Page 15 of Fallen Prince
“You’re naïve,” he continued in that maddeningly dismissive cadence. “I get that now. Your daddy’s kept you in the dark about the reality of his climb to power. How do you think he affordsyour fancy designer clothes and even fancier education? Where do you think all that money came from?”
“He wrote a book,” I countered, struggling to remain collected when I wanted so badly to shake him.Naïve?What an arrogant asshole.
I finally peeled my fingers from his corded biceps and crossed my arms over my chest. He didn’t so much as flinch from my suddenly prickly demeanor. Instead, that single black brow crept higher, and he remained resolutely in my personal space. His hands were still on my legs. I was hyperaware of the heat of his long fingers wrapping around my shins, holding me with that careful but masculine grip.
I focused on the heat of my indignation to distract myself from the disconcerting warmth of his touch. “My dad’s book spent weeks on theNew York Timesbest-sellers list. And he does all sorts of speaking engagements. He gets paid for those. He’s accomplished a lot, and his time and insight are valuable. He loves New York and cares about the people who live here more than anything. It’s not a crime for him to be compensated for his knowledge and years of public service. You have him all wrong.”
“Public service.” Max’s full lips twisted in a sneer, the defined lines of his face sharpening into the harsh mask that’d terrified me in that basement.He didn’t surge toward me with that awful snarl again, but he didn’t back down, either. His body heat kissed my skin as he growled, “You mean good deeds like destroying my family?”
I swallowed hard, drawing on all my willpower not to cringe away from that terrible, beastly scowl. “Your family isn’t innocent, Max.” I spoke gently to avoid provoking him, but his jaw still ticked when I said his name. “They bear sole responsibility for the consequences they faced. I can understand why they might’ve told you a different version of what happened, but it’s just not true.” I paused, choosing my next words carefully. “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I can tell that you’ve suffered. But whatever happened to you doesn’t—”
“Stop talking.” I didn’t miss the warning that roughened the command. “You don’t know anything about me, and you don’t know anything about your father. That’s why I let you go. But I don’t have to sit here and listen to your pitying bullshit.”
Despite his unnerving tone, I pressed on, desperate to protect my dad from his misguided vengeance. “Max, please. You don’t have to—”
“I said stop talking!” he barked, his massive body swelling with barely contained rage. He still knelt before me, but he suddenly towered over me, hishulking frame crowding me back against the bus stop bench. He leaned in close, so I could feel the heat of his hissed demand whisper across my cheeks. “Don’t bother pleading with me. You think I’ll forget all about your father’s sins if you just blink those big, doe eyes at me? You might be innocent, but he’s not. If you want to stay ignorant, that’s your choice, but don’t keep repeating the lies your daddy fed you about how fucking virtuous he is. Not to me. Not ever. Understand?”
I couldn’t stop the shiver that raced across my suddenly chilled skin, and my fingers clamped around my locket for comfort. My teeth sank into my lower lip to hide its trembling, but I managed a shaky nod. My eyes burned as the remembered trauma of being held captive settled over me like a suffocating weight. Maybe I had been a fool to approach Max so fearlessly.
I am a monster out of your worst nightmares.
The man looming over me wasn’t safe. He was unstable, and it didn’t matter if something terrible had happened to him to drive him to this madness. He might not be pure evil, but he was still dangerous, no matter if he’d been hurt.
A low grunt caught in his chest, and he abruptly shoved away from me. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you,and I meant it,” he muttered, mercifully releasing me from his intense black stare.
He pushed to his feet, then glanced down at me. Reflexively, I hugged my arms protectively over my chest and shrank into the bench at my back.
His lips pinched as though he’d bitten into something sour. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Bambi. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“It’s Allie,” I whispered, hating the way he dehumanized me with the dismissive nicknames.
A shadow danced over his tight jaw, and he shook his head sharply. “You’re still bleeding,” he rumbled. “You should get home and clean up. Come on. I’ll walk you to your door.”
He held out a big hand, and I cringed away. His fingers clenched to a fist as he slowly withdrew the offered support.
When I didn’t move for several tense seconds, he spoke again. “It’s late. I’m not leaving you out here on your own. Get inside, lock up, and I’ll go. But not until you’re safely home.”
“Why do you care?” I asked bitterly, hugging my arms tighter to my middle.
His eyes flashed as he fixed me with an intense stare, pinpoints of light glittering over the dark pools. The effect was mesmerizing, and for amoment, everything fell away except for the two of us. “You’re innocent,” he rumbled. “I don’t hurt innocent women. And I don’t let them get hurt. Especially when they’re as reckless as you are. There are other monsters lurking in the dark.”
That final remark needled at me, and I broke away from his deep gaze. “Yes, you’ve said that,” I managed to scoff. “Funny how you’re the only one I’ve ever seen.”
He jerked back as though I’d slapped him. “Fair enough,” he said tightly. “Doesn’t change anything. I’m not going anywhere until you’re safely in your house.”
I shifted on the bench, confusion tangling my thoughts. I should be terrified that my captor was standing over me, but he was acting as though he was my protector. I didn’t know what to do with that, so I sat stiffly for several more seconds, silently willing him to leave me alone.
As though that would work. The man was a stubborn monster, I’d give him that.
“Fine,” I bit out. “I’m going home now. Happy?” I pushed to my feet and immediately swayed, my shaky body wobbling on my high heels.
A strong arm closed around me, long fingers bracketing my waist to support myweight. I tried to jerk away, but I only managed to stumble. Max made a rumbling sound of unmistakable disapproval, and my spine went rigid with indignation. He didn’t let me go.
“Those things are a death trap.” He scowled at my designer shoes. “I’m walking you to your door. Don’t bother arguing. You can’t walk straight, and I don’t feel like scooping you up out of the way of oncoming traffic again.” When I still didn’t take a step forward, he sighed. “Are you going to walk, or am I going to have to carry you? Your choice.”
“I’m walking,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’re infuriating as well as insane, you know that?”
He kept his arm braced around me as we started to cross the street. “Yeah, and so are you.”
