Page 26 of Volatile King (The Kings of Wayward Academy #6)

N ash

Nathaniel sat at the bar while I locked the front door. His men had stayed in the VIP area, giving us privacy to speak.

“I didn’t mention it earlier, but I like what you’ve done with the place,” Nathaniel said as I moved behind the bar.

I poured two fingers of the Whitley Distillery scotch and handed a glass to Nathaniel. He sniffed it, swirled it around, and took a sip.

“This is good, very good, and has a bold flavor with a nice finish. I still prefer my whiskey.” He smirked. “You’d like it.”

Looking up at the custom shelving, I said, “I have room for more.”

Nathaniel smirked. “You want to start buying more product from me? I’m beginning to like you, Nash.”

“And here I thought you already liked me.”

“I guess I kinda have to like you if the rumors are true,” Nathaniel said.

“What rumors?”

“That you’re married to my cousin, but she doesn’t know it,” Nathaniel said, and I froze.

“Where did you hear that?”

Nathaniel shrugged and then smiled. “Relax, I’m friends with Edmundo. He helped get me out of a very sticky situation in Italy, and as much as he hates Vadin, he likes my father.”

If Edmundo trusted Nathaniel with the knowledge, then I would trust him, too.

“Is that weird for you?”

“No. They have their thing. I have mine. And Edmundo is helpful at keeping peace,” Nathaniel said, before tossing back the rest of his drink.

Grabbing my glass, I took a sip and looked around the club. It was almost ready for the relaunch next weekend.

“I’m sorry for the part I played in Devin’s death if it was the reason Owen went after Ren.” He shook his head. “Some outcomes you just can’t see until it is too late.”

Nathaniel’s words hit hard and reminded me of my conversation with Dean Henry. I didn’t believe in messages from above, but when two people who had helped me said the same thing, it was impossible to ignore.

Maybe they were right. Maybe it was for the best, but I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that Mya’s and my son’s deaths were a good thing.

“So, when are you going to tell her?”

I groaned. “I don’t know. Not until she has her memory back. So at the moment it’s one day at a time.”

Nathaniel leaned back, crossing his arms. “Well, hopefully for you, it will happen sooner rather than later. The longer this goes, the more likely it is that Ren will hear the news from someone else.”

“You really seem to trust Edmundo. Do you never have any reservations about being in business with him?”

“I’m naturally suspicious of everyone, so sure, but no. You know how you can tell, Nash?”

“No.” I leaned both my hands on the bar.

“When you speak to anyone about your father, what do they say?”

I laughed and shook my head.

“He’s a prick, untrustworthy, a liar, a cheat, dangerous, and you shouldn’t leave your dog with him, let alone your money. Not in that order, but you get the gist.”

“Exactly. No matter who you talk to, the story is the same. That is reputation. Now what do you hear about Edmundo?”

“Very little. Other than he is honest, extremely powerful, and no one wants to mess with him.”

“Now, you see where I’m going. The very first word you said was honest, and you didn’t change the order. That is Edmundo’s reputation.”

Smirking, I lifted the bottle to refill Nathaniel’s empty glass, but he put his hand over the top to signal he was done.

“And what is your reputation?”

Nathaniel smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. The look was cold and calculating.

“That I’m dangerous and don’t ever double-cross me, or you’ll end up swimming with the sharks.”

“Good to know,” I said, putting the alcohol away.

“And what is yours?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know…volatile, maybe.”

Nathaniel laughed, making me smile.

“That’s funny. You have a good sense of humor.

Well, put some thought into how you want to present yourself to the world.

You’ll have your coming-out party soon, and you need to make sure that you leave a lasting impression.

” Nathaniel stood and buttoned his jacket.

“One more thing. When it comes to my cousin…let’s just say I think of her as a sister, so you’d better treat her right or my reputation will catch up with you.

First thing…get her a ring. One she will like. ”

I hadn’t expected Nathaniel to threaten me, but I took it. Ren was his family, and she’d been through a lot. But she was mine to protect now, and I wouldn’t let him interfere in my relationship either.

“Is that what you did with Savannah?”

