Family: A Reform School Romance (Academy of Misfits Book 3) Read online

  “We underestimated them. We made a mistake not checking on everyone after the fire had been put out. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  “Fuck your apologies. Fuck you all. Pink is in the hands of that little prick and his bastard dad because you couldn’t see past a simple distraction trick. Fucking idiots,” Eastern seethes.

  Frank flinches. “It was a mistake. One that won’t happen again.”

  “Damn fucking right it won’t if I have anything to say about it,” Camden says stepping forward and smashing his fist into Frank’s cheek before anyone can stop him. “That’s for fucking up!” he roars, spittle flying from his mouth in anger.

  Frank doesn’t retaliate. He simply rubs at his cheek and nods his head, accepting Camden’s form of punishment. Beside him Hudson grits his jaw and I can hear Cal swearing under his breath, but neither make a move to step in.

  “I’ll do everything I can to help get her back,” Frank responds with a clipped tone, before turning on his heel and striding from the room, his large muscles bunching with stress as he walks away.

  “What a useless fucking dick,” Eastern snaps.

  “Enough! Frank is a soldier who’s seen and done shit that warrants your respect,” Cal says, moving to stand beside Hudson now. He clasps him on the shoulder in solidarity seeing as all the hate and blame is aimed at them both now that Frank has left the room.

  “Respect? You’re fucking kidding, right?” Ford growls this time.

  “He fucked up. You said your piece,” Hudson says, looking between Ford and Eastern, “And you dealt a blow,” he snaps, glaring at Camden. “That’s enough. Now we need to work on figuring this shit out.”

  “I’ll tell you what needs to happen. You need to get the fuck out!” Eastern continues, dropping his arm from around my back and stepping towards Cal and Hudson.

  “Hey, hey!” Sonny says, stepping between them and placing his hand flat against Eastern’s chest. “It ain’t their fault.”

  “Yeah, then who’s fault is it? Because it sure as fuck isn’t Asia’s,” Eastern bites out.

  He’s breathing hard, his nostrils flaring. Sonny winces. Right now he’s stuck between supporting us and defending his foster family, trying to bridge the gap that’s forming.

  “I know but fighting amongst ourselves isn’t helping the situation.” Sonny catches my gaze and frowns. He knows just as well as I that our tenuous bond is in danger of breaking if we don’t fix this somehow. All I know is that this is all happening because of me.

  “But it is my fault, Eastern. He’s my father,” I hush out.

  “No, Asia. No!” Eastern insists, turning to grasp me by the shoulders. “You don’t know he’s your dad, and even if he is, none of this is your fault.”

  “Mum refused to speak of him,” I mutter, words falling from my lips like broken dreams shattered by ugly reality. “She made up all those stories, Eastern. She made me long for a man who wasn’t real. She turned him into a fantasy, a fairytale, because she knew the truth of his identity was too ugly. The King is my father. I know it.”

  My head falls forward, the weight of this revelation heavy on my shoulders. All those questions my mum evaded over the years. All those leads that had turned into dead ends. I’d searched high and low, but it was as though my dad didn’t want to be found. Now I know why. It all makes sense. I’m an illegitimate child born to a heroin addict. Of course he walked away from that, from me. Pain and confusion lacerate my heart, making it a bleeding pulpy mess. Why didn’t he want me…?

  What am I thinking? Why do I even care? I don’t want that man as my father. Gritting my teeth, I push down all the confusing feelings inside of me. He’s taken Pink. He’s threatened her life. He’s hurt so many people. I could never love a man like that.

  “We don’t know if he’s your father for sure,” Sonny says, frowning. “Just because that little prick has left a note saying it’s true, doesn’t mean that it is.”

  “Sonny’s got a point,” Ford agrees. In two steps he’s beside me, twining his fingers with mine. I grip hold of his hand, squeezing tightly.

  “You’re right, we don’t know for certain.” Hudson scrapes a hand over his face. He looks haggard, even more so now than yesterday. He glances at Cal, a look passing between them.

