Page 61 of Volatile King (The Kings of Wayward Academy #6)

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We walked out of the bedroom, and Liam grabbed my arm. He waited until everyone else was out of earshot and then whispered.

“She’s going to try and push your buttons. Don’t give anything away. Your emotions give her power,” he said. I nodded, and he let go.

When Mya saw Nash, she started to cry, and once more, I was torn in half. My heart ached for what she had been through. No woman should suffer at the hands of cruelty, like Lawrence, like Owen…like Axel.

But…every fiber of my body was screaming that she was a threat. The hair stood on the back of my neck, and if I had claws, they would be out. How did you even start to manage such conflicting parts of yourself?

It also made me question everything I thought I knew about myself. I felt I was confident, kind, and generous with my time and affection, but there was something dark that lived in me, too, and it scared me.

Mya jumped up and wrapped her arms around Nash as she bawled.

The urge to rip her away, order the guards to take her, and ensure she never returned was strong.

So strong that I needed to remind myself that having the power to order it to happen didn’t mean it was right.

Worse…they would do it. With one word, Marcus would’ve made Mya disappear.

The reality of wielding that much power…it was alarming all on its own.

“Nash, I’ve been so scared. I’m sorry that I was freaking you out,” Mya said, her head buried into Nash’s chest.

“You’re alive…I can’t believe this,” Nash said, voice sounding as lost as I felt.

He didn’t hold her, but he didn’t push her away. He was just as conflicted as I was about how to handle all of this.

“Come over here and sit down,” Nash said, slowly peeling himself out of her grasp.

She didn’t fully let go and held onto his arm while looking at the rest of us. Her actions reminded me of a scared bird, but her eyes said it was calculated. Liam was right. She couldn’t be trusted.

Mya looked at me last, and there was a deep, dark hatred in her eyes. I kept calm, following Liam’s advice, and stared back with impassivity. Nash sat down on one of the couches while the rest of us fanned out, taking up spots around the room.

“Can’t we go somewhere alone to talk,” Mya asked, and I almost yelled, fuck no.

“No, what you have to say can be said in front of everyone here.”

Mya glared at me again. “What about her?”

I sat down in the throne - sized chair across from her, crossing my legs and giving nothing away, but making it clear that I wasn’t going anywhere.

“Yes, you can speak freely in front of Ren,” he said.

That little omission of who I was hurt. I knew why he did it…there were so many reasons, including the fact that not even two hours ago, I didn’t want the label of wife. But hearing him avoid it…it bothered me more because he did it for her.

She curled up beside him on the couch, like she was purposely trying to make herself look small and unthreatening.

“I don’t know what to say,” Mya said.

“Start with our son. You said that Lawrence let you give birth?”

Mya nodded. “He said that you were a disappointment, and this gave him a second chance to get it right.”

Nash swore, and Mya grabbed his arm. Her fingers dug in like she was waiting for him to jump up and leave.

“I didn’t know what to do. Lawrence had me locked in a house, and I couldn’t get out. I tried so many times to escape and was always punished when I failed. I didn’t know how he knew until I found one of the small cameras. He was always watching.”

“That surprises me…my father isn’t big on cameras in every room,” Nash said, and I watched her face as intently as Liam did.

Mya’s eyes darted around before she began to cry again. I crossed my arms to stop myself from reaching over to slap her. Myles sat on the arm of the chair I occupied and placed his hand on my shoulder. He always knew what I needed.

“I know you’re all judging me,” Mya mumbled through her sobs. “I didn’t ask for this,” she said, and then tried to crawl into Nash’s lap. “Please hold me.”

My nostrils flared along with my anger. It was one thing to ask for help, but this was…next level.

“No, don’t do that,” Nash said, pushing her back so she was on her own cushion.

She genuinely looked shocked, and I couldn’t help wondering if the entire time she was locked up, she had a fantasy running through her mind.

That one day she’d be free, and she could run into Nash’s arms, and they would be a happy couple again, and they would have a happy little family with their son.

