into my palm as rain pelts down in icy sheets. I duck inside the car, and my faithful shadows shut the door and drive me back to my cage on the hill.
Bit melodramatic, are we?
It’s hard not to envy her freedom. The moment I saw her, I knew. I wanted it for myself, and if I couldn’t have it, well, I would take hers.
I need Daisy. I don’t know what I’ll do when I find her, but I can’t leave things the way things are. She’s got to know how I really feel before she makes her decision.
The castle is a beauty at night. Lights illuminate the rough walls around the perimeter. Anglefell’s flag ripples in the wind, the spotlight punctured by hundreds of raindrops. Finally, we stop at the courtyard, and I leave in search of my explosive wife. Vincent, the guard who was playing Candy Crush all those weeks ago, jogs toward me.
“Sir, there’s a matter that requires your immediate attention.”
“Is it Shadowfax again?” The poor beast keeps getting colic.
“No, we can’t find her,” Vincent says.
“You… lost my horse?”
“No, we can’t find your wife!”
Daisy.
“What do you mean you can’t find her?”
He runs a hand over his thick beard. “She’s not in the castle.”
“What about the guards assigned to her protection?”
My throat burns with acid as he shakes his head. “They said she got into a car hired by Prince Lucian and left nearly eight hours ago.”
Sweet brother.
“Eight hours? Are you fucking joking? Why wasn’t I notified?”
“W-we thought it was with your approval. Prince Lucian said—”
“Prince Lucian is not your commander. I am. For the love of Christ, where is she?”
“As I said, we don’t know.”
Fuck!
Where is he, then? Where is my gloating bastard brother—ah—there. He stands nearby, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he wears an incredibly smug smile. I’m pleased to see that fucker still has a bruise on his cheek.
“What the hell did you do with my wife?”
You already know.
A rising, sick feeling bubbles to my throat as Lucian opens his iPhone, showing me a grainy photo of a woman walking on a slimy street, her face white and scared. Daisy’s face. The headline at the top: SCANDAL: Daisy Ditched Liam!
The Anglefell princess was spotted in Edinburgh at 6:00 BST. No word yet on how Prince Liam is taking this latest blow.
“It was taken an hour ago. Sorry, mate.”
The phone scatters on the marble floor as I grab that fuckwit’s collar and yank him close enough to see the cruelty lining his face. “What the fuck did you do?”
“I gave her freedom. She begged me weeks ago to help her escape, and I was only too happy to help.”
She begged him?
My fingers go slack around his collar.
“I’m sure you were, you treacherous bastard.”
“That girl never belonged here. Everybody knew it but you.”
Lucian moves his head to the side and my fist crunches into the wall. The pain jars my knuckles, searing into the bones of my hand. He shoves me away, smirking as my guards stop me from smashing my brother’s face in.
“I set her free, Liam. Even you can’t fault me for that.”
No, but I can still hate you for it.
She’s gone.
“Bartender.”
I wave at the old man, who thinks I’m too drunk to see him rolling his eyes at me.
I see you, old bat.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“Liam.”
The last thing I want is to be reminded of that now.
“Liam, then. What do you want?”
His tone is a bit clipped. I can’t blame him for keeping the pub open long after closing hours.
“Another pint. Please.” I tack on the please a little too late, but the bartender grabs my empty glass and refills it with the same draft.
The pain is sharp, like a sword through my chest. Daisy just left without even saying good-bye. I know she’s American, but that’s really fucking rude.
“It’s more than just breaking up with a girl I liked,” I tell no one in particular. “Of course it’s more. She’s my fucking wife—pardon me.”
Royals must not swear. I remember the rule Daisy threw in my face.
The bartender sighs loudly.
“I mean she was a complete embarrassment, wasn’t she?”
He shrugs.
“She was constantly pissing me off. I’m sure you heard about the whole football incident, right?”
“Maybe.”
I nod. “Yes, well. That was particularly egregious.”
I still enjoyed the punishment I gave her. Very much.
God, look at me. What in the blazes am I doing here? Why the fuck am I getting drunk over some girl?