Her Prince (Twisted Royals #2)

by Sidney Bristol

  Shelby stared at him.

  He could see no, written clearly on her face.

  She sucked in a deep breath.

  He braced himself for the ugly reality.

  “I can try,” Shelby whispered.

  Kade clutched her to him and kissed her. She cupped his face, her soft lips trembling.

  Someday, she’d lose the fear. He’d show her what it was to be free and happy, even if it took their whole lives. He could think of no better way to spend their days.

  “Are you going to eat that?” He nodded at the burger she had yet to touch.

  “I’ll give you half, but only because I love you.”

  Epilogue.

  Five days later…

  Shelby planted her fists on her hips and frowned at the log of a man groaning on the sofa.

  “I damn well told you not to lift that,” she grumbled.

  “I know, I know.” Kade winced and rubbed his shoulder.

  God, she wished she could make the soreness go away. That she could speed up the healing process. Shelby perched on the cushion and stroked Kade’s face.

  How was it possible to love someone so much it physically hurt?

  She hadn’t the foggiest idea what they were doing, but she wanted to do it right. Surely there had to be handbooks on this sort of thing, wasn’t there? How to be a good girlfriend for idiots like her. Or something like that.

  “Hey.” Kade covered her hand with his.

  “Hey.” She mustered a smile.

  Damn that man.

  She’d never met someone who made her wonder if mind-reading was a real thing until him.

  He smiled, and the tension coiling tight within her eased a bit.

  “Kiss my boo-boo?” His smile turned into a grin.

  They’d already played kiss the ouchie once. It went pretty well until he’d tried using his arm, and then it was over pretty fast. Still, she couldn’t remember the last time sex was just fun. Being with Kade was different. Kind of normal, or at least as normal as a girl like her could get.

  “Just this once.” She leaned down and kissed the lowest point of his V-neck shirt.

  The way she saw it, all of him hurt.

  A knock at the door interrupted her pondering where to kiss next.

  Shelby sat up and stared at the apartment door, afraid to breathe.

  Kade reached with his good arm for the hand gun on the coffee table.

  “It’s me. Us. Open up.”

  Rusty?

  She glanced at Kade, then the door.

  “Go ahead.” He sighed and snagged a throw pillow to hide the tent in his shorts.

  Shelby crossed to the peephole and peered through.

  Rusty and Johnny stood on the other side.

  She unlocked the door and whisked it open.

  “What are you doing here?” Last she’d heard, Rusty was under review, and Johnny was being held for observation.

  “Thought I’d come by and check on you, if that’s okay?” Rusty held back, arms at his side.

  Shelby’s instinct was to deck his lights out. Kade was hurt because of Rusty, and yet—if it weren’t for Rusty, she’d never have met Kade in the first place. She let go of the door and launched herself at the man.

  Their friendship was forged under duress, and yet, she understood Rusty better for it. Look at what she’d been ready to do for Kade.

  “I’m sorry,” Rusty whispered.

  “I know you are.” Shelby smiled and stepped back, granting Rusty and Johnny entry to the apartment.

  “Nice to meet you again.” Johnny held out his hand.

  There were still ghosts in his eyes. Who knew what the man had been forced to endure for the last year? All Shelby could hope was that Ogden got what was coming for him, whatever form that took.

  Rusty and Johnny sat on the coffee table, since there was still no other furniture besides what’d been too big for Kade’s brothers to steal. Shelby made do with the floor next to Kade, where he could touch her and she could lean her head against him.

  “I wanted you to hear it from me.” Rusty grimaced. “Ogden pulled through. He’s going to live. And they’re going to go after him hard. Gabor escaped. Best we can tell, he took some of the girls they’d kidnapped with him and a few guards. They went through a tunnel that let out where that ditch was. We totally missed it. Good thing, Gabor is a real bottom feeder, so not likely to retaliate.”

  “What about Freya?” Shelby asked.

  Kade’s hand on her shoulder tightened.

  “She was one of the girls he took.” Rusty dragged his hand across his forehead. “I think… Her family is well-connected. She’s worth more as leverage or a ransom, so I suspect demands will be made soon. This has to be a blow to Gabor. Over two dozen hostages and people released. A staff of eight in custody. We’ve got good groundwork to go after him.”

  “We? So, you’re still FBI?” Kade asked.

  “Pending review.” Rusty glanced at Johnny. “Whatever the board decides, I deserve.”

  “If there’s anything we can do, man, let us know.” Kade said.

  Shelby nodded. She might not be able to say it, but she’d go to bat for Rusty, if it would help.

  “And…one other thing.” Rusty reached into his pocket and took out a folded letter. “This was delivered to Ogden, and he wanted it brought to you.”

  “What is it?” Shelby stared at the plain white envelope.

  “Paternity test, he said.”

  Shelby almost dropped it.

  She could still taste the damn cotton swab.

  She grasped it in both hands and ripped the envelope and its contents, once, twice, five times. Until it was nothing but confetti.

  Even if Ogden was her biological father, he wasn’t the father she claimed. That man, for all his faults, was a loving father, who’d given her the best of everything. Shelby would always love and miss her family. One test didn’t change that.

  “You sure you didn’t want to read that?” Rusty asked.

  “No. He has no right to claim any part of my life or me.”

  “All right then. Can’t say I blame you.”

  “Did you read it?” Shelby bit her lip. What if Ogden was her father? What then?

  “No. It was still sealed. Even he doesn’t know what it said.”

  “Good.”

