Page 101 of Princess Broken

I resist the urge to chuckle at the idea. Far better Mariano has his cock in his hand than a stake, like the one I’ve got stashed under my leather jacket. A weapon I intend to drive through his heart, after he tells me why he came after Ana.

Taking a step forward, I’m glad I opted for sneakers over boots. But even with my rubber soles, if he were paying any attention, he’d hear my footfalls, hear my heart beating, sense my presence in the air. But I’ve got the element of surprise on my side.

“Please!” he cries out.

I stop short. He’s not alone.

“I’ve done everything you asked of me!” Mariano’s voice is strange, strangled, desperate. “She’s dead. Gone forever this time. Please, let me die too. Please. Release me from this pain!”

I creep forward. I’m close enough to the arched entrance to peer around, but I don’t want to risk that. Not yet. Not until I know what’s going on in there. Why is there only one heartbeat?

“When will my torture end?” he says. “I know we made a bargain, but I’ve paid for over a hundred years. And now she’s dead—” His words cut off and he screams in anguish.

Instead of him, I concentrate on the space, verifying again that there’s only a single heart. And there’s no hum of electronics indicating a phone. The bastard’s talking to himself.

He cries out again in pure anguish, and I leap into the room.

Through the heavy steam, I see the vampire on his knees, fully naked, facing the wall ahead of me and pleading with…with the tiles?

Leaping up, he spins toward me. “Who’s there!”

The steam between us clears and I stagger back, unable to disguise my shock, because the vampire in front of me is not Mariano.

Gaining my wits, I scan the room. It’s maybe fifteen feet square and fully tiled. Built in benches line three of the walls, and more steam rises from a small pool of water to the far left.

“Who were you talking to?” I ask, avoiding the more obvious question.

“Is she alive?” He clasps his hands in front of his chest, pleading with me instead of the wall. “Please. Tell me where she is.”

I nod. “Yes, she’s alive. Now tell me how the fuck you are. Last time I saw you, Timur, you had a stake through your heart.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ana

I stare into the fire. Flame and Blade are playing pool, keeping their distance from me, and Phil is sitting at the other end of the room, his chair directly in front of the door, as if he thinks I’ll try to escape.

Phil hasn’t spoken since he walked in on us in the pool cave, and didn’t even pretend to avert his eyes when I got out of the water and stood naked, until Flame handed me my dress.

I turn to look toward him, and Phil looks abruptly away, folding his arms over his chest, like he’s pretending he hadn’t been glaring in my direction. So I turn my attention back to the fire. Phil can glare all he wants, he can’t ruin the feeling I have inside after the sex with Blade and Flame.

I only wish I’d had a chance to make love with Blade face-to-face at least once. It’s clear that, just like Flame, he’s never done that before. I would have loved to be his first. And assuming Crusher has killed Mariano, we might not get the chance.

The flames dance around the fireplace, and once again I wonder what it would be like if I stayed here in Freetown with the brothers. Surely, they’d get over the no-sex with me part of their code eventually. Just as they’d eventually let me go above ground. I have to admit, the idea of having these four intimidating vampires around to protect me, makes me feel safer than I have my entire life. Perhaps I could even return to my duties, with them acting as my bodyguards. They could go on the palace payroll.

“What the fuck happened?” Phil’s voice draws my attention from the flames.

Crusher strides into the room.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Phil claps Crusher on the back.

Looking down, Crusher shakes his head slowly, and Phil’s forehead creases with concern.

“What the fuck happened?” Flame asks as he moves toward Crusher.

Blade turns toward me but then, as if thinking the better of it, leaves me by the fire and follows behind Flame.

My stomach twists in trepidation, and I press my hands against it as I rise and then slowly walk toward the four men, now standing in a slight semi circle.

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