  “He’s my dad. I know it,” I glance back over at Camden who looks as pained as I feel. My dad and his mum… Oh, god… Camden’s mum. In all of this I’ve failed to remember his mum and the danger she’s in. I’m such a selfish bitch. “Your mum,” I whisper, locking eyes with him.

  Like a wrecking ball, those two words barrel into the room knocking us all sideways with the impact. Camden stumbles, shock littering his features, reflecting my own. Sonny grabs his arm, hauling him upright. The fear in his eyes makes my heart vibrate like the delicate wings of a butterfly. I struggle for breath as darkness swims at the corners of my vision and my head pounds, threatening oblivion.

  “I need to call her… Fuck! I need to see if she’s okay,” Camden rambles looking frantic, unhinged even, as he pats the back pockets of his jeans searching for his mobile phone. “Where the fuck is it?” He rushes to the bed he was sleeping in, throwing the duvet on the floor in search of it. When he doesn’t find it immediately, he starts ripping the room apart. Kate’s cry of fear snaps me into action.

  “Camden, let me help you find your phone,” I say, pulling my hand free from Ford’s grasp and shrugging free from Eastern’s hold. I can do this. I need to focus on helping him find his phone as much for my peace of mind as his. I approach him slowly as he rips up the room around us.

  “Where the fuck is it?!” he roars, pulling cushions off the bed and ripping the drawers from the bedside cabinet. They crash to the floor, making me jump.

  “Camden, please, let me help you,” I beg, holding my hands out to him. I approach him slowly, just like that time on the beach. He’s so full of fear for his mum that he might just lash out like a wild animal that’s injured and cornered. When my fingers meet his back, he stills, trembling with anxiety. I rest the flat of my hand against him hoping it’s enough to comfort him, then take a deep breath and turn to face Hudson.

  “We need a minute. Can you take Kate and leave us for a bit?”

  Hudson meets my gaze and nods. “Sonny, bring Kate. Ford, you should come too. Grim wants to talk to you.”

  Both Sonny and Ford look at me, waiting for my approval. I nod tightly. “It’s okay, just go.”

  “You sure? I can stay,” Sonny says, glancing warily at Camden who still has his back to them all.

  “I’ll stay,” Eastern replies, squeezing him on the shoulder.

  “Watch him,” Sonny mouths to Eastern, looking pointedly at Camden.

  “You got it.”

  As the others file out of the room, Ford strides over to me, cups my cheek with his hand and presses a hot kiss against my mouth.

  “This isn’t on you. Do you hear me?” he says fiercely, his grey-green eyes flashing with sincerity. When I don’t answer, his hand slides from my cheek and wraps around the back of my head as he presses his forehead against mine.

  “This isn’t on you…”

  He knows what’s deep in my heart. I blame myself. The King is my dad and he took Pink to get to me, after all. I want to collapse into his arms, needing to feed off his strength, but he moves away before I can. It’s intentional, he’s forcing me to be strong. To find that strength within myself.

  “Do you hear me, Asia?” he repeats, taking another step away from me.

  “I hear you,” I whisper, nodding tightly and straightening my spine. A look passes between us, a look that tells me Ford will never let me crumble. He’ll be the one to keep me strong even when I feel weak.

  His gaze moves to Camden, boring into his back. “You are not your father, Asia, just like I’m not my parents. This isn’t on you and anyone who believes it is needs their head fucking tested.”

  Beside me, Camden falls to his knees. Ford hesitates, but I s
hake my head.

  “Go.”

  When the door shuts, clicking softly, I exchange worried looks with Eastern before crouching down beside Camden. He’s curled over, clutching the back of his head as though he’s trying to shut the world out. Eastern approaches us both but remains at the foot of the bed when I hold my hand up for him to stop.

  “Camden, let me help you find your phone...”

  “What’s the point? If the King knows about the deal you made with Crown then she’s already dead.” His voice cracks, despair leaching into his voice as my own heart crumbles to dust.

  2

  I stare at Camden’s trembling shoulders hating the world, hating Monk, hating the King. But most of all hating myself.

  Somehow I need to fix this.

  “She’s dead…” he cries out, convinced the King has killed his mum.

