Page 105 of Vengeful Princess

This version of Dar was all man.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm, betraying none of the swirling emotions churning in my brain.

“I’m here to study.”

“Me, too.”

He scoffed. “Is that what you told them?” Despite the fading light, I could see the fresh sheen of sweat across his stubbly jaw, smell the fresh citrus scent of his skin.

It took me back to a time when we spent hours together, talking, sharing all our hopes and dreams. None of which came to pass.

Teenage me had dreamed of running away with Dar and Verity. Flying somewhere far, far away, somewhere beyond my father’s reach. How naïve I’d been. I stupidly assumed Dar felt the same way as me. But as my father always loved to remind me, assumption is the mother of all mistakes.

“Why do you care, anyway?”

“I don’t care.” His lips curled up in a hateful sneer, making it more than clear how much he detested the very sight of me. Then he stepped back, shoved his ear buds back in, and jogged away.

58

Landon

My father was a cunt. He’d always treated Isla and me like possessions, not children. As long as we did his bidding, we were useful. The minute we said no, he went off on one and made our lives difficult.

The man was a narcissistic, manipulative bully. It was the main reason Isla had married Jonathon so soon after meeting him. She didn’t love Jon, but she was desperate to get out from under our father’s thumb, Jon being the lesser of two evils.

How our mother put up with Dad was a mystery, but she seemed happy. I guessed the unlimited credit card and umpteen holidays per year helped. Plus, Mom was the only person my father treated with respect.

If I’d known my parents were due home, I wouldn’t have taken Thea there. Not that I regretted our sexy time in the attic, even if my father’s little request had killed my hard-on stone dead.

“What’s eating you?” Cassian asked when I walked into our apartment, brushing the snow from my shoulders.

“Maybe that’s the problem,” Kyril smirked, a glass of vodka in his hand. “Nobody.”

“Has Thea replied to any of your ten million messages yet?” I asked him, knowing full well he was pissed because she’d ghosted him since their little woodland tryst.

Kyril growled and threw me a look that would have immolated a lesser man on the spot.

“Nope, thought not.” After pouring myself a large glass of whiskey - from my father’s distillery, so premium stuff - I perched on the edge of the sofa. “Must be why she wassooodesperate for my tongue between her luscious thighs.”

My words sank in and Kyril lost his shit. I heard Cassian mutter something about stupid assholes with needle dicks 0.01 seconds before Kyril’s fist hit my head. My whiskey went flying, which was a goddamn waste. Thank fuck I got a family discount.

Kyril snarled something venomous in Russian as he attempted to kill me, but before he could inflict too much damage, Cassian hauled him off.

“I will murder you slowly with a blunt spoon!” Kyril spat.

“Not gonna lie - that isn’t on my bingo card for this evening.” I smirked and picked my now empty glass off the floor. I should probably eat something. While Florrie’s cake had been delicious, two slices had barely made a dent in my appetite after a lunchtime gym session. I needed more calories.

“Settle down, you idiots,” Cassian snapped. “Since when do we fight over girls?”

“Since they both fell for the same one,” Milo remarked from his bedroom doorway.

“Bloody women.” Cassian glanced at his phone with a scowl, which I took to mean the Troll was still messaging him every hour.

Had her dick tattoo disappeared yet? Kyril’s artistic talent surprised us all. His rendering of an erect penis, complete with hairy balls, had looked quite striking on Camilla’s face. A much-needed improvement. Even if she didn’t agree.

“So tell us, why the miserable face when you walked in?”

I huffed at Cassian’s question and slumped down onto the sofa. “My parents showed up while I was at home with Thea.”

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