Page 39 of Broken Prince

I deflated a bit and it annoyed me. I wanted to know what her plans were but I had no right to ask… It couldn’t be that exciting though, could it? She was stuck here with me in the middle of nowhere. The guards have been ordered to stay away from her unless there was immediate danger.

“Sure.” I nodded.

“Tomorrow?” She smiled again. Fuck, did I enjoy that smile. “I’ll bring us pizza from town. What do you say?”

Ah, yes, I’d forgotten it was her weekly visit with her brother. “No pineapple?”

She chuckled. “No pineapple,” she confirmed.

My elation was immediately tamped down when she added, “I’ll ask Dom what kind of pizza he wants me to bring.”

“Yeah, sure.”Dom will join us over my dead body, fiery girl. Dinner’s you and me. I stood up. “I’ve got to go. See you later?”

She nodded. “Yes, of course! I’ll leave you some cassatelles in this box,” she said, pointing at the rose-covered metal box on the counter. “You’ll let me know what you think?”

“Absolutely I will but if I have to base on the smell so far? I’m sure it will be divine.”

I was glad she didn’t ask me what I was going to do because truth be told? I didn’t have a clue. Dom was working with the new guards and I didn't feel like drinking so much anymore mainly due to the ray of sunshine who was taking care of my home.

I decided to use my time to be productive instead of self-destructive for once and looked into Cassie’s situation and into her brother’s. Maybe I could help… Maybe I could become the hero I wanted to be for her.

I was startled when I heard the ring of dinner. How long was I concentrating on what I was doing?

I looked down at my notepad and all the names I’d written down and had to call to help Cassie’s situation.

I was a little disappointed when I found the library empty except for the amazing food waiting for me at the table.

I couldn't help but smile when I settled at the table and noticed the little pink metal box with the Post-it on top. ‘I think they’re delicious. Let me know what you think. ;)’

I was positive they were going to be delicious because she was a good cook and because she’d made them. Just that made it so much better already.

I ate quickly. I now had a reason to seek her despite her having plans this evening. I suspected these plans were either with Dom, which I was not very fond of or some Skype calls with her friend which I didn’t really mind.

I brought my plate and box to the kitchen, but she was not there. I stood in the middle of the empty kitchen and realized that the warmth I’d felt there this afternoon was all her. Now it was just an empty room full of painful memories.

I took another cassatelle and walked upstairs. Her bedroom door was cracked open and I stopped as I heard her laugh; it was so carefree, so lovely. I smiled. I loved hearing her laugh. My smile froze on my face when I heard Dom laugh, my mood taking a dark turn almost immediately.

I’d never experienced jealousy before, not even when Francesca left me for Savio. I never cared enough to be jealous. It was unfamiliar and so unsettling, I hated it.

I knocked at the door, trying my best to rein my temper and my growing desire to punch Dom unconscious.

“Come in!”

I walked into the room, ready to tell him off for something…anything really to have him leave this room, but what I saw caught me off guard. I could only stand there, my mouth slightly agape like an idiot.

They were both in matching pink robes on her bed, surrounded by popcorn and other sweets. They both had pink headbands and some weird green mask on their faces like some kind of facial of some sort.

“Cosa c'è di sbagliato in te, stronzo?” I asked my head of security who looked more like an ugly oversized woman at that moment than the cold mafioso killer he was supposed to be.

Dom's lips quirked up. “We’re having a girls’ night.”

“Ah.” I nodded. “You finally grew a vagina? It was to be expected.”

Cassie rolled her eyes and slapped Dom’s arm playfully. I envied the kinship that had developed between them.

“Dom bought me a spa basket to cheer me up after the bad news I got from the social services.” She smiled at him. “It was for two so I invited him to join.”

I frowned. “What bad news?” I asked gruffly. I was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. Not only was she seeking him during her free time, but she was confiding in him too.

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