Page 5 of Princess Claimed

No one controls me. Not ever.

As soon as we find her, I’ll seize my control. I’ll show her who’s boss. I’ll punish her cunt and her clit. I’ll make her body explode a thousand times over. I’ll fuck her ruthlessly until she begs me to stop. I’ll pay her back for all the trouble she’s caused us.

Claiming her body, ruining her, will destroy these uncomfortable feelings.

My focus cleared, I turn to Crusher. “What’s the plan?”

“You back?” He shakes his head.

“Back from where?”

He tips his head. “Whatever planet you’ve been on.”

“Fuck off.”

“We’re going to DEFTA,” Flame says. “Timur could have taken her there.”

“It wasn’t fucking Timur!” I shake my head at their stupid-ass plan.

“We know that.” Crusher frowns. “But if he impersonated Timur with us, he could be doing it at DEFTA too.”

I grunt. They could be right.

“And if she’s not there?” I ask.

“Then we keep looking,” Crusher says. “We owe her a debt and it’s our duty to scour the earth until we find her.”

Chapter

Four

Ana

The car pulls to a stop, and I shift toward the door. I never liked the CEO office at DEFTA, or my sleeping quarters here, but perhaps I’ll feel more grounded, less lost, once I’m back inside.

The driver opens my door into a space that’s dark and small. We’re neither outside the DEFTA headquarters, nor in its underground parking lot—at least not any part of it I’ve seen.

“Where are we?” I ask Timur.

“A house I found for us, my love.”

My love? The others have gone, Timur has no more need for this pretense.

“A house?” I tip my head to the side. “Why a house? Has something happened at DEFTA? Did the Marianos attack?” I fight to get my head in the game. I’ll never see the brothers again, and I was sent to this city to do a job. I’ve been derelict in my duties and can’t afford to wallow in the past.

“May I borrow your phone?” I’ve been stunned. I should have requested it earlier.

“You have no need for a telephone, my darling.”

Darling? Love? Timur has never used words like this to address me. He typically calls me ‘Your Highness’ in public, ‘Ana’ in private.

“I do need a phone,” I tell him. “I need to contact the palace. Dunkan and Selina must be worried.” I typically call Selina at least once a week. “And I need to speak to the executive team at DEFTA.”

“All that can wait.” Exiting the car, Timur reaches back toward me, and something glints in his eyes. Something familiar, but strange. It feels like much more than twelve, even thirteen days since I’ve seen him.

As I slide out of the car, Timur keeps a tight hold on my hand. The driver has disappeared back into the front seat of the car, and the garage is dark and dank, formed with stone. It’s so small it barely fits the car, never mind the two of us standing beside it.

“I don’t like this place.” A shiver traces through me. “Take me to DEFTA. We can talk there.” I try to get back into the car, but Timur blocks me.

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