  “You don’t know that yet. We don’t know anything yet. All we have is this note that Monk wrote, that’s it,” I say, sliding my arm around his shoulder. I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince more, him or me.

  Camden tenses under my touch as though it bothers him. I swallow the bile rising up my throat, forcing myself to be strong. I don’t think I can deal with him pushing me away, not after how far we’ve come. “Don’t talk like that. Let’s find your phone and call your mum, yeah?”

  As if on cue, a phone starts ringing or rather the sound of Drake singing Back to Back draws all of our attention to the gap beneath Camden’s bed. He reaches out and after a moment pulls back, his phone clutched in his shaking hand. He looks at the screen, worry tight around his mouth. He answers, pressing the speaker button, then covers his mouth with his finger. My heart kicks up a notch as I glance at Eastern.

  “Camden, how’s your weekend away with those bunch of pricks?”

  Monk’s laughter escapes the mouthpiece and it takes all I have not to snatch the phone from Camden’s hand and rip into the cocky little shit. Eastern slides off the bed and crawls on his hands and knees towards me. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, hugging me to his side tightly. He knows I’m close to blowing my shit. I grab hold of his thigh, my fingers digging into his jeans.

  “What do you want, Monk?” Camden asks.

  His voice is calm. If I didn’t know any better I would think he wasn’t at all bothered about his mum’s safety. Yet, the naked fear in his eyes shows me he most definitely is.

  “Things are about to get very interesting and you, dickhead, are on the shit list. Oh, the trouble you’ve caused.”

  “What are you talking about, Monk?” Camden’s hands are shaking as he looks at us both.

  “You really don’t know?”

  “Know what, Monk?”

  “This is fucking priceless.”

  I can hear the glee in Monk’s voice. The little prick is loving this.

  “Monk, stop fucking around and tell me what you’re talking about. I’ve had a shit fucking time stuck with these arseholes. I don’t need your bullshit as well,” Camden says, keeping up the pretence that we’re still enemies.

  “I thought you enjoyed Asia’s company… pretty little thing, ain’t she?”

  Camden’s nostrils flare, rage flashing in his eyes. “She’s mine, Monk, so I suggest you back the fuck off.” He’s playing the part of overprotective boyfriend well, that part isn’t put on for Monk’s benefit.

  “Oh, I don’t want her like that.” Monk laughs, the sound of his voice sending another bout of rage rippling over my skin, not to mention nausea rising up my throat. “Besides, I’ve got a new plaything… she’s looks so pretty in pink.”

  His voice trails off and I hear a muffled cry in the background that has me screaming with rage into Eastern’s palm that has suddenly covered my mouth. Camden moves away from us quickly. Trying to get some distance between us and the whimpering noises I’m now making.

  “What the fuck was that?” Monk snarls, hearing my outburst.

  “The fucking TV. Look, I’m losing patience, Monk. Fucking say what you want to say or get off the damn line,” Camden snaps.

  “Just trying to make conversation…”

  “Monk!” Camden growls.

  He chuckles then finally says what we’ve all been waiting to hear. “Our little smart-mouthed gang member is my sister, Camden. You’ve been fucking the King’s daughter and he ain’t happy. Not one little bit.”

  “You’re full of shit,” Camden immediately responds, faking his disbelief.

  “Nah, I’m not. Looks like the King has a thing for skanky-arse heroin addicts. Asia’s the product of a nasty little fuck.”

  I pull against Eastern’s hold, wanting to reach into Camden’s phone and yank that motherfucker out by his neck, but Camden flashes me a warning glare. Gritting his teeth, he waits for Monk to fill the silence.

  “But that’s not the best of it, boss,” Monk boasts gleefully, the sarcasm thick and heavy. “I get to have some fun whilst the King decides how to play this…”

  “What are you talking about?” Camden snaps, his anxiety making itself known.

  “Surely you’ve heard by now?”

  “Heard what?”

  “You know how this works. The King needs to get Asia in line. There’s really only one way to do that.”

  “What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Mean. Monk?” Camden repeats, needing to hear him say the words. To spell it out.

  Monk laughs, the sound ripping at my skin until I swear I’m just a fucking skeleton bleached white by the sun.

