A Queen’s Revenge Novel – Dylan’s father left when she was thirteen, but truth to be told, he was never really there since her birth. Adam was though, and although he was five years old when their mother died, he seemed to realize that he’d have to grow up, and fast. Adam did have the help of the family babysitter, Marie-Anne, who was a home-schooled rich girl, but when she went home for the day, he was left alone with three young children including himself. However, Adam didn’t let that stop him. Every night since Dylan was three months old, Adam would always put his siblings to sleep. Every night, he’d run his fingers through her hair and play with it until sleep claimed her. Anyone might think it was just a simple sweet moment between brother and sister and nothing more, but it wasn’t. No, it was more of the feeling it gave.
A safe comforting state of mind appeared every time Adam did so. It made her feel loved and wanted and although he stopped around the time Marie-Anne had finished potty training her, she never forgot that feeling and how precious it was. With that being said, you could imagine her surprise when she felt that safe feeling rouse her from her slumber. Her mind became awake, but her body was still out of it. Dylan inwardly winced as her muscles tensed and made her aware that she’d fallen asleep in a horrible position. As memories flooded her head, Dylan inwardly sighed and cursed when she realized she’d fallen asleep in that God-awful crouch. My back, Jesus Christ. She was vaguely aware that sunlight was coming through the window in the hospital making her eyelids seem red. It was then that soothing feeling came again, shaking her to the very core. Her eyes snapped open. It was time to face them, her brothers. But she was caught.
And, good God, Adam seemed to notice her lack of breathing and chuckled deeply enough that she felt the vibrations tingle throughout her head. “Hello, Dylan,” Adam said, chipper that he should be as a person who’s been shot thrice. However, his voice was still as soothing as it’d been all those years ago. Six years… six years… she really missed him. More than she had anticipated. Slowly, Dylan looked up and faced her brother. She trembled as she made eye contact. Hazel met brown. Adam and Baylor were the only two to inherit their mother’s eyes, while Caleb was the only one who had their mother’s hair. Adam hadn’t changed much. In fact, he hadn’t changed at all in the past six years. Dylan inwardly frowned. What would he say when he saw how much she’d changed? Shaking off her inner battles for later, Dylan smiled a small, honest smile at her brother. One she hadn’t worn in a long time. Trying not to have a voice crack, she said quietly, “Hey, old man.”
Adam chuckled at the use of the old nickname. He’d always acted more like an ideal father than her brother. He coughed a bit before his face rested back into a heartbreaking smile. “I think I’m still dreaming.” She definitely wasn’t expecting that. “Why?” she asked, brows furrowed. “Because there’s no way you’re actually here,” he said with a laugh that held bitterness to the humor. Dylan inwardly flinched. Her smile became strained. Whether he did it on purpose or not, she deserved that. “Yea, pretty insane, right? But don’t worry about it, I assure you, this is real. I was here when you got married and had a child, and now I’m here until you get back to normal.” Adam’s smile faded. “Will you go away again when I have?” Dylan was quiet for a moment. Yes. “Will I?” I have to. She held her brother’s gaze as he analyzed her.
He pillaged her eyes for answers but she knew Adam wouldn’t find them. As a scary kick-hip boss who went around acting like she was the queen of the world, she’d perfect her blank face. It was a mask she’d never get to stop wearing as long as she lived the kind of life she lived now. Adam sighed as he shook his head. “Your brothers and I have a lot of questions, you know. We let you go to Jersey in exchange for you keeping in touch with us.” He directed a less amused expression at her. “You ended up doing the opposite.” Dylan raised an eyebrow and playfully jested, “You do know I’m almost thirty, right? I’m not the same eighteen-year-old I used to be, Adam,” she said and added a bit more solemnly, “and I think you know that.” He frowned and shook his head looking out the window. “I know.” There’d be more questions, indeed.
