Why does she have to be right?
Sending her away is the better option, but now that she’s involved, I know my father won’t leave her alone.
There’s no corner on Earth she’ll be safe in.
At least at the estate, I can keep an eye on her.
And do what? Play babysitter and ignore your responsibilities? Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage? It’s not too late to take this back. You can always claim she tricked you, and you found out she was working for your enemies.
I take one look at London’s face and know I can’t do that to her.
Condemning her by getting involved with her is one thing.
Marking her as a traitor is another, and as bad as my father is reacting now, throwing London under the bus to save myself and the empire is another.
You could set something up. Make it look like you punished her. Katia could help you come up with a fake ID and make sure she’s settled somewhere far, far away.
It’s a noble thing to do, but I can’t bring myself to do it for the life of me.
Not even to make things easier.
Now that London has unlocked something in me I didn’t even know existed, I can’t shove it back in.
I won’t.
Not even if it costs me everything I’ve worked hard to build.
I blink, and London is standing in front of me. Her expression is soft and open as she reaches for my hand. She laces her fingers through mine, and I pull her closer, the smell of her floral perfume intermingling with what we were doing, unfurling something in me.
I shouldn’t be thinking that I can smell myself on her, or how it makes my blood turn molten.
There are a lot of things I shouldn’t be doing when it comes to London.
When she wraps her arms around me, I’m startled to realize I can’t remember the last time I’ve hugged someone. London’s body melts against mine as she places her head in the crook of my neck. I squeeze my eyes shut and thread a hand through her hair to cup the back of her neck.
We stand there for the longest time, the air between us thick with emotion, everything building up within me.
You were right, Mom. Love does change everything.
With a frown, I pull away and cup her face in my hands. As London lifts her eyes to mine, I exhale. “You can still walk away.”
London searches my face. “We already talked about this.”
“That was before my father came. London, he… Mathew is a fuckingsaintnext to him. My brother, he likes to gloat and rub it in your face. My father is a lot more… subtle in his approach, and he is meticulous.”
London squeezes my hand, and her expression doesn’t falter. “I can handle myself, and I’ll be careful like you said.”
The door to the room flies open, startling London. She glances over my shoulder, and I can tell by the tightening around her eyes that it’s nothing good. Slowly, I shift, so London is half-shielded behind me.
Mathew lingers in the doorway, a bored expression on his face “Why is she still here?”
I release London’s hand. “I should’ve known you’d try to have someone else clean up your mess.”
He chuckles. “I’m giving you a chance to make this right. You know what our father is like, but I can convince him that even the best have lapses in judgment. For the right price of course.”
I level my brother with a withering look. “Fuck off.”
Mathew pushes himself off the wall, a smirk hovering on the edge of his lips. “I know she has her hooks in you, so I’m only going to say this once. Don’t be stupid. For all we know, she could be working for the enemy. They probably sent her to stir up trouble and cause you to lose focus. I wouldn’t say it’s your fault, not really. Everyone knows you have a type.”
