that finally the prince would understand what she knew would never change.
She needed him.
She loved him.
She chose him.
“I want to be yours,” Fawn whispered. “So please, please don’t make me leave you.”
The prince motioned for Igor to leave them.
And when they were alone—-
The bleakness in his gaze made Fawn fall to her knees.
So many stupid signs now—-
So many of them, they were impossible to count.
And still, she held on to hope.
She held on.
The prince knelt in front of her, saying quietly, “You know, you understand now, don’t you?”
She nodded, saying between compressed lips, “Davos.” She raised her eyes to his. “But I don’t care—-”
“My life is not for you,” the prince said gently.
She grabbed his hand when he started to stand up, crying out, “Didn’t you hear me? I don’t care.”
“But I do. I care just enough for you, and that’s why I can’t and won’t ever love you.” His strength defeated hers, and he was able to peel her fingers away from him.
She stared up at him as he slid gracefully to his feet, and oh, wasn’t that a sign, too?
That he could move with such grace while she couldn’t even remember how to crawl?
“I’ll be leaving town to ensure Beatrice Crichton is out of harm’s way.”
“Take me with you.” She reached for him, but the prince stepped back, and she fell flat on her face, cutting her lip.
Graceful.
Graceless.
Someone who loved against someone who didn’t love.
Humiliation curled in the pit of her stomach, and when it became obvious the prince wouldn’t even help her up, she forced herself to move, managing to get on her knees—-
Only for her to see him walk away from her.
Again.
Oh God.
How many times did this man have to walk away—-
Before he realized it wouldn’t make her feelings change?
“Prince, please.”
The prince halted by the doorway, and without looking back, he said quietly, “For your sake, you must learn to forget me.”
A hopeless cry escaped her. “I can’t.”
“Then that’s a pity...because I can forget you.”
****
Life went on.
Grant had transferred to another university. Nick and Jason Christakos had taken their stand in court, and major networks began to cover the trial as twist after explosive twist began to unfold.
A full month passed, and yet she continued to love him.
Night after night, she would wonder why she couldn’t make herself stop, and only one answer made sense.
She couldn’t stop loving him because a part of her believed the prince also loved her back.
It was that simple.
It was that impossible.
More days passed, and Fawn was beginning to feel paranoid. Someone seemed to be following her wherever she went, as if biding his time before making his move.
Which is stupid, she told herself. Keeping her out of trouble was why the prince had left her in the first place.
She had to be imagining things.
That was the only explanation—-
Until the day she was about to leave the bookstore and she received a text from an unregistered number.
Don’t act like you’re shocked. There’s a guy in a gray shirt outside the store, and he’s Davos’ man. Don’t let him know you’re on to him. There’s a van across the street. Get in that.
Fawn’s fingers tightened around her phone.
Right.
Don’t look shocked.
How could she do that when she was actually shocked?
Fawn took a deep breath, telling herself it was time to prove to the Prince of Darkness that she could do what was needed in order to remain by his side.
Pushing the door open, she stepped out of the bookstore and in the corner of her eye, she saw the man in gray straighten.
Please God.
She started to cross the street.
The man started to follow.
She tried to walk just a bit faster, and when the man started to quicken his steps as well, panic gripped her as she remembered all the evil things that the Greek tycoon was capable of.
Beatrice Crichton beaten to an inch of her life—-
Nick Christakos raped—-
Keanne Summer almost kidnapped—-
Fawn broke into a run.
The back doors of the van flung open, and a woman reached out to her, crying out, “Come quickly!”
Oh, thank God!
As she reached for the woman’s hand, she heard the man behind her shout anxiously, “Angel!”
What?
Fawn’s head snapped back, unable to believe she had heard the man use the prince’s name for her. At the same time, the other woman hauled her inside while her companion jumped out, pointing a gun straight at the other guy.
A shot rang out.
Fawn screamed.
The last thing she saw just before the killer pulled the doors of the van shut was the man in