Ruthless Princess

by Van Dyken , Rachel

  “As I was saying…” Tex stood now. “Dante brought it to our attention that Phoenix and Bee just had their twentieth anniversary and have yet to take a trip in the last fifteen years. As crazy as things have been lately, they’ve been worse, so we voted and decided each of the couples will take a trip. And since they just celebrated, they go first, two weeks anywhere in the world. We’re big enough to hold down the fort. The only issue is dipshit over there.” Tex pointed to Junior.

  Junior tore into a piece of bacon. “That’s me, right?”

  “Yeah, that’s you,” I said sweetly, earning a middle finger and a wink that I felt in all the wrong places.

  “We voted last night and wanted to tell the kids today. We’re going to all take shifts, and well, it just feels like it’s time, especially now that our kids are growing up and able to take on some of the load.”

  I realized he meant us.

  And part of me wondered if the fact that the three of us were all made had been part of the decision making process.

  Meaning, I was the last one, ergo, now they felt safe knowing that the Family had a potential boss in place in case the worst happened.

  Just thinking about it made me sick to my stomach.

  Phoenix grabbed Bee’s hand and kissed it. “We’re headed to Fiji.”

  Her expression was completely stunned, and then she mauled him with her mouth, then her hands, and then it was time to look away.

  “Ma, aw man!” Junior threw a piece of bacon. “Not in front of the eggs!”

  “Save it for the private plane.” Tex laughed. “And I’m happy for you guys, so who takes dipshit?”

  “Could we stop with the name-calling?” Junior glared and then smirked with a hand placed on his chest. “I’m sensitive.”

  “My ass,” Ash muttered under his breath.

  They started fighting like best friends did, and then my dad sealed a fate he could have never known was ever in the stars by saying, “He can stay here.”

  I kept my expression calm but didn’t miss the panicked look from Ash or the warning look from Uncle Chase.

  Nobody said anything.

  Because our secret wasn’t theirs to share.

  But I had a sinking feeling I was going to have to work a lot harder at my hate, so I didn’t accidentally lose it to my past love.

  And damn us all.

  Because our love wouldn’t just be a problem.

  It would destroy the families.

  Rip them apart.

  I knew it in my soul.

  I knew deep down, Junior had been right, even though it was so wrong.

  I knew that unloving him was the only way we could co-exist.

  And now, he was going to be in the guest room connected next door because I knew my dad would want him closest to the living room as well as the gun safe on the west side of the house. Everything was strategic when it came to sleeping arrangements.

  God help us all.

  Because my dad would kill him if he knew he’d touched me.

  And Phoenix would never forgive his own son for doing the one thing he made him swear he would never do—touch an Abandonato heir, want her, be with her, the way he’d been with mom.

  Had they dated then? It was unspoken, but I knew there was some sort of bad blood which is why I knew how to press the button, though every time I tried to use it, I knew it was wrong, I never knew how wrong, though, or how horrible, maybe if I did I would have never pushed, but I didn’t, my ignorance was a death sentence.

  I gulped and shared a worried look with Ash, only to see Junior already getting up and leaving the room in his usual pissed off manner.

  And I was thankful that at least one of us was sane enough to do the right thing.

  Walk. Away.

  That at least his hate would stay intact, making mine solid.

  We just needed to stay that way.

  And we’d be just fine.

  So why was my heart hammering out of my chest? Why were my eyes looking for hiding places? And why did I suddenly feel the need to confess everything?

  Uncle Chase looked at me again, his expression curious, and then a slow shake of his head told me all I needed to know. His blue eyes crinkled at the sides with a sad smile as he crossed his arms.

  Our secret.

  It would be fine.

  It was only two weeks.

  We’d been enemies for over a year; no way two weeks was gonna shift a year’s worth of hurt.

  It was impossible.

  And yet, my stupid heart beat, “Maybe it isn’t.”

  Chapter Ten

  Junior

  “You excited for your parents to leave town?” Ash asked a few days later when we were on campus sitting outside and chugging our coffees before class.

  I snorted into my cup. “I have never seen my mom pack so many swimsuits. If I see one more bikini, my eyes are going to start bleeding just like my soul every single time Dad grabs her ass.”

  Ash burst out laughing. “Yeah, not gonna lie, I can’t see brooding Phoenix Nicolasi grabbing your mom’s ass without Tex chopping off his hand. I mean, sure they’re married, but I swear his eye still twitches when they kiss.”

  I grinned, and then my smile fell because I was once again reminded that my mom was Tex’s sister, and yet she wasn’t off-limits to my dad, and even then, he obviously ignored that glaring problem of dating within the Families.

  “When do they leave?” Ash asked, jarring me out of my pity party. I’d been feeling off since leaving Serena’s bedroom.

  All I’d wanted to do was turn around, pull her into my arms, and kiss every inch of her body.

  Chances were she would have probably kneed me in the balls since the morphine had all but evaporated from her system, leaving her pissy all morning, but it would have been worth a try, right?

  “Bro!” Ash waved a hand in front of my face. “What’s with you?”

  “Nothing,” I snapped. “And they left this morning.”

