Page 1 of Deviant Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 5)

EMMIE

A violent shiver rips down my spine as the cold, hard floor beneath me digs into my shoulder blades.

But it’s not the concrete floor that has a cold sweat covering my skin.

That’s the man looming over me.

His eyes are hard, angry. Void of any of the emotion I thought I’d started to see within them over the past few days.

My lips part, but no words come out.

We