I kick his elbow, forcing him to let Lareina go. Then I smash my fist into his face. His head snaps back, blood spewing from his nose and mouth in a satisfying crimson fountain. “Principal.” His legs go wobbly, and I kick him in the gut so hard he folds in half at the waist. “And interest.”
He collapses and doesn’t get back up, but then, I’d be shocked if he did. Lareina starts to touch my face. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry. Does it hurt? Do you need anything?”
I grin lopsidedly. She’s so cute when she’s worried, especially about me. Knights are supposed to get banged up for their queen. Hell, it’s an honor. “No. But I’d really love it if you could hold me for a bit.”
“Of course.” She embraces me, wrapping her arms around me like a warm cocoon. Her lemon scent tickles my nose, and her hair is like warm silk lying over my hands. I’m supposed to keep her safe, but somehow the world feels at peace as long as she has her arms around me.
I hug her back tight, then close my eyes and drop my guard.
Chapter Eight
Lareina
Ares slumps in my arms. Just how hard did Rupert hit him?
I wish my step-cousin were a stick-armed dork, but he’s shockingly strong from years of practicing karate. The punch to the stomach must’ve hurt Ares. A lot.
Hot emotion fisted my heart when he stood before me like an impregnable wall and said, “Be her knight and protect her.” I don’t know how much of it he meant, since he’s becoming more and more out of it as the evening wears on. He’s been sweating nonstop, although I don’t think he realizes. His complexion isn’t the best, either, especially compared to how he looked this afternoon. A hint of ash under his tan makes me wonder just what he was forced to take. He kept muttering to himself about his mother and family. Lots and lots of talk about laws and something about dinosaurs. Then random stuff like needing “better hardware.”
“Hey,” I say softly. “You okay?”
He merely shakes his head. “Where are we going next?”
“Not sure. The hotel, maybe?” Exhaustion weighs me down. Besides, it probably isn’t a good idea for him to be out and about like this, not when he’s unwell. When Doris and her cronies drug me, it tends to get worse—a lot worse—before it gets better.
“But your relatives are there, right?”
“Probably, yeah.” Or not, since they aren’t thinking about anything except catching me and forcing me to marry Rupert.They’ll be even more desperate now that they know there’s some competition.
“We can go to a different hotel.”
“True. Vegas is full of hotels. I’ll pay.” Ares has been paying since we met. He even tried to give me money earlier.
Was he thinking about being my knight at that point, too? Thousands of butterflies flutter in my belly, and I press my lips to savor the warmth coursing through me.
“How am I going to let you do that? My wife doesn’t pay. I have money.”
“Fine, half. The vow said no taking each other’s shit.”
He slowly shakes his head. “Not legally binding. Need a separate contract. I’ll take care of it—soon as I feel better.”
“Why? Because you’re worth two billion or something?”Two billion, hahaha.It’s sort of cute. Reminds me of a little squirrel I saw on YouTube guarding his acorn stash.
Ares’s expression is serious. Guess my humor didn’t penetrate. “It isn’t just about money. Not having one could mess up a lot of things. Like what happened with my parents’ marriage.”
“Was it bad?” I ask cautiously. I’m curious about his family, but I don’t want to look like I’m prying.
“Awful. It’s a miracle nobody died.” His words are more slurred now.
Wow. Must’ve been anastyfight. Doris gossiped about a friend’s divorce, breathlessly relishing how bitterly the couple fought over every penny. They even argued over who should get the dog—and the husband suggested they divide the poor Scottish terrier in half because that would have been better than letting the wife have custody. Apparently, it’s normal for a couple breaking up to get that nasty, and that was one of the tamer cases. They probably fought over each grain of soil in their garden, too.
“A prenup would’ve helped, but they didn’t have one. Love at first sight. Eloped in Tenerife. Passionate and classy beginning, messy and ugly ending. Dad should’ve known better.” Ares sounds regretful. Maybe even a little angry.
Explains why he wants one, then. Well, I want one too. No more leaving myself vulnerable to others’ whims. Ares saying he’d be my knight and protect me is thrilling and stirring, but Doris expressed a similar sentiment when I became an orphan and Grandfather passed away. She squatted so she could see into my eyes, then hugged me tightly. “My poor child. I’ll keep you safe.”
What she meant was: “I’ll keep you alive so I can use your money.”
I look into his glassy eyes. I doubt he’d take my money—he said he has two billion, a huge contrast to Doris and Vernon, who have enough to be okay, but not live in the kind of luxury they believe they deserve. He might want more, once he realizes I have about thirty times his net worth. But hopefully I can get the inheritance and prenup—post-nup?—squared away before he becomes greedy.