  Another reason I was actually going to class instead of skipping—I needed every excuse in the book to stay on campus until I had to go to Serena’s.

  “Nice.” He put on his sunglasses and waved Claire over. She was texting and walking, typical.

  When she finally looked up, she grinned and skipped over to us. “Hey guys, you done for the day?”

  “One more class, and then I’m done,” I announced and prayed to God that Serena wasn’t going to show up for it. Ever since me stealing her panties and our brawl on the lawn, she’d avoided our shared class. I called it an answer to prayer.

  Claire scrunched up her nose, then looked back down at her phone and grinned.

  “You cheating on Ash already?” I teased.

  She rolled her eyes. “Hilarious.”

  “Dude.” Ash shoved me.

  “Hey!” I held up my hands. “Maybe learn how to please her properly, so she doesn’t stray.”

  “Ash, don’t take the bait.” Claire shoved her phone back in her purse. “And I’m actually texting Annie. She’s really sweet, and I thought it would be cool if we all hung out again.”

  Ash’s jaw clenched even though his eyes gave nothing away. “Do you think that’s the best idea? Partying with them is one thing, setting them up and trying to figure out if they’re out to get us, is one thing, but braiding each other’s hair?”

  “Girls don’t actually do that, Ash.” She patted his head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but we also don’t dance around in our underwear and have pillow fights.”

  “Why are you telling such a sad story?” Breaker interrupted, taking a seat at the same picnic table and tossing his bag on top.

  Claire sighed. “Breaker, you have two hickeys—that are visible, at least. I think you’ll make it.”

  “That are visible,” he repeated with a smirk.

  She rolled her eyes. “And Ash, think about it, how else are we supposed to get close and get them to trust us? So far Sergio hasn’t found anything on any student except t
he one that—”

  I jerked my head in a no motion.

  Claire pressed her lips together in a line like she was irritated and then kept talking. “All I’m saying is it’s not the worst idea to go hang out or something. Maybe we can all go get pizza? Drinks? Something, anything.”

  Ash’s face dropped to a frown. “What’s wrong with all of us hanging out without them? Are you like, unhappy, or something?”

  Breaker and I shared an uncomfortable look while Claire gulped and looked down. “No, I love hanging out with you guys, it’s just… sometimes a girl wants… normal.”

  Ash flinched like he’d just been slapped.

  “And that’s my cue.” I stood and prepared to take my leave. “See you guys later. Let me know what the plan is, and for the record, I’m good with normal or crazy, all right?”

  I left before they started fighting.

  I hated that Claire had a point.

  Almost as much as I hated that it looked like Ash’s feelings were hurt. She didn’t understand that he was trying to protect her as much as he could.

  We weren’t like other college students.

  Normal would be nice, but that wasn’t us. It would never be us.

  And if she wanted normal, she needed to get out now before it was impossible for her to leave.

  Then again, it was probably already too late.

  Ash knew it.

  I knew it.

  I wondered if Claire did, or if she just fell for Ash’s damn charm so hard that she had no idea there would be consequences for wanting a six-pack, dimples, and multiple orgasms all in one package.

  I swung my bag over my shoulder, went into the History building, and found my seat at the back of the class.

  I smelled her first.

  That smell haunted me night and day.

  Sometimes it was vanilla; other times, it was sweet like pineapple, but with a spice that made me clench my fists together, made my blood heat to ridiculous temperatures as I remembered all the times she was mine.

  And all the reasons why she no longer was.

  Shit. I was going to have no time outs for the next two weeks.

  No escape.

  Just her and her scent and her hate-filled eyes when people were looking, only to look so damn sad when they weren’t that I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

  “Surprised you’re not skipping,” I said, not glancing up from my phone.

  Her chair turned toward me.

  I lifted my gaze.

  Her face was still a bit bruised, but her expert makeup covered up the worst of it. Faint purple smudges were present beneath her eye, but she was still gorgeous. A queen among men.

  Her ribs were probably still sore, and I knew the reason she was wearing her Eagle Elite jacket when she hated wearing it with her uniform because, according to her, it hid her best assets.

  Her ass and boobs.

  I could attest to them being impressive.

  Okay, fine, more than impressive. Out of this world. Nixon and Trace bred a fucking supermodel for a child.

  “Yeah, well, one more missed class…” She winced like talking hurt. “…and I fail; I told Dad to get me out of it since I have to suffer next to you, but he said no.”

  I sneered. “Poor pretty little princess, you mean Daddy said no? To you? I’m absolutely shocked.”

  Her blue eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Says the guy who got a new car because, and I quote, ‘the tech was just all wrong.’”

  “I was sixteen,” I said defensively. “And for that expensive of a car, it was all wrong.”

  “Whatever. I’m just saying I’m not the only spoiled one. What are you going to do without your mom to make you your lunches, pat you on the head when you get a scratch, and tuck you in bed at night? Oh, and before I forget, we’re all out of mac and cheese.”

  Ignoring her, I leaned forward, whispering in a low voice, “You offering to do all of the above, Serena? Because I think I’d like to see you on your knees—kissing every place that hurts.”

  She smiled wide, shocking me a bit, and then she leaned in and murmured, “I would rather drive this pen through my skull.” The sound of the pen clicking might as well be the gauntlet falling.

