Page 56 of A Fierce Princess

He grins. “And for the record, Logan, if you hurt her, you won’t need to worry about your father, because I’ll kill you myself,” Auggie says as he exits the room.

“Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that Auggie is speaking the truth?” Logan asks.

“Because he is,” I say with a small smile.

Logan sets me on my feet and grasps my shoulders, staring down into my eyes. “He’s right you know. You are incredibly brave. Stupid at times, but brave as hell,” he says. I roll my eyes.

“Thank you?” I answer.

But instead of responding, he crashes his lips down to mine and kisses me hard. I let him take control from me. He gives me power with his kiss as though he’s handing over all his strength to bolster my own. I find solace there in his arms, his lips against mine.

“Better?” he asks when he finally pulls away.

“A little,” I admit.

“Good. I’m going to be right next to you, Anna. We’re doing this together,” he says as he takes my hand, and we walk down the hall and the stairs. When we reach my father’s study, we pause. I look up at him.

“Let me do the talking,” I say to him.

He nods and knocks on the door.

Chapter 23

As my hand raises to knock on the door, I suddenly feel foolish. Why I thought whisking Logan away would protect him is beyond me. I realize I’ve been playing a game and not well. I should have alerted my father immediately. We should have contacted Interpol. I swallow my pride and my guilt as my hand makes contact with the door.

“Enter,” my father’s voice calls out. His solitude again taking me by surprise.

I cautiously open the door.

“Father?” I ask. He’s back in the chair, staring out the window.

“Come in—” He starts but stops when he turns to see Logan next to me.

“What’s wrong, Anna?” he asks.

I walk across the room and drop to my knees at my father’s side. I take his hands in mine and look up at him, hoping his love for me is enough to forgive me for what I have to tell him. I sense my brothers at the door, but my father’s eyes stay fixed on me.

“I need to tell you something,” I whisper, my voice straining to break free from my body.

It’s then that my father looks beyond me to Chris, who’s shutting the door, Auggie, and Logan.

“I take it these three already know what you’re about to tell me,” he states.

I nod. I take a deep breath and sit down in the chair opposite him. My brothers move in and flank me on either side, offering me silent support. Logan stands behind me. For a moment, I almost laugh at the picture of me surrounded by big, powerful men, like my own little security force.

I launch into the tale that I told my brothers just several days ago. I skip some parts, glossing over why I became obsessed with hacking, and some of the crimes I may have informed on over the years. I speak for minutes, uninterrupted. My father’s face remains neutral, not giving away a single thought. It’s as unnerving as telling him is.

When I finish, he looks at all four of us one by one.

“I knew Logan was Eddie’s son,” my father admits. I’m fairly certain all of us have our mouths hanging open in shock now.

“W-what?” I stammer. “How?”

My father clears his throat and stands. He begins to pace in front of his desk. Something he’s known to do when deep in thought.

“I met Leah, once. Eddie confided in me that she was pregnant. I didn’t know they had secretly wed. He told me he had been forced to send them away, that it wasn’t safe, and no one could ever know about his son,” my father says. “I always assumed it was in regards to the political unrest in his country at the time. It may still be linked to that. Some of those rebels that were part of the anti-monarchist group are still around. Although it’s mostly in the form of greedy businessmen and politicians now. But why they would hire an assassin to kill Logan makes no sense to me. Logan didn’t know he was a prince. He wasn’t searching for his father. I don’t believe for a minute Eddie or the royals have anything to do with it.”

“Dad,” I pause. “That doesn’t explain why the last message to M was sent from Uncle Eddie’s house in Saint Tropez.”

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