Cross (Dark Kingdom, #4) — Chapter no 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CROSS

APRIL INSISTED THAT we have dinner at Grave’s and her place to celebrate the girls buying into Kink. We’ve been here for two hours, and it’s awkward as fuck. There’s a big elephant in the room. No one has laughed or told any jokes, for that matter, like our usual Sunday morning breakfasts that we’ve been having ever since she moved in with him.

Bones has just openly stared at his brother. Grave has asked to talk to Titan privately in the other room twice now. And I have to pretend I haven’t been fucking Alexa. I love my friends, but I’m so ready to go home.

We’re all sitting at their formal dining table when April stands from her seat and excuses herself to use the restroom.

Chatter is at a minimum. What little there has been was April trying to get Jasmine and Alexa to talk about their future plans with Kink, but they honestly don’t have any at the moment. Not until they are for sure going to buy in. They leave for New York tomorrow to tour the Kink club there.

We’re silently eating when April re-enters the room. We all look up to just see her standing under the archway. Grave drops his fork to his plate and jumps to his feet. “April? Are you okay?” He looks her over for any obvious injuries, but she seems to be fine.

She has tears in her ice-blue eyes as she stares at him. I can feel the air shift in the room. A weight dropping on all of us. Her pain. Their pain. It’s unimaginable.

The first tear falls, and he steps closer to her. “April …?”

“Are you using again?” she asks him.

He comes to a stop. His lips curve down, and his brow creases. “No.” He squares his shoulders, proud he can answer that question truthfully. I’ve been around him so many times in the past when Bones asked him that, and he lied. “Why would you—?”

“It’s okay,” she interrupts him again, licking her lips. “I mean … it’s not.” She sighs, nervously running her hands through her hair. “But if you

are, I’ll help you.”

“April, I’m clean,” he tells her, stepping toward her, but he stops when she takes one back, matching it. His face falls at her retreat, looking like a wounded dog. Grave has always worn his emotions on his face. He doesn’t understand how not to feel.

“So much has happened,” she says and sniffs. “I understand if you have.”

Her hands go to her stomach. “The loss of the baby …” She chokes on the word.

He steps into her, and this time, she doesn’t pull away. He wraps his arms around her, bringing her to his chest, and she starts crying. He kisses her hair. “I’m clean. I made you a promise, and I’m not going to break it. Ever.”

I glance down at Bones, who sits there watching his younger brother.

He’s probably racking his brain trying to think if there has been a time since Grave was released from rehab that he might have seemed high. I can’t think of one. But I’m also not around him twenty-four seven anymore. Ever since then, he’s been more dedicated at Kingdom and spends all his free time with her.

April gets my attention as she pushes herself away from Grave. She digs into the pocket of her jeans and yanks out a pill bottle. Grave takes a step back, running a hand down his clean-shaven face. “I just found these in one of our guest bathrooms.” She shakes it in front of him, the pills clanking together. “It has your name on it.”

His hands drop to his sides as Bones gets to his feet. “Grave—?”

“I can explain,” he interrupts Bones, but he keeps his eyes on April.

“I googled what it says on the bottle, and the pills inside don’t look the

same,” she tells him.

“April … I swear, I haven’t …”

“Don’t!” she shouts, losing what little nerve she has, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. “Grave … please tell me this isn’t because of the baby?

Because of me?” Fresh tears run down her cheeks.

“No. No. No.” He rushes to her once again. “They’re not mine.”

“Then whose are they?” she demands, shoving him away. Her emotions are all over the place for more reasons than one. “Huh? Who else would be taking pain pills with your name on the bottle in our house?” She throws the bottle at him.

He lifts his tatted arm that showcases her face on it to shield himself from the bottle. They bounce off his forearm and hit the floor. The lid pops off, and the remainder of the pills scatter across their marble floor. I see Bones looking at the floor. I do the same and quickly count five.

Grave looks down at them, and I watch his shoulders drop in disappointment. That he let her down. Let himself down.

Once an addict, always an addict.

“Grave. Be honest with me.” Her voice cracks again. “Are you using?”

