Chapter 2

“Lily, phone for you,” Mother walks into the living room to tell me then she walks back to the kitchen.

Wade and Jenny are coming to visit, Mothers has been cooking for hours now.

“Hello?” I pick up the phone.

“Lily,”

“Wyatt?”

Wyatt was breathing heavily like he’d been running and now he was out of breath.

“Yes, look Lily. I don’t have much time,”

I frown what the hell is talking about? He doesn't have much time?

“Wyatt, what’s wrong?”

“We did it, Lily. Noel and I ran off,”

I gaped.

Wyatt fell in love with Noel, the girl that Riley brought. I’ve told him countless times he didn’t need to be seeing her if Riley found out he’d kill them both.

“Are you crazy? Riley will kill you,”

“His men’s been chasing us. Look Lily, I called to tell you, I didn’t abandon you. But I deserve to be happy and Noel makes me happy. No matter what happens I will always love you,”

Tears stung my eyes. It sounded as though he was saying goodbye.

“I love you, too,” A sob slips past my lips.

“I have to go now. They’re close,” Wyatt says.

“You’ll call once things settle down? To let me know if you're safe?”

“Of course, I will,” He hangs up and I listen to a busy signal for a few minutes before I too hung up the phone.

Archer was true to his words. I do regret it. He told Riley that I was not allowed to go anywhere, no movies, no shopping, no nothing.

I told Riley I was still going to work at the diner and I guess Archer agreed if Riley had one of his men follow me to from work.

Once I save enough money I’m leaving this shit hole of a place and I’m going to meet up with Wyatt and Noel. I can’t take it here living like a prisoner, and it won’t be any better at Archers. The only person you can count on is yourself.

……

“Wade,” I squealed and leaped into his arms. He lifts me off the floor and spins me around. The way he used to do it when he was home.

When Wade releases me I wrap my arms around Jenny. “I'm glad you're here. I’ve missed you both, so much,”

“We’ve missed you guys too,” She smiles.

“I’ve prepared dinner,” Mother tells them.

“Yeah, she’s been cooking for hours,” Father says, placing an arm around her shoulders.

Wade and Jenny follow behind our parents into the kitchen.

“Where’s Rose and Wyatt?” Wade asks when he only sees me and Luke.

Father waves a dismissive hand.

“Rose is hardly here, she’s always with Ethan. And I have no idea about Wyatt.”

“Something’s never changed,” Wase chuckles, shaking his head.

“What about you Lily?”

I pause with a fork full of lettuce from my salad, mouth open and fork inches from it.

“What about me?”

“Have you met the Lycan Prince yet?”

I shake my head.

“Let’s hope he doesn't come,” Wade says grinning.

I nod in agreement.

“He’ll come. Let’s not get her hopes up,” Father warns him.

Wade's face contorts and Jenny places a hand over his and his features soften.

“We have exciting news,” Jenny announces.

Mother faces her with a wide smile.

“You finally got into nursing school?”

Jenny nods at mother and she claps her hands with excitement.

“I’m so proud of you,”

“So am I,” Wade chimes in.

“We’re also going to have a baby,” Wade says proudly.

Gasps, everyone at the table stares at them in ‘Awe’

The phone rings and since mother and father were busy hugging Wade and Jenny congratulating them on their next chapter of life I decided to get up and answer the phone.

“Hello?”

“Oh, good it’s you. Look Noel didn’t show up for shift and neither did Rose. If you can come in on the such short notice. I will double your pay on your hours and your tips. But only for tonight,” Georgia says desperately.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I tell her, hanging up the phone and running upstairs to slip on my uniform.

I walk back into the kitchen and toward the dining room.

“Who was that sweetheart?” Father says not even giving me a glance.

“Georgia. Noel nor did Rose show up for their shifts so she’s going to double my salary and tips for tonight,”

“Their loss is your gain. Have a good night sweetheart,”

“I’ll see you both when I get back,” I tell Wade and Jenny.

“Don’t rush, Riley said we could stay here for a few weeks,” Wade says.

I nod and leave the house.

I call Riley.

“Yes, Miss, Monroe?”

“Hey, I got called to work a shift because Noel or Rose showed up. Can you send Sam to the diner?”

