Page 10 of Princess's Revenge

“Well, I took a shot,” he strokes my shoulder with care, “you can have anything you like from now on. Call Carlo down in the kitchen, hold #3 on the phone.”

I shoot my brow, “Does the phone dial out?”

He chuckles deep in his chest and gives me a half-grin, “Not yet, we’ll get there, Andrea.”

Andrea.“That’s going to take some time—the name.”

“Not as long as you might think. She’s who you’ve always been…and now you know the truth.” He stares into my eyes like he’s trying to convince me.

He’s not bad looking. I guess he must be about forty if I go by wear and tear. He’s got enough scars. He’s about 6 foot, thick and muscled with dark, slicked back hair like his dad, Vincent. He carries himself like a leader.

I do like the day-old stubble. It suits him more than a full beard and won’t shock you when…if…he shaves it off.

“Andrea?”

I’m daydreaming.I almost laugh. “It’s been a while since someone brought me breakfast in bed.”

He smiles, genuinely, from his eyes…just like his dad—again!“Nice to see you’ve kept your sense of humor.”

“If you can’t laugh at the madness, you’d go crazy, right? I learned that a long time ago.”

He nods, knowingly…perhapstooknowingly. He sits on the bed and puts his arm around me, “Andrea, the last sixteen years…”

“Yes?” I like how he’s holding me.

“Sixteen years is a long time. I can’t take it away, go back in time or do anything to erase it, but going forward, your life can be anything you want to make it. I want to help do that for you.”

He means it.I think I smile, honestly…for the first time in alongtime.

“Yesterday, my father shared secrets with you against my better judgement. Secrets that could hurt this family. He trusts you because he loved your father. I knew your father too, as a boy. He was a great man and I want to trust you too.”

“But?”

“But, for now, I don’t want you leaving the grounds. You’ll be chaperoned when you leave your room and I don’t want you contacting anyone outside this family. If you need me or my brothers, phone Carlo and he’ll patch us through.”

“Am I a prisoner?”

“Of course not,” he stands and takes a few steps away, “this is simply a precaution. We’ve brought you into…this thing of ours.Something that’s endured for a hundred years. You need to know how to conduct yourself outside these walls before you’re given free rein. That’s all.”

“Fair enough.”I still don’t know if any of this is real yet or an elaborate prank.

“Have your breakfast, get cleaned up, maybe take a long soak in the tub if you want, then hang out and watch some TV or something. I’ll be back later, alright?” He ends by lovingly caressing my cheek and giving me a kind smile.

He doesn’t wait for a response, he turns and lets himself out of the room. I hear the door lock after he closes it.

Hmm.

I wonder if I can climb down from the balcony?

I eat my breakfast while I watch the news—there was nothing about me being missing on it.

I investigate the bathroom and find that it’s almost bigger than mine and Jack’s apartment in Bedford. That place was such a shithole.

I take a steam shower and get the booze out of my system—I read somewhere that that’s how rich people recover from a night out—and then I take a long soak in the hot-tub.

After that, I take another shower then check out the clothing that’s been supplied.

Everything is a name brand, but do fancy labels on clothes detract from the fact that I’ve essentially been kidnapped?Maybe.No reason to let everything go to waste.

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