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He looked at me, his face hard and devoid of emotion. “You’re just a fleeting thought in his mind. A bad memory that will fade away with time.” He pointed to the door. “Get out of my sight, or I’ll have the guards throw you out. I don’t have time for this.”
I glared at him. “Careful barking orders, Theodore. Soon, I’ll be your queen.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re my queen. But you’re not my equal, and I’ll treat you as such.”
I gazed at Theodore’s brash features. “You’ll regret treating me like this,” I threatened.
He laughed. “My queen, I regret everything, but I’ve never let my regrets stop me. I don’t expect you to either.”
Chapter Four
LEO
My body ached from the punches and kicks I’d endured. Blood still trickled from my broken nose and seeped from the gash in my head. One of the DuPont men beat the shit out of me when I tried to escape at meal time. It was worth it, though. I had to try. My pain only deepened as I thought of Christine staying because of me—because of us.
Atticus stopped his pacing, his face twisted in worry. “Tell me again what you discussed,” he said.
Our shared dungeon cell seemed to close in around us. It was strange that they kept us together, unless it was part of the plan. It made it easier for them to monitor us this way. Theodore DuPont would do anything to keep an eye on his son, even if it meant hidden cameras in the dungeon.
“She said she’s staying,” I said, each word dripping with guilt and fear. “She won’t leave while we’re locked up.” I swallowed hard, realizing there was nothing we could do now to change her mind.
“Stubborn girl,” Augustus groaned. He had dried blood on his neck, and his skin was pale. “The thought of Lord Nathan putting his hands on her makes me want to punch something. I should have known better. We should have never come back.”
I clenched my teeth.
We were caught in the middle of a battle between father and son. It was a DuPont war and we were the casualties.
I looked at Atticus. He was doing the best out of all of us physically, but emotionally he was a storm of aggression and shame. He kept staring at the door, as if ready to pounce on the first person he saw. There was dirt covering his clothes, making him look a little less refined. A little more rugged. “If something happens to her…” My voice trailed off. What could I do? I was a prisoner in a dungeon.
Atticus winced.
“I’ll kill him,” Augustus said. “If Nathan harms a hair on Christine’s head, I’ll kill him…even if it means my own life.” He looked out of the bars, a faraway look in his eyes. It was strange hearing him sound so bloodthirsty.
I shifted, my body racked with pain, and I groaned. Everything hurt, but it wasn’t just the physical part that bothered me. The DuPont men had proven they were capable of torture and murder. Death was the only way out for us.
“We have to keep her safe,” Augustus continued. “No matter what happens to us, she has to live.”
I nodded my agreement.
“I’m sick to my stomach, worrying about her,” Augustus said. “I hate this. What if he hurts her? What if we don’t save her again?”
“I’m not going to let him hurt her. He’ll have to break me first,” I said with a growl.
“You’ve got a sore ass from going after him today. If you keep being a mindless hero, you’re going to end up dead. We need an actual plan,” Atticus said, his tone stern.
“I’m not a hero,” I said. “I’m a soldier.”
“My father won’t keep me in here forever,” Atticus said. “I run too much of the business, and a lot of our contacts are loyal to me.” His brow furrowed. “It’s only a matter of time before someone comes looking for me.”
The dungeon door clanged and our attention snapped toward the sound. Two DuPont men walked in carrying a plate of food, but it wasn’t scones and tea. The food was a slimy mix of worms and bugs. They slid the plate through the bars, and I closed my eyes. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t eat?not a fucking worm.
I heard the soft clink of metal against metal and opened my eyes. Augustus had moved around the metal plates on the tray and was picking through the bugs, pulling out the worms and tossing them on the floor. Then he devoured the rest. He was shoveling it in like he hadn’t eaten in days. I watched in horror as he finished the plate and reached for another.
A part of me was impressed by his endurance and adaptability. The other part was disgusted.
“Never thought I’d see a king eating slop,” Atticus said.
“I’ve eaten a stripper’s ass before. This is nothing in comparison,” Augustus replied crudely.
