Page 110 of Merciless Prince
I didn’t dare to breathe until I was safely in his car in the guest parking lot on the south side of the castle.
“Holy shit,” I said breathlessly, shoulders sagging with relief. “I can’t believe you actually got me out of there.”
Cooper grinned. “It’s a shame our poor grandpa had to die for it, huh?”
A giggle bubbled up in my throat. Then I broke into uncontrollable laughter, body quaking as tears of joy brimmed in my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks.
“Are you okay?” Cooper asked, eyes flickering with worry.
“Yes!” I said, wiping my cheeks. “I promise, I’m not crazy. It just feels so good to laugh. I haven’t done it for so long. I can’t even remember the last time I smiled.”
Cooper smiled at me again and turned the key in the ignition. He steered the car out of the parking lot and over the hulking stone bridge that led to the mainland. As he drove, I repeatedly looked in the side mirror, worried that Killian would suddenly appear right behind us.
It didn’t happen. We made it safely across the bridge and onto the road beyond, and five minutes later, we turned onto the nearest parkway and drove until Beaumont Island was nothing but a distant speck in the Hudson.
I closed my eyes and lay my head back on the seat, letting warm satisfaction flood my veins. Killian was wrong the other day. He told me I would never, ever be free of him… but I was.
Wonderfully, incredibly, breathtakinglyfree.
32
Shay
We headed northwest,not really caring about where we were going. As long as it was away from Killian and his twisted castle, it didn’t matter.
About an hour later, Cooper pulled into a sleepy little town surrounded by apple orchards and frost-bitten fields. He parked on the main street, right outside a diner. “Want some food?” he asked, dipping his head toward the entrance.
I nodded. “Sure.”
We stepped inside and sat in a booth nestled against a wood-paneled wall at the back. A friendly waitress came over a moment later to provide us with menus and list off the daily specials.
“You can order anything you want,” Cooper said. “You must be starving.”
I gave him a tight smile and nodded, not wanting to admit that Killian had actually kept me very well-fed over the last week. I didn’t want to seem as if I were defending him in any way. Besides, it would be nice to pick my own food for once.
I ordered a large slice of apple and blueberry pie with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. Cooper got the same, along with a plate of loaded fries and a large caramel milkshake that he said we could share.
As we ate, the diner filled with the sound of fervent chatter and cutlery clinking on plates. We’d arrived just in time for the late afternoon rush.
“Is it just me or is everyone looking at us?” I said in a hushed tone, leaning forward.
Cooper raised his brows. “It’s probably because you’re wearing that weird outfit,” he said, motioning to my medieval peasant dress.
I looked down. “Oh. I forgot I still had it on.”
“It’s okay. We’ll get you some clothes later.” Cooper took a sip of the milkshake through a red and white straw. Then he sat back and looked at me, forehead creased. “We should figure out what you want to do now that you’re out of that castle.”
I hesitated. “I don’t know. Part of me wants to go straight to the police and tell them everything,” I said. I paused to take a small bite of pie before going on. “Another part of me thinks I should wait until I’ve sat down and written out a statement with everything that’s happened. If I don’t, my mind could be all scattered when I go to the police, and I might forget to mention important stuff.”
Cooper nodded. “Good point. They might think you’re crazy if you just walk in off the street and start spouting this wild story about Killian Knight.” He paused and lifted a hand. “Not that I think your story is crazy. It’s just how it might sound to them, and obviously you want to be as believable as possible. So the written statement is a good idea. Dates, times, and anything else like that would be helpful.”
“Yeah. I just need somewhere to lie low for a day while I write it.”
“Any suggestions?”
I pressed my lips into a thin line. “No. I can’t go back to Bellingham, for obvious reasons. I can’t go back to my old apartment in the city, either.”
“Because Killian knows about it?”