  I gripped her hand and tugged, and her chair rolled into mine. “Funny, because I don’t remember a time you ever preferred death over my dick.”

  Her eyes flashed. “Things change. Plus, I was young, had nothing to compare it to, and now…” She shrugged. “Let’s just say I’m not impressed.”

  “Bullshit,” I hissed.

  “Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes and jerked her hand away. “We threaten to kill each other, but this, this is what gets you pissed?”

  The professor was talking about some worthless shit.

  And Serena was staring at me like I had two heads.

  My body felt numb and hot, all at the same time. Another guy. There had been another guy? How many guys? She’d slept with someone else?

  I couldn’t breathe.

  I’d never had a panic attack before, but if this was what it felt like, I think I’d rather run headfirst into a wall. My chest felt tight, my heart hammered way too hard against my chest, and I had trouble swallowing.

  I gripped the edge of the table and tried to slow my breathing to no avail.

  “Junior?” she asked in a soft voice, reaching out to me in concern.

  I stood, grabbed my shit, and left.

  I had just made it outside the building when she charged after me and, in typical Serena fashion, threw her bag at my back. “Junior! What the hell is your problem?”

  I stumbled forward a bit from the impact but kept walking.

  “Are you serious right now?” she shrieked, chasing after me as fast as she could with all her wounds. “Fine,” she yelled louder. “Your dick is huge, best of my life, Junior Nicolasi has a dick of gold—”

  “Shut up.” I turned on my heel and gripped her by the good shoulder, my fingers digging in. “Keep talking, and I’m switching arms, and Sergio’s gonna have to stitch you back up again.”

  “You’re insane.” She gritted her teeth. “I can’t believe you’d storm out of class over something so stupid—”

  “It’s not stupid! And I’m not mad about my dick!” I roared, earning odd stares from people hurrying by us.

  “Um, were we having two totally different arguments?” Her eyes widened. “You left because—”

  “I left because you said you’d compared me,” I yelled. “Which means you’ve been sleeping around. How many, Serena? Huh? How many guys did you suck off while—”

  Her good hand came flying at my face, slapping me so hard I stumbled sideways. “Don’t.” She gritted her teeth. “Don’t you dare disrespect me like that.”

  I rubbed my cheek. “How many?”

  “This is stupid.” She shoved at my chest. “Do you really want to play that game? Huh? Where we compare sexual partners? Numbers? How in the hell is that going to help either of us right now?”

  I sobered completely on the outside, but the breathing, the pain in my chest slicing up and down over and over again kept increasing. She hadn’t waited. She wasn’t mine. “Go ahead, ask me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I already know you get around, Junior, so I’m gonna put you in the more than two hands category, which is more than double my number.”

  “Wrong,” I whispered as a choking fog descended over me.

  “Wow!” She laughed. “So more than?”

  I shook my head, too hurt to speak, too angry to form words. “I’m done with this conversation.”

  “You can’t just start this and not end it. Don’t make me beat you up again, Junior.” Her tone was more teasing. She had no idea that my heart felt like it was getting ripped from my chest.

  She didn’t know that I felt alone.

  Lost.

  Forgotten.

  So unimportant that it was some colossal joke to her—my feelings.

  “One,” I
finally said. “My number is one.”

  She paled, her lips parted, but nothing came out. And then she reached for me.

  I jerked away and shook my head. “But apparently I need to go out there and get some side by side comparisons too…” I started walking away.

  “Junior, wait!” She grabbed my arm again. “Where are you going?”

  “To find a few willing girls, obviously.” I sneered. “Maybe I’ll get lucky and have a threesome.”

  “You don’t mean that.” Her voice cracked, and her eyes filled with unshed tears.

  “But I do, Serena.” I glared. “I really do. Because how the fuck am I ever going to forget this conversation? It’s out there now. In my head. Your confession may as well have been a shot to the head, executioner style, or at least to the heart.” I took a deep breath. “Fuck. You.”

  “Junior. Don’t!” She yelled. “You can’t just—”

  “I can. I will. Sorry, Serena, I’m off to find my new queen. God knows I’ve waited long enough to find a replacement.”

  “You’ll never replace me.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Never.”

  “Watch me.” And just like that, we were back to the beginning, back to where things broke.

  And it was painfully clear that while I played my part, I never forgot my vow to love her forever.

  And Serena?

  She obviously hadn’t meant it in the first place.

  “I’ll love you as long as we both shall live.”

  “I’ll love you as long as we both shall live.”

  “No matter what?” She asked, “Even if this goes bad?”

  “A promise in blood is a promise in my soul.” I took our hands and pressed the bloodied palms together. “No matter what I say, what you think, what I do—you own me, Serena Abandonato, and one day, I’m going to be yours, just like you’re already mine.”

  I slammed my car door shut.

  And screamed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Serena

  I should have known that the cease-fire between Junior and me wasn’t going anywhere, if anything, after our fight, where we aired out our dirty laundry on the campus lawn for everyone to see—again—things seemed to feel so tense that I wanted to land a punch to his face just so I could feel better about the way he’d treated me.