Page 3 of My Dark Horse Prince

Adriana’s string of expletives is actually impressive. When she finally calms down a little, she says, “I’ve had a bit of luck, so I can cover our rent this month, and you can borrow the money for the surgery from Danils. Do you know how pissed she’d be about that?”

I grit my teeth. “He told me to call him.”

“Great,” she says. “Do it.”

“Not if flesh-eating beetles were stripping the skin and muscle from my body,” I say.

Adriana rolls her eyes. “Always so melodramatic. Look, you said Kris still hasn’t called you back.”

“Her dad says she’s in Russia, and she just won the Grand National a few days ago. I’m sure the press is hounding her, so she’s turned off her phone. I should just wait for her to get back. Asking someone for money isn’t something you should do over the phone, anyway.”

“Well, maybe a few hundred,” Adriana says. “But not fifty thousand euros.” She flops onto the very worn, very dirty couch. “Do you think she even has it? Or will she have to call her rich little banker ex?”

“I wouldn’t even ask her to do that. I’m hoping that she can pay me out of the winnings from her race, but with her dad’s gambling, you never know.”

“You’re unemployed now, thanks to her selling her land. She owes you.”

“I only know how to ride thanks to her, and you’re the same. She’s given me countless horses over the years, and she brought me in as an instructor when no one else would have. I won’t have you saying anything nasty about her.”

“Fine.” Adriana rolls her eyes. “But don’t tell me it never bothers you when she complains. She was born with a silver spoon, and we got nothing, but we have to listen to how hard her life is.”

“I lost my job because of my leg, and that had nothing to do with her. She’s only ever helped us both.”

Adriana scowls. “But she knew you were stuck working for the devil herself, and meanwhile she’s doing what in Russia? Sightseeing?”

“Her dad says she’s there with her boyfriend.” I shrug.

“Hiding from the press with some hot, penniless Russian horse trainer?” Adriana rolls her eyes. “I swear that girl’s a pampered princess if I ever saw one. It’s not your fault you can’t ask her for the loan in person. She’s the one hiding out in another country. If you won’t call and ask her for the money, I’ll call Danils for you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

She picks up her phone.

The idea strikes like lightning, fast and quick. “I’ll go visit her,” I say. “Her dad gave me the address that she sent him in an email.”

“With your bad leg and no car, how do you plan to get there?”

“The train, of course,” I say. “Since I can’t work, I have nothing better to do. And once I’m there, I can ask for the money.”

“You can’t even afford to get there,” Adriana says.

“You just said—”

She stands up and presses a wad of bills into my hand. “This should cover your train ticket.” She smiles. “Iron Cross won today.” She shrugs. “You know if I don’t hide it, Mom’ll just give it to Martinš.”

We may not like Danils, and after today, I loathe Brigita, but neither of them hold the title of the World’s Worst Human. The long-time winner of that is our stepdad, who also happens to be our uncle. The whole thing is disgusting.

I don’t really want to borrow money from Adriana either, but she’s right. I need the surgery, and I need it soon. The surgeon said the longer I wait, the worse things will get, and the higher my risk of infection will rise.

“Fine.”

“Ask her for fifty-one thousand so you can pay me back.”

I open my hand and examine the wad of bills. “This is barely more than five hundred.”

She shrugs. “Compound interest is the worst, isn’t it?”

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