The Princess and The Jester - A.D. McCammon Page 0,50

himself off causes my fists to ball at my sides again.

“No, you didn’t,” he arrogantly answers for me. “If you did, we’d be having a different conversation right now.”

A heaviness builds in my chest. Shane knows I’m not going to like whatever it is he’s holding over Gwen’s head. He’s counting on her being too afraid to come clean.

“And what discussion would that be?” I quip.

He smirks, loving that I took the bait. “You’ll have to ask her that question. Though I wouldn’t expect her to tell you. At least not the truth.”

My fist swings, the punch landing right below his ribcage and knocking the wind out of him. He cries out and bends over as he tries to find his breath again.

I lean in, speaking through gritted teeth as I say, “We’re starting to stray from my point, and I need you focused. Are you listening?”

He takes a step back, his arm still draped protectively across his stomach as he glares at me. “You know, they say people who use physical violence typically have lower intelligence. We know that’s not the case with you, so maybe it runs in your DNA. You’re a chip off the old block. Just like your dear old dad.”

This son of a bitch is seriously asking for it now. He doesn’t get to disrespect my father. Nicolas Masterson was kind and gentle. There wasn’t a single ounce of malice in his entire body. It’s something that haunts me, worrying what he’d think of me today.

“Maybe that’s what Gwen likes about you,” he drones on. “Does she like a little pain with her pleasure?”

My stomach sours as he crows.

This time I get him in the jaw before delivering another blow to his abdomen. He goes down to the ground with a heavy thud, his arms raised to protect him from another hit.

“It’s going to eat away at you,” he rasps. “Knowing she’s hiding shit. That might be even sweeter for me than if you found out the truth.”

He’s so fucking pathetic. Even when he’s already lost, he refuses to admit defeat.

Snickering, I kick him in his side and spit on him. “I don’t give a fuck why you’re sending her cryptic messages or what you think you have over her. It ends now. Don’t contact her again.”

Shane groans, curling into a ball as I get back into my car.

This isn’t how I planned for things to go today. My persuasion methods are usually a lot less brute, but he’s got to know I’m not fucking around.

I need to be sure Gwen is safe.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Present

GWEN

My body is practically trembling with anxious energy, the disturbance of it making me queasy. No one seems to notice, though. If there’s one thing I’ve perfected over the years, it’s my ability to pretend. To everyone here, I appear carefree. A smile on my face and pep in my step.

“You could’ve warned me,” Mia hisses as she enters the kitchen. “Cory asked me if everything was okay after my emergency yesterday.”

I grimace. “Oh shit! Sorry. What did you say?”

“Lucky for you, your best friend is a phenomenal liar and thinks quick on her feet,” she boasts, winking at me. “I told him my car had a blowout and you had to come pick me up off the side of the road because I didn’t want to ride with the scary tow truck driver.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s perfect.”

She shrugs, a lopsided grin on her face. “If he brings it up, you stayed with me while they repaired it. And I was so distraught from my horrible day that you took me to get food afterward.”

“I’m an amazing friend,” I snicker. “Thanks for covering for me.”

She waves off my appreciation. “Where is Mr. Territorial anyway?”

After Cole dumped me here yesterday afternoon and left me stranded, he was MIA for the rest of the day. When he came into my room late last night, I was still too pissed to speak to him, so I pretended to be asleep. Someone must’ve come to pick him up this morning because my car has been here all day. Although the bastard kept my keys.

“That’s a good fucking question,” I quip, heading back out to the patio with some snacks.

Honestly, I’ve been too preoccupied panicking over the alarming messages Shane sent me to concern myself with Cole’s whereabouts. Someone witnessed the little show Cole and I put on yesterday. Exactly as I feared. The asshole even took some photos, which ended up in Shane’s hands. There’s no