Page 44 of Brutal Prince

“And he’s been shot?”

“Mathias is female,” I corrected her, not that it mattered. “It’s her surname, her nickname.”

She frowned, turning her head away from me to hide the disappointment in her face. She didn’t believe me and this conversation was not put to rest. She’ll bring it up again in the future when it’s just the two of us and demand answers.

I pointed to the door, and we stepped outside into the hall to a chorus of muffled voices arguing over a crying baby from the apartment opposite.

“Sorry,” he said, hyped up.

“Is she okay?” I asked him, avoiding his eye. I didn’t know what to think of him after that little performance in my bedroom.

“Hit her shoulder, she’s in hospital now waiting for a surgeon to remove the bullet. She rang to warn us to watch our backs.” He sighed heavily looking genuinely distressed. “Gretta, I’m serious when I say you have to be so careful.”

“I heed your warning. Thank you.”

His eyes softened. “Are we good? I mean, do you forgive me for my despicable act in there?”

“Yes,” I answered, feigning a smile. I just wanted him to go and I’d do whatever it took to make that happen.

He stepped forward and kissed me on the lips and a chill slithered down my back. “See you tomorrow, okay?” he breathed against my forehead, pressing his lips to my skin.

“Okay,” I replied. “I guess I have to deal with the wrath of my mom now.”

He sucked his lips in making a dimple in his cheek. Another reminder of why I liked the guy in the first place. Maybe I was being overly dramatic. After all, it was me who lied to him. “Sorry that I blurted about Mathias,” he said again. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“That’s okay,” stepping back into the apartment to let him know that it was time to leave.

He scratched an eyebrow with a single finger, his feet frozen to the floor. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

“Okay.”

“Maybe you could stay over tomorrow night?”

The crux of it all always came down to sex. Yes, I liked having sex with him and it was getting better every time we shagged, but things had changed. I saw a side to him that I didn’t know existed and wasn’t sure how to deal with it. “Sure,” I answered, trying to sound enthused.

“Remember we have to practice for room 23,” he sniggered jokingly, stepping away.

“Yeah,” I mumbled. Room effen 23, the bane of my existence.

“Mathias is a detective,” Mom reiterated, gazing at her phone. “The detective assigned to cover the rapes and murders that have taking place on KUV campus.”

I was about to spin another lie, but that would be like digging a deeper hole for myself, so I stayed quiet.

“Why do you and Ollie know her personally?”

“Ollie knows her more than me.”

“She rang him on his cell.”

“I know I was here too.”

“And why did you lie to Ollie and your own mother about where you were tonight?”

“I’m an adult. I don’t have to give excuses for my actions.”

“An adult who betrayed two people that love her.”

“That’s a stretch with Ollie.”

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