© ItalRT4u, 2012

     As always, it had been a bright and early morning of training at the community gym.  I had found out, shortly after meeting Cane’s brothers that Patrick was the one that manages this establishment; as much as I still cursed him for allowing us round-the-clock access to this first-rate facility, part of me was thankful.  Truthfully, I could have used a day off but knowing a little more about what I was dealing with, after yesterday's incident with running off and nearly being abducted by Gage, I knew I definitely could use the training.  Cane had voiced that he had been impressed with the way I had handled myself but nonetheless advised that my feminine wiles might not always be useful to get me out of every tight situation.  I was taking this morning's training session much more seriously than I had taken all my others from the past week.  Even Patrick and Andy had joined us for some training.

     My mind wasn't in the game this morning; possibly due to the lack of sleep last night or my mind being elsewhere.  I missed the girls, Sahara in particular; and I couldn't help but worry about Carly, who was now officially on her own in Chatham Falls.

     Maybe I'd call Sahara up and get her to check up on Carly.

     “Payton!  You need to focus!”  Cane stated in an exasperated fashion after I had been sent to the floor mats another dozen times.  Shaking it off, I got back up and braced myself; my body still aching from last night.  Just then, the gym doors opened and four colossally menacing men walked in; looking for what seemed like a score to settle.  I knew this couldn’t be good.  Andy and Patrick came to flank Cane and I on the mats.

     “I suggest you turn around and walk back out where you came from.  You’re not welcomed here.”  Patrick growled.

     “Relax Cujo!”  The tallest of the four said.  “We’re simply conveying a message.”

     “And... What is it?”  Cane crossed his arms over his chest, stepping slightly forward so that I was now behind him as Andy pulled me back while he and Patrick were now standing in front of me, forming a wall of muscle.

     What was that for?

     “You better watch her.”  That same tall goon told us, nodding toward me.  “She’ll be with us before you know it.”  The other three chuckled at Cane whose fists had balled tightly with his continuously building fury, his body rigid.

     “She’s MINE!”  He growled at them.

     “I hear she’s found her match.  Is that right Sweet Cakes?”  He glanced over at me and back to Cane.  I didn’t say or do anything that would give him the answer he was searching for but I knew he didn’t need confirmation.  Word travelled fast and I was sure that Gage was somehow attached to this morning’s events.

     “You know, I can satisfy you more than he can.”  He freakishly wagged his disgusting tongue at me as I quickly averted my eyes from the scene, chills running down my spine, nausea washing over me.

     “I suggest the four of you run along.”  I said, my gaze sternly trained on them again and my mouth spitting fire with those words.  “I’m not yours, nor will I ever be.  I would rather die than go freely with you.”

     “That can be arranged but what a loss it would be.”  The tall guy said licking his lips as he eyed me from head to toe.  “Come on boys.”  He turned to leave, the other three stood there, sizing me up as he had, smirks prominently displayed on each one of their faces.  “I’ll get a piece of that sweet ass soon enough and then it’ll all be over.”  The other three followed suit and when they had disappeared from where they came, the leader turned around to face us one last time after he had let his men leave before him.

     “The name’s Matt.  I suggest you remember it because that’s the name you’ll be screaming out when I fuck you senseless.”  He laughed out loud, the sound reverberating over the gym’s concrete walls.  “Watch your back.”

     “It’ll never happen.”  I yelled out at him.  “If it’s a war you want, it’s one you’ll lose, you bastard!”  I shouted again, trying to free myself from Andy’s and Patrick’s sudden grips on my arms.  I wanted to wipe the smug look of confidence right off of that Matt character’s face.

     Who the hell does he think he is?

     “I think we can call this a day.”  Cane turned to look at me when the coast was clear.  I shook my arms out of his brothers’ respective holds.  “We need to get you back home.”

     Did I miss something?

     “But we're not done!”  I told him.  In actuality, I was tired and couldn't wait until we were done but I found myself filled with rage thanks to those four neanderthals that I was sort of hoping that I could blow off some steam.

     “This isn't the time to put up a fuss, Payton.”  Andy warned me.  Cane walked up to me and attempted a reassuring smile which failed miserably.

     “Other than the obvious pending war, the quadruplets of doom and gloom and last night, what's wrong?”  I asked him.  He took my hand and pulled me toward the exit.

     “I'll tell you on the way home.”  He said softly.  Looking back behind me, Andy nodded in our direction as Patrick nudged him and began walking toward the exit too.

     “We'll be right behind you.”  Patrick called.

     We were half-way to Cane's parents' house and not a word had been uttered with the explanation I was seeking prior to leaving the gym.

     “So are you going to tell me what this whole sudden panic and need to get out of there has come from or do I have to beat it out of you and your brothers?”  I say with my arms crossed at my chest.

     “What do you want to know?”  He asked after a long drawled out breath.

     “First of all, who the hell were they?”  I continued.  “And secondly, why are they so adamant to have me other than to satiate Matt's sexual needs?”  And I said that with a shiver of disgust coming over my entire body, disdain dripping from every one of my words.

     “Matt Davis is not just any regular goon, Payton.”  He tells me.  “He'll definitely try and get you for himself; for their side.  The other three are his buddies; his bodyguards I suppose.”

     “You're talking like I'm the key to this whole thing.”  I eyed his face carefully.

     “I think you'd be better speaking to my parents about all of this.”  He says quietly, his jaw clenching.

     “Why?  I'm asking you.”  I tell him, irritated from his dodging my question – he knew something.

     “Yes, you are the key to all of this.”  He tells me and holds my eye as he brought the car to a full stop and positioned the shifter in the 'P' position.  He must have seen the concerned surprise and shock displayed in my face because he immediately grabbed my hands in his.

