Page 124 of My Five Daddies

We ride back to the castle in silence, but I can’t stop hearing that one phrase, over and over again. I keep seeing the stones and hearing that phrase, and it’s all so alien to me, so foreign, that I know I don’t belong anywhere nearit.

I don’t know what to do. But I signed a contract and I’m married now. So for better or for worse, I have to see thisthrough.

17

Nolan

“Don’t engage him, Nolan.”

Andrew frowns at me from behind his desk as I shake my head, furious and barely controllingmyself.

“They were aggressive,” Isay.

“They alwaysare.”

“But Hazel wasn’t prepared. You should have seen her face. One of the fucking assholes even told her to go back to America inEnglish.”

Andrew’s frown deepens. “In English, huh? I didn’t know those vermin could speak more thanPolovian.”

“Neither didI.”

“Apparently they’reevolving.”

“That, or Julian made them memorize aphrase.”

Andrew sighs and leans back, spreading his hands out. “You have no proof ofthat.”

“Do I need proof? We both know it washim.”

“Maybe.” He hesitates. “But he still has powerhere.”

“Why?” I demand, suddenly furious. “Why does anyone follow that fuckingjoke?”

“Because they don’t have a good alternative yet,” Andrew says softly. “You knowthat.”

“And I need to be thatalternative.”

“Yes,” he says. “So go back to your room. Spend time with your new pretty wife. Don’t do anything fuckingstupid.”

“Right.” I stand up and nod at him. “Goodtalk.”

He sighs again. “You’re not going to listen, areyou?”

“We’ll see,” I grunt at him before waving and leaving theroom.

The whole fucking castle is afraid of Julian Eder, everyone except for me. I don’t know why they’re so fucking terrified. Julian is a pathetic excuse for a man. He’s crafty, that’s definitely true, and he does have a wife and some kids. Those things count for something. But he’s weak and sniveling and was a fucking crybaby when we were kids. I hated Julian back then and I can’t say I like him any betternow.

I don’t know what happened to this court since I left. Back then, the strongest were rewarded. Julian was always picked last for games because he was weak and pathetic. Instead of trying to improve, he always just whined and ratted us out to our parents for bullying him. The little shit constantly made things worse for himself, all because he couldn’t grow up and get a littletougher.

Now we’re adults, and I know that playground shit doesn’t matter anymore, but I can’t help it. I keep seeing that whiny little brat who tattled the first chance he got. I remember trying to help him back then, tried to explain to him that he couldn’t cry or whine, that he had to be tough. Julian ignored me then just like he’ll try and ignore menow.

But I can’t have that. I haven’t been coming after Julian, at least not directly. I’ve been biding my time, playing the political game, showing my father that I’m a sincere man and should be takenseriously.

I don’t know how patient I can be anymore. Not after this dirty trick. Julian will never come after me directly, but he’ll find ways to annoy me. He’ll try and knock me off balance and force me to make amistake.

Maybe he’s right. I’m furious and I can barely breathe or think. I should go back to my rooms and fuck my pretty wife, but I can’t do that, not yet. I need to do something. I have to be productive. I can’t keep sitting around, smiling and pretending like shit isn’t falling apart in this goddamncountry.

I stop in front of the door, breathing hard. I’m probably making a miscalculation here, but I’m done being safe. It’s time to take somerisks.

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