Royally Screwed - Lynn Van Dorn Page 0,22
responded to it. That was enough to keep his feet on their current course.
As he walked through the courtyard, a hand reached out of a dark shadow and snagged his arm.
Angelo wrested free. “What the fuck?” His pulse felt like it had sped up to triple time.
A figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Lord Dickface. Whatever his pretentious-ass name was. “A moment of your time,” he said.
“Sod off and be glad I don't beat the ever-loving shit out of you.”
The other man's face twisted with distaste. “How barbaric of you.”
“Barbaric? You've got to be joking. I saw what you did. I saw how you hurt him.”
“He asked for it. Every single blow. Every bruise. Don't let his angelic exterior fool you. Your so-called betrothed is a very naughty boy.”
Angelo grabbed the lapels of Lord Dickweed's suit coat and slammed him against a very sturdy stone wall. “Don't go near him again. We've already told the college you're not welcome near Yuri and without him, there's absolutely no reason to squirm your slimy arse this way.” Angelo knocked Francis hard enough against the wall that his head striking made an audible noise. “Do you understand me?”
“I'll see you arrested,” Francis spat at him. “And that you're thrown out of the country. You have no idea what kind of power I wield, but don't think I won't hesitate to use every resource I have to destroy you.”
That made Angelo laugh. “I'm a prince, you worthless drizzle of piss, and not one of those poor ones with a title and nothing else. Your father owns a huge estate? My father owns an entire country. There's nothing you can do to me, including trying to have me deported, that wouldn't cause an international incident. Considering my country has several trade agreements with the UK, I have a feeling even your father wouldn't get far. We've got way too much oil and we're a far more reasonable trading partner than the Saudis. And then there's all that tea, coffee, and cocoa beans we export to you.” Angelo grinned, showing all of his perfect, white teeth. “There's no reason why Tanzhir can't take its trade elsewhere. Our trade alliance with the UK is old, but not set in stone, and other countries have already expressed interest in being preferred trading partners.”
Francis looked a bit dazed, which might have been from bumping his head, or possibly he hadn't been expecting a lecture on trade when all he'd set out to do was bully a foreigner.
“Bollocks,” he said, but he didn't sound sure.
Angelo shrugged. “Believe it or don't. It doesn't matter.” He slammed Francis again against the stone wall. “But stay.” Thud. “The hell.” Thud. “Away.” Thud. “From Yuri.” Angelo let Francis go and he staggered away. “And if you come back to bother him, I will end you. Now bugger off.”
But Francis had stopped paying attention to Angelo. He looked over his shoulder. “Sweetheart. I'm over here! Do tell your over-eager attack dog to stand down.”
Angelo turned and there stood Yuri, an incredulous look on his face. Behind him stood two “students” whose eyes and stances gave themselves away as disguised bodyguards. They weren't doing anything yet, but both looked to be poised to step in the second they were needed.
“Fuck,” Angelo said.
9
Yuri Gets a Taste
Yuri had never been so simultaneously irritated and turned on in his entire life.
Angelo had never been like this in public, never been so brash and emotional. At least not when it came to Yuri. He found it pleasing in a way it shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t that Yuri was in love with Angelo, exactly. He was just there. He’d always been there. The boy, and then the man, who dangled just out of his reach like Tantalus’ grapes. He’d come to terms years ago that Angelo would never desire him in any way that Yuri wanted or needed. He’d done his best to shut off the part of himself that had yearned for Angelo for years. Francis had helped him a great deal toward that goal. At first. Before—
Yuri shut the thought down. This wasn’t the time. “What the bloody hell is going on? Someone knocked on my door and told me you were fighting out here. What the actual fuck, guys?”
A small crowd, Yuri noticed, had started to gather, despite the two students behind him that tried to get everyone to disperse. His heart plummeted. This confrontation would first be gossip, and then news that made it