Royal Prick (A Stepbrother Romance #2)

“Are you really going to stand here and try to defend your part in this? You just hurt what’s mine, and you act as if it’s no big deal. You want to know what I want?” I seethed, too angry to stop.

“I want you to keep your fucking drugs to yourself. I want you to keep your fucking hands to yourself too, before I break every bone in your pathetic little body,” I growled as I pushed his shoulders firmly against the wall. The sound of his head smacking off the brick only giving me a small amount of satisfaction.

“Royal. Stop. I know he deserves so much more, but they’re taking Noelle now, and they want you to ride with her to the hospital.” My grip on the asshole’s throat tightened briefly before I released him with a shove. I wanted so badly to break some of his fucking bones, but I couldn’t let her go through this alone. Noelle needed me right now, and I wouldn’t let her down. Not just to make some fucker pay. No, Noelle was far more important than revenge.

“You’re lucky that she needs me right now because if she didn’t then it would be you they were loading up in that ambulance and on the way to the hospital,” I spat, giving him one final death glare before walking away and heading over to the ambulance. I got in, my eyes taking in Noelle. She was strapped down to the gurney, her eyes were closed, and they had a needle in her arm along with what I assumed was an IV bag. There was a man working furiously on her, and I could hear some kind of machine going off around her. I sat there in shock as we rode to the hospital for what felt like forever, wondering how the hell we had gotten to this point.

***

Heads were going to roll as soon as I got Noelle out of this fucking hospital. Hearing her mother’s fake ass weepy voice in my ears for the last hour had me on the edge of insanity. I couldn’t stand the woman, and I was about to go off on her at any minute. I knew if this was going to work out that I needed to get away from her. Tearing her a new one wasn’t going to do Noelle or myself any good.

“This is your fault! I knew you would end up hurting my daughter.” She pointed her finger at me, accusations swimming in her hateful eyes. I wanted to laugh in her face. Apparently she was that fucking stupid. All of this was on her. Not me. Noelle was trying to escape her mother and the expectations she had for Noelle.

“It’s no one’s fault, Viviana.” Mark tried to calm her down by hushing at her. Even I knew that wasn’t going to work. Did my father not know his wife at all?

“Actually it is her fault. Everything that has happened tonight is Viviana's fault, but don’t mind me while I let you convince her that she has done nothing wrong. Like she is this perfect mother who actually gives a shit about her kid.” I was on a roll and there was no stopping me now that I had started.

“It’s not like Noelle’s health is important or anything. It’s because of what you’ve said and done to Noelle; the expectations you require of her and the fact that you constantly belittle her and try and break her down that she needed to escape. She put herself in harm's way tonight just to prove that you didn’t control her. Just to be free of you even if it was only for a few hours.” I had so much hate for this woman, but I needed to focus on Noelle because otherwise I would take things too far.

“Royal,” Mark warned, shooting me a look that said I’d gone far enough and I needed to stop. I could go all day; didn’t he get that? Viviana’s rap sheet of bullshit was a mile long.

“No. She’s a bitch, and she’s making everyone’s life a living hell, especially her daughter’s. I know for a fact Noelle never would’ve went to that party if her bitch of a mother had just left her alone or shown her just an ounce of support for anything in her life.” I narrowed my eyes at Viviana, a growl ripping from my throat.

“I think you need a breather, Royal.” Mark stepped in front of me, stopping me from getting any closer to that bitch. I stopped but only because my chest clashed with my father’s.

“I need that stupid cunt out of my life and out of Noelle’s as well,” I gritted out, shooting daggers at her from over my father’s shoulder. She was mother of the fucking year standing here playing the fucking victim even with her own daughter in the hospital.

Noelle had the street drug Molly slipped into one of her many drinks at the party tonight. An allergic reaction occurred causing her body to shut down. The doctors told us shortly after we arrived that Noelle could have died from it, and still her mom was sitting here placing blame on anyone and everything when she should have been sitting in the room hugging her daughter. Being thankful that she was still alive and here with us.