Dark Prince (Devious Heirs #1)

Chapter Twenty Four | Axel

I don’t like this plan , this plan is dumb on so many levels. A number of things could go wrong. Cordelia and I have been spotted all over the city together, we’ve made it very known that she’s with me. That I’ve taken her and she’s mine. There was even a whole Young Mazitti and his new pet trending on social media, that I’m like ninety-eight percent sure Cara started. However, there have also been missing person forms filed, stating she was taken against her will.

I’ve got my arm draped over Cordelia’s shoulder as I hold her close to me. We’ve been walking through Zona Rosa for about an hour, looking at the different stores and trying to settle on somewhere to eat. Since it’s a weekday, the rush isn’t nearly as busy as it would be if this were the weekend, which is both good and bad for us. Bad because it’s not as many eyes, good because I can watch our surroundings better.

“We should just eat at 54th Street, I’m getting tired of walking around.” She leans her head into me and laughs, “Then maybe you could take me over to the bookstore, I could use some new books.”

“What’s wrong with the books on my shelf?” I ask.

“You don’t have the sexy ones.” She looks up at me and shakes her head, as if Shakespeare and George Orwell aren’t sexy.

“Little deer, if you want the sexy romance with a little danger, all you have to do is ask.” I spin her out in front of me and kiss her hand, giving it a little nip.

“Ah, no. I don’t read the dangerous ones. I like the cutesy ones that make me giggle and kick my feet. The, laugh out loud , kind. I have enough blood in my life that I don’t need it my books, too.”

“Honestly, I didn’t take you for a dirty book reader.” I say to her as she moves back into my side.

“I didn’t take you for a romantic type, yet here we are, holding hands and walking at sunset.” She laughs.

“Technically we’re working the job.”

“Wow, way to ruin the mood sunshine.” She sighs and then stops dead in her tracks when we reach the restaurant. “You know the last time I was over in this area, Clayton brought me as a reward.” My bones chill at the thought of that man and her, “Despite the terrible things he did, I always enjoyed the rewards I got.”

I don’t exactly know how to respond to that, because I’ve noticed she loves getting things and praises, but I don’t want to feed into her delusions of the only way to get a reward is to have something done to her. She needs the security of knowing that no matter the cost, I will never be like him. I may take things a little far, but I will never give her something I know she can’t handle. Even if she thinks she wants it, I’ll know when enough is enough.

“How about we go somewhere else?” I offer.

“Oh, like where?” Her shoulders dance at the thought.

“Italian?”

“Can we go to Buca di Beppo? I love, love, loooove their Chicken Parmigiana.” She moans just at the thought of it.

“Of course.” I turn us around and start walking towards the car with her at my side, tucked away from the onlookers. I really hate when people look at her, even if we are literally out here so people can see her with me.

We round the corner and I see the car down the road a bit as we walk together. She skips off to the passenger door while I head to the driver's side, just taking in everything. We’ve been doing things a little differently for the last almost two weeks, trying to get the attention of Paul, but nothing has happened so far. It’s almost disappointing when you think about it, his only living family member, paraded around by the enemy like a trophy.

When I look up at her, the soft smile on her face is almost fucking magical as the setting sunlight reflects off the window behind her. Her eyes flash with horror just before a sharp pain hits the back of my head and Cordelia screams out something, but my head is too fuzzy to make out what she’s saying. I blink twice trying to focus on who’s coming up behind her, shit. I need to get to her, my legs buckle out from underneath me and everything goes black.

When I wake up laying on the ground, someone is standing over me and my cheek hurts. “Dude.” I blink away the daze to see Kenan standing over me.

“What the fuck?” I sit up, wincing as my head throbs. Touching the back of my skull I feel a solid knot and when I look at my hand, there’s blood.

“I’ve been calling you for an hour. Ethan tracked your phone and told me where to find you. Where’s Cordelia?” He asks and I’m off the ground in a frenzy.

“Survey the area, check for cameras. Find who took her!” I shout as I rip my car door open and drop into the driver's seat with a splitting headache.

“Where are you going?” Kenan grabs the door before I can shut it. “You can’t just take off, you don’t know where she is.”

“I’m going to call Dad and have him track her.”

“You haven’t given her a phone, how are you going to track her?”

“Her collar, the lock, it has a tracker in it.” I say, trying to fight the door away from my older brother so I can drive off.

“Then let me drive. The crew can look for cameras and witnesses.” Kenan steps into the way, “Either slide over bitch style, or walk around, you chose, but I will be driving.” He’s so bossy sometimes, it makes me want to punch him in his throat.

I pull my phone from my pocket as I stand up out of the seat, punching in Ethan’s number. It rings once, “You okay?” he asks as he answers.

“Track her.” I state, knowing he will know exactly what I’m talking about. He’s the one who helped me get the tracker into the lock in the first place.

“Son,” Ethan says as I hear him tapping away at something.

“I’m fine, find her.” I hang up the phone and drop into the passenger seat as Kenan takes off down the road. My fists open and close several times as the anger rolls through me. My body feels like it’s on fire and my soul is fighting to stay with me. I’ve been angry before, but I’m fucking fuming now. My heart slams against my chest as my mind races. How did I let this happen? How did I let someone get the fucking jump on me? I punch the dashboard and growl out my anger as Kenan speeds faster, hitting the on ramp for the highway.

My phone rings and I pull it out, seeing Ethan’s name on the screen I swipe the call on and answer, “Anything?”

“Wherever she is, the tracker isn’t being located.”

“Fuck!” I shout, looking over to my brother. “Get us home.”