Page 7 of Damaged King

“What am I supposed to do?” she asked.

Dad glanced at me, but way too quickly. I knew then I wasn’t going to like what he said next.

“You’re going to go home with my boy here.”

Though he said it like a declaration, neither Jolie nor I liked the idea. While I said, “Wait!” and she said, “What?”, we both ended with the finality of “No!” at the same time.

Dad held up a hand like we were wayward teenagers being given a curfew.

“I’ve called. They’ve closed the roads.”

This wasn’t unexpected given the storm I’d been tracking. If it were this far south, which hadn’t been predicted by forecasters, the roads wouldn’t have been treated in time.

“There’s no hotel?” When Dad only lifted a brow, she switched gears. “Motel, Airbnb?”

He shook his head and she sighed.

“Can I stay here?” she pleaded.

“I’ve got a place in the back, but it’s the size of a closet and barely fits one,” Dad said as I remained silent and grim.

I knew where this was headed. Though he’d said the words, it was finally sinking in that there were few options in this situation.

“What about the airplane? Can’t I sleep in there?”

“Of course, Your Highness. I’m sure you can pay for the fuel and the cleanup when we leave the hanger door open to run the plane to keep you warm.”

So that wasn’t exactly right. The plane didn’t have to run for the electricity to work. But like a car, it wasn’t made to run power without the motor for an extended period.

Dad turned cool eyes on me, and I lifted my hands and said, “Sorry.”

Before I could clarify that my apology should have been aimed at Jolie, she focused on Dad as if I wasn’t in the room.

“What are my options?” she asked.

He replied, “You can ride the ATV with my son to his cabin.”

Her eyes widened. “ATV?”

I pointed outside. “He did mention the roads. But trust me, you’re welcome to stay here alone, and Dad can come with me.”

I really didn’t want to deal with this princess in my place. It certainly wouldn’t be up to her standards.

“I can’t believe this,” she said more to herself. “And that’s my only option?”

“I can’t say I’m all too pleased about it either,” I grumbled.

Her narrowed eyes laser-focused on me. “As if I want to be with you.”

“Looks to me like I’m the last man on earth,” I sarcastically announced with arms wide.

Technically not, my dad was there, but it was as if he wasn’t in the room.

“Lucky me,” she said, her words dripping with disdain.

The weather was only getting worse as heavy snowflakes fell faster as the wind began to howl outside.

“We have to go.” I let my eyes take her in. “You can’t go like that.”

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