Page 18 of Vicious Little Princess

“Not a miracle, just some impressive ingenuity.” Her lip curled. “Fortunately, thinking outside the box is kind of my thing.”

With that, she stalked to the bathroom door, threw it open, then strode on out back into the bedroom.

I followed her as she headed for her chest of drawers and started pulling some clothes out and tossing them on the bed. “I need coffee and lots of it. I can still feel that fucking sedative in my system. I’ll meet you in the living room—the main one—in ten minutes, and we’ll get started.”

Relief rolled through me at seeing her like this and I smiled at her issuing orders.

“What?” she asked distractedly as she shoved on her panties and a pair of black yoga pants beneath her towel, jumping on the spot to pull them on quickly.

“Nothing. I’ll get that coffee going.”

“When will Milo be back? And come to think of it, how the hell is he going to clean up the mess I made all by himself?”

“I’ll answer the first question. The second we’ll get to once we find Julian. Milo texted me before we headed into the shower. Another twenty minutes and he’ll be here.”

I could see her urge to ask more about the second part. Fortunately, she obviously recognized the need to prioritize right now, and she merely nodded and said, “Okay, good.”

“I’ll need to dress your injuries while you’re doing your thing.”

“I’m fine.”

“Your arms are scraped up to shit. From the crash, no doubt.”

It was fucking lucky that it hadn’t been worse than that.

Julian had protected her with that special riding gear he’d acquired for her.

Of course he had. He was always going above and beyond for those he loved.

And I’d make damn sure we did the same for him now.

“Then there’s the fact that you had open wounds while covered in other people’s blood. Infection is a very real concern. We’ll get you on a course of antibiotics right away.”

“Twice in a few weeks. That’s not the best.”

No, it really wasn’t.

Her getting hurtagainwasn’t something easy for me to digest. Hell, I couldn’t swallow it. I never would. I just had to hold off my true feelings concerning it until we located Julian.

Just until then.

I walked to her and kissed the top of her head. “It will all be okay. You’re back here, safe with us now.” I breathed her in. “Where you belong.”

Her eyes widened at my words. My confession, in a sense.

It had just… come out.

The words had slipped out so easily.

Andthey’d felt so fucking right when I’d voiced them.

I smirked and walked out, leaving her to absorb it.

6

~Emilio~

Carlo’s guys had been swift, efficient, and strategic.

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