39. Snow
Chapter thirty-nine
Snow
Prince slams the door behind him with his foot without sparing our driver a second glance, and then he drags me through the mansion, up the marble stairs, and toward his wing.
My heart pounds as his grip on my upper arm is too tight, and I try to dig my heels in. “Stop!”
Prince doesn’t stop. He’s seething as his grip on me tightens, and I lash out.
“Prince! You’re hurting me!”
With a snarl, he shoves me hard against the wall, locking his arm at my throat, and all I see are his luminous eyes as he hovers above me, breathing vehemently.
“Tell me you didn’t know.”
Know what?
“Tell me you didn’t know she was sending that guy to kill my brother, or so help me, Snow, I will kill you…”
My heart drops at my feet, splatting on the floor with a disgusting squelch.
He can’t be serious. I would never dream of hurting Casper.
He’s the last person I want to harm.
“ Well ,” he growls as the tears streak down my face. I can’t believe this.
Even now, he still thinks I am their enemy. That I am exactly like my father, that I mean to destroy them.
I’m only his daughter in blood. That is all.
His gun cocks, and he places it beside my head, and I close my eyes, letting the tears drip further.
“I told you not to betray us, Snow, so speak now, before this bullet goes through your head.”
A shaky breath whooshes from me, but I swallow back the whimper, too afraid that he will take it as an admission of guilt.
I would never harm Casper…
Sweet, sweet Casper who just wants to sing on stage and find an outlet for his inner demons.
Prince’s hold on the gun shakes, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s reluctant to shoot me.
Yet he will do it.
For his family. For his honor.
For the father who died serving mine…
My voice comes out as a croak. “I… didn’t know…”
He presses his arm into my neck further, but he doesn’t remove the gun from my head.
It was only a matter of time before he pointed another gun at my head.
“And you swear you are not in league with Regina?”
Finally, I find the courage to meet his eyes. His green one glows, the brown one dark, but I do spy the hope.
Hope that I am telling the truth.
He wants to believe me…
He's just torn out of obligation to protect his brothers.
Casper almost died, after all, and I ball my fists when I think about Ferdinand.
It’s one thing to come for me, but no one hurts Casper.
“I’m not, Prince. That man… that was Ferdinand...”
I spy the moment the name registers, but the gun stays by my head.
“Regina paid him to try and kill me. That was how Saint and Angel found me. I had been running from him.”
Prince’s jaw ticks, and this is it. Now or never.
If he doesn’t believe my story, that’s it for me.
He's just too fickle with that gun of his. It could either go through my skull or toward the ceiling again.
I don’t even know where the others are. I’m not even sure if they caught up with Ferdinand or if they are alive.
Hunter, Saint, Angel, Moth, and Knight all split up at the theater to search for Regina’s henchman, and I swallow the dread.
If any of them got hurt, I will never forgive myself.
And Prince may just blame me for their deaths. Guilty by association, as they call it. He’ll kill me once and for all.
“And you swear that is the truth?”
I nod. “Like I’ve told you countless times. Regina hates me. With me gone, she gets it all.”
Prince considers my words. For once, maybe he is starting to see sense.
But his body is still trembling with rage, and I can’t blame him for being suspicious.
In the end, his youngest brother almost died just doing something he loved, and it’s not fair.
Regina will pay.
Prince releases his forearm from my neck, and now he slips the gun back into his holster, but he doesn’t step back.
Not yet.
He just gazes over me for a few more moments, searching. I only hope he finds what he’s looking for.
His mismatched eyes fall on my lips, and they prickle under his scrutinizing gaze. Then he grips my chin, applying just the smallest amount of pressure to get his point across as he whispers.
“I will believe you for now. But you’re not in my good books just yet, Snow. You’ve still got a lot to prove to me.”
My heart sinks at his words, and I am torn between wanting to punch him and kiss him.
He is unbelievable. It’s as if he wants me to be his enemy. It’s all he knows.
Hatred and bitterness.
Maybe if he started to put more faith in people, then he would have an easier time with things, but he’s just too stubborn.
“I am not your enemy, Prince.”
“No. But you are my enemy’s daughter.”
My heart dips further. That’s all I will ever be to him. I bet when he looks at me, he sees my father.
I do have his eyes.
But I am not my father. Even if I did love him, I knew very well what he was and what he was capable of.
My Daddy was a monster.
And so is the man before me.
“I’m sorry… for what he did to your father. On his behalf…”
Prince’s breath stutters, and then he shuts his eyes, trembling as he keeps his mouth beside mine.
