Broken Kingdom (Royal Hearts Academy #4)(54)

“Hold the damn phone. Are you seriously going to stand here and defend him to me, your fiancé?”

Shit.

“No.” I inhale a breath. “I don’t know.” I rub my face. “Calling him a junkie and a killer was below the belt. Oakley’s trying to be a better person.”

He just needs someone to be there for him and believe in him so he can start believing in himself.

Stone’s face hardens. “How would you know?” Anger fills his expression. “Are you talking to him behind my back?”

Oh, fuck.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him the truth and let the chips fall where they may, but I know it won’t go over well.

He’ll end up getting my brothers involved and everyone will watch me like a hawk even more.

I already feel like a bird trapped in a gilded cage, and if they tighten their reins on me and do everything they can to forbid me to see him…I’ll lose what’s left of my mind.

So…I lie.

Because sometimes you can want something so much, you’d do anything to keep it.

Even if it means crossing all the lines and breaking all the rules.

“No,” I whisper. “I haven’t.”

I don’t know what to make of the expression on his face. “What about him moving into my apartment complex? Did you know about that?”

Dammit.

“Not until I ran into him today.”

Seemingly satisfied, he nods. “Okay. I believe you.” Visibly relaxed now, he folds his arms around me. “You know how much I love you, right? That I’d literally do anything in the whole wide world for you.”

“I know,” I whisper against his chest. “But you scared me today. I didn’t know who you were.”

I loathed seeing that side of him.

He plants a kiss on the top of my head. “It won’t happen again, Bourne. I just saw him near you and I freaked because all I could think about was the accident and the possibility of losing you.”

Guilt floods my chest because I hate that I have to keep things from him. “You have nothing to worry about.”

It’s the truth. Oakley and I are friends, but I’m committed to Stone.

And hopefully in time, I’ll be able to tell Stone the truth and merge the two parts of my life together and they can be friends, too.

Although after the events of today, that’s doubtful.

He brings my knuckles to his lips and kisses my engagement ring. “I can’t wait to marry you.”

Ignoring the panic setting in, I give him a smile. “Me too.”





Chapter 25





Bianca





Painful pressure between my legs jolts me awake.

“What—”

The sound of Stone’s winded grunts and the sensation of his dick thrusting inside me makes everything clear.

“I was sleeping,” I snap.

Wrapping his arm around my waist, he turns me so I’m lying flat on my back and squeezes one of my tits. “I know but you looked so sexy I couldn’t resist.”

A moment later, my legs are pressed to my chest and he’s pumping inside me again.

It hurts so much worse than it usually does.

Probably because I wasn’t prepared.

“You feel so good, Bourne.”

I want to tell him that can’t possibly be true because it’s the equivalent of the Sahara down there, but I’m so tired of fighting. It’s stealing every drop of mental and emotional energy I have.

Closing my eyes, I try to conjure up moments from all the decent sex we’ve had in the past.

Back when things were good between us and we felt unbreakable.

However, it doesn’t work because it only reminds me of how strained things are now.

I give him a fake moan, hoping to speed things along. Usually Stone finishes fast, but tonight him and his dick are taking their sweet time.



Too bad I’m not in the right state of mind to enjoy it.





Past…





Thunder booms loud enough to shake the entire house.

A minute later, lightning follows, illuminating the windows of my bedroom.

Panic crawls up my spine. It rarely rains, let alone thunders in California, but whenever it does, it never fails to put me on edge.

When I was younger, I used to sneak into Liam’s room and wait for it to end, but clearly that’s no longer an option.

And given my dad is on another work trip and Jace and Cole have moved out…I’m all alone in this big-ass house.

So, I do the next best thing.

The one that feels right.

I rush downstairs and snatch the keys to the guesthouse.

And then I make a mad dash across the lawn.

The rain is coming down so hard my hair and the t-shirt I’m wearing are drenched in no time.

I manage to stick the key in the lock with my wet, slippery fingers. As soon as the door opens, I don’t waste a second running to his bedroom.

The lights are off when I enter, but I can make out the outline of his tall form under the covers.

To my relief, he’s alone.

I tiptoe to his bed, but the wooden floor creaks beneath me, rousing him awake.

He bolts up, ready to attack, but relaxes after he flicks the light on his nightstand. “Bianca? What are you doing?”