He can’t look her in the eyes. They stay on the floor, staring at the pills that used to give him an escape from this very feeling. Silence fills the large room, putting everyone on edge. While April waits for him to admit he relapsed and needs help. She places her hands over her mouth to quiet her sob, but it’s too late. April spins around and runs out of the formal dining room. The girls all get up from the table and rush after her.

Grave jerks his jacket off the back of the chair he was seated at and starts to leave, but Bones grabs his shoulder, spinning him around. “Where do

you think you’re going?”

“Out!” he snaps.

“Grave, I don’t think—”

“I don’t give a fuck what you think!” he shouts and shoves him away.

Seconds later, we hear the front door open and close.

Bones chases after him, yelling his name.

I lean back in my seat and run my hand down my face.

“He’s not using,” Titan speaks softly, breaking the silence.

“How do you know?” I ask, looking up at him across the table. He and Grave have become very close since he went off to rehab. Titan was the one who drove him there. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of the relationship they now have.

“Because I’m the one he calls at all hours of the night when he wants a hit but chooses not to take one. Or when he wants to drink an entire bottle in hopes it’ll help him sleep. Those may have had his name on them, but he’s not taking them.” Then he too gets up, following Grave and Bones out the front door and leaving Luca and me alone.

I sit back, remove my Zippo from my pocket, and start flipping it open and closed while I try to think of who could be using them. Here at their house of all places. Who would be over here that we know uses? I’m not at

home very often, so I don’t know who comes and goes here. April doesn’t have a lot of girlfriends. Her circle is pretty tight. Jasmine and Emilee don’t use. Neither does Haven. And I know that Alexa doesn’t. Who the fuck …?

My jaw tightens, slamming the lighter shut. I know exactly who it is and

why Grave didn’t give them up.

Motherfucker!

I rush out of the house just like the others and jump in my car that’s parked in Grave’s driveway. Squealing the tires, I pull out my cell, dialing a number that I never use, but I still have it. One of those things that’s good to have for a rainy day.

“Cross. Well, this is a surprise,” the man says, answering after the first ring. I can practically hear his smile through my car’s speakers. “What is this three times in the same number of weeks?”

“I need a favor,” I say through gritted teeth, hating that I even had to make this call in the first place. Everything has a price.

Turner Mason lets out a low whistle. “Well, you know those cost you,

right?”

I refrain from growling. “Yeah.”

“What may I do for you?” he asks happily.

“Ethan Davis. Know where I can find him?”

He gives a soft chuckle. “Well, Cross. It’s your lucky day! He just so happens to be right here.”

I let out a long breath. At least it’ll be worth it. I’d do anything for my best friend and his girlfriend. Not like the Mason brothers can demand my soul. I sold that to the devil years ago. And if everything goes right with Kale, we’ll be business partners.

ALEXA

JASMINE AND I sit on the end of Grave and April’s bed with her. Jasmine holds her hand while I rub her back, and Emilee paces back and forth.

Haven stands over by the window with her back to us as she stares out over the city. She hasn’t said anything, which surprises me. She’s usually the first one to have an opinion on something. Maybe she understands how fragile April is right now after losing the baby.

“This was my biggest fear,” April cries softly.

“I don’t think he’d lie to you.” Jasmine jumps to Grave’s defense.

“Me either. But …” She shakes her head. “Who else could it be?”

“He’s hiding something.” Haven finally speaks, turning to face us.

“You don’t know that,” Jasmine snaps.

April sniffs. “I’ve shut him out to avoid this.”

I sigh at her confession.

“I didn’t want him to feel,” she admits with a sob. Pulling her hand free from Jasmine’s, she covers her face with her hands. “I didn’t want him to turn to drugs. I can’t lose him too.” Turning, she buries her face into my shirt.

I hug her tightly and start to rock us back and forth gently.

Haven opens her mouth, but Jasmine snaps her fingers at her, shaking her head. Haven rolls her eyes and spins back around, giving us her back.

“He’s not going anywhere,” I tell her, my chest tightening. This is why she’s kept everything in and why she refuses to open up to anyone. She was trying to take all the burden on herself to save Grave. “April …”

The sound of a door banging open from downstairs cuts me off. “Cross … what the fuck?” Luca, Haven’s husband, yells from the first floor.