  Shelby gathered up even the littlest pieces and carried them to the bathroom. She flushed the letter in small handfuls.

  Kade was the future she chose.

  Kade couldn’t find a comfortable spot to lie, no matter which way he turned.

  He reached across the mattress and hooked his arm under Shelby’s elbow. She put down the phone they were currently sharing and rolled toward him. She snuggled against his chest, her body curling around his in a way that was natural. As if they were meant to be.

  For as much as he hated the idea of destiny, this? He didn’t mind.

  “Looking at names?” he asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “You considering Rusty’s suggestion?” He bent his head to peer down at her. Changing her name was one of the small ways to make Shelby safer. Along with moving, doing her hair differently, and doctoring the reports that chronicled her involvement with the FBI.

  “It’s smart. I just…I’ve always been Shelby.”

  “You could change your last name.”

  “Yeah.”

  “No reason to make that decision now.” He didn’t want to rush her into giving up the last bits that connected her to her parents.

  Shelby made a noise in the back of her throat and scooted closer still.

  She wasn’t ready to make that leap. Yet.

  Despite the tough girl act she presented to the world, the real Shelby was different. Softer. He hoped in time, she’d grow more comfortable with herself, especially around him. Maybe then he could make the suggestion he was holding off on putting out there.

  That she take his name.

  It would be for protection, of c
ourse. But a Romani name and connections could provide some security. Though, in time, he’d make an offer of a different sort. When she was ready.

  Shelby was it for him.

  He loved her.

  End of story.

  Whatever came next, it was a different phase of life. With her. And he’d do everything in his power to make her see that.

  Shelby drew circles on his chest.

  There was some deep, complicated idea in her head. One she wanted to get out. He was patient. They had nothing but time since he was on medical leave until his shoulder was healed. At least he was already on a first name basis with the people at the physical therapy place.

  “Tell me my future?” Shelby asked.

  He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

  For some reason, the cards fascinated Shelby. Regardless of why, he was happy to oblige her with his parlor tricks. Someday, he’d introduce her to his mother, the real master.

  Shelby sat up, fluffing the pillows while he gingerly pushed into a sitting position.

  He grabbed the cards from his nightstand and began riffling them together.

  A single, white piece of thick cardstock caught his attention as he pushed the cards together.

  What the hell?

  He pulled the plain, white paper out from between the age worn cards and turned it over.

  It was blank on both sides.

  Shelby took the cardstock from him carefully, as if it were precious. Or delicate.

  She sucked in a deep breath.

  Suddenly he felt as though they were on a steep precipice he hadn’t known was there. He slid the cards back together and gripped them in his hand.

  Shelby scooted closer and leaned against his shoulder, holding the card out.

  “I want this to be us. Our future.” Her voice wavered with deep feeling. “It’s a blank slate. Kind of. I mean, I know I have baggage and issues, and who knows what’s going to happen, but…I keep trying to figure out a way to say it, and I can’t. So. This is how I’m showing you. It’s kind of lame.”

  Kade took the card from her hands and placed it on top of the deck. He gathered her close and kissed her brow, too moved to speak.

  She was trying.

  There was hope.

  “We can write our own future,” he whispered.

  And that was the best kind of future he could think of.

  You can stay up to date on the whole Twisted Royals team in Alpha Prince (out now) and Reckless Prince (coming May 9th). Make sure to check out the origin story by signing up for Sidney’s Newsletter at

  www.SidneyBristol.com.

  Alpha Prince

  Twisted Royals 1

  Once upon a time there was a princess with an evil step mother, who wanted her dead, and a prince ready to stand by her side…

  Ian Kelly never thought he'd see her again. The woman who ran out on him after some of the hottest sex of his life. Taylor Carter. He knows a damsel in distress when he sees one, but Taylor doesn't want saving.

  Taylor only meant to do the right thing. Now she's on the run from her mafia step-mother and her best friend might be dead. Even the FBI has turned on her, and the only person in her corner is a hot Irishman with a nose for danger.

  Ian can't turn his back on Taylor, not when his gut tells him she's an innocent in a den of thieves. Soon enough her past comes calling, and it'll take more than true love's kiss to fix Taylor's problems.

  Book List

  Twisted Royals

  Alpha Prince

  Her Prince

  Reckless Prince

  Aegis Group

  Blind: Killer Instincts

  Dangerous Attraction

  Dangerous in Training

  Dangerous Games

  Dangerous Assignment

  Dangerous Protector

  Hot Rides

  Drive

  Shift

  Chase

  Bayou Bound

  Picture Her Bound

  Duty Bound

  Bound Memories

  Bound & Tamed

  Other BDSM Titles

  Committed

  Bound with Pearls

  Collar Me in Paris

  Festive Seduction

  Electric Engagement

  So Inked

  Under His Skin

  The Harder He Falls

  His Marriage Bargain

  Standalone Titles

  Falling for His Best Friend

  Dream Vacation (free read)

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  It can never be said that NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life. She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and fostering cats.

  Copyright © 2017 by Sidney Bristol.

  Editing by Dayna Hart. | www.edits.daynahart.com

  Copy editing by Nina S. Gooden. | www.greenteaandpinkink.com/pinkinkeditorialservices

  Cover design by Charity Hendry. | www.charityhendry.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Inked Press/Sidney Bristol

  www.sidneybristol.com

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Book Layout & Design ©2013 - BookDesignTemplates.com

  Ordering Information:

  Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department” at the address above.

  Her Prince/ Sidney Bristol. -- 1st ed.