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“Who is Shep? You still haven’t told me.”
I groaned and slid my fingers between his. I led him back out of the bathroom toward the kitchen. Once there, I guided him to sit on one of the stools at the kitchen bar before I went to the freezer. I grinned when my gaze caught three ice packs, and I brought out two before I snatched up a couple of tea towels out of the third drawer near the stove.
“Ethan Shepherd.” I shifted back toward him. I laid the tea towels on the island and wrapped the ice packs into them.
“Ethan.... That’s who Ellis was yelling at when I first brought you here?”
I hummed in answer. “He’s a King and he saved Ellis’s life. It’s a long story with those two. All you need to know is that Shep asked me to take care of Ellis when El’s parents tried to send him to a conversion camp. I agreed. I think I already said as much.” I pressed one of the covered packs against his right eye, and he hissed, jerking back slightly at the coldness. “Shep used to be my neighbor at the park. He and his brother lived there when I first moved in. I was buddies with his brother before he went to prison.” I frowned while thinking about Shep’s brother, Leo. He’d been younger than me, but we’d become fast friends when I’d first moved to the park. “Leo was killed behind bars, and I took care of Shep as best I could. He needed me. Here, hold this.”
He held the ice pack to his eye as I pressed the other one to his left side. “You have a thing for saving young guys who need an older brother, don’t you?”
I chuckled. “After Mum died, I had no one. I hated being alone, so I strive to be what I didn’t have. Be the good you want to see in the world and all that.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
I frowned down at him. “Don’t be stupid. I broke up with you and left. You couldn’t’ve known.”
“And the people in my life keep making it harder on you, on us. What does that say about me? Fuck.” He shook his head and nearly dislodged the ice pack I was holding to his eye. “I thought my friends were great guys.”
“They are,” I argued gently, taking a seat beside him. “Eric defended me. He’s quiet, but he seems like a nice bloke.”
“Eric?” He yanked away the ice from his right eye so he could stare at me through the swollenness of it. “Are we thinking about the same Eric?”
“Why?” I cocked my head, amused. “Brett and Chaz were having a go at me about my clothing, and he insulted them by saying I still had more style than they did.”
“Fuck, he must like you.” He laughed. “Eric doesn’t like anyone, and he certainly doesn’t get involved like that. He usually keeps to himself and minds his own business.”
“Well, I am charming.” I winked, and he laughed. “Go on then, put the ice pack back on your eye or you’ll look like a tortoise.”
“Tortoise, really?” He snorted but did as I’d instructed.
“Aye, they have those big eyes with black rims around them. Like a pair of glasses, isn’t it?” I chuckled, ignoring the guilt that squeezed at my chest. This was all my fault. I hadn’t expected Shep to attack Chaz, but I should’ve. Shep had always been defensive and protective, but he had even more power now that he was a King. Judah coming back to see what was happening was poor timing, and now the videos would hit social media. Judah was an important businessman, or at least, well enough known in these parts, and this could have negative consequences for him and his tires.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs had me wincing.
“Tav? Judah? Are you home?” Ellis called.
“We’re in the kitchen,” I responded, and almost immediately the door swung open and Ellis and Hilton strode in. As soon as they saw us, they froze.
“Oh my God, what happened?” Hilton screamed a tad too loudly.
“Did you get into a fight?” Ellis asked at the same time, striding toward us so he stood beside me and was directly in front of Judah. “Did you win?”
“El.” I shook my head with a chuckle. “You can thank Shep for this.”
His eyes widened. “Ethan did this? Why?”
“It’s a long story, kid. But Shep didn’t mean to hit Jude, he was going for another guy.” The last thing I wanted to do was rehash the fight again through words. I pulled away the ice pack and avoided the cut and ointment to place a gentle kiss under the puffiness. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Judah leaned into my lips and smiled. “Puffin, it isn’t your fault. I should’ve fucking known that Chaz would say something. He’s always been about money.” He stood abruptly, nearly knocking his face against mine, but I managed to move my head fast enough that he wouldn’t hurt himself even further. “Fuck. I gotta go.”
He dropped the ice pack he was holding onto the island counter.
“Go where?” I blinked in confusion at him as he strode out of the kitchen. I followed at his heels as he picked up the keys I’d dropped in the dish on the hallway table when we’d first come inside. “Jude, you can’t drive like this. You have two swollen eyes. Stop.”
“I’m fine, I can drive.” He was out the front door before I could grab him. He’d moved so quickly that I didn’t have time to comprehend what he was doing before he was in the car and reversing out of the driveway.
I frowned from where I stood at the door, unsure what to do or where he was going in such a hurry.
