Crowns and Pastries

Chapter Eight | Words and Bullets

{A/N} |

Hello everyone! Here's a new chapter of Crowns & Pastries.

WARNING: This chapter will include a flashback to a traumatic event and panic attacks.

Enjoy! |

~E~

A knock sounded on my door and I looked up. Dylan peeking his head around the door and frowned when he saw me laying on the floor.

"What are you doing on the floor?"

"It looked comfortable." I shrugged. "What's up?" I asked, hoisting myself up rather ungracefully. I was careful of my ribs, although they had healed completely now. My leg was still in a cast, unfortunately. It had only been a week since my last doctor appointment, also the day that I reached out to Corey. We'd been texting or calling every day and I could already see myself falling hard for him. I think I was already on the edge, ready to jump off into the unknown.

"Your father asked to see you." He said as he grabbed my arm and helped me up. He handed me my crutches.

"Did he say what it was about?" I frowned. It was never good if my dad summoned you to his office.

Dylan shook his head. "He did not. But he sounded distracted."

"That's not good." I mumbled as I followed him out of my room. I made my way to dad's office and knocked. "Dad? You wanted to see me?" I asked as I pushed the door further open.

Dad sat at his desk, with Paul, our head of security next to him. Both looked pained, and dad looked also worried. Both men looked up when I made myself known. "Ethan, yes come in." dad said.

I closed the door behind me and thanked Paul when he pushed a chair back for me and took my crutches from me. "What is going on? You're being more cryptic than you usually are." I said, my tone making it clear to cut to the point.

Paul sighed. "Sir, the police have caught one of the men who attacked you." He said.

"What? That's great!" I said. I'd been having nightmares about those men because I knew they were still out there. Now they were one step closer to having them all arrested. "Can they track the others?"

"It's not as easy as it sounds, son." Dad admitted. "The police have suspects but there is no proof. They've been after those guys for years."

"What do you mean?" I asked, dreading where this was going. I wanted those men to face justice. Actually, I wanted them to hurt in more ways than just going to prison but that couldn't happen. I put on a tough front and let things distract me from that moment, but every time I tried to relax and close my eyes I was back in that alley. I had a feeling that I couldn't let go of that experience with those men still out there. I just didn't feel safe.

I always assumed that the walls of the palace could protect me. Those walls extended to the guards and in that stupid moment where I decided I could go without a guard was the moment that I realised that I wasn't as protected as I'd been led to believe.

"The police are convinced that the guys who attacked you are part of a bigger organization." Paul explained. "An organization who is against the Royals and use violence to make a statement."

I felt the blood drain from my face when I realised what could have happened if that man hadn't seen us. "That's horrible." I whispered, my nails digging in my hand and I balled them into fists. I'd been closer to death than I thought, and it hit me full force that I could have actually been beaten to death.