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“That’s it?”

“And b-bacon,” she says through a full body shiver.

“You heard the Princess,” I say to Tommy. He nods and I press the button that raises the privacy screen between the front and back of the vehicle. Cranking up the heat, I jerk my chin. “Come here.”

Her eyes flick down to the tentpole poking through the towel.

“Not for that.” Well, not specifically. “My metabolism runs hot. The last thing I need is Lex giving me a lecture on hypothermia.”

It’s probably a testament of how cold she is that she lunges across the divide and curls under my arm, flattening her body against my side. The top edge of her bandage peeks out from above the towel, the tape waterlogged, slouching downward.

“You gonna let me see it?” I ask, gently brushing my fingers over the tape.

She gives a tight shake of her head. “It’s not important.”

“I say it is.” I tap the bruise on my cheekbone. “I showed you mine.”

She frowns, but sits up, pulling away from my body with obvious reluctance. Pushing down the towel, I reveal the entire bandage and tug at the loosened tape. What I see makes my stomach turn—dried red scabs in a ridged, oval pattern. Unreasonably, I’m reminded of Lex’s wounds.

For a split second, I wonder if she’s been punished.

“Jesus, Red.” I run my finger over the bumpy marks. “What the hell is that?”

She grimaces. “Lex bit me.”

“Hebityou?” I look between the wound and her gaze, wondering when the hell–

Oh.

He’d asked me to leave some supplies in her bedroom that night, but he never told me he used them.

Scratching the back of my neck, I muse, “Guess I’m partially to blame there.”

I could say I’m sorry, but it’d be a lie.

“You did know what he was capable of,” she mutters, tugging the towel up to cover it. She leans back into me, but there’s a distance there that wasn’t before. “It’s whatever. A little collateral damage for a greater cause.”

She hasnofucking idea.

Sighing, I grab her icy hand and flatten it to my stomach. “Next time we’ll set up some way for you to call for help.”

She stiffens at the suggestion there’ll be a next time, but she doesn’t argue. There’s no way around it. Until Lex’s cock gets right, we’re going to have to let him out on his nights. Briefly, I wonder how much of this situation she’s put together. Does she know what’s at stake for us? She’s seen Lex’s back. Has she realized the reason for it?

Awkwardly, I try, “You’re… a good Princess for going through with it.” I swallow, the next words even harder to say. “And for pulling that slutty thing at the Fury the other night. Pace needed it.”

Her head shifts, the force of her stare like a physical nudge. “Kind of like how you needed me here with you tonight?”

I brush my hair out of my eyes. “Yeah, kind of like that.”

The bright lights of the diner illuminate the interior of the car, and we’re quiet as he parks and goes inside. My fingers make circles in her shoulder as we wait, and I’m not sure why, but I feel compelled to say, “I’m not fucking them.” Her head tilts to look up at me and I shift my gaze, anywhere but at her. “Trudie—Christine–any of those vampires. Well, not anymore. Not since I became a Prince.”

There’s an uncomfortable beat before she says, “Okay.”

“But…” For some reason I keep going. “There are other expectations, ones outside of the covenant, and… I just couldn’t do it tonight.”

“What kinds of expectations?”

I look down and skim my fingers along her chin. She doesn’t look half as tired as I feel. Usually, I’d resent her for that, but tonight?