Page 93 of Princess Broken

“My pleasure,” Maria says. “It took longer that I expected, but turned out well.” Maria heads toward Ana’s bedroom with the gown. “I’ll start in the guest room.”

“I’ll start in the gymnasium.” Pierre exits the main room quickly, leaving just the five of us again.

“What’s so important?” Flame flicks a lit match at one of the vases, missing its opening. I haven’t seen him miss a target in years, but the flame will burn itself out on the tiled floor.

“We’ve got ten days before Mariano due to meet Diederik at the bath house,” I tell everyone. “Given past…indiscretions, we need ground rules.”

“Ground rules?” Phil growls. “What rules do we need beyond our code?”

Clearing my throat, I look toward Blade and then Flame, but neither of them meet my gaze.

“To keep Ana safe,” I say, “it’s imperative that at least two of us are always with her.”

“Two? All the time?” Blade frowns. “Isn’t that overkill in our own quarters?” He jabs a knife toward Flame. “He was alone with her for days.”

“It’s not overkill.” I don’t want to embarrass Ana, but Flame has proven he can’t be alone around her. And given the way Blade looks at her, I don’t trust him either. And if I make the rule for them, I need to make it for Phil and me too.

“Now that’s settled.” I smile at Ana. “If you’d like to go for that walk, I would be happy to accompany you.”

“I’ll join you,” Phil says quickly. And that seems to bursts Ana’s smile, wiping it from her lips and eyes.

I head toward the exit with Phil and Ana, and at the door, she looks back over her shoulder. I turn too. Both Flame and Blade are intently watching us leave.

Chapter Thirty

Blade

The second Phil and Crusher leave with Ana, Flame heads for the fireplace and starts piling logs on the already raging fire. Joining him, I keep both hands buried deep in my pockets, jabbing sharp metal shards into each of my fingertips in turn. But the pain barely distracts me from all that I’m feeling. How can I survive ten days so close but never alone with her?

Even though she let my brother put his hands and mouth on her—at a minimum—I feel sure that it’s me she wants. Or perhaps both of us. That near kiss still tingles on my lips, even though it happened nearly an hour ago.

I sigh. Crusher’s rule is for the best. But…I slice through a fingertip.

“I’m sorry,” Flame says.

“What for?” I keep my gaze down. Reacting would expose my feelings.

“For what you saw happen between me and Ana.” He kicks the fire, shooting sparks up the chimney. “I fucked her too. Many times.”

I flinch, but then try to cover it, pretending I cut myself too deeply. But the pain I’m feeling is from a very different kind of wound. “You broke the code,” I say calmly.

“You know my apology’s about more than that.” He jabs the fire with an iron poker, angering the embers near its base.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I dig a blade under one of my fingernails.

“I’ve seen the way you look at her,” Flame says with longing in his eyes. “And the way she looks at you. And I saw how she reacted when you guys walked in on us.”

“She was worried you’d be punished.” I pull one hand out of my pockets and wipe the blood on my jeans.

“Sure.” Flame shrugs. “But she was also worried about you. About your feelings.”

I inhale sharply. “You noticed?” Perhaps it wasn’t wishful thinking.

Flame’s the one who’s fucked her, but she did pay me a lot of attention when we got back. And then… Does Flame know I nearly kissed her? I wonder if she kissed Flame.

A piece of wood rolls out of the fire. My brother kicks it back in, but then picks up a long splinter that the burning log shed. Holding it, he watches it burn, letting it extinguish itself on his fingertips.

I wince at the scent of his burnt skin.

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