Page 25 of Broken Princess

“Like what?”

“I don’t know… you guys, The Syndicate, and me. Only it feels like you guys changed for the better, the families for the worse, if recent events are anything to go by, and me? Well, that’s just a clusterfuck of epic proportions,” I say, accidentally snorting out a laugh at my expense.

“You get that I’m not the touchy feely one in the group, right?” he says, looking awkward as fuck.

“No shit.”

“When you’re healed, if you want to punch something, I’m your sparring partner. If you want me to hunt someone down to avenge you, that’s me. But the talking? That’s not me, Aurora.”

“I’m not looking for a heart-to-heart, you idiot. You asked me what I was thinking, and I told you,” I huff out. “I’m not a complicated woman, Nico. I get cut and I bleed. I fall down and I get back up. My psychopathic husband kills my father, and you know what? I might need a minute to process that. Excuse me for being honest.”

“You make a good point,” he says, nodding and holding his hands up in defeat.

“Are you telling me you don’t talk with Benedict?”

A warm smile creeps over his face at the mention of Benedict. “That’s different. Of course, I talk things through with Benedict. He’s mine.”

It makes me smile that a man as intimidating as Nico is unravelled at the mention of someone he loves. His permanent scowl has evaporated, and his facial expression softening makes his tattoos and various facial piercings less intimidating.

I rub my temples as the low thrum that has been torturing me all day threatens to turn into a full-blown headache. I’ve been skimping on the drugs because they were making everything hazy, but I’m tired and I hurt and I’m still a little grouchy.

“Can you grab me some painkillers?”

He’s up in a flash and brings them straight to me. I smile as I take in Nurse Nico, fastest med slinger in the West. I thank him but don’t make eye contact.

“Hey,” he says, bringing his hand to my jaw. Gripping it firmly, but with care, making me look at him. My breath catches. The last time someone grabbed me like this, I was stabbed. I should be having some type of trauma response, freaking out in some way. So why am I squeezing my thighs together and wondering what it would feel like to have Nico’s firm hands holding me in far more intimate places?

What the fuck is wrong with me?

My eyes widen, and instantly Nico drops his hand with a look of horror on his face. “Fuck, Aurora, I’m so sorry. That will never happen again.”

“Nico—”

“If I hurt you, I promise I didn’t mean t?—"

“Nico—”

“That’s just how I get Benny to get out of his head when he’s withdrawn. It was an automatic response.”

He finally stops rambling long enough for me to get a word in. “Are you done?”

“Yes,” comes a soft, very un-Nico-like reply. His brow is furrowed, and his jaw clenched tight shut as he tries to rein his emotions back in. Looks like he’s losing that battle, though.

I take him in, watching as he lowers his head and swallows hard. He looks genuinely disappointed in himself for crossing some arbitrary line he’d drawn. For touching me. This is a version of Nico I don’t know. I feel terrible that I’ve caused him this anguish. The last thing he needs is an emotionally damaged crazy person confessing their sexual fantasies to them. Besides, he and Benny are together.

Gah, I’m a twat. These men are helping me and here I am with all my screws loose, wanting to climb them all like a tree. All? Nico. Just Nico.

“You did nothing wrong, Nico. You didn’t upset me. You didn’t hurt me.”

“I shouldn’t have touched you.” He tries to get up, and I’ve had enough.

“For the love of God, Nico, sit down and cut it out.” His eyebrows shoot up at my outburst, but he takes a breath and stills.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he says and a strange raucous laugh bursts free from him, expelling any tension he was clinging to. “Never tell Benedict I let you get away with telling me what to do. That little brat won’t let me live it down.”

I laugh, loving that he’s devoted to Benny. They make a good couple. They don’t need my crazy ass interfering with their relationship.

“Press play, and let’s watch the Sanford Neighbourhood Watch get their comeuppance.”

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