Page 98 of My Dark Horse Prince

“Stop,” I say, terribly worried that he might be able to hear.

“I’m actually really proud of you.” She winks. “I thought you’d never date again. I mean, two or three dates a time or two in the ten years since Danils.” She grimaces. “And if you ever did find someone, I assumed he’d be weak. You know, someone you could boss around.” She chuckles. “Boy was I wrong.”

I march toward her, ready to strangle her if she doesn’t shut up. “Stop. We aren’t dating.”

She waves me off. “Fine. Fine. Look, I wasn’t kidding. I came after you here because we don’t have long.” She looks around a little distractedly. “But where did that big horse go?”

“I put him out in the pasture. Why don’t we have much time?”

“That was a short cool down.” She shrugs. “But listen, I have a big favor to ask.”

“I’m still broke,” I say. “And you can’t keep all that money Kristiana sent. You have to pay her back.”

Adriana cringes a bit. “Yeah, I mean, I definitely will. I can’t right now, precisely, but soon.”

“What happened to it?”

“That bast—”

“Never mind. I don’t actually want to know. Look, what’s up with Mom?”

“He made a mistake.” She smiles. A genuine smile. “And she wants to leave.”

I look her over, head-to-toe, searching for more information. He’s done nothing but make mistakes as far as I know, and she’s never left.

The shower kicks on, distracting me a bit. He must have the door open, or I wouldn’t be able to hear it.

“We should go,” I say. “You can explain the details on the way.” I grab her arm and head for the exit.

“No way.” Pulling on her is like pulling on a brick wall. Which is nuts, because she’s not very big. She can really set her feet, apparently.

“What?”

“I want that big, scary guy to come with us.”

“Why?” I shake my head. “That’s a mistake, believe me. He’s worse than Ma—” I can’t quite bring myself to say that. “But he’s worse than Danils. Trust me on this. We are not dating, and you do not want him to tag along.”

“But I do.” Adriana’s voice is small. “No one is worse than our stepdad, and I think your prince might intimidate him.”

“Why does Mom want to leave now?” I almost don’t want to know. When he beat me into jelly with the very lamp I tried to use to attack him, she defended him. She chose him over me. What on earth would make her leave him now? Out of the blue?

“He cheated on her,” Adriana says.

I didn’t think I could despise my mother more than I do. I mean, I also love her. She gave birth to me. She cared for me. She cleaned homes for me. She fed me and rocked me to sleep and sang to me. But she also picked the worst possible man to remarry, and then she chose him over her girls repeatedly. Even when he attacked us.

What kind of person does that?

But, then what? She’ll leave him because he cheated on her? Isn’t beating her so much worse than that?

I do not get it.

“I’m ready.” Grigoriy jogs down the stairs, until he hits the landing in the middle. Then he vaults the rail and drops the last three feet to the floor.

“Oh yes, he’s coming with us.” Adriana’s actually smiling at him. . .in a very flirty way.

That makes me want to puke again.

“No.” I glare at him. “We already talked about this. You will stay here.”

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