Playboy Princes (Royals of Arbon Academy, #2)(9)

“No,” Mattie said with force. “What if he is part of some monarchy conspiracy? They have killed people for knowing less. You might end up like Jasmine.”

Jasmine. It was so hard to know if Alex could be the one responsible for her death. I’d truly believed he wasn’t, but I’d also believed a lot of other things about him.

“From the first day we met, he’s called me his future wife,” I said, bitterness creeping into my words. “I’d dismissed it as some flirty, playboy prince thing, but I’m starting to wonder if he wasn’t actually serious. Maybe Alex has known all along I was brought here to be his wife… his fucking womb for rent while he tried for royal heirs. That’s why I need to confront him. I need to know.”

Like I’d summoned the fucker, a knock sounded on my door, and a familiar voice called out. “Violet, are you okay? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for two days. I’ve been worried about you.”

Mattie’s eyes were huge as they met mine. “Now?” I mouthed, and she shook her head.

“I can take him,” I muttered.

“Violet,” he called suddenly. “I can hear you. Open the door.”

I shrugged at Mattie. “Guess I better open the door.”

She almost fell off the table trying to get to me, but I was faster than she expected, racing across to yank the door open.

Alex stood tall on the other side, dressed casually for him. He had on black suit pants and a button down shirt, the maroon color a nice contrast to his blond hair and tanned skin. His eyes were blue and twinkling as he smiled down at me, and I fought the urge to wrap my hands around his throat.

He blinked as he took in my ragged appearance. “Are you sick?” he asked in a rush. “You should have told me; I would have arranged for the nurse to visit.”

My blood boiled. The nurse. I’d known she was evil from the first moment I saw her, and now… now I wanted to destroy her, too. Messing with birth control… That was sexual assault in my books. She might as well drug me and let Alex rape me until he produced a child. In some ways, the violation would feel very similar.

A child.

My heart slammed against my chest, the beats hard and erratic. What if she hadn’t given me an IUD at all? Or it was faulty? I’d had sex with Alex. We’d used a condom, but what if he’d tampered with it? I’d also had sex with Rafe, and it would be next to impossible to know whose baby it was if I was pregnant.

Fuck. Shit. Fucking fuck.

The only thing that stopped a full blown panic attack was the memory of his words, the way he’d said that she wouldn’t mess with my birth control yet. I’d found out in time.

Hopefully.





Chapter 4





“Violet,” he said, still staring at me, as his concern faded into confusion. I tried not to notice his perfect face, instead holding onto the hatred that burned inside of me. Alex was gorgeous, there was no denying it, but that perfect exterior hid something broken and depraved.

“I’m not sick,” I said, my words flat. “Not in the way you’re asking anyway.”

I saw it then, probably because I was watching him closely. Studying him with a new perspective. Deep in those perfect blue eyes was a core of darkness.

“Why did you miss our date then?” he asked, sounding a little annoyed.

“She was helping me,” Mattie blurted out, and I was woman enough to admit that I’d forgotten she was in the room. Alex fucking eclipsed all else at the moment. Or at least my hatred for him did.

His brow furrowed with irritation. "You blew me off all weekend to hang out with Mattie? What the hell, Violet?"

I opened my mouth to take the easy out Mattie had just provided, but... nope. I was done. I couldn't keep up the pretense even if I’d wanted to, and I didn’t. I was fucking done with Alex and his fake bullshit, and it was time he knew.

Shaking my head, I sucked in a deep breath, then released it in a resigned sigh.

"Mattie, can I speak to Alex alone a moment?"

My friend made a small sound of protest. "Are you sure that's a good idea, Vi?"

Alex's blue eyes flared with anger at this comment, and again I saw the real Alex. Clearly this side of him had been lurking just under the surface the whole time, and I'd been too busy thinking with my vagina to notice it.

"I've got this handled," I assured her with a small, reassuring smile. As badly as I wanted to publicly tear Alex a new one, my own sense of decency told me not to break up with him in front of Mattie. This conversation was going to be ugly enough without my feisty, red-haired bestie yelling input from the sidelines.

She reluctantly left my room, giving Alex a death glare the whole time.

"Come in," I said when Mattie was in the corridor, stepping aside to let my duplicitous ex-boyfriend into my room. She shot me a meaningful look as I closed the door, and I nodded.

Our unspoken understanding was clear. If I needed her, she'd be here in a second ready to castrate this prick.

"Violet, what the fuck is going on?" Alex demanded when my door clicked shut, not waiting for me to speak. One of his many charms.

"We're done, Alex," I replied, too emotionally drained to deal with niceties.

His brows shot up and his body tensed. "Excuse me?"