Page 135 of Underground Prince

“Horny?”

“No. Don’t do that.” He adjusted his position. “Urgent. That’s what you were.”

“I was thinking about tomorrow night.”

That much was true.

“Don’t come,” he said, but lacking anger. It was more…beseeching. “Let me solve this without endangering you.”

“If you’re at risk then I’m at risk with you,” I said. “Trace can pull his punches but I’m not having you face it alone.”

“You shouldn’t be there. I wouldn’t be focused. I’d be so concerned about you that I could miss hidden traps.”

“Theo. Either I’m there by your side or I’m sneaking in and you’ll have no idea where I’ll be. I have a bad feeling, I”—don’t lose it now—“I think my being there might screw up whatever plans they have for you.”

“You believe my family might betray me.”

“They’ve done it before,” I said quietly. “Interceding and redirecting on your behalf. And they’re trying to do it again.”

He sighed, unable to come up with a better counterargument.

“Having me there, it rubs it in Trace’s face,” I said. “He’d hate the fact that I’m involved, and maybe…maybe he’d fight for his right back. If we could manipulate him into thinking that you’re going to screw up the transfers by getting me involved, he’ll do anything to stop you from succeeding. Right?”

“Yes, Scarlet. Anything.” He let his last word do all the talking.

“They won’t come after me. Not yet.” I hoped it was true. “He doesn’t know enough about me, and he seems a man who wants to possess every detail about his enemy before he attacks.”

“You’ve been thinking hard on this.”

Theo said nothing more and I didn’t offer up any additional excuses. If this was going to work, it had to be on what he thought were his terms.

“No,” he eventually said.

I stiffened.

“I can’t allow it. Put you into the unknown. You’re not prepared for it—nor do I want you to ever be ready for this kind of shit.”

“Theo, I thought—”

“No arguments.” He flipped so his chest bumped mine and his face went into my hair. “Not on this.”

“I hate the thought of you being out there.” My hand trailed a path up his arm. Clutched. “If I’m nearby, at least I’d know what the hell was going on. Being out of it, without any clue, blind to what’s happening to you, I can’t—”

“Shh.” He kissed the skin under the shell of my ear. “It’ll be all right. I know what to do.”

My throat ached with held-back tears. “I can’t get rid of this crushing feeling in my chest. I don’t—I don’t like this, and I can’t let go of you.”

“Then don’t.” His lips brushed mine, his hands moving down, doing things… “I’m right here.”

“Promise me,” I said, before my breath turned into a gasp.

He rolled on top of me, creating a pattern of sucks and nips down my neck. “Anything.”

“Promise me you’ll do whatever it takes to stop this. To be safe.”

His lips found mine once more. “I promise.”

I closed my eyes and saw him, standing by black waters, skyscrapers and towers his glittering background, and rotting, creaking wood beneath his feet as he initiated the unloading, crates slamming down on dry land, with crouched shadows surrounding him. People he couldn’t see. Weapons he couldn’t detect until a white flash came from the muzzles, the pop of bullets scraping the air and putting him to the ground.

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