Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(60)

“Not the right suturing kit,” I heard the nurse mutter, and I was a little distracted by that.

“What do you plan on doing with me?” I asked, hoping to both delay and distract her while I wiggled my thumb into position to hit that button.

She moved a little closer so I could see her deadpan expression more clearly. “I’m going to remove your IUD and install a tracking device. For your own safety of course.”

I cleared my throat, trying to stay reasonable. “And, uh, why are you removing my IUD? I only just got it in, and I’m pretty happy to keep it until I finish my studies. Babies and college are not the best mix, amiright?”

Joking was the perfect cover for the screaming terror I felt at her words. Also the fury. This cunt of a nurse better hope I never got free in her presence because she would no longer have working fingers to perform these atrocities on anyone.

She waved me off with a dry, unamused laugh. “You’ll be finished soon, and then you’ll be a wife. Your duty is to produce a strong, powerful heir. Anything else is unnecessary. Best to get started now too, just in case.”

I tried to murder her with my gaze, but she didn’t even notice, once again organizing her things. That was okay though; I’d finally wiggled and worked my aching thumb into the right position, and I pressed it as best I could against the button. I thought I heard the small click that indicated it had engaged, but I couldn’t be sure.

“Does Alex know you’re doing this?” I asked, trying my best to keep my breathing even. “Does he know that you’ve drugged and kidnapped me, holding me against my will in the medical wing? Because I don’t think my fiancé”—I choked over that word but got it out—“would be happy about me being treated like this.”

As I was shifting my finger back into a position that didn’t feel like it was being dislocated, I paused as I scraped over the buckle. Shit, it wasn’t as sophisticated as I’d originally thought. It was actually one I’d had used on me by my sensei before, and I knew how to get free.

I’d just need a few minutes.

“Call Alex here right now,” I said, trying to sound more forceful than I felt. “I’m the future leader of the Australasians, and it’s in your best interest not to piss me off.”

She paused, like that fact hadn’t occurred to her at all. With a annoyed huff, she lifted her palm reader and dialed a number.

Alex answered on the first ring.

“Hello, Your Highness,” the nurse said primly. “Could you please meet me at medical wing five?”

There was an extended pause, and then a simple. “Yes.” before Alex hung up.

Meanwhile, I now had extra incentive to get my ass out of here before my “fiancé” showed up. He was probably the one who’d set this bitch up to ripping my shit out, and I’d find no rescue there.

Not that I needed one. Violet Spencer had been born of despair, and I no longer believed in fairy tales.

Especially when they pertained to princes.

Give me the devil any day.

It took Alex all of two minutes to make it to the room, and he must have sprinted the entire way because he was breathing heavily, and considering how fit he was... At this point I was almost certain that my distress call hadn’t gone out, but since I’d managed to get the first loop of the strap off by scratching at it with my thumb, it was all okay.

When Alex saw me strapped to the bed, he turned his glare on the nurse.

“What the hell are you doing to her?”

She huffed again, crossing her arms over her chest. “Exactly what I was ordered to do. Violet must have her IUD removed and a tracker implanted.”

Alex crossed his arms too, and I was surprised to see some rage on his face. “Ordered by whom?”

She blinked, and I was cursing my lack of head movement because I could only see a small sliver of both their faces.

“By your parents of course,” she said stiffly. “And the dean. Final approvals for all medical go through him.

It looked like Alex took a menacing step toward her with fists clenched, but I couldn’t quite tell from my angle. “And what if I told you to stop right now?”

This question was delivered coldly with barely any emotion in his voice. You could have knocked me out with a fucking swift breeze, though, I was so stunned.

Was he actually trying to help me? What in the fuck?

She twittered about, grabbing up some paperwork and thrusting it at him. “I’m sorry; the orders come from above your head.”

Alex swung around to glare at me, and I could see in his expression that he was saying this was my own fault for not conforming. For not falling in line.

“Just…” He cleared his throat. “Just don’t hurt her. Be gentle.”

Then the fucker turned and left the room.

Well, fuck. He hadn’t done or said anything I’d expected from him, but at the same time, he’d just left me here. He could have helped, but he’d chosen not to rock the boat.

Well, fuck him. Like I’d said before, I wasn’t waiting to be rescued. I had this shit sorted.

At that second, I freed the strap completely, and I held my breath as it fell loose and clinked against the metal side of the bed. Thankfully, in the same moment, the nurse grabbed her equipment tray, the clink of instruments hiding the sound of the strap.