Page 53 of Underground Prince

I wrapped my arms around myself. “Every day came. Every night passed by. That was how I was living. As a person who was just counting down time until the end.”

His hand came under my chin, drawing me up.

“That’s the only way I can explain it,” I said. “I know it might sound lame or weird or—”

“No. It doesn’t.”

“You’ve given me enough chances,” I said at last. “Stop questioning my answer.”

The pounding of the door had me jumping. One instant Theo was in front of me, and the next he was covering me from the side, shielding me from the door, until he realized it was just a knock.

“Holy crap,” I said. A succinct sum-up.

Theo answered the door after shoving the gun in his waistband at his back.

“There’s a problem,” the person on the other side said. I couldn’t see who it was.

“Five minutes,” Theo said.

“We have to go.” I slid off the counter. “I’ve kept you too long.”

I straightened my sweater, because somehow during our mutual clawing at each other, Theo had pushed it up and I’d been talking to him, seriously, with my shirt half off the whole time. Great.

Theo halted my movements with a hand. He didn’t speak until I lifted my head.

He studied me for a moment before answering. “It might’ve been worth it.”

A frisson of ice escaped my stomach, leaping into my chest and melting in my throat. Excitement. Anticipation. But holy hell, I couldn’t give him that upper hand. “It might’ve been,” I said, pulling him closer by his belt. “If you’d’ve let me finish.”

I felt the rumble in his chest more than heard it. “I will drag you down, show you everything, and then we’ll see how much you want me.”

“A challenge, then. I accept.” I kissed him with the barest of touches of my lips against his, before whispering, “Just try to fight me.”

He withdrew before I could register his expression, and opened the door, but stopped me by the arm before I could exit first.

“You chose the cannonball, didn’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, Riddler, I did.”

He stepped to the side, letting me by, but leaned close to my ear as I passed, saying, “You should’ve chosen the dive.”

I paused.

“Because then, Scarlet, you’d be going in headfirst.”

14

POISONED UNICORNS

“You made it! I wasn’t sure if you—wow, your hair.” Verily came to a standstill beside me.

I shut my laptop, concealing the poker strategy site I’d been studying, and stood up from my spot underneath an oak tree at Washington Square.

“Yep, I made the jump,” I said, pulling my beanie off and shaking the flatness out.

“Without telling me?” She smacked me on the arm. “Ass. But I love it. Almost a brooding rainbow or something, with all the bruise-like colors you’ve chosen. Or a poisonous unicorn.”

“That’s sweet.”

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