We all jump to our feet and rush out to see what’s going on. Looking down over the banister, we see a guy lying on the floor in the middle of their foyer. Face bloody along with busted knuckles. His shirt is ripped, and his jeans are dirty. He looks up at April, making his way to a sitting position, and wipes the bloody drool off with the back of his hand.

We start our way down the stairs, not nearly as fast as we left the bedroom. Once we hit the landing, I look at Cross wide-eyed. It can’t be … “Ethan.” April steps toward him, but I pull her back. He looks like a feral cat ready to attack. She’s been through enough shit already tonight. I feel the need to protect her from everyone at this point. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Tell her,” Cross demands, kicking him with his shoe.

“Fuck you!” he spits out at Cross.

“Dude? What are you …?” Luca starts, but Cross bends down, grips Ethan by his hair, and forces him to stand.

“Tell. Her,” he growls.

“Cross. Don’t.” Grave shakes his head, coming to join the commotion.

Titan and Bones are right behind him.

When did he come back? Last I had heard, he left. Bones must have brought him back.

“I’m not going to let it go down this way,” Cross tells Grave. “Not to you. Not now.”

“What is he talking about?” April asks Grave, turning to face him.

“Nothing,” he dismisses her, unable to meet her eyes.

Cross gives an evil laugh, and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I’ve never seen him like this—a Dark King. I’ve heard stories from the girls, and the town knows how Kingdom is run. But he seems different right now. Like he has nothing to lose.

“Don’t do this,” Cross says to Grave. He’s pleading with his best friend.

“Don’t let her think you’re still the same guy.”

“This doesn’t concern you!” Grave shouts, stepping up to them.

Cross shoves Ethan to the side, and he trips, falling to the floor once again. Cross bumps his chest to Grave. Bones goes to intervene, but Titan pulls him back. What the fuck? Why isn’t anyone stopping this?

“It does!” Cross shouts. “You are my brother, and I won’t let her think

that you haven’t changed.”

“Fuck you!” Grave shoves him.

Cross grabs his shirt and yanks Grave into him. “I won’t let her think any

less of you.”

Grave’s bottom lip begins to tremble.

“Do you hear me? I know it. Titan and Bones know it. You are not the same man you once were. You’ve come too far for that, Kyle,” Cross says, softening his voice at his best friend.

Grave sniffs but shakes his head, whispering, “I won’t do it. I won’t do that to her.”

Silence covers the room. My hands are shaking, my heart pounding.

What is going on? What does Cross know, and what has Grave done? What is he protecting April from?

Cross lets go of him and takes a step back, squaring his shoulders once

again. “Fine, then I will.”

“No—”

“April, your brother here stole Grave’s pills from him months ago. He’s the one who’s using in your house,” Cross announces, interrupting his best friend.

April’s wide eyes go from Cross to Grave. He looks murderous as he stares at the back of Cross’s head. His chest rises and falls fast with his heavy breathing. His hands are fisted down by his sides. I see Bones step closer to them, expecting Grave to pounce on Cross.

“What?” April blinks, and fresh tears run down her face. She looks at her younger brother, who’s still on the floor but now sitting up. “Is this true?

You’ve been using?”

He won’t meet her eyes. Instead, he stares at the blood spots on the floor in front of him.

“But …” She swallows. “You’ve been working. Doing better. Staying out of trouble. I’ve seen you—”

“Some addicts care what others think and hide it well,” Cross says matter-of-factly, interrupting her.

Her watery ice-blue eyes go from Cross to Grave, and when he doesn’t look at her, she looks at her brother once again. “Answer me!” she shouts, running to him. Grave grabs her but not before she gets a swing at his face, knocking him to his side on the floor. “How long?” she cries as her feet leave the ground from Grave’s hold.

Ethan bites his lip and continues to ignore her, pushing himself back up to a sitting position.

“How fucking long?” she screams this time, trying to get out of Grave’s hold.

“April?” Grave spins her around to face him. His hands cup her tear- streaked face. “April, look at me. Take a deep breath.”

“Oh, my God,” she cries, her body caving into his. “Grave … I-I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t. Don’t do that to yourself.” He shakes his head at her, pulling her into his chest and hugging her tightly. Her hands dig into his shirt while he kisses her head. Her legs give out, and he picks her up, carrying her away from the foyer.