Taken by Her Prince

“Don’t touch him,” I said. “He doesn’t deserve this. You took enough already.”

“Do what I told you and he’ll be fine,” Uncle Mathis said. “And don’t be stupid, Colleen. You know me, and you should know what I’m capable of.”

He hung up the phone without another word.

I stood there and slowly put my phone down on the counter top. I turned and gripped the edge with both hands, leaning up against it, my head hung forward, my chin almost against my chest.

I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, but it still came in ragged gasps as my heart kept racing away.

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t betray Steven, even if it meant getting my father back. But then again, I didn’t owe him anything. The only reason I was here and involved in any of this is because his men shot me.

“Fuck,” I whispered. “Oh fuck, oh shit.”

I released the edge of the counter and stood in his kitchen for a long moment, my head swirling. I saw Steven at Davide’s mother’s kitchen table, grief wracking his face. I felt Steven’s hands and mouth on my body. I felt the breeze on the roof deck, smelled Steven’s skin.

There was so much more here than I realized, and I didn’t know if I could give it all up so easily.

I shook my head and left the kitchen. I marched upstairs, went into my room, and drew a bath. I undressed and took off the bandage that covered my bullet wound. I stared at the stitches and the black and blue marks, already starting to fade into yellow nothing.

Something so small, and yet so big. It had changed my life completely and I knew I could never go back.

All I had to do was spy on Steven for my uncle. That was all, and then I could be free.

I stepped into the tub and tried to quiet my hammering heart.20StevenI woke up early the next morning. My head ached from too many glasses of whisky and I smelled like a god damn bar. I rolled onto my side and pressed my hand against the empty half of the bed and for a brief moment, wondered where Colleen had gone.

But she’d slept in her own damn room. I sat up with a groan and ran a hand through my hair as my phone kept ringing.

That must’ve been a dream. Colleen in my bed, her body naked and lean and gorgeous, a smile on her lips.

I reached for my phone and picked it up. “What?” I said.

“Steven, man, you gotta come down here.” It was Luca, and the panic in his voice woke me up.

“What happened?” I asked, already getting out of bed. I put the phone on speaker as I grabbed clothes from my closet and threw them onto the bed.

“It’s the Endless Well,” he said.

For a second, I wasn’t sure what the hell he was talking about. But then I remembered the bar a few blocks away. It was a new spot, a hipster joint with overpriced fancy cocktails and too much industrial steel all over the place. The bartender had piercings in his fucking eyebrows and always looked at me like I was some kind of moron.

I loved that guy. Always made me laugh.

“Talk,” I said as I got my toothbrush out. I brushed my teeth as Luca ran through the situation.

“It’s on fire,” he said.

I spit the toothpaste out. “What?”

“Fire,” he said. “Burning. It’s fucking burning, Steven.”

“Right now?”

“Right now! Look out your fuckin’ window, man.”

I walked to the window, toothbrush dangling from my teeth, and sure enough I could see smoke rolling up into the air.

I ran back into the bathroom. “Fire department there yet?” I asked.

“They’re on the way.”

“Good. Keep everyone clear. I’m coming down.”

“Steven—”

I hung up the phone and cursed as it clattered to the floor. I finished brushing, splashed water in my face, then threw on the clothes I picked out. I shoved my phone into my pocket, put my Glock in my waistband, then ran down the steps. I threw open Colleen’s door and she stirred then looked up at me, blinking sleep from her eyes.

“Steven?” she asked.

“There’s a fire,” I said. “Get up and get dressed. Right now. We have to go.”

She groaned and sat up. The sheets fell away and my eyes dropped to her breasts. Her nipples were hard, pointing through her thin white tank top. She ran a hand through her messy hair and shook her head.

“What time is it?”

“Early. I’m not kidding Colleen, get up and get dressed. We need to go.”

“Okay, alright.” She swung her legs off the bed. “How bad is it?”

“I don’t know yet.”

She got up and went into the bathroom. I leaned against the doorframe and watched her get ready. She rinsed her face off, brushed her teeth, then caught me staring.