“Sorry,” she said.

“Where is our son, Mya?”

She shrugged. “Lawrence left him with me for the first six months and then he took him away. I don’t know where, and whenever I asked Lawrence, he said that I’d never see him again and to stop asking.

” She looked down, and I couldn’t tell if her grief was an act or real.

She really was all over the board. “I named him North because he was my little north star.”

Nash patted her hand, and she immediately grabbed it in both of hers. Myles tightened his hold on my shoulder, like he sensed me getting ready to leap out of the chair and pounce on her.

“Please help me find him, Nash,” Mya begged, the tears freely running down her face.

God help me, because I wanted to throw her out the door instead.

“I will. Where are you staying,” Nash asked.

She lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Nowhere. I’ve been living on the streets since he set me free.”

“You can stay here,” he said, and my hands curled into fists. “I have somewhere else I can stay for now.” Nash stood up, and I relaxed, but Mya became frantic.

“No, Nash, please don’t leave me here alone,” she said, hanging on to his hand like a child. “What if Lawrence finds me? What if he tries to take me back to that house?”

He tugged his hand away and took a step back.

“You won’t be alone. I’m leaving guards here to look out for you.” Nash turned his back on Mya. Her eyes shifted to murderous for just a blink before going back to a terror - filled sadness. Liam was right, trying to figure her out was like trying to predict a tornado’s path of destruction.

“I’ll be back Sunday, and we can make a plan,” Nash said.

“But…what about tomorrow?”

Nash stood by my chair and shook his head. “I have somewhere that I need to be. You’ll be safe here. One of the guards will show you where you can sleep, and they’ll order in any food you want.”

Nash held out his hand for me, and I took it. It felt good, but then I felt horrible for feeling good. I stood, and he linked our fingers, squeezing tighter. I held on just as fiercely. Mya watched us, and jealousy flashed in her eyes. She recovered and lowered her head, nodding.

“Thank you,” she said as we turned away, but it was hard not to look over my shoulder for a knife coming at me.

I’d thought Vicky was bad, but she was a cakewalk in comparison to what was happening here. If Lawrence had filled Mya’s head with lies…if he broke her…God only knew what she would do.

I was startled out of the memory when Eddie put his hand on mine.

“Are you okay? You seem a million miles away,” he said.

Looking up at my father, I nodded. The roar of the crowd was background noise to the problems running through my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to open up about what was going on.

He already knew about Mya, having been briefed by Marcus before we ever got to the house.

But he hadn’t asked any personal questions until now.

I decided to sign.

How do you know when someone is trying to play you? And how do you keep from turning evil when you hold so much power?

“Complicated questions to try and answer, but…as for the first…you just know. Learn to listen to your gut, mine has only been wrong once, and it cost me…everything. I’ve never gone against what my instincts are telling me since.

If something feels off with Mya, then be on guard.

She may be working with Lawrence, or she is determined to get Nash back after being set free.

Both scenarios make her a threat, just for different reasons.

The result…is the same, it puts Nash, you, and everyone around the two of you at risk. ”

I was afraid you were going to say that.

He chuckled softly and then hit me with a warm smile.

“If I’ve learned one thing from our short time together, it’s that you’re extremely smart. You remind me of your mother that way. She was…God, she was highly intelligent, but wrapped herself in a grace like no one else I’d ever met, until you. Your mother was born to lead, and so were you, Lilya.”

I don’t know about that. I shook my head.

I was so tempted to have Marcus make Mya disappear.

I was filled with this uncontrollable anger and hatred for someone who had been through hell.

I should feel concerned and sympathetic for her and want to help as much as I can.

I’m ashamed to say that I don’t. Helping her means that my life and what I have could be destroyed. Does that make me a horrible person?

“And that right there is why I disagree and say that you’ll be great. You are the furthest thing from a horrible person, my beautiful daughter. You have a warmth that speaks volumes about how good your heart is, but…you’re no pushover either. It is a rare thing to embody both so studiously.”

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him, not sure what he meant.