Page 43 of Vengeful Princess

I pulled my phone from my pocket and glanced at the screen.

Cassian: Where the fuck are you?

Me: Out.

Cassian: Out where? It’s 3 AM!

I couldn’t help but smirk. Nothing riled up Cassian more than being kept out of the loop. But I had no intention of telling him what I was up to. He’d only worry that I was sliding back into my old ways.

He was right, but this time, it was different.

Shewas different.

I stood outside Thea’s door and listened. Every dorm room had a fire-rated door, but sounds still traveled through. After listeningfor a few moments, I decided Thea wasn’t awake and used the stolen keycard to let myself in.

She’d left a small lamp on, which cast a warm glow over the room. It didn’t look like she’d added much to the basics provided to all students. I scanned the bland bedding and functional furniture, seeing nothing personal whatsoever. No fairy lights, scented candles, or fluffy throws.

The only personal item in the room was a small framed photograph of a young girl holding a striped cat toy and smiling widely. From her olive skin and dark hair, I guessed she was Thea’s sister or another close relative. Maybe Verity?

Thea lay half under the quilt, one arm thrown outside and the other tucked under her pillow. From her slow, rhythmic breathing, she was deeply asleep, so I padded over to the desk and sat on the chair, content to watch her for a while.

She was so beautiful. During the day, Thea remained closed off, her expression shuttered. I’d witnessed her laughing a few times at something Eden said, but mostly she displayed very little in the way of emotion.

In some ways, she reminded me of Cassian. Years of his father’s indoctrination had taught him never to reveal his true self. I suspected Thea’s father had a similar approach to parenting.

If only I could figure out who her father was.

There were two phones charging on Thea’s desk. One was a generic, cheap model, and the other one a more expensive iPhone.Curious.Why would she need two phones? Perhaps one was a burner phone.

The iPhone lit up with a message while I looked at it.

Torrance: Call me. I have information for you.

Who the fuck was Torrance? He didn’t sound like he was her father. I would run a search on the name later, to see what cameup, but with only one name and nothing else to go on, I wasn’t hopeful anything would.

Nothing about Thea made sense. She could fight. Casual murder didn’t phase her in the slightest. Everything pointed to Thea being connected to one of the crime families, yet she was here incognito.

Why?

Lots of mafia families sent their kids here. It was no great secret. At least not among the mafia families. Abernethy College was the most exclusive college in Europe. Anyone leaking information did so at their own risk, which meant it simply wasn’t worth it.

Minutes ticked by as I sat watching Thea. Just as I was about to leave her, albeit reluctantly, she stirred and whimpered in her sleep. Something about the small pained sounds she made called to me.

Knowing that a nightmare had its claws locked deep into her psyche bothered me. I hated seeing her in distress.

She whimpered a little louder and tried to burrow deeper under the covers.

“No,” she whispered, kicking her legs. “No!”

Although there was a risk it might wake her, I crawled onto the bed and brushed her hair away from her cheek. A lone tear slid down and soaked into the pillow. She shuddered but seemed to quieten, so I lay behind her, letting her soak up my body heat.

“Shh, you’re safe,” I whispered in her ear.

After a few moments, she settled and fell silent, relaxed against me. My cock hardened, which was an unfortunate reaction and not one I could help. If she woke now, she’d likely kill me, but it would be worth it.

This was the first time I’d ever lain next to a woman close enough to touch her. In the past, I’d always kept my distance,content to sit and watch the object of my obsession. While I liked to watch them sleep, I never laid a hand on them.

Haley - and the other girls - were pretty dolls. Fantasy figures. Since I couldn’t bear the idea of touching a real woman, watching girls was the next best thing.

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