Page 95 of Vengeful Princess

“Why doesn’t your papa want you to have friends?” As far as I knew, she didn’t go to my school. If she had, I would have noticed her for sure. She was way prettier than the stupid girls who hung around me and my friends. All they cared about were movies, bands, and celebrities. I had no time for any of them.

“He says having friends would be too distracting.” She rubbed her arm and when I looked closer, I spotted a patchwork of bruises. Some faded and yellow. Others blue and more recent. “I have a private tutor for lessons. He teaches me all the stuff Papa says I need to know.”

It seemed safer not to ask any more questions. A small voice in my head warned me Thea wouldn’t answer them even if I did. Instead, I told her about the music I liked, books I’d read. Stuff she probably wasn’t interested in but was too polite to say so.

We sat together for what felt like hours in the cool, dark chapel, watching the sunlight flicker in through the cracked glass panes, until I heard Dad calling my name.

“I have to go,” I said reluctantly, even though I didn’t like leaving Thea. The sight of her bruised arm made me feel hot and itchy inside. It was obvious she needed someone to protect her. I was still a kid, though, even if I was tall for my age. Mama constantly complained about my growth spurts. She claimed one day soon I’d be as big as my father.

I hoped so. My father was a mountain of a man. Nobody messed with him unless they were really dumb.

“Bye, Thea,” I said, hovering in the doorway as my papa’s voice got louder and more insistent. If I didn’t hurry, he’d be mad and never let me come back here, which was the last thing I wanted.

“Bye, Dar.” Thea flashed a smile so brilliant it almost blinded me. It was in that moment that I vowed I’d do everything in my power to take care of her.

What a fool I was.

I soon learned that Thea didn’t need anyone to protect her, and that she wasn’t the sweet, innocent girl I’d fallen for.

No. Thea di Luca was more than capable of ripping a man’s heart from his chest and spitting in the hole left behind.

53

Thea

3 years ago

Sun-burnt grass tickled my ankles as I slipped through the trees. Despite the late hour, it was still hotter than hell out here, the humid air coating my skin in a light sheen of sweat. I plucked my thin cotton tee away from my chest, wishing I’d worn a slip dress instead.

Dar stood waiting for me when I entered the chapel. Shirtless, golden skin gleaming in the moonlight. He crossed the room in a few strides, pulling me into his arms.

I chewed my lip nervously, tasting salt and the faint metallic tang of blood from where Torrance had caught me with his fist earlier. A deep purple bruise stained my cheek. Dar’s eyes narrowed in anger when he saw it.

“That bastard. He—”

“Forget him.” I sighed. “He doesn’t matter.” I pressed closer, not wanting to get into another discussion about my shitty life. There was nothing either of us could do to make things better. Dar wasn’t strong enough to take my father on and I… well, I had Verity to think of.

Dar closed his eyes for a moment, a small vein throbbing in his jaw, then he nodded. “Fine. We won’t talk about it.”

“I don’t want to talk, Dar. Not tonight.” My hands rested on his chest, enjoying the feel of his muscles and warm skin. The thump of his heart as it quickened at my sultry words.

He chuckled. “What do you want then?” When he looked down at me with heat in his eyes, I shivered with need.

“Help me forget.” The time I spent with Dar was a release from the stress of being my father’s daughter. A blunt tool he used against his enemies. His secret weapon.

Dario stepped back and sat down on a bench, pulling me into his lap. When his mouth found mine, I melted into him, pushing all thoughts of Torrance and my father aside. Our kiss deepened as the passion between us burst into life.

“I want you so much,” he groaned when we finally broke apart. My lips were swollen, bruised, and every inch of my body burned with need.

It was dangerous being here. Every time I sneaked away from the house, I half-expected Torrance to catch me. Haul me back and lock me in the basement as a punishment. But he never did.

One day, though, our luck would run out. Dar’s father might be useful to Dad, but it wouldn’t stop my father from punishing me. He didn’t want me to have friends. And he definitely wouldn’t be happy if he knew what Dario Peretti and I got up to in this forgotten chapel.

“Touch me, Dar,” I begged, desperate to feel his hands and mouth on me.

“Are you sure?” Both of us were breathing heavily, and I could feel him, hard between my thighs.

“Yes. Please!” He slid my thin cotton top down to reveal my breasts. “Fuck, Thea. You’re so beautiful.”

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