Page 26 of Vicious Prince (Violent Kingdom)

Oh my God, he wants me to run away with him?"Where would we go?" I ask slowly. I don't know why I ask that, because there's no way in hell I'm going anywhere. I’m really just stalling for time, waiting for Nathan to get back with my food and my best friend and my makeup. “Will—”

"Just stop, Avery,” he cuts me off. "Just stop thinking about your family for once. Stop thinking about your obligations. Stop chasing your father around like if you do what he says he’ll start giving a fuck about you! The only person Augustus Capulet thinks about is Augustus Capulet. So think about yourself for once, Avery. Think aboutme.”

"I can't," I say. "I'm sorry."

He drops my hands, a look of resignation on his face. "So, what, that's it? You're just going to go out there, with this engagement ring on. Marry that fucking guy who's been stalking you since you were a child?"

“Since I was sixteen,” I say.

"Exactly. Sixteen. TEEN. And the only reason you met him in the first place was because he was lined up to marry your sister."

"I know that," I say. "Do you think I haven't thought about this before, Will? About running away?"

"So do it," he urges. "Come away with me. We'll go somewhere tropical. Somewhere where there are umbrellas in every drink. Somewhere far away from California where we can have a real life.”

"We won't have any money,” I whisper. “I might have a massive trust fund, but do you think I'll be able to access even one penny of it if I run away from all of this?"

Will shakes his head. "Ihave money, plenty of money. Look, it's not Capulet money, but my father isn’t exactly poor, you know. And unlikeyourfather, he's not a fucking idiot who wants me to marry some asshole for a business deal."

I feel sick again. I need to lie down. I need to run away, but I don't need to run away from my family. I need to run away from Will, even though what he’s saying makes perfect sense, even though I should take his hand and walk out of here and never look back. But I can’t — I’m like a child who’s been raised in a cult. My devotion to my family, however reluctant, eclipses the love I have for Will. For anybody. And that’s the worst part in all of this. I won’t go against my father, because I am so greedy for his approval, so desperate for the love he dishes out in measured doses, even though what he’s doing to my life is unforgivable.

"I'm sorry, Will,” I say. "There's nothing stopping us from seeing each other, just like we have been. We'll just have to be discreet."

Will swipes the lamp on the bedside table to the ground with ferocity, and speed. It falls over, smashing. I flinch at the sound. It’s not the first lamp he’s broken in my presence. Will has broken plenty of things in the years I've known him. Lamps. Noses. Windows. His emotions run hot, always on the surface, constantly threatening to boil over and burn everything in its wake. I've never been afraid of him doing something to me, but I've been terrified of what he might do to someone else more times than I can count. Sometimes, passion comes at a price.

"You were never going to choose me," he spits. “Even if your father had allowed it. I've waited for you all this time, Avery. I moved my whole life to San Francisco. I left my friends. I left my family. For fucks sake, I got myself legally emancipated to come here for you, because Iloveyou. I fucking love you! And now you're telling me that I'm just going to be your afternoon delight whenever it suits you and yourhusband?”

"Don't say it like that,” I protest. “AllI want is to be with you.”

"But itislike that. When I pictured our future, I was thinking a wedding. I was thinking of having a family. Normal things that people do. Do you really expect me to just hang around in the shadows while you go off andfuckthis guy and sharehisbed and havehischildren? Really? Because let me tell you, Avery Capulet — I’m nobody’s patsy. I’m nobody’s fool.”

"No," I say. "I don't expect you to hang around in the shadows.”

"Right," he replies. "So it's like that. Okay. Fine. I'll see myself out, shall I?"

His calm is false, and it's even more terrifying than his violence.

“Will, please, don't do anything stupid."

"The only one doing anythingstupidhere is you, Avery. You think this will solve everything, doing what that man says?How high should I jump this time, Daddy? Which man should I fuck this week, Daddy?Putting that stupid fucking ring on? So heavy it's probably going to break your hand? It looks ridiculous.”

I swallow uneasily, his words stinging barbs. “I have a responsibility to this family."

"Bullshit, you do." He grabs my shoulders, yanking me forward so that our noses are almost touching. “You have a responsibility to me, Avery. I gave you eight years of my life.I want them back.”

“You’re scaring me,” I say quietly.

Anger flares in his eyes. “I’m scaring you?” He draws his fist back and punches the wall next to the bed, making me flinch.

“You should be scared,” Will rages. “You should be terrified. Because if you think I’m going to take this shit laying down, baby, you don’t know me at all.”

He throws me back against the pillows violently, where I stay, frozen, watching as he storms out of the room. The door slams again, and I’m alone.

Chapter Eight

AVERY

Ireturn to the party a little while later, after some aspirin and a hefty pile of miniature cheeseburgers that were being served to the guests. Jennifer, my best friend since we were little girls, takes great care with fixing my makeup and neatening my hair, while Nathan feeds me little sips of cherry Gatorade.

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