We’re so close, our lips practically brush, but there’s no kissing. No affection.
Just doubt and suspicion.
Finally, he opens his eyes, and they harden once more as he puts on the hat of the vicious don once again.
He parts my legs, thrusting his knee between my thighs. He pushes against my throbbing pussy, probably feeling how wet I am through his pant leg. Then he runs his thumb across my lips, smudging my black lipstick.
Then suddenly, he’s on the move again, tugging me through the house until we get to his wing.
He arrives at my room, where he throws me unceremoniously inside, then locks the door.
He disappears down the hall without further explanation, and I guess all there is to do now is wait.
So, I approach my bed, lying down on the comforter as I gaze up at the ceiling.
Absentmindedly, my finger trails where his thumb brushed my lips. I can still feel the sensation of his callused thumb.
I just hope the others are all right.
Regina may have had more men at that theater, and I dare not let my mind go there as I roll onto my side, shutting my eyes.
Hopefully, all is well.
And I will get to see my men again.
The door unlocks only God knows how many hours later. What time is it?
A glance out the window confirms it’s dawn.
I barely slept through the night. Prince didn’t return to tell me if the others were fine, if they survived, and it was complete torture.
I’m not even sure if they captured Ferdinand.
Knight steps through the door, and in his arms is a tray of food.
I can’t even think about eating now. I’m too torn with anxiety.
“Hey, Snow. I brought you breakfast.”
He's just too happy and cheerful for such a grim occasion, and I stumble out of bed, almost tripping on the blankets as I reach his side.
I blurt out the first thing on my mind. “Casper?”
Knight places the tray down on table by the door, closing his eyes. “Is safe.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank God. And the others?”
Hunter, Saint, and Angel’s face fly up before me. I’m not sure what I would do if anything happened to them.
Moth is still pretty much a stranger, but I hope he is okay, too.
I wouldn’t wish harm to come to any of these men, despite what Prince may think.
Knight smiles tightly, and the sight of his dimples on his bearded face reassures me. “All alive…”
I’m not sure what comes over me. It must be the stress of the last twenty-four hours. No, the stress of the last few weeks. Finally, I break down.
I drop to my knees, but Knight captures me before I hit the ground, and I weep in his arms as he cradles me.
“Hey. There’s no need to cry. Everyone is fine. Casper is fine. We got the guy.”
Even though I’m glad they’ve caught Ferdinand, I still howl as I shudder in Knight’s arms. I guess I’m still the same weak princess.
Sitting up here locked in her tower while the men do the dirty work.
But I just needed a good cry.
I’ve been so worried.
The idea of Casper, any of them, being hurt.
I wouldn’t have even cared what Prince would have done to me if any of them had been harmed. I would have gladly let him kill me .
Knight shushes me, and I’m not sure what he’s doing and how he does it, but his presence soothes me, and I already feel my spirits lifting.
“P-Prince…”
Knights stiffens when I mention his brother. “Yes?”
“He… he thinks… he thought…”
Knight unwraps his arms from my back, lifting my face, and gone is the happy-go-lucky man.
Now a monster takes his place. The same one I see in all their eyes…
“What did he do?”
My lip wobbles, and despite how angry he is, Knight never loses his temper with me. His hand at the back of my head is gentle.
“Snow?”
I shut my eyes. “He… put another gun to my head. Asked if I had anything to do with Ferdinand.”
Those kind gray eyes turn into glaciers. What have I done?
Now I am turning brothers against each other.
Still, his hand is tender as he threads his fingers through my hair. Then he closes his eyes, smiling once more.
“Snow, we know you had nothing to do with that shooter.”
“But…Prince doesn’t seem to think so. He is still adamant that I am his enemy. He will never trust me. He hates me…”
“Oh, trust me. He doesn’t hate you…”
What is that supposed to mean?
I meet Knight’s gray eyes.
“Prince is just confused, Snow. He’s been so filled with bitterness for so long that he forgot to see the good in people and this world. But you, Snow… you are one of those good things. And he is starting to realize that. He’s just denying it. Holding on because he’s a stubborn prick.”
I nod.
So, it’s easier to hate me than it is to love me…
Because hate is all Prince knows.
It's kind of sad.
But I’m not so foolish to think that I could change his entire outlook on life. I’m just one person. One girl.
“Come on, eat your breakfast. You must be hungry.”
Knight pushes me to the bed then tucks me in. He even fluffs the pillows behind my back, making sure I am comfortable, and he’s such a stark contrast to his cousin/brother.
It makes my heart skip a beat.
