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“I don’t work for anyone,” she said. “I’m here as a favor to you. Better me than him, wouldn’t you agree?”
Emmett’s frustration was evident in his expression, but he managed to keep his voice steady. “How considerate of you.”
“Believe it or not, I hold no ill will toward you,” Rapunzel confessed. “So long as you hand over your sword.”
Emmett’s jaw clenched. “I will do no such thing. If Rumple wants to collect his debt, he’ll have to come and get it himself. As for you… leave my castle and never step into my kingdom again.”
“Hand over the sword, Emmett,” she demanded with a more commanding voice. She was done playing nice. “Don’t make me come after your family.”
Emmett’s breath caught, and he steeled himself. He marched across the room and grabbed her by the arms, pinning her against his desk. His eyes blazed with fury.
“Threaten my family again, and I will end you,” he hissed.
A twisted smile played on her lips. “Nice and rough. Just like old times.”
“I mean it,” he said firmly, his grip tightening.
“So protective,” she mused. “I’ve always known you would become twice the man your father ever was.”
“What do you know about my father?” Emmett’s voice came as a dangerous growl.
“I know he gave you that sword,” Rapunzel said. “I also know the reason he gave it to you was out of pity. He knew he was going to give the throne to your brother, and he didn’t want you to feel bad. What a trade, huh? Shows how little he thought of you.”
Her words struck a chord, and she knew it. “My father gave me this sword as a reward for all the battles I won.”
She pushed herself toward him, making his grip tighten. “Then look me in the eyes and tell me it didn’t feel like a slap in the face.”
His brows furrowed, but his grip began to soften. “How could you possibly know how it made me feel?”
“Oh, Emmett.” She rolled her eyes. “I have been inside your head more times than I could count. I know everything. And I must say, it’s pathetic that you’ve attached such sentimentality to that sword when the man who gave it to you has done nothing but cause you pain and make you feel less than your own twin. Give me the sword and be rid of the one thing in your life that keeps reminding you that you’re not good enough.”
“Iamgood enough…” Emmett declared, his voice rising with conviction. “For my wife and child. That is all that matters.”
“You mean the wife whom you serve?” Rapunzel taunted.
“My wife deserves where she stands,” he hissed.
“But do you?” she challenged.
“I am honored to serve my queen. Now, get out of my head!” he barked, his patience at its breaking point.
“As you wish.”
With a wave of her hand, the surroundings shifted, and they were no longer inside Emmett’s study. They stood outside, the biting cold gnawing at their senses, and instead of having her pinned against his desk, Emmett had her pressed against a gnarled tree.
Emmett, reeling from the abrupt shift, cast a bewildered gaze around. “Where are we...?”
Rapunzel’s voice cut through the icy air. “You see, while we were having our little conversation in your head, I was here, luring you out.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Why?”
“So I can dothat.” Rapunzel pointed a slender finger toward his castle, and when Emmett turned, his eyes bulged at the sight. Towering flames devoured the grandeur of his castle, roaring with unrestrained fury. The crimson inferno licked at the sky, casting long shadows that danced in the night.
“What... what did you do?” Emmett’s voice quivered.
“I tried asking nicely,” Rapunzel replied, her voice as cold as the night air. “But you refused.”
Emmett’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword, his fingers curling around the worn leather grip. And with a swift move, he brought the weapon to bear, pressing the gleaming blade against Rapunzel’s throat. His gaze bore into hers, the flames of the castle reflecting in his eyes.