“Sorry kid. Sams busy along with all my men, just don’t tell Archer and we can keep this between us. I have bigger things that require my attention,” Riley says, hanging up the phone.

I sigh.

If I don’t tell Archer he might have Riley to my job privileges and I can’t have that. I need to earn money to get out of here.

I text Archer.

:Georgia is having a hard time because two staff members didn’t show up. Riley is dealing with an issue and his men are unavailable, so they can’t babysit me.

…

:Then don’t go.

:Archer, don’t do this. Georgia is the only friend I have here. She’s a 65 year old woman, maybe if you call the diner you can ask her to watch me.

…

:I will.

I groan in frustration.

:Everyone has lives of their own. Why don’t you hire a bodyguard to watch me.

…

: Good idea.

: That was a joke! Look Archer, at some point, you’ll have to trust me.

…

:I don’t trust anyone.

:I have to go. I’m at work, and it’s busy. I’ll text you back in thirty minutes once I get everything caught up.

…

:Thirty Minutes.

Georgia was so relieved to see me and once she told me whose orders I needed to take I jumped into it. I was taking orders and serving the food and drinks, and cleaning tables as they emptied.

Twenty nine minutes passed and hurried the plates of food to their tables and sent Archer a text.

:Still busy here.

…

:I’m impressed. thirty minutes on the dot. You may work now just keep in touch.

:Yes Sir.

I was cleaning up the last table to empty when Georgia asked me to count my tips.

“125, I did well tonight,”

Georgia nods and hands me another one hundred and twenty five dollars.

“Thanks for helping me out,”

I nod.

“Anytime,”

“Georgia. We have to go. That was Riley on the phone. Apparently, Noel had betrayed him with a boy name Wyatt and he’s in the middle of execution as we speak,”

My stomach drops and my heart starts racing. I take off my uniform button dress, grab my over shoulder bag and place my earnings tonight in it and run out the door.

I can hear Georgia yelling my name but I don't stop. I can’t. Riley was going to kill my brother and I had to stop it.

My feet pounded against the pavement of the road and my heart pounded in my ears.

I pushed myself to run faster. I had to make it. I couldn’t lose Wyatt, not now, not ever.

I opened the doors to Riley’s mansion and I could hear the cries and laughter and cheers coming from the back of the mansion and I ran faster.

Just as I ran through the patio doors I froze with wide eyes.

Wyatt was on his knees and Riley was standing beside him with a sword that looked very sharp.

When Riley raised the sword I resumed running toward Wyatt.

“No,” I shouted over the crowd. Wyatt heard my voice and he snapped his eyes to me.

“Riley, stop,”

Wyatt shook his head at me but I ignored him as I ran straight into Riley and knocked him down. Riley’s strong and if I hadn’t caught him off guard I wouldn’t have been able to knock him down.

Gasps erupt throughout the crowd that surrounded Riley’s backyard.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Riley growls as he stands to his feet. I crawl over to Wyatt and face Riley with Wyatt behind me.

“You can’t kill my brother,”

“Your brother and that bitch betrayed me,” Riley shouts pointing at Noel who was also on her knees crying.

“I don’t care what he has done,” I yell back.

Riley stiffens at my outburst.

“Move aside,” Riley commands.

I shake my head.

“I won’t allow you to kill my brother. Kill me instead,”

“No,” Wyatt hisses.

Riley raises his brow.

“If I touch one hair on your head I’d be asking for my own death sentence. Now move,”

When I refused to move Riley ordered his men to remove me from Wyatt but I wrapped my arms around his neck and refused to let go.

It took four men to pull me off and I was fighting against them as they held me tighter, dropping me to my knees.

Riley raised his sword again.

“No…” I cried still trying to break free.

Wyatt looked at me. He was so calm as he smiled at me.

“I love you forever, Lily,”

I shook my head begging and pleading.

Wyatt closed his eyes moments before the blade cut off his head.

“No,” I cried

“Let my sister go now,”

I couldn’t stop crying but I knew that was Wade.

He pushed Riley’s men off me and lifted me into his arms.

“Wyatt..” I cried out reaching his dead body.

“Wyatt.” I whispered as the scenes grew further and further away.