Dirty Wicked Prince (Court Legacy 1)

Shaking, she shoved her hand in her hair, and I took the note from her, reading it again. This was a goddamn mistake. I hadn’t gotten a girl fucking pregnant.

At least, I didn’t think I had.

“Dorian—”

“I use protection, Mom,” I gritted. I couldn’t believe I was actually having this conversation with my mother—on the football field. I homed in. “Dad would fry my ass.”

“I will fry your ass.” My mom cursed all the time. She did because sometimes, I’d overhear her, but she always tried to act like she didn’t around me.

This time she hadn’t bothered.

“Dorian Prinze, if you’ve made me a grandmother, I’m going to ship your butt to boarding school so fast you won’t even know what girls are.” She directed a finger in my face. “Now, tell me the truth.”

“I am, Mom,” I said, kind of panicked now. “I didn’t. I wouldn’t. I’m responsible.”

“Yeah, well, honey. Sometimes responsibility doesn’t cut it.” She gazed around, even though no one was there. “Sometimes good intentions aren’t good enough. I know things have been hard. I know I haven’t always had it together. I know you’ve been left to fend for yourself these past few months after…” She paused, her eyes shining. Like she was on the cusp of tears but fighting it. “After everything with Charlie.”

My stomach clenched.

“I know that, more often than not lately, I’ve needed you and your father’s help to keep things running smoothly, but…”

“You’ve been fine, Mom. I swear it.” I looked around, hating to see her fucking cry. It was only worse because it was something I’d potentially done. I didn’t make my mom cry. I only made her smile, a promise I made because she had been struggling. But it hadn’t been a big deal. Dad and I filled in the gaps and would always be there for her. She’d do the same and always did. I faced her. “Mom, this is a mistake. Probably someone working up shit.”

“Dorian…” Her faced scrunched up, and she covered her mouth. I assumed so I couldn’t see her cry. She shook her head. “I need to go.”

“Mom—”

“I said I need to go. We’ll talk about this later with your father.”

Shit, when Dad found out…

He really would fry my ass. My mom would have nothing left to fry.

Mom started walking away, but when I chased after, she told me we’d all talk about this tonight. We needed to have my father there so we could discuss things, her words.

What the fuck just happened?

I grabbed my legs after she left, scanning the grass.

“Maybe you shouldn’t mess with people’s lives so much.”

I turned, righting. Noa Sloane sat in the middle of the bleachers.

She frowned. “Because it sucks, doesn’t it? People working shit up in your life? Causing chaos?”

&n

bsp; My words stated back to me, I saw red.

She waltzed down the bleachers in her little booty shorts, the confidence of a queen in her stride. She thought she’d gotten something over on me, paid me a lesson. She lifted her chin. “You fucked with my life, Prinze. You’re fucking with my brother, and because you are, you’re fucking with me.” Her frowned deepened. “You’ve slashed my tires, had your friends manhandle me, and turned the entire school against me.”

I’d given her an option to leave. I’d told her to do that, or I’d make her disappear. I’d given her an option. I’d been generous, gracious even.

She was going to wish she’d taken the fucking deal.

I’d shown her mercy before. She stumbled upon shit bigger than her that night she got in Wells’s way. I’d given her the benefit of the doubt.

My mistake.