Thorne Princess(100)

“I’m well aware.” My arms circled her waist, an instinct more than anything else. I didn’t speak.

“Look at me now.” She grabbed my face, angling it so our eyes met. “You’re not a monster.”

I smiled grimly. “Spare me the Days of Our Lives moment. I am, and I’ve learned to live with it.”

“You’re not a monster,” she repeated. “You made a mistake. A horrible, innocent mistake. No part of you wanted to kill that child. None.”

I closed my eyes, envisioning the little pudgy thing. I didn’t know how much of it was true and how much was my imagination. The round cheeks. The pillowy rolls on his legs.

“You’re not a monster,” she repeated, louder this time. “You, Ransom Lockwood, will never, ever, ever convince me that you’re a monster.”

It undid me. My face felt hot and wet. Was I…was I crying? What the fuck? I never cried. I doubted I’d cried even as an infant, since the day I was left on that church’s steps.

“They slaughtered my former boss, Ian Holmes. Buried him in his backyard. Kozlov killed a lot of people, Hallie. And none of them deserved it. He needs to be stopped, and it ruins me to know I’m not the man to stop him.”

“It’s not your job to save the world.” She stroked my cheeks, and at that moment, for a brief second, I believed her.

“Don’t fight the emotions you’re experiencing. Feel them.” She kissed my temple, the crown of my head, the tip of my nose. “You’ve been through horrible trauma. You’re allowed to break. Breaking can be good. It gives you the opportunity to reassemble yourself from scratch.”

I looked up at her, catching her lips with mine. It was going to be torture to say goodbye to this woman.

But I was going to do it anyway, when our six months were up.

She deserved much more than I had to give.





We held hands on the drive back to her place, marking the first time I’d held hands with a woman instead of holding someone’s hands above their head. I didn’t hate it. Maybe Hallie was right. Perhaps I, The Robot, could let myself feel every once in a while.

“I think I’ll look at places outside of Los Angeles,” Hallie said as we neared her neighborhood.

“Thank you,” I said quietly, knowing it was because of me. Because of my bullshit, my sins, my mistakes.

“What about Dennis and Ethel?” She sniffed.

I stared at her blankly. Who the fuck were they, her chia pets?

“My driver and his wife,” she explained. “I won’t be able to afford Dennis’ services anymore. They need the income.”

She cared about others. Deeply. It was hard to remember why I’d ever thought she was a shallow little tart.

“Do you have any idea how old Dennis is?”

She shook her head. I did. I knew. Because I’d had every part of her life examined to a T before I flew to Los Angeles.

“He’s sixty-eight.”

“Okay…”

“He doesn’t want to work anymore. He wants to retire.”

Anthony Thorne told me as much on our phone call prior to my taking the job.

“He does?” She winced. “But then… why did he stay?”

“Because of you. He loves you like a granddaughter. I sent him on vacation not as punishment, but because he was exhausted. You were out and about all hours of the night. He couldn’t keep up—he’s not a teenager.”

“How had I not noticed that?” she murmured. “I’ve been a terrible brat.”

“Not so terrible. But a brat, indeed.” I squeezed her hand.

The driver slowed as he approached her neighborhood. Hallie entered the code to open up the gate. It had been a short trip, but it sure packed one hell of a punch.

“That’s weird.” Hallie looked outside the passenger window, craning her neck slightly. “There’s a car I don’t know parked outside my house.”

My skin prickled with awareness. If it was who I thought it was, he was about to enter a world of pain.

The driver stopped a few feet from a red Jaguar convertible.

“Don’t kill the engine,” I instructed, flinging open my side of the door. “Hallie, stay here and don’t get out until I tell you to. Call the police if need be—but do. Not. Leave.”

I got out, slamming the door behind me and walking over to the car, one hand over the gun tucked into my waistband. The car didn’t scream mafia, but maybe it was just a clever disguise.

The door to the Jaguar opened and out slipped Anna.

Let’s-fuck-and-ruin-Hallie-Thorne-Anna.

The good news was that Hallie’s life wasn’t in danger.

The bad news was that mine was, if Hallie ever came face-to-face with the woman.

Anna tossed her bombshell hair to one shoulder, leaning over to kiss both my cheeks.

“Ransom, darling, I’ve missed you.”

“Can’t say the feeling’s mutual.” I pulled away, giving her a once-over. What was she doing here?

“I thought you’d call me.” She gave me a seductive smile.

“Here. Get yourself some better instincts.” I pulled my wallet, tugging out a fifty-dollar bill.

She folded her arms over her chest, refusing to touch the money.