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“You hardly know him.”
“But I know the things that matter. That he has a heart, even though he wishes he didn’t. That he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve because he safeguards it like treasure. He acts like a dick, but he’s noble at his core. When Father attacked him in his cell, he didn’t fight back, even though he could have. I’ve seen him in action and know what he’s capable of. He didn’t have to respect Father like that—but he did.”
“It sounds like he likes you too.”
After a long pause, she spoke. “Maybe. But that doesn’t matter anymore…”
27
HUNTLEY
I had dinner in my study and didn’t speak to anyone for the rest of the day. I was tempted to sleep on the couch, because I knew what was waiting for me in my bedchambers. Harlow would have run to Ivory next, and I knew my wife would give me her opinion on the matter.
An opinion I didn’t ask for.
Late that evening, the door to my study opened, and Ivory entered in her pajamas, one of my shirts that fit her like a dress. With her arms crossed over her chest, she approached the desk, that potent look in her eye.
I held her stare, prepared for all the shit she had to say.
“Huntley.”
I looked away, already wounded by the sound of my own name.
“You’re entitled to your anger, but as King of Delacroix, you have to be objective rather than petty. You have to listen to reason rather than anger—”
“I don’t feel like listening to this right now.”
“Too bad, Huntley.” She came closer to the desk, her eyes bright in disappointment.
“I’m King of Delacroix, King of Kingdoms, and I can do whatever I want—”
“And I’m Queen of Kingdoms, and I have a say whether you like it or not.”
Normally, I’d get hard at a conversation like this, but not this one. “He took our daughter from us. She could have been injured, killed, something even worse…and you’re prepared to let that go?”
“I think our daughter makes a sound argument for his release.”
“He’s a blood-sucking vampire.”
“Who has complete control of his hunger. Otherwise, he would have fed on Harlow when there was nothing to stop him.”
“I don’t like him.”
“She’s not asking you to like him.”
“She’s asking me to trust him. I know he hurt my daughter in more ways than one, and he’s a damn idiot for thinking I would ever stop punishing him for that.” I got to my feet. “I will make every day of his life as insufferable as possible until he’s gone. I will make him wish he were dead before he leaves these shores. Motherfucker thought he could screw around with my daughter and get away with it—”
“Huntley.”
I snapped and slammed my hand down on the desk, making my glass fall to the floor and shatter. “I should march down there right now and kill him like he deserved in the first place.”
“Huntley.”
I avoided her gaze, looked into the cold fire where flames would be in the winter.
“Harlow is a young woman who will get her heart broken a few times before she finds the right man. It’s life. There’s nothing you or I can do to prevent it. Even the King of Kingdoms isn’t powerful enough to prevent heartache.”
“But I can kill them…”
