20. Saint
Chapter twenty
Saint
Snow’s heart pounds as I keep my hand splayed across the small of her back, trying my damnedest to ignore her heat as it emanates from her skin and burns my own. My fingers flex.
This past week has been rough, as I have had to tell myself at every turn that I am not attracted to Snow and that she means nothing to me.
Her father is responsible for the death of my own, yet my dick doesn’t seem to care about that grim fact. All I can think about is fucking her plump mouth.
The moment she put that blindfold on, it was all over.
That full, perfect mouth soon became the centerpiece of her face, and now I fight every urge in my body as I push her gently into Prince’s office.
The moment Prince’s eyes land on her, he freezes, and I know what he’s thinking…
He's thinking that her red lips look just as appetizing and fuckable as I was. His green eye glows, and the brown one darkens, and I watch as he squeezes the pen in his hand.
Looks like he was in the midst of signing some important documents. I never can keep up with all the endless paperwork that comes his way.
Which is why I leave all that up to Prince, the boss and brains of our outfit.
His gaze finds mine, and he can’t hide it from me. I spy his lust, too, and now he scowls, squeezing the pen harder.
“Remove the blindfold, Saint,” he snaps, his voice almost accusatory. I was only doing as he requested.
Not my fault he has a dirty mind.
Finally, I reach down and tug the blindfold from her eyes, and the woman squints as she gazes around the brightly lit office, a sight for sore eyes, I bet, after being inside that dingy cell for so long.
Prince finally considered my offer, and I just hope he manages to keep his cool and not pull out his gun this time.
Snow seems to have the same thoughts as she backs away, bumping into the door as she never takes her eyes off Prince.
“Please, take a seat, Snow.”
His voice is civil this time, and she peers up at me confused, probably wondering what the catch is.
I gently push her along, encouraging her to sit in one of the vacant seats, the one Moth occupied just yesterday.
My mind lingers on my surly cousin now as Snow reluctantly takes the seat, keeping her eyes on her hands as they rest against her small knees.
She really is petite, which is why I wonder how Prince can deem her a threat.
I get it. She’s the spawn of our enemy, and the only leverage we have against Regina at the moment, but how he can bring himself to hurt such a minute woman truly leaves me baffled.
I’m no saint, either, despite the irony of that name, but he took it too far with the gun, the same one resting in his holster now.
If he pulled the trigger, would I push her aside and protect her? I don’t know.
I’m not sure what I feel for the woman, but I can’t deny the overwhelming need to protect her as I keep my eyes on Prince.
He's an impulsive man. Calm one moment, and then a raging storm the next.
Snow starts to tremble, and I place a hand on her shoulder.
Her nerves dissipate, and even though the heat of her skin seeps into my fingers, I don’t regret my choice.
She was scared, so I did what I could to calm her nerves.
She whispers a small thank you, too afraid to raise her voice lest it wakes the beast that lives inside Prince.
That beast breaches the surface once again, not moving his cold eyes from the small woman. There’s no missing his smirk either as he reaches across for his pitcher, pouring water into a glass. “Are you thirsty, Snow?”
The tone is mocking as it’s obvious he couldn’t give a shit whether she was dying of thirst.
She hasn’t had anything to eat or drink yet, and maybe I should have considered giving her breakfast before I brought her here.
Snow peers up at me, and the trust I find in her eyes cuts me deep.
She shouldn’t trust me because I am just as much her enemy as Prince is.
“It’s fine,” I rasp, and now I watch as Prince stands, placing the glass right in front of her.
Snow just stares at the glass.
He hikes up a mocking eyebrow again. “Well, are you not going to drink?”
When his green eye shines, I lean forward, watching him carefully.
It almost sounded like he was challenging her.
Again, those big brown eyes find me, and I nod.
With a shaking hand, she takes the glass and drinks and drinks until the glass is empty.
Looks like she was very thirsty in the end, and the guilt pierces me yet again when I recall how I forgot to bring her breakfast.
Prince pours her more water, and she gulps that down, too.
Now her eyes are empty as she wipes the droplets from her mouth, and I wonder what is going through her mind.
Prince retakes his seat, and now an uncomfortable silence passes among the three of us.
“Now, let’s cut straight to it. You must be wondering why I have summoned you here, Snow.”
She doesn’t answer straight away, and when he leans menacingly in his seat, she takes a deep breath. “N-no, sir, I… wasn’t wondering…”
Prince narrows his eyes as he studies her like a hawk, and then they roll as he sits back in his seat.
“Well, even so, you must be a little curious. I take it Saint has filled you in.”
He glances at me.
I just stare at him.
He never said anything about filling her in. I was just told to bring her to him.
Prince chuckles, threading his hands together. “I’m going to give you a choice, Snow. You can either return to your cell or work for us. Your call.”
He captures her attention. “Work for you…”
He smiles slightly. “That’s right.”
Her eyes find mine for confirmation, but I merely palm my face.
I don’t want to be here for this.
This will hurt .
Snow licks her lips. “But… why? You hate me. Why would you want me working for you?”
Especially after you put a gun to my head , I bet she wants to say.
I don’t blame her for the confusion. My cousin is even leaving me baffled these days, and he’s becoming a stranger lately.
He's not himself. I see him slipping day by day, and he tries so hard to hide it. But sooner or later, he’s going to crack, and then we’ll all have a pretty big mess on our hands.
No matter what happens, I can’t let him kill her. It’s not right.
She’s an innocent pawn in all this.
I think Prince flinches slightly at the word hate , and he can’t be all that surprised that’s what she thinks, right?
But then he shrugs and pours himself his own glass of water. “Be that as it may, it has come to my attention that we can make use of you. Do you have any cleaning experience, Snow?”
He's a bastard.
A fucking bastard.
I turn to Snow.
She stares at her dirty fingernails. “Regina made me clean for her all the time, so… yes.”
His mask slips slightly at her confession, but then he shakes his head as he sips his water. “Well, then, I guess there’s nothing more to discuss. You start tomorrow.”
There’s no mistaking the shock on her face, and then her eyes turn to me.
With another strange chuckle, Prince returns to his document, grabbing his fountain pen. “You are dismissed, Snow. Saint, take her to her new room.”
“Room…” she echoes.
“Yes, room.”
She thought she would be returning to her cell.
Good. I’m sick of that place, and I can imagine she is more than eager to get away from there.
Though she’s not exactly any safer.
Prince only wants her around so he can keep an eye on her.
Her room will be in his wing, of course, and I feel sorry for the girl.
Finally, I rise, encouraging her to follow me.
It takes her a few moments to gather her thoughts, but then she follows my lead, letting me guide her toward the door.
But before my fingers graze the handle, Prince’s ominous voice finds us, and his beast breaches the surface yet again.
“Oh, and Snow… if you betray me or any of my brothers while under my employ… then I will kill you.”