Page 138 of Vengeful Princess

“… isn’t that right, Thea?”

“Err what?” I belatedly realized I’d lost the thread of the conversation, thanks to my overactive imagination. Landon smirked. I had a feeling he knew where my mind had gone. Knowing my luck, I’d started drooling while staring at Cassian in his tight-fitting shirt and perfectly tailored pants.

Yep. I had cataloged both while listening to his seductive voice.

Surreptitiously wiping my mouth, just in case Ihadbeen drooling, I attempted to focus.

“I was just telling Cassian about your interest in poisonous plants.”

“You were?” I had no recollection of me saying his mother’s plants interested me, but he was right. They were fascinating. Mostly because I was tempted to steal something deadly and feed it to Torrance.

The thought of him choking on his own vomit while agonizing spasms wracked his body held a lot of appeal. A dose of hemlock would certainly add a specialje ne sais quoito his favorite meal,pasta alla Norma.

One of Cassian’s perfect eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I didn’t know you had an interest in horticulture, Thea?”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” interjected Kyril. I jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to see him and Milo standing on Landon’s right, their shoulders dusted with snow. “Deadly toxins are a fun way to off someone.” He winked at me like we were enjoying a private conversation. “Less messy.”

I looked around to check nobody was in earshot. To my surprise, everyone had left, and apart from the bartender, we were the only people still here. He was too busy wiping tables and throwing us annoyed looks to bother eavesdropping on our conversation.

How had I not noticed the room emptying? I was really losing the plot. If Torrance could see how far I’d slipped from his high standards, he’d lose his shit.

The old Thea would have been on her guard at all times, acutely aware of every person in the room. Instead of monitoring exits and assessing potential threats, I’d let these men distract me. And worse, I’d accepted drinks from them without giving it a second thought.

This was how girls got roofied.

I really needed to get my shit together.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I frowned. This wasn’t my burner - it was the phone my father gave me. I couldn’t ignore him. Not for long, anyway. Besides, it was late and we all needed to leave.

“I have to go,” I muttered, pushing Landon’s arm off my shoulder.

“We should all go,” Cassian agreed. “The barman wants to kick us out.”

Landon grumbled but allowed me to stand. Kyril edged closer, probably intending to walk me back to my room, while Milo stayed near the wall, watching silently like always.

“I’ll walk Thea back,” Landon announced.

“That OK with you?” Cassian asked to my surprise. They all knew I could handle myself.

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” I pointed out, rolling my eyes. “Nobody’s stupid enough to jump me.”

“Not unless they have a death wish.” Kyril winked at me, clearly agreeing with my assessment of the situation.

“I know Thea can look after herself, that wasn’t why I—”

Kyril didn’t bother waiting for him to finish the sentence. “Yeah, yeah. You want to get laid. We get it.”

“Fuck you,mudak!”

“What have I told you about butchering my mother tongue,pridurok, eh?”

“Ooh, I must look that one up. Is it insulting?”

“Yes, it means you’re a dickhead.”

“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered. I was tired of their ridiculous bickering. The only one of them who showed me respect was Milo. He didn’t act like a dominant jerk or push me for anything. Instead, he let me take the lead.

Not that any of them were listening to me right now. Even Milo stood watching with a smirk on his face while Landon and Kyril argued and Cassian attempted to calm them down.

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