Page 45 of Resisting Royal

“He’s your father, Bianca. Of course, you have a say.” I felt like rolling my eyes at her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at me so seriously that it only added to her adorable factor. “How much does he want a loan for?”

This is where it got tricky. It wasn’t like he wanted a hundred bucks to get him by until the next payday. “A hundred and ten.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Dollars? A hundred and ten dollars?”

Man, my throat felt dry. “Thousand dollars.”

She made a choking sound as her head began to shake. “Are you kidding me, what did he even need that for? Do you even have that type of money?”

I think she knew the answer but didn’t know what to else to say. “I do. I think your father is gambling again, Amore. I will support his habits if you wish, but the decision is solely yours.”

She looked at me in disbelief. “You’re joking, right? Absolutely not! There is no way I’m letting you support his habits. He can find other revenue to gamble away.”

She didn’t realize it wasn’t that simple. “If your father is asking for the loan, he probably already owes this amount.”

She shook her head again. “I don’t care; he can’t take advantage of you like that.”

“Just say the word, and I’ll have the transfer ready.” I wanted her to know that I would do it, I would do anything she asked, any time she asked.

“No. There is no way. I appreciate you asking me first, and I’m glad you did, but I can’t let him take advantage of you this way, or me. It’s not like he can sell me off . . . again. No. He will have to figure out a way on his own.”

My stomach tightened at the thought of him selling her when she was already mine. Even when she fought me and denied it, every piece of her would one day be in my hands. It was just a matter of time, and I was not willing to sacrifice what we had.

“If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to ask me, Amore. Never hesitate to come to me.”

She dismissed my words, but I hoped when the time came, if it ever came, she remembered them. Then, she leaned back down on the couch, her attention going to the show that was playing even though I knew her mind was no longer into it. We stayed like that for another hour, then when her eyes started to glaze over, and her yawns wouldn’t relent, I turned off the television myself before forcing her off the couch to go upstairs.

I stayed downstairs, making my rounds to lock the doors and check the windows and collecting the damn rabbit that I found chewing a hole in a bag on the pantry floor. When all things were secure, alarms were set, and the rabbit was securely snuggled under my arm, I joined Bianca in our bedroom only to find her fast asleep.

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