting Noelle’s big ones. I reached my arm over to the small stand by her bed grabbing for the water that the nurse placed there, and offered it to her without hesitation.

                     “Everything is okay, babe, you’re going to be just fine.…” I reassured her bringing, the straw up to her lips. She took a small gulp of water and then another before releasing it back to me. I waited eagerly for her to say something. Anything, almost wanting to beg her to speak right this second.

                     “I’m sorry.” Her voice was coarse, and it seemed to take her some time to get the words out.

                     “No, baby, don’t be sorry. I wanted to be here for you when you woke up. You didn’t do anything wrong.” A frown marred her beautiful features, and I wanted to take my thumb and wipe that sad look away. Her brow furrowed as she started to speak again.

                     “Are you okay?” Her eyes were missing that twinkle they usually had and that caused a pang of sadness to creep into my chest.

                     “I’m fine, babe. Perfect. A million times better now that you’re awake.” I smiled. I couldn’t have her thinking any of this was her fault.

“Do you remember what happened to you? Why you’re here?” I asked for no other reason than to see what she knew, to see if she had any clue as to what happened earlier that night.

“No, not really. I just remember going out with Jordan. I wanted to forget everything that happened with my mom and the rejection I felt after what we did. One minute I was drinking, having a good time and the next you and I were talking and I started feeling really weird. Like I needed to rest and then I woke up here, with you.” There was a small smile on her face when she mentioned me, which made me feel good until the guilt started creeping its ugly head in.

I was partly to blame for this, just like Viviana claimed. I felt like a class A dick for making her feel as if I had rejected her. That was never my intention. I just wanted to protect her from myself until I could calm down, until I could rein in the darker parts of me. I fucked up royally. I was a royal prick.

                     “Noelle, I’m so sorry for making you feel like I was rejecting you, baby. I just needed to calm down. Telling me just how pure you were got me way too excited. I just needed to clear my head before I could taint your precious body any more than I already had.” I spoke softly hoping that my words could soothe her, and bring some type of comfort to her emotions.

Her eyes started to drift closed again. I understood why she was so tired. She needed to heal, and they said rest was the best kind of medicine. The drugs that she was given caused an allergic reaction that almost stopped her breathing. If I wasn’t with her, who knows what would have happened to her.