Fatal Princess by Ella Miles

Beckett

Waiting sucks.

I have no idea if my plan is working. No idea if Ri is safe. No idea if the sacrifice I made is worth it. And I don’t know how long it’s going to take for her to be safe.

I can’t breathe until I know Ri’s safe. I did something crazy and ruthless to get her back. And if it doesn’t work, I still have to keep my end of the deal. I’m trapped, and it would all be for nothing if she wasn’t safe.

“Honey, you’ve hardly touched your food,” Odette says from my left. We’re sitting at the center of a long table, looking out at the Retribution Kings celebrating our union.

The crowd is jubilant. They drink and eat and laugh like this is a true celebration. I’m the only one who knows the truth.

Hayes, Gage, Lennox, and Ryker sit to my right at the long table as my closest men. All of them stare at me like I’ve lost my fucking mind.

Hayes keeps shaking his head at me in disappointment.

Gage shoots daggers in my direction.

Lennox can’t stand to look at me, and anytime anyone makes a toast, he laughs instead of cheers.

Ryker is the only one who keeps his emotions to himself. He either doesn’t care about me as much as the others, or he knows—he knows the only reason I’m sitting here acting like Odette is my queen is because I did something to get Ri back.

It’s better that they don’t suspect, though. It’s better that I’m the only one who knows. I’m going to have to keep this up for days, weeks, years—locking my secret away in my own mind will help keep me up the charade.

My heart is Ri’s, not Odette’s, but I can never show that truth. It’s the only way to keep Ri safe from Kek, from the Retribution Kings.

Odette leans into me. I do everything not to stiffen. I smile lovingly back at her because I know what she wants, and I’m forced to give it to her.

I’ve given Odette everything of me—my body to do what she pleases with, my kingdom I fought so hard to win, my power, my very soul—it’s hers.

But I kept my heart. It’s locked away for Ri, for the hope that someday it could be hers in a real way. But that’s a lost hope.

I lean into Odette and kiss her for the hundredth time tonight. She’s insatiable, and every second I’m kissing her is pure torture. I’d rather be stabbed repeatedly in the chest than kiss her, but this is the sacrifice I made, and soon, I should know if it was worth it or not.

I pull my phone out, waiting for a text or call from Caius to let me know she’s okay. But there’s nothing.

I put the phone on the table next to me so I can see the second he sends a message. Odette gave Caius the info he needed to find Ri. She knew more about Kek than even I suspected. She knew the phrase to help unlock Ri’s mind. She knew how to find Kek. It only makes me more suspicious of Odette, but I don’t give a shit what lies Odette has told me if it saves Ri.

If I’m to live this life, I need to know that Ri is alive and her mind is her own. Ideally, I need her free of the dangers, free to chose her own husband, free to be her own woman. But that might be too much to hope for her. Alive and her mind uncontrolled might be the best I can do for her.

Caius may not be my greatest ally, but he cares about Ri. He’ll do everything he can to find her.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. Caius will find her. He’ll call. He wants Ri safe, and he wants his sister happy. He’ll do the right thing.

The back door of the banquet hall opens. I barely pay attention to it; people have shown up late all night through that door. But this time, raven-colored hair catches my attention.

My heart stops when I see them. Caius has his arm and a blanket around Ri’s shoulders. She looks exhausted. I can tell her eyes are red and swollen from here. She leans her head into his chest like a lover. Despite her eyes, she has a soft smile on her lips.

Caius looks concerned as if now that he’s brought her back, I won’t keep to my promise. But I know what will happen if I don’t.

Odette says something that the others at the table laugh at, so I join in. It’s a deep, belly laugh, the kind that Odette used to swoon at. Swoon she does when she hears it again.

“It’s so good to hear you laugh again,” Odette says, resting her hand against my chest.

“It feels good to laugh again now that you’re back in my life.” I grip her hand, pretending it’s Ri’s, and then I kiss her.

I don’t look at Ri. I don’t watch for her reaction. I’m not sure if Ri will believe my act, but I’d rather her break her heart now than slowly over days. It was never going to be me. I was never going to be enough.

Ri calls me a hero. I guess I am, and she’ll never know it. I saved her from the worst, but now she’s going to have to find a way to save herself from the rest.

When I break from Odette’s lips, I put my classic shit-eating grin, complete with dimples, on my face and laugh like this is the greatest day of my life.

Man, I’m sick. This is my life now—playing politics and pretending to care for the woman who betrayed me. All while the real woman I want is sitting in the same room.

I can feel their eyes on me, the guys next to me.

“Are you not going to go check on Ri?” Hayes, the closest to me, asks.

“Nah, she looks fine from here. Ryker should be happy that Corsi isn’t going to kick his ass now that she’s back safe and sound.”

None of them blink as they stare at me, trying to find out what demon is inhabiting my body right now. It’s me guys; I’m just saving Ri the only way I know how.

Slowly, one by one, they all get up and walk over to her.

I refuse to look in her direction. I refuse to torture myself. And I have to play the part of disinterested leader who’s elated to have his wife back.

Wife—ugh. What the hell was I thinking, getting married when I barely knew her?

Ri is safe. Ri is with the men who care about her the most. They’ll help her get through this, probably fuck her again like last time—the bastards.

And then Stan walks over, ruining my fake pleasant mood.

“What do you want?”

“For you to get retribution against the Black Empire for your incredible wife,” Stan says.

I frown as I wrap my arm around Odette’s shoulders. “I have her back; we’re happy. I’m not going to start a war.”

He smirks. “I’m glad to see the happy couple back together, but you don’t have a choice. If you want to stay married to Odette and, you know, breathing, then you have to get retribution. We are the Retribution Kings. We didn’t get that name from just living happily ever after with our wives. We got the name from exacting revenge. Now, declare war or I’ll have you killed tonight in your sleep.”

He walks away and talks to someone else at the head table before I have a chance to argue back.

“Can’t you tell everyone you made a mistake? My brother and his family had nothing to do with your disappearance,” I hiss to Odette.

She bats her long eyelashes in my direction. “And why would I do that when it’s not true?”

“I’m giving you everything you want. I’m being the doting husband. I’m leading the Retribution Kings. Isn’t it enough?”

Her eyes drag up and down my face before she says, “No, it’s not enough.”

I blink, not believing I’m hearing the coldness in her tone. I thought she was the sweet, kind woman I fell for. I thought she genuinely cared about other people. I couldn’t be more wrong.

“If you love me, you’ll do this for me,” I say.

“I would if you really loved me, but you still love her. I’m glad you made the right decision to be with me, but I won’t be made a fool of. You’re not as good an actor as you think. I can see through you easily enough, so I’m sure others can too. Now, declare war, or you won’t be the only one dying in your sleep.” Odette’s eyes slither to Ri, and I realize just how trapped I am. I’m going to have to declare war with my brother to save the woman I love.

Forgive me, brother.