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A GENTLEMAN DOESN’T BOAST
NATHAN
What happened behind those closed doors was none of my business. That was between her and Mr. Prince. Sure, he gave me a shit-eating smirk like he got something I couldn’t have and yeah, Karina slammed the door in my face. But if it was their business, why did the idea of him and her together make my skin crawl?
I glanced between the hall Mr. Prince headed down and the door Karina hid behind.
I had a choice to make, and neither would be pretty.
In a game of chess, the choices and consequences were simple: move forward on the chessboard and protect the queen with your life.
But my choice wasn’t a life-or-death situation. It was to start up a conversation with the one person who thought he had something to prove, or the person who I purposely avoided. Either way, I’d get shit for questioning what happened. The difference: one would give me answers to the mystery I was still trying to solve.
“I’ll be back for you, Princess,” I whispered before sprinting down the hall.
“Mr. Prince,” I called out just as he reached Mr. Vasiliev’s office.
“James.” He turned his body halfway. His eyes looked me up and down, studying my appearance as I got closer. A scoff escaped his lips. Mr. Prince wasn’t impressed. He never was.
“What happened back there?” I raised my arm and held my thumb out, pointing it behind me as I glanced back towards Karina’s door momentarily.
“Nothing that should be a concern to you.” He folded his arms, tapping his foot in annoyance. He was going to be difficult.
“Actually, it is.” A smile tugged at my lips.
Mr. Prince clenched his jaw as he glared at me, but I continued anyway, not intimidated by him.
“You see,” I continued. “Miss Vasiliev is my business since her father assigned me to her.”
“Yes, for now, but I believe Mr. Vasiliev will come to his senses sooner rather than later,” Mr. Prince spoke between gritted teeth.
“So, then you agree, she’s my business.” I grinned with victory. “Now, what happened back there?”
“A private matter.”
He was playing hard to get, but I knew how he worked, for the most part. I chuckled. “Oh, I get it.”
“What exactly are you implying?” And just like that, he took the bait.
“You know… what she does with everyone.” Or well, at least what everyone else I worked with assumed she did. “Plays hard to get, then next thing you know, your hand is under her shirt.”
For a moment, he scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, but quickly recovered. Clearing his throat, he let out a nervous chuckle. He straightened up, holding his head high. “A gentleman doesn’t boast about his conquests.”
Of course, a gentleman would never do such a thing. Though neither of us could be described as one, and he’d just given me his answer. He did something, and I’d find out from Karina if he wouldn’t tell me directly. I got enough info. And, while I was on the topic...
“Between you and me, how are my chances of getting with her?” I poked at the beast.
In an instant, his face turned into a scowl. “Zero.”
“Are you sure? I think I have a good chance. I mean, all I have to do is get my hands under her skirt.”
His hand reached up, clutching the collar of my shirt. Fire blazed in his eyes. Mr. Prince pulled me close to his face. I smirked, daring him to do something. “Lay a finger on her and—”
“Who says I haven’t already?” I asked, ready to get punched in the face.
Normally, I didn’t go looking for trouble, but if this was what I needed to do to find the answer, so be it. Karina was worth it. Regardless of how weak and distracted I was around her; a knight always had to protect the queen, lives depended on that.
“She wouldn’t let some lowlife like yourself touch her.”
He shouldn’t have cared who touched her. Karina was her own person. She could kiss me and then let someone else do the same, or more if she wanted. She wasn’t tied to anyone.
Still, it bothered me to think that he might have done something to her, especially when she was angry about it. I chuckled, taunting him. “A man doesn’t boast about his conquests.”
He shoved me. My back hit the wall. A groan escaped my lips on impact. “Stay away from my—”
The sudden sound of someone clearing their throat caught both of our attention. Mr. Vasiliev stood outside his office door, a disappointed look on his face.
“Mr. Vasiliev.” Mr. Prince’s grip slipped as he stepped back. I grabbed his wrist, pulling him off of me.
“A word, please.” Mr. Vasiliev said as he beckoned one of us with a finger.
Mr. Prince straightened himself up, pulling the bottom of his vest down. He reached up and fixed his tie before turning his body away from me. I followed behind him but was stopped by Mr. Vasiliev’s hand just before entering the door. He shook his head in silence and stepped in, closing the door.
What was that about?
I shook the thought from my head. He probably wanted to talk to us one by one. It’d be less trouble that way. Not that I was really about to fight him unless he hit me. Then again, Mr. Prince wouldn’t have wanted to get blood on his hands.
My gaze drifted down the hall, and my feet soon followed. It was probably best to leave things alone, but I never really listened to the better option. Besides, I still needed to find out what happened. It was my job, after all, to take care of Karina.
Reaching her door, I knocked lightly against it. Nothing. I tried once more and pressed my ear to the barrier separating us. I could hear her moving, trying to hide her footsteps as she drew closer. Still, she remained silent.
“Miss Vasiliev,” I muttered. “It’s Mr. James.”
The sudden click told me she locked the door. “What do you want?”
My eyebrows drew together in confusion. She hardly ever locked her door unless she was getting dressed or about to head to bed. I needed to know what happened, but I couldn’t just ask. Not when my fingers curled into a fist, not when fear pricked at my skin, making me think the worst. “Can I come in?”
There was a long pause. “No.”
Pain clutched at my chest. I needed to see her face to confirm she wasn’t physically hurt or worse, crying. “Will you at least open the door for me?”
God, I hoped she would.
