Page 114 of Vicious Little Princess

“You don’t feel like you can properly start the healing process until that’s achieved?” Milo asked.

“Exactly,” Julian confirmed.

Fuck.

“You stopped trying too quickly,” I told Julian.

“What?”

“Doctor Williams told me that you didn’t discuss anything about the kidnapping during your last session. She mentioned that you were solely focused on excitement about the future.”

“Excitement, right. Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?”

“It was an avoidance strategy and you know it. You’re not participating properly.”

“And you’re able to determine whatparticipating properlyinvolves when it comes to a therapy session?” He scoffed. “You can barely feel your own guilt, you’re the last person to be lecturing me about—”

“This isn’t helping,” Milo interjected. “And you’re being so defensive that you’re actually on the attack. Against Nico, Julian. Come on.Please.”

“If anything,he’sattacking me!”

“He’s airing his concerns. Very real concerns, Sunshine.”

Julian threw his hands in the air. “Of course you’re taking his side. When don’t you, huh? No matter what, right?”

“You know that’s not the case. Not when it comes to the way things operate between the four of us. I’ve been in your corner many times. Caterina’s too.”

“When push comes to shove, though—”

“This is aboutyou.Your actions,” I cut in. “You’re trying to redirect to—”

“To what, Nico? To convince you guys that I should get the justice I deserve?”

I slammed my fist down on the countertop. “You’ll get justice! That isn’t in question! Your methodsare!Fucking recognize that! We’re in the fight of our lives. The chances of us all making it out of things alive and in one fucking piece is slim as it is withoutthis, without you going rogue! Do you understand that? Do you fucking understand what’s gonna happen the moment what we did earlier gets back to my father, to Caterina’s? Something that will only be compounded by our assaults slated for tomorrow night? It’s treason! It’s an epic fucking betrayal! This isn’t just rebelling. Taking this stand, taking them on, coming for everything they have… there’s no going back from this. And if we don’t tread very fucking carefully with every move we make, we won’t survive the coming onslaught.”

A shadow fell over the door in my peripheral vision and I turned to see Caterina walking in.

“He’s saying that he needs you, Julian,” she said in a soft, calm voice that was the direct opposite to what had been firing back and forth between Julian and I over the last few minutes.

It was such a striking oppositional force to it, that it actually managed to cut through it in a very powerful way, sedating my worked up state and soothing Julian’s desperation noticeably too.

He actually softened, stepped back from me and started drawing in slow, deep breaths in a clear effort to recenter himself.

“We all need you.” She added rather pointedly. “Ineed you.”

There was a melancholic air to her words and her very demeanor that I sensed wasn’t only about Julian and the whole situation there.

But before I could get a word out, she reported stoically to us all, “I connected with one of Roman Knight’s colleagues concerning the tracking chip. It wasn’t made to be a long-term thing, meaning that it will disintegrate within a few weeks without any harm being caused. It’s also safe to be removed with a simple procedure. We could easily do it here and get it out now.”

“Orwe could use it to our advantage against Angelo,” Julian proposed.

“After what we just heatedly discussed—putting it mildly—I won’t let you come face-to-face with your tormentor until we have him incapacitated and utterly at your mercy,” I said.

“Will it still be in working order if it’s removed?” Milo asked her astutely.

She nodded. “As long as it’s removed carefully. So we can use it as bait without putting Julian in his crosshairs.”

“All right,” Julian agreed.

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