A pregnant pause followed after that. The atmosphere became tense and it left a bad taste in Dylan’s mouth. She finally saw her brother after six years and they were already discussing her poor choices. She shook her head, clearing it. This was a reunion. It should be happy… right? Yes, it should be happy. The families Dylan had united always wore smiling faces when they saw their other family members again. She stood up, stretching all of her muscles which screamed in agony back at her in response. She ignored it. She’d been through worse. Right now, this was about Adam. “When have you last stood?” That seemed to catch him off guard. “What?” She playfully furrowed her brows at her brother, putting her hands on her hips as she tapped her foot. “Well?” He rubbed the back of his neck, “I’ve been bed-ridden for a week, so a week I suppose.” Dylan whistled lowly. “How miserable.” Adam rolled his eyes, “Thanks, Captain Obvious, I know.”
He sighed out and look to the window again. “On top of that, Millie’s pregnant and she’s been giving inferno to go home and take care of herself.” Oh. No wonder Caleb sounded urgent. “Hailey and… Lady- I mean, Lacy? I thought they were your wifey’s besties…” “Halle lives elsewhere and Lacynne,” he gave a pointed look to Dylan who looked back sheepishly, “returned to her hometown to take care of her sick grandmother.” “Um, MiKayla- Kayla, I mean, and Camille- Camilla?” Adam gave an incredulous at his sister, “Would it kill you to learn those girls’ names?” “I don’t exactly see them every year,” Dylan said back sassily. “Who’s fault is that?” Adam snipped back. Dylan clenched her jaw and looked away. She walked into that one. Adam sighed out again. “Kayla has her own two kids to take care of and Camilla can only do so much.
She’s about to graduate anyway.” “I took an indefinite leave from work,” Dylan blurted. Adam raised both his brows, shock displayed on his face that Dylan couldn’t decide whether it was playful or not. “Seriously? You, the workaholic, finally prioritized something other than… work?” Dylan huffed, “Yes, so shut up and change that facial expression of yours before I do it for you.” Adam looked pleasantly surprised. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve heard so many violent words come out of your mouth at one time.” Dylan didn’t let the bullet hit its target. Nice try, she almost scoffed. “Oh please, you know I’ve said worse things to Baylor.” A lie. A lifetime ago, Dylan was a soft-spoken young girl who could barely kill a fly. Now, she killed grown men. Adam gave her a look of doubt, but Dylan passed over it. “Anyway,” she said, “let’s get you up.” “Huh?” Adam said a bit dumbly. Dylan held out her hand, “You heard me, come on!” He gave her an incredulous look, “Are you out of your mind? I can’t justㅡ” Dylan gave her brother a Look. “You were shot in the arm, not the leg.
Now be a man and get up.” “Dylan…” Adam warned. She huffed. “Oh, come on, you know you want to. Adam, I’ve known you for the longest time, and I know you can’t sit still to save your life. All I want you to do is stretch your knees for like two seconds and then you can lie back down like it never happened.” He gave her a weird look, “You’ve… you’ve really changed…” Dylan blinked a bit before she shrugged, a smirk making its way onto her face. “That’s what happens when you live by yourself in a big city. Got to grow some balls, brother.” He scoffed, before he looked back at her, giving her an assessing stare, and sighed out. “Fine, you win. Help me up.” Dylan clapped her hands childishly before she held them out to her brother who took them and pulled.
Trying not to use too much of her strength to give herself away, she let Adam do most of the heavy lifting. Adam let out a sigh of pleasure as he stood on his own two feet. He felt like he had a bit more control of his life once again. He looked down at his sister. “This was actually a good idea, thank you.” Still using an arm to brace him, Dylan flicked her hair over her shoulder. “You’re very welcome,” she said sassily. He snickered as she brought her hand back down until both braced him. He was grateful for that, too, because after a week with just bathroom runs, Adam’s legs felt like jelly. However, their temporary peace came to an end as Baylor and Caleb busted into the room.Nurse, Dylan scowled. It was a lengthy accusation, but she’d been in the business long enough that her predictions were accurate enough. Now, she’d have to face the one thing she’d been dreading since she awoke: the questioning. Oh, Lord. Give me the strength.