  “Pink is my plaything now, just like your mum remains the King’s… Let’s just hope Asia does what Daddy Dearest wants otherwise Pink will be carted off to some distant land to become some sick fuck’s sex toy and your mum will find her new home ten feet under the dirt.”

  “You bastard,” Camden snarls into the mouthpiece. “If you do anything to hurt either of them…”

  “You’ll what? Cry into your fucking pillow?” Monk responds cruelly. “Listen up, arsehole, and pay fucking attention. In a few days we’ll send word to you and my pretty little sister. As long as you both do as you’re told, Pink and your precious mum will remain alive. You fuck up, they’re dead…”

  “How do I know that they’re not dead already? Why the fuck should I trust you?”

  Monk falls silent, there’s a moment of muffled talking then a second later a sob fills the air. “Camden, is that you?”

  Pink’s quaking voice sounds through the loudspeaker. I have to press Eastern’s hands harder against my mouth to stop myself from calling out to her.

  “There we go,” Monk sneers. I picture his twisted features and rage burns inside, focusing me, forcing me to be strong.

  “And Mum?” Camden questions.

  “I thought you might ask that…” There’s more silence, a longer stretch this time. Then a soft voice fills the air.

  “I’m here, love.”

  “Mum?” Camden’s voice cracks.

  “I’ll take care of her, okay? Just don’t-”

  There’s the loud crack of skin meeting skin, and a low moan that sounds far too female to be Monk’s. Camden’s body goes rigid with rage. The veins in his forearm pop beneath the skin like angry snakes beaten out of the grass.

  “You fucking cunt,” Camden roars.

  Monk chuckles in response. “Be a love and do as you’re fucking told. You’ll be hearing from us soon.”

  The phone clicks off and I force Eastern’s hand away launching at the mattress and punching it until I run out of steam and fall backwards on my arse. Frustrated tears fall hot and heavy down my cheeks.

  “Asia, look at me,” Camden urges, crouching down in front of me. When I fail to follow his gentle command, he grasps my face in his large hands and lifts my head up. “He doesn’t know, Asia. The King doesn’t know about your deal with Crown.”

  I shake my head, wild thoughts ripping through my mind at the thought of Pink, prisoner to that sick twisted bastard Monk and his father, our father. I know what Monk did to Ruby. I know what he
’s capable of. He just hit Camden’s mum, for fuck’s sake.

  “He’s going to hurt her just like he hurts your mum!” I pant, frustration and despair clawing at my fraying strength as I grip hold of his wrists, squeezing tightly.

  “No! The King will never allow him free rein over Pink. He trusted me with the crew and not Monk. Why? Because we all know that he’s too much of a live wire. That speaks volumes.”

  “Not anymore. You heard what Monk said. You heard what he did. He has them both.”

  Doubt crosses Camden’s features, but he forces it away. “He’ll pay for striking my mum, for scaring Pink,” he growls before dragging in a breath and letting it out slow and steady. “But so long as they’re alive there’s hope. The King doesn’t know. We have a chance to set things straight,” he repeats, making sure I understand.

  “If that’s true, then why take Pink?”

  “Like Monk said, to get you in hand. As long as they have her, you’ll do anything. He has plans for you, I just don’t understand what that is right now.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” Eastern exclaims. “I don’t like this one bit.”

  “Neither do I…” Camden replies, glancing at Eastern before meeting my gaze once more. “Believe me, I want to fucking rip the world apart so I can find them both, but we have to be smart. We need to wait and see what he wants.”

  “And in the meantime, Monk gets to beat on Pink?” I accuse, feeling hopeless.

  “He may be acting the big man now but trust me on this, the King won’t let him fuck this up. They die, he loses control over us.”

  “I’m not talking about Monk killing Pink… She doesn’t deserve to be his fucking punching bag. Maybe we should just try and find them now.”

  “If I thought the right thing to do would be to go looking for them now then I’d be the first to suggest it.”

  “But we’re not going to are we?”

  Camden shakes his head. “I swear to you, Asia, we will get them back, but we have to wait. We have to see what the King wants,” he says fiercely, twining his fingers in my hair and tugging on the strands.