Page 88 of Their Princess

“I’m only getting the party started. Bring me a beer!” I called out to the now empty room, hoping Duchess would appear like she usually did.

No such luck.

Adelina murmured something to Graff that I couldn’t hear.

“What’s that, princess?” I asked.

Looking up at me, she made her voice bigger. “When are you getting your next tattoo? Your ink seems a bit... light.”

I drew my eyebrows together. “I don’t need another tattoo.”

“Don’t trust Graff? Or don’t like needles?” she asked.

Fuck, this woman could see into my soul, but I peeled back my cut and exposed my shoulder. It was tatted down to my elbow and across the top of my chest. “All prospects get their marks. I’m no exception. Go big or go home.”

Her hungry eyes roamed over the heavy black lines forming a tribal pattern over my chest and upper arm. Then she quirked one brow in a perfect arch, clearly unimpressed. “That’s it?”

“Every prospect has to face their strongest fears”—I hated being real like this, but she was squeezing it out of me like the last drops of juice from a dried out lemon—“and I never liked needles. One too many vaccines as a kid, you know. But Wilde made me face mine. Rafe, you never had to face yours. Maybe it’s time to start.”

He stared ahead, back in full Marine mode like nothing would phase him. Challenge fucking accepted.

Grabbing Adelina’s hair, I wrapped the strands around my fingers and forced her head back. Her skin was pulled taut across her neck. Her blue veins were exposed under her tanned skin.

Rafe sneered at me like I knew he would. His niece was his weakness, and I fully planned to exploit that. I laughed. And laughed some more.

He wore his heart on his sleeve. What a terrible spy.

“See, it’s things like that—family, love, whatever—that makes people weak,” I said as much to remind myself as to scold Rafe. “It’ll ruin you. Make you sad. You can say I think with my cock—fuck, many people say so—but I’m not risking myself for a piece of ass. There’s always another around the corner. Family, besides this brotherhood, is bullshit.”

“Am I not your brother?” asked Rafe.

Did he want to take a turn at his niece?

I hissed at him, “You’re Massimo’s bitch. A loyal little lapdog that should be put on a leash. If you were really my brother, Iwouldshare my future wife with you. Is that what you want, Rafe?” I tilted Adelina back a little further, and surprisingly, she bent.

She was more flexible than I guessed. Was she a dancer? A gymnast? I wanted to bend her more to see how far she could go before she broke.

“What about Graff?” asked Adelina.

“Hmm?” I questioned, brushing my thumb through her soft, silky hair.

“He’s your brother. Will you share me with him?” asked Adelina.

I laughed. “Yeah, princess. I would.”

“How so?” she asked, voice husky.

I stilled for a split second. Was she flirting with me? With us? Maybe she really was a bunny in princess skin. Perhaps she could be princess of the bunnies, ruling over them. Maybe they could then get their hair this silky and their skin just as soft. Good little whores for fucking.

Delicate.

Pretty little dolls for me to bend and break.

“Graff likes asses,” I said, “but I want to be the first to fuck your ass.” I bet she had never been touched there. I leaned down and whispered loudly in her ear, “There’s so many ways we could fuck you. Graff could have your tits, and I could use your mouth. I’ll bet those lips would look so pretty in red and wrapped around my cock.”

Something glinted in her eye. Fear? Anticipation? Want?

I licked my lips. “We could have you wherever. Whenever. And however we want.”

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