Page 37 of Bitter Prince
He shook his head. “MIA.”
He wouldn’t be for long. “Ask Ghost to find him.” That man could track anyone down as long as they weren’t in Russia.
For a second, he remained still, watching Reina’s wet clothes clinging to her body, and jealousy bit into my chest. I didn’t want any men looking at her that way. In fact, it pissed me off. She was mine.
The possessive note of my thoughts was unmistakable. I had always been protective of Reina, but it wasn’t until this very moment that I realized how true those words rang.Mine.The girl with a soft heart swept in like a thief in the night and stole my soul.
My soul might be jaded and my moral compass might be broken, but I knew that I’d fight my brother to the death to keep her.
Dante could have anyone and anything else. But he couldn’t have her.
19
REINA
Iwoke up cuddled by my sister on our couch. Isla, Athena, and Raven were sprawled on the floor, using sheets to cover their torsos. All three had changed out of last night’s outfits and wore shorts and tank tops.
The buzz of the city came through the cracked window. The voices of pedestrians speaking in rushed French. The car horns blasted through the air.
My eyes lowered to find an oversized white T-shirt covering me, but it wasn’t mine. It was a man’s shirt, and the scent of lemon and green apples told me exactly who it belonged to. I brought it halfway up my face and inhaled his scent deep into my lungs.
Images from last night flooded my mind. The way warmth curled low in my stomach as he held me.
“Okay, we have to give the shower a break,” Amon said, holding my gaze. His eyes sparked softly, darkly, and I let myself drown in them. Just as I had when I was that six-year-old girl so long ago.
“Okay,” I agreed. He reached above his head and turned off the faucet while I watched him. The way his muscles flexed under his clothes. The way his inky-black hair dripped beads of water.
My entire body burned, although I wasn’t sure whether it was from the drugs or this man. Every inch of me trembled and my teeth chattered as my fingers gripped the hem of his shirt.
He reached for a soft towel and wrapped it around my body. I sighed, leaning into him and burying my face into his chest.
“Y-you smell g-good,” I said, my teeth rattling.
A rough sound rumbled in his chest. “You smell like cinnamon.”
“Bitter prince,” I murmured, wrinkling my nose. “Th-that’s not… sexy.” He stilled for a moment, but with everything swimming around in my head, it didn’t register. “My bitter prince.”
“Where did you hear that?” His voice grew rougher, darkness leaking into his voice.
I sighed tiredly.
“Papà,” I rasped. “It’s always him.” I lifted my face to his, seeing bitterness and darkness on it. I brought my palm to his cheek and cupped it softly. He was so beautiful, I couldn’t look away. “Don’t be upset. I was eavesdropping and heard him.”
His gaze hardened. “It’s your father who gave it to me.” When I blinked, staring at him in confusion, he added, “The title.”
I let out a breath. “He’s not so bad, you know,” I murmured. “But losing Mamma broke him.” I put my head back on his chest. “He loved her a lot.”
Then he kissed my forehead and whispered something in Japanese that I couldn’t understand, and I told myself I’d order Rosetta Stone for Japanese first thing tomorrow.
“How did we get home?” I rasped as I shifted slightly. The girls on the floor stirred, blinking against the morning light streaming through the windows.
Phoenix’s eyes snapped open and met mine. “How are you feeling?”
“So-so,” I murmured while I signed. “I’m sorry I ruined your fun.”
Isla’s hand came to my bare thighs and squeezed. “Don’t you be sorry. That fucker tried to take advantage of you.”
The events came rushing through me, blurry. The way I’d started to feel nauseated after that guy got us drinks from the bar. How clumsy I was on the dance floor, the room spinning round and round. But when the girls spotted me, they came to my rescue. They must have known something was wrong—I never drank more than I could handle. They chased him out of the club after that, calling him names while I held on to my sister and the world tilted on its axis. Then Amon prowled toward me like an ancient god and saved the day. That image was clear as anything, for some reason.