     “There's more about you that you don't know.”  He confessed.

     “Tell me.”  I told him.  “Wouldn't I be better prepared if I knew?”

     “Yes and no.”  He tells me.  “The more people that know or suspect it, the worst off we are.  I can't take the chance and lose you.”  The emotion in his eyes was almost overwhelming to me.  “I don't think I'd be able to live if we couldn't be together.”

     “Why would you lose me?  No one is taking me away.”  I told him so matter-of-factly.  “I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels this way then.”

     “What do you mean?”  He asked me, his hand cradling my cheek.

     “When you told me you were leaving.”  He nodded that he understood.  “I felt like I would die if I wasn't able to be with you.”  His eyes looked as though they smiled at me with that revelation.  “I can't be without you.  I need you.”

     A knock on my passenger side window made me jump and then the door opened, thus ending our sweet moment.  I hadn't noticed that we had arrived at the Nottingham residence; only that we had stopped and parked.  Andy waited for me to get out as Patrick followed us into the house with Cane at my front, pulling me along by the hand.

     “Go get yourselves cleaned up and I'll make sure to let Mom and Dad know that we need a family meeting.”  Andy told Cane and I.

     Why do I have a feeling like I'm being manhandled?

     Cane had pulled me into our shared bedroom and shut the door quickly behind us.

     “About just now,” I looked at Cane who stood before me, conflict lacing his eyes.  “What was that?”  I asked him.

     “What?”  He feigned innocence but couldn't hide his smirk.

     “That thing...”  I started but he quickly closed the gap between us with his lips; giving me the most slow and sensual kiss that made my mind turn to mush; my knees wanting to buckle.

     “You were saying?”  He smirked.

     “I-I...”  I told him, breathlessly as I attempted to close the space between us but after our lips touched, he pulled away, making me crave more of him instantly.

     “We need to meet up with my parents.”  He reminded me.

     “I know.”  I gave him my best pout and he chuckled.

     “I need you to have dinner with only me tonight.”  He tells me, cradling my face in his hands.

     “Just us?”  I asked him as he nodded in response.

     “I need some alone time with you.”  He tells me, kissing the tip of my nose, making me scrunch up my nose at the tickling from his lips.

     A little over half an hour later, I had headed downstairs by myself.  Cane had disappeared from our room in the short time I had been in the shower.  I figured I'd join him and the others in the den, which seemed to me as being the usual family meeting spot.  As I entered the room, all were there and everything grew increasingly quiet while everyone turned to look at me.

     “Do I have something on my face?”  I asked, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.

     “You're absolutely beautiful, Sweetheart.”  Sandra told me.

     “Gorgeous.”  Cane smiled at me as he extended his hand for me to take and take it I did.

     “We have a few things to discuss, I understand?”  Will looked over at Cane and I.

     “The Davis clan is on our case.”  Cane told his father.  “They want Payton for themselves.”

     “I see.”  He says and turns to me, noticing the look of disgust on my face.  “I see he's made an impression on you.”  I nodded.

     “He's a pompous jerk that thinks he's about to get what he wants.”  I huffed.  “I hate people like that.”

     Sharing every detail of what had transpired earlier this morning at the gym, Will had advised that I go nowhere without all three of the boys seeing as it was now official that the Davis’ knew of my status.  I had one more question that I could add to my growing list – my status?  They assured me that it was for the time being, until they knew more about what was going on with the Davis clan – mainly, what information they might be able to hold against us; against me.  As the family meeting let out, Will set out to call his contacts and notify them of what's been going on while Cane, his brothers and I started out of the room.

     “Payton?  Sweetie, Will and I would like to speak with you.”  Sandra announced.

     “Did you want me to stay?”  Cane turned to me.

     “It's okay.”  I tell him.

     “Actually, Cane, maybe you should sit down too.”  Will told him.

     “That's not possible!”  I was feeling hot and seeing spots floating about in my field of vision.

     Adopted?

     I was seeing my life flash before my eyes.  My parents, or who I thought were my parents, weren't really mine – biologically speaking.  I couldn't quite wrap my head around this revelation.

     “There's more.”  Will began slowly.  “You might want to sit down for this one.”  And Cane grabbed my hand, pulling me down beside him, rubbing gentle circles on the top of the hand he held, with his thumb.

     “You know what's next, don't you?”  I looked at him.

     “I think I have an idea but that's why I told you earlier that you needed to speak with my parents.”  He told me.

     I sat through them telling me that the royal bloodlines were thought to have been extinguished altogether.  What no one knows was that a coup had been staged a few generations ago that prevented this total eradication of the royal bloodline.  As it stood, I was it – just me, myself and I; the one and only Royal.  Gaining the help of a witch, a spell had been cast, preventing even the strongest of oracles to see a Royal ever ascending to the throne again.  In its stead, they were fed the illusion of two families gaining true power, hence where this prophecy I had been hearing about, had been born from.  What happened to the Devonshire’s heir was absolutely heartbreaking.  He had been sacrificed in an attack but due to the similar physical traits, it had been easy to trick everyone.  Only one family was in the know of this information.  You guessed it – the Nottingham’s.

     “This is why the balance can be tipped in either direction with me, isn't it?”  I asked of them.

     “I'm afraid so.”  Sandra said.  “I need you to come with me, now.  There are things that only a woman can address with you at this point.”  I looked at Cane.  “Don't worry Sweetie.  Will needs to talk with Cane also.”  She came to me and grabbed my hand, pulling me away.  I turned to look at Cane and couldn't help the smile on my face with the stunned look he had.  It was like he was a deer caught in headlights; priceless!

                                          *************************************

If you've enjoyed what you've read, please vote and comment on every chapter.  I enjoy the feedback and support.  Thank you!