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“No,” he squeaked out.
“I do not,” she said, pushing him back an inch before letting him go with a rough shove. Her silver gaze smoldered with intensity. “I’ve loved you for years. You. Not your fucking title, asshole.” Her stare instantly shifted to Atticus. With each heavy step, she pounded the floor, her anger accelerating with every movement. Her heaving chest, red-hot and ready to burst, was enough for anyone to feel fear. But still, Atticus remained still as a statue.
Without breaking eye contact, she spat out her words with a venomous intensity. “Your money means nothing here. Your name has no power over me. I love you because you see my heart, my soul. You have no idea how much it hurts that you don’t trust me enough to believe that.”
The air in the room shifted, crackling with a new kind of energy. It was both menacing and intoxicating, and soon it seemed as though all the oxygen was sucked from the room.
Rage boiled within her as she spun around and advanced on me, her breathing labored and eyes aflame. Her voice trembled as she spoke, her passionate words cutting through the air.
“I love you.” She paused, jerking her head of wet hair from side to side, droplets landing on her flushed cheeks. “I love you for coming for me at my darkest hour, for holding me close and mending my broken pieces.”
She continued while glaring at all of us. “We’re going to take down Lord Nathan and Theodore DuPont because they’re a threat to our family—to me.” Her voice grew stronger. “This kingdom deserves a monarch that gives a damn. And you know what else? We’re going to do this together.” Her gaze pierced me, challenging me. “I swear, if one of you tries to leave, I’ll drag you back here kicking and screaming.”
Her words were like a puncturing fist that had landed cleanly in my gut. It was rare to see her so vulnerable, so exposed. Though she was the one that looked like she was going to break, her strength and conviction to fight alongside us was perhaps the greatest weapon I had seen. It was like a piece of a fearsome warrior had finally been revealed.
An unfamiliar energy vibrated through the room, as if there was something beginning to stir. It was small, but it was there—a promise that this was only the beginning. My chest swelled with new purpose.
She stared at all of us for a moment. “Figure your shit out and find me when you’re ready to work together,” she spat. With that, she turned around and left the room. We stared at the floor, momentarily speechless.
Augustus trailed behind her like a lost puppy. “I’m going to talk to her.”
I nodded and watched as he disappeared around the corner.
In the now quiet kitchen, Atticus and I stared at each other, our eyes communicating all the words we couldn’t say. I didn’t know what to make of this whole mess, and I was sickened at the thought of Christine hurting.
We had to make this work.
“If I untie you, will you leave?” I asked.
He looked at me. “If I leave, do you think she’ll forgive me?”
“No.”
He let out a grunt. “Then I guess I’m staying.”
My fingers quivered as I unsheathed the pocket knife from my waistband. I crept toward him, my feet shuffling softly across the floorboards. I positioned the blade of the knife against the rope binding his wrists, its cold steel grazing his skin. A line of warmth rose up his chest as I pressed it further against him.
“Swear to me you won’t leave,” I said slowly, my breath wafting across his neck.
He stayed quiet. His eyes met mine, begging in silent desperation. But I held firm, the knife pushing further into his flesh.
“I promise,” he finally rasped, his voice shaking with reluctance.
My heart fluttered and I relented, lifting the weapon away from his body. “Okay then.”
I savagely sawed through the rope, freeing him from his restraints. His towering frame shadowed me, radiating with a power and strength I could only dream of having. My breath quickened as his smoldering eyes traipsed down my body, and he grinned mischievously.
“I hope you enjoyed having me at your mercy, Leo,” he purred seductively. “It’s the only time you will ever have power over me.”
I licked my lips, trying my best to hide my trembling nerves. “I have power over you every time Christine steps into the room. Don’t forget that,” I warned him defiantly, my voice wavering slightly. He flashed me another lascivious smile as I stepped back, still unable to break away from his gaze.
Chapter Thirteen
CHRISTINE
My eyelids felt heavy and my heart was still pounding in my chest. I spent the whole day in my room, afraid to move or think, terrified that if I did, I might just go insane. I was embarrassed. Ashamed. Hurt. I slept alone and woke the next morning still feeling exhausted. I’d asked the guys for space, and they reluctantly gave it to me. We were all on edge and I needed time to think.
I hated that my love for all three of them was being questioned, and I hated that it also felt like something I should be ashamed of. If Vivian knew that I was forcing her son to share me, she would probably faint. My mind was racing with the possibilities, my hands clenching together in my lap.
