4. Prince Cole
Chapter 4
Prince Cole
“Trust is the easiest thing in the world to lose,
and the hardest thing in the world to get back.”
— R. Williams
“ D o you have a death wish I don’t know about?” I ask, grabbing Rafe by his shirt and pinning him against the wall. “You tried to provoke her, didn’t you?”
“I didn’t do anything of the sort. She wanted to go outside, so I needed to distract her and talk to her. I took care of her safety, that’s exactly what you asked me to do, remember?”
I release him and start pacing my office I dragged him into. “I asked you to stay away from her for today. You probably terrified her. She needs to trust me— trust us .”
“Nothing even happened,” he mutters. “If I had kept hiding from her, she’d be dead by now. Cole, she is a liability.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “And I liked you better when you weren’t accusing me all the time.”
“I liked you better when you didn’t live here. Now get out of my office.”
He’s right about one thing—she is a liability. Yet, we need her if we’re going to take down Lorelda.
I knew she wouldn’t be thrilled to be here, but I didn’t expect her to be so terrified that she’d consider ending her own life.
Right now, everything about her irritates me. Her very presence irritates me. And if she tries to end her life again, I’ll make sure she regrets it so deeply that she’ll be begging me to put her out of her misery.
I pour myself a glass of whiskey, swirling it before taking an annoyed sip.
Walking out of the office, I scan the hallway for her.
She’s talking to her friend, her face lit up with a genuine smile. Good. If she can stay somewhat content, maybe she won’t try to kill herself again.
“It’s getting late. Father expects me to be home soon,” Nora says to Davina, sadness sneaking through their features.
“I wish you could stay forever,” Davina replies, pulling Nora into a heartfelt hug. “Take care of yourself.”
Nora nods as she pulls away. “Father’s guard is waiting outside. And you,” she points a dainty finger at me, “take care of her . ”
I’m mildly amused by her tone. I could be offended, but I appreciate the loyalty. “I’ll walk you outside.”
Once I return inside, I search for Rafe, but he’s nowhere to be seen.
Davina is watching me, a blank expression on her face.
“Well?” I raise a brow. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“If you expect me to believe that, then you’re truly a stupid girl. Don’t play dumb. You tried to run away.”
“Am I supposed to be scared now?”
“Oh, you’re absolutely adorable when pretending to be tough. But you’re more frightened than you’re letting on.”
“If pretending to be tough means not giving you the satisfaction of seeing me squirm, then I guess I’ll just have to keep pretending.”
“Pretend all you want. But I’d prefer it if you don’t try to kill yourself again.”
“I don’t care about your preferences. If you want obedience, you’ll have to find someone else.”
“Such a brat.” Perhaps I’ll have to choke the brat out of her—or choke some sense into her. “If you cooperate,” I say, “it might make things a lot easier for both of us.”
“What makes you think I have any intention of helping you? You still haven’t explained why I’m here, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t let me rot in here. Oh, and today is my?—”
“Birthday,” I finish for her, “I’m aware. So, are you expecting a present, or just a reason to feel sorry for yourself?”
“If you think your attitude will get you what you want, you’re seriously mistaken. I’m not here to indulge your ego or beg for favors, am I? I’m here because you want something from me, and until you make that clear, you’re just wasting your breath.”
It’s amusing, really, how she thinks she can unravel me so easily.
“I’ll tell you everything you need to know tomorrow. For now, why don’t you get some rest? You’ll need your energy if you plan on being stubborn all day.”
She opens her mouth to protest, but I’m already on my way to look for Rafe.