Nathaniel chuckled. “No, I picked out one that she would hate on purpose and forced her to wear it at all times, or I’d tattoo the fucker onto her finger.

” He smiled as he held his hands out wide, reminding me of the Joker.

“Like I said…dangerous. But I don’t think that tactic will go over well with Ren. Goran.”

“Coming,” Goran jogged down the stairs from the VIP section with the other soldiers.

“It’s been a pleasure, Nash. I’m looking forward to our continued relationship. Oh, and send me a proposal for the alcohol.” He held out his hand, and I gave it a firm shake.

“See you soon, Nathaniel,” I said, following them to the door so I could lock up.

I did a quick walkthrough to make sure that Nora had gotten everything. Not that I doubted her abilities, but I enjoyed this part of the night as much as I liked it chaotic.

Stepping up into the VIP area, I nudged chairs back into place and straightened the couch that had somehow made it through the shootout unscathed.

Ren and I had been sitting right there when the window exploded.

I had reacted on pure instinct and adrenaline that night.

It all played out in my mind like I had traveled back in time and was watching it happen.

That night had taken over my sleepless brain, forcing me to relive a marriage between it and my past trauma.

“Fuck,” I grumbled, walking away.

Grabbing a towel, I quickly buffed out the black bar until it shone. I turned around and placed the tumblers that Nathaniel and I had used into the glasswasher.

The sensation of being watched caused me to lift my gaze to the mirror, and I froze.

There in the reflection was Mya. Her ghostly image in the window. My heart rate doubled as I stared back at her, not moving a muscle.

“This is not happening again,” I hissed and quickly turned around. But just like before, she was gone.

No, this wasn’t fucking happening. There was no fucking way that, after all this time, I was being haunted by my ex’s ghost. I ran for the door, but of course, the locks didn’t want to work now that I was in a rush.

I finally managed to get them open and went all the way to the street corner.

Every way I looked, there was no sign of anyone, and nothing moved in the early morning darkness.

Just to be sure, I jogged around the building. I’d purposely taken the cameras offline for the night out of respect for my guests, so I couldn’t even check those.

“Son of a bitch. I can’t do this right now. I already have way too many things on my plate and shit to get done,” I said, walking back inside the building and locking everything once more. “Last fucking thing I need is to be having a mental breakdown.”

Pulling out my phone, I sent Liam a text.

N: Hey…don’t think I’m crazy, but is it possible that Mya is alive?

I paced the club’s floor and waited for his reply, annoyed that it was taking so long.

L: Do I want to know what the fuck is going on?

N: Probably not.

L: Well, that was reassuring. Technically…anything is possible unless you put the bullet in her head. But the likelihood of it…is slim. Why?

N: I saw her.

L: WHAT? When?

N: First at the hospital and then again tonight.

L: And you’re just mentioning it now?

N: I never get close enough before she disappears.

The club was silent, and even though Liam wasn’t here with me, I could feel his scrutinizing stare. His eyes took everything in and stripped you bare.

L: Okay…so what you’re really saying is that you think you saw her, and now you’re wondering if you’re seeing her or losing your mind.

He hit the nail on the head, and it fucking pissed me off that he saw through my fears.

N: Wouldn’t you be?

L: A defensive attitude isn’t going to help. But I would suggest you talk to someone, not me. I mean a professional.

N: Ugh…don’t make me do that.

L: Go…don’t go, whatever. But if you want to know why you’ve suddenly gone all I see dead people, then maybe make the call. I gotta go. Theo is giving me a fucking awesome BJ, and you’re ruining it.

What the fuck? TMI

N: Jesus…just say you’re busy. Fuck.

L: LOL! What and miss out on picturing your face? Not a fucking chance.

I walked over and flipped the light switch. Alone in the dark and staring outside, I realized that Liam might have a point. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Why now? That was what I really wanted to know.

Scrolling through my phone, I stared at Louis Kessler’s contact info. My thumb hovered over his name.

No, it was a bad idea. I didn’t need a shrink to tell me that I was dealing with shit from my past. And I certainly didn’t need to give a man like Louis ammunition to use against me. I just needed to figure out how to deal with the guilt.

Fuck…I needed this like I needed another hole in my head.