Page 1 of Dark Prince

LORENZO

Two years ago, I was desperate to keep a girl from running away. I manipulated her into scribbling her signature onto a marriage license. I convinced her it was the ultimate middle finger to a father she loathed. Marry the enemy’s son to step outside the Russian culture she knew she was expected to follow and merge with mine. I knew all the ways to entice Sasha Nikolayev to my point of view, and I used them to my advantage.

Somewhere between then and now, I lost the upper hand I had on her, but at least she’s still here. That’s one thing I have going for me right now. Had she made good on her threat, ditched her family obligations, and fled to a warmer climate like she said, I would have followed. I’d have chased her for as long as it took. I would have broken an oath punishable by death—my death. I would have let my father and my siblings down in the worst possible way.

I’ve struggled with the knowledge that if it came between Sasha and my family, I’d choose her every single time, no matter the consequences. I don’t know what that says about me. Maybe I’m a failure as a son, a brother, a man. It pains me to know that I’ve let my family down, Si and Dom the most. I’ve pushed my twin sister away for longer than she even realizes, and that kills me a little on the inside. Sienna is my best friend; not that anyone would know that by the way I avoid her.

I’d rather have ten men pounding their fists into my face over and over again than to continue sitting here while she stares at me, accusing me of betraying her without having to say a word. I see it in her eyes: the hurt, the anger, the need to pummel me with every ounce of strength she has.

I should let her do just that, and I probably will. At least for a time, because the thing about us is that we’re competitive and we fight dirty. I crave it just as much as she does.

“What’d I miss?” Matteo asks from behind the couch Sasha and I are seated on like children in time-out.

“Come on, Matteo. I stopped at the pharmacy on the way home. I need your help with something.” My sister stands, her lips pursed so much as she eyes Sasha, then me, that I know she’s doing it on purpose. “If you’ll excuse us,” she says, a growl coming off her lips as she purposely walks around the coffee table on the opposite side to avoid walking between us.

“For real?” Matteo’s tone suddenly changes, and it throws me off, my eyes narrowing on my sister. For the heavyweight boxing champ of the world, now 10-0 in his career, he sounds like a scared boy.

“Si, are you okay?” I never checked on her after her fight ended with Sasha. I should have. She walked out of the ring normal. At least to the naked eye, she looked fine. I’ve thrown down with Sienna more times than I can count. I’ve even fought with my wife, so I know the pack she carries in her punch and every limb on her.

Shit, what if my sister is hurt? What if it’s not even related to her match, and that motherfucker did something to her that she lied to Dad about? I may be the secretive sibling between Dom, Sienna, and me, but my twin isn’t. She wouldn’t have withheld information from Dad if something happened. Yet . . . there was something in her stare earlier that made me think for a split second that she wasn’t telling us everything. I chalked it up to nothing, though, because that’s not who my sister is. She lays everything out. She doesn’t hide herself anymore.

“Who the hell cares?” Sasha pouts. “Let them go. I’ve seen enough of her face for one night.”

“Bitch, we can go again, right now, right here,” my sister seethes, her nostrils flaring.

“Itching to get your ass kicked again already?” Sasha snorts a laugh. Not only do I see my sister’s action before she moves, but so does my wife. Sasha leaps off the couch and I’m right there with her as Sienna lunges. Grabbing Sasha by the shoulders, I throw her back to the couch and then I catch my sister by the waist, preventing her from landing on top of Sasha.

“Both of you stop!” I yell. “Sienna, please,” I stress as I place her feet back on the floor and peer down.

“Fuck off, Ren.” She shrugs out of my hold. “Don’t fucking talk to me tonight.” After a beat, her eyes mixed with more sadness and anger than I’ve ever seen, Sienna storms off.

Turning to face my wife, my nostrils flare as I train my eyes down her sleek form. “Why do you have to start shit with her?”

“Why do you have to defend her on everything?”

“That wasn’t me defending anyone, snowflake,” I snap, calling her by the nickname I bestowed upon her when we were kids, before I fell in love with a girl not only from a rival family, but one from a different cultural background too, and definitely before she became a raging bitch. “If the two of you would shut your fucking mouths, life would be a lot fucking easier.”

“Of course, Lorenzo,” she coos in mock sarcasm. “Making your life easier is all I’ve ever wanted to do.” She rolls her glacier eyes. “Not.”

Shaking my head and sighing, I start to step past her to head up to my bedroom, needing breathing room from her, my sister, everyone.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Stopping, I grit my teeth before rolling my head to look down at her. She’s finally righted herself into an upright sitting position. “I’m going to shower, Sasha. I have dirty whore stench on me from having to deal with Matteo’s ex, and frankly, I don’t care to deal with you right now.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” she shouts, even though I’m less than a foot from her.

“There are plenty of rooms in this house—find one. Just make sure it isn’t mine.”

“Like I’d fall in your bed.”

“Let’s not go there, wife. You fall on my dick quite often. May not be my bed—or any bed—but you and I both know my dick is the only dick that satisfies you. Good night, sweetheart.”

“How am I supposed to get to work? I’m late as it is.”

“No one wants to see a bruised-up bitch with a fat lip on a strip pole. Besides, you aren’t even on the schedule, so no, you weren’t supposed to be at work tonight. At least not that work.”

“How would you know when I’m on the schedule? Stalking me again?”

---