The world was my oyster; I had everything I could dream of, until the moment she walked into my town, challenging me with every conversation I attempted, and then she disappeared without a trace.
And that’s why I find myself in London—a world away from Tynewood—to find the beauty who’s caused my insanity. Strolling into the old building, I take in the river, which twinkles with lights from the city above it. Tonight, I meet the Sovereign in London; I’ll sit at their table to find out just where the exotic beauty has disappeared to.
I’ll find her.
And when I do, I’m taking her back to where she belongs—Tynewood.
4
Rukaiya
It started when I was five. Listening to the arguing, I would shut my eyes, hide under the sheets, and hum to myself. With every fight they had, I thought the world would come to a standstill. I prayed it would.
Dad was an asshole, there was no mistaking it. Even when he landed the job as a cop, he still acted as if everyone owed him something. I came to hate my father when I turned sixteen, and he made sure I would serve drinks at his poker games. His friends would leer at me, chuckling when I would race out of the room.
Which is why I spent most of my nights at my best friend’s house.
The only man I knew wasn’t a pervert was Patrick. My best friend’s dad was friendly enough, but he was far too locked up in his own mind to even pay me and Dahlia any attention.
I never told anyone about my home life. It wasn’t their business. Why would I spew shit about what I was going through when someone else was probably going through something worse?
I used to be the ‘suffer in silence’ type. And it worked well for me over the years until Dad refused to let me go to Tynewood. I wanted to go to University with Dahlia, not be watched as I attempted to enjoy my college years. I begged and pleaded until he finally relented. And I thought he’d allow me to go on my own, but I couldn’t escape him.
Momma did though. She was clever enough to die. I shouldn’t say it like that, but it’s true. The night I found her in our bathroom is forever ingrained in my mind. I was only ten. Too young to do anything to help. The blood that soaked through the grit in the tiles, the stench of metal that I could never rid myself of still haunts me.
She left me to fend for myself, and I did. I learned how to protect myself by going to self-defense classes. When Dad was undercover, I would visit the local gym, which wasn’t far from our house, and I learned how to fuck men up that were double my size.
I was doing well.
I could survive.
I didn’t need a goddamned knight in shining armor. I was strong and independent. Only, my father didn’t know anything about that part of me. He only thought of me as his fragile little girl. I allowed him to believe it. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.
Right?
Wrong.
My father knows how to dole out punishment, and mine was normally being locked up tight, so nobody could come near me. Nobody but Dahlia. I never understood why he wasn’t against our friendship. We drifted toward each other since he worked with her dad, but I knew there was more to it. Perhaps it was a sixth sense, or something like that, but I could read my father like a book. When he was planning something, it was so clearly written on his face. That dark satisfaction of a plan coming together.
Two months ago, I learned the truth about who Fergus Harrison really is. I was stupid because I trusted him. Even through all his outbursts and the way he would react to me and mom, I still loved him.
But it wasn’t real.
None of it was.
The Society he was a part of brought darkness into our lives, and now I’m here, in London, helping my father to bring down Isaac Durand. My twentieth birthday is coming up, and I have a feeling my father wants me to do more than just smile as I serve drinks and act like the elegant lady at the society’s parties.
Deep in my heart, I know he’s going to use me as a pawn. His love isn’t as pure as I thought it was. Fergus Harrison was my mother’s worst mistake, and now I’m having to deal with the aftermath of that choice.
With quick steps, I try to focus on the here and now, on getting to my destination. The city is busy today as I head toward what looks like a more modernized area with glass buildings and high rises, Canary Wharf.