No one has taken care of me like this since my mother was alive, and I squeeze back more tears as Knight places the breakfast tray on my lap.
Even my breakfast is smiling up at me as Knight placed the eggs, bacon, and sausages into the pattern of a smiley face, and I laugh.
He sits beside me, cutting up a sausage as he places it into my mouth. I haven’t even been fed like this since I was small.
Knight has a way of making me feel like the most precious creature in the world. One who is deserving of love and kindness.
Soon, I empty my plate, and he places the tray to one side and just stays with me.
When he takes my hand, he squeezes, and I gaze down at our interlocked fingers. “What will happen now?”
Knight tenses.
I roll my head around on the pillow, facing him. “I can handle it, Knight. I’m not as weak as I look.”
I can’t blame him for thinking me weak. I was just howling in his arms before, yet he never did judge me.
He just held me.
Knight sucks in a breath. “They are questioning Ferdinand.”
I don’t need to be told more. I’ve been in the torture room; I can still feel the manacles at my wrists and ankles.
Hopefully, Prince won’t see fit to place me in there again.
I’m not sure if my heart could handle it.
His deep mistrust of me hurts.
I lick my lips, and Knight’s gaze follows my tongue. His pupils swell.
“Will they kill him?”
Knight shakes himself out of his trance, gazing up to meet my eyes. His expression is tight. “They will.”
I’m not so sure what to feel about that.
I never cared for the man. There was a time in my life when I thought he was my savior, and I scoff at the irony.
No. I only saved myself in the end.
I seized my own destiny.
“Does he have a bump on his head?”
Knight blinks. “Excuse me?”
“Just on the right side of his head. Because that’s where I hit him with the rock when he tried to kill me.”
Finally, I look at Knight’s eyes. He stares at me in confusion for a moment. Then he snorts, wrapping his arm around me.
“No doubt the deserved it. If only Prince could see that you are on our side, Snow. I just hope that it’s enough that I trust you. I get why you may want Prince’s approval.”
I turn his way. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Girls love the dark, brooding type. The bad guy. The ruthless one. The guys that make you breakfast in bed barely get a second look.”
Now, that is not true.
Sure, I find Prince deadly attractive, but it was terrifying when he placed his gun at my head.
No, heartbreaking because it was proof of his sheer distrust in me.
How badly he wants me to be his enemy…
But Knight. He makes me feel good.
He makes me feel like a princess . One he saved from a merciless dragon.
That dragon being Prince, of course.
Still, as chivalrous as he is, I’m sure there’s a maniac in Knight, too.
I’m not an idiot. I know very well by now what kind of men they all are.
But I would take Knight’s sweetness and his darkness any day.
So, to prove that I want him just as much as I would want Prince, I reach my hand up, running my fingers down his bearded face.
Knight shuts his eyes. “Damn, Snow… you really do have a healing touch…”
Funny, I was thinking the same about him.
I continue brushing my fingers down his face until I run them down his neck, reaching his chest where his heart pounds beneath.
When Knight opens his eyes again, there’s no missing his wanton desire.
He wants me.
And it just so happens that I want him.
I need his healing touch right now.
Knight pins me down, placing a kiss on my lips, and I melt beneath his touch. Then he’s fumbling with my jeans, yanking them down my legs as he presses his fingers to my waiting pussy.
I gasp as he massages my lips, rubbing my clit with his healing thumb, and it was just what I needed.
Knight pumps his fingers inside me as he brings me to my peak, and my body tenses as I tremble.
Then, he drapes my leg over his shoulder, rubbing his bearded face along the inside of my thighs as he uses his tongue this time.
When he curls his fingers inside me, more lights flash, and I find my release yet again.
Then, he unzips his jeans, shaking them off his legs as he frees himself and pushes deep inside me.
He fills me to the hilt with his sword.
Every knight should have a good sword.
Knight snaps his hips into mine, and when he slips over the edge, I tumble right down after him.
He doesn’t remove his sword. He keeps it sheathed inside me as he rolls onto his side, holding me close as we remain in bed.
I’m not sure how much time passes as I run my fingers along his arm, whispering. “I want to see him.”
Knight tenses, hugging me tighter.
I turn to meet his gray eyes. “Please. I… have to face him again. I need to know why he tried to kill me.”
I already know why as he told me once before.
Ferdinand fancies himself a king . Or a king consort.
Little does he know that Regina would never share her queendom.
Especially not with a man .
Knight closes his eyes, then nods. “All right. I will let Prince know.”
Hopefully then, Prince can finally see that I am not in league with Ferdinand or Regina.
That they are just as much as my enemies as they are his.