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I refuse to do that tomyfamily.
To Esme.
“I’ll fight for her,” I insist through gritted teeth, every muscle in my body wound tight with conviction.“Even if it’s the last thing I do.I don’t care if a bunch of old blowhards don’t want us to be together.Don’t care ifyoudon’t want us to be together.You can’t stop us from loving each other.”
“What about everyone else in your life?”he asks, his face less than an inch from mine.“Have you stopped to think about how this might affect us?”
“I don’t—”
“You had a front-row seat to the circus that erupted the second the world learned Prince Gabriel was engaged.”He points out the window, photographers and reporters still lining the perimeter of the palace, waiting to catch a photo of anything that could help them make headlines.
“How those bloody pappos will stop at nothing to learn everything they can about Nora.Reporters are camped out at her friends’ homes in the States.Their work.Her family’s, too.Do you think I’d still be allowed to fulfill my duties to the crown if my only remaining son dated the Princess Royal?”
“I didn’t—”
“Didn’t think about that?”he snips out.“That’s pretty damn clear, Creed.I bet you didn’t consider your mum wouldn’t be able to leave the house without being hounded.And what about Rory and AJ?Your nephew wouldn’t be able to go to school without reporters following him.Forget about being able to play footfall or have a normal childhood.He can kiss that goodbye.And Rory most likely wouldn’t be allowed to keep her job in His Majesty’s private secretary’s office, not with all the extra attention she’d receive.”
I swallow hard, my expression blanching.I knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park.That I’d have to give up my anonymity to be with Esme.
I didn’t consider that the people close to me would have to make that sacrifice, as well.
“How will she provide for AJ?You’re already abandoning them.”
“I’m not—”
“And now you’re going to do something that may very well cause her to lose her job?To put AJ’s life in danger?”He sneers.“All because you want to get laid?”
My body trembles in anger, my chest rising and falling in short, rapid breaths.I try to rein it in, but it’s already taken control, pummeling through me like molten lava.My vision tunnels until all I see is the man standing before me, reminding me how inferior I am.
Before I can consider the consequences, I reel back, my fist connecting with his jaw with an audible crack, his face snapping to the side.
He doesn’t immediately move, head turned away from me as several painfully long seconds tick by.
Finally, he straightens and wipes away a few drops of blood from his lip.I fully expect him to give me a dose of my own medicine.To deliver a harsh blow to my jaw.After all, that was his form of punishment when we were growing up.If Adam hit me, I was allowed to hit him in return, and vice versa.
He doesn’t, though.
Instead, he peers at me with icy eyes that radiate contempt.
“Just remember the guilt you carried after Adam died.If you choose this path and anything happens to AJ or Rory because of this, their blood will be on your hands.”He points a finger in my face.“And I’ll do everything I can to remind you of that until I draw my last breath.”He pushes past me, jostling me roughly as he strides to the door.
Just before he steps into the hallway, he meets my gaze one last time.“You’ve always been such a bloody disappointment.”
Then he slams the door closed behind him.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Esme
I tossmy cell beside me as I collapse onto the bed, pushing out a long sigh.I didn’t expect my brother to answer my call, not with all the crap he’s been dealing with since the bloody pappos posted those photos and the entire country lost its goddamn mind.
He’s doing the right thing by focusing on Nora and making sure she adjusts to all of this, despite some of the horrible things being said about her.And I get the feeling those negative sentiments aren’t just from the small yet vocal minority of our citizens who hate the idea of the future king marrying a foreigner.An American, no less.
I sense some of them are also coming from within the royal household itself.
I just hope Nora doesn’t let them get to her.That she realizes what she has with Anderson is worth it.
Ineedher to realize Anderson’s worth it, if for no other reason than because I need Creed to realize it when we face this same thing in the coming months.
