My actions will have consequences. That much is certain. But not now, not here.
“Are you completely crazy to provoke him like that? He’s been drinking,” Damien snaps at me in the now empty foyer, spinning to face me angrily. My stomach does an unpleasant flip and starts to churn.
Why does he ask that?
“I… I don’t know what you mean,” I stammer awkwardly, feeling foolish, and he raises an eyebrow, looking at me knowingly with his bright eyes.
Damien is handsome. In a wicked way, he’s absolutely stunning. His dark hair is slightly tousled today, and he looks a bit disheveled, but I can guess why. Still, I fidget restlessly under his intense gaze, shifting my weight nervously from one foot to the other.
“I know everything, Amelia. I’m not stupid. You were at our place every single day. I’ve seen you in your underwear more than any other woman. Don’t you think I noticed the constant bruises and your strange reactions to sudden movements?”
I feel sick. So unbelievably sick.
All the blood drains from my cheeks, and I stumble sideways.
He knows. Dear God, he knows.
“Hey, slow down, sweetheart. It’s okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He reaches for my arm and supports me. I blink at him in shock.
“Don’t tell anyone. Please. You have to keep this to yourself. I… I can’t…”
Damien pulls me into his arms as I start trembling uncontrollably.
“Shhh, Lia, it’s okay. Your secret was safe until now, and I won’t say anything if you promise to deal with it yourself. It can’t go on like this. One day, he’ll completely lose control when he’s drunk, and then? Phil isn’t here anymore…” He trails off, his eyes filled with so much pain and grief that my heart tightens painfully.
“Well, look at that, the sissy has switched to the female sex. But isn’t it kind of twisted to want to sleep with the heir’s new girl right off the bat?”
A spiteful, condescending voice reaches my ear, and I look to the right in shock. Four guys I’ve never seen before are standing there, looking down on us. Looking down on Damien. He tenses and subtly pushes me a step behind him.
“What’s it to you, Robins, who I fuck? As far as I know, we don’t share the same tastes.”
A cold shiver runs down my spine as I look at the ominously glittering eyes of these guys. They’re clearly looking for trouble.
“Oh, I’d rather drown myself in the Stufford River than share such a perverted taste as yours. What’s it like being such a disgusting, filthy cocksucker?”
Robins spits at Damien’s feet, steps forward, and shoves him roughly aside. Damien closes his eyes briefly, takes a deep breath, but doesn’t defend himself. He just stands silently, staring at Robins, whose buddies slowly spread around us.
“I asked you a question, sissy. What’s it like being a cock?—”
He doesn’t get any further because I see red. All the pent-up rage, frustration, and grief explode all at once. Before I know what I’m doing, I step in front of Damien and slap that asshole hard across the face.
“Lia, damn it,” Damien hisses, trying to pull me away, but I wrench my arm free.
“No ‘Lia, damn it.’ This asshole went too far,” I snap at Damien before glaring furiously at the guy.
“Fuck off, asshole, and leave him alone. What must your tiny dick be like to treat others like this?” I hiss at the stupid idiot, wanting to scratch his eyes out. There’s so much anger in me it could fill two people.
Why is everything so unfair? Why are people so narrow-minded and stupid?
“You’re no better, you stupid slut. First one prince, and now that he’s dead, you just fuck your way to the next heir,” he spits at me, grabs me in a flash, and presses me against him.
And my brain freezes.
I didn’t think that through in my rage.
Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
He reeks of alcohol and sweat, his hand grabs my hair, and a sharp pain runs across my scalp as he pulls my head back.
