Ruthless Prince (Dark Syndicate 1)

I wouldn’t believe it if I weren’t looking at the tear rolling down his cheek and nestle in his beard.

I wouldn’t believe it. But I’m so overwhelmed by what I just heard and read that I can’t stop crying.

Bile rises in my stomach. I run to the bathroom. I heave and start throwing up. My poor body wrenches forward, and everything I ate since I got back from the boat comes up.

Massimo follows me. Takes hold of me and holds my hair back.

I start crying hard while he holds me.

This horror truly is a nightmare. Dad was going to sell me to this man, and there I was, angry at him because he sold me to Massimo.

“I’m sorry,” Massimo says. I look up at him, trying to see him through tears.

My legs give, and I crumble to the floor in a flood of tears.

Massimo keeps holding me as I cling to his shirt and hold him back.

I kept asking myself who the monsters were in this story. This nightmare fairytale. I wanted to know so badly because I didn’t know who to trust.

The monster was the person I’ve known my whole life.

Dad.

My father.

He’s the devil.

I don’t remember falling asleep. Or laying on the bed.

I’m here, though, and the only light that’s coming through the window is that from the moon.

Massimo is sitting by the window, shirtless, in just his boxers, staring outside. He looks like he’s watching over the house, over me.

I shuffle and see that I’m naked. Since I can’t remember taking my clothes off, I imagine he must have done it when I fell asleep. When I sit and pull the covers up to my breasts, he looks at me.

“Massimo,” I rasp.

He walks toward me and gets in the bed.

“Go back to sleep, Princess,” he whispers, brushing his lips over mine.

I feel so fragile, and I don’t want to sleep anymore. I just want him.

“Can I just spend time with

you?” I mutter.

“You went through a lot today. I nearly lost you. You need to rest.” Pain still lingers in his eyes, but his voice is gentle and it feels like I’m talking to that part of him again that wants me.

“I don’t feel tired anymore. You were looking out the window.”

“Just keeping an eye out,” he replies. I know he was watching for Vlad.

“You think he’ll come back after what happened?”

He takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t want you to worry about that.”

“He will, won’t he.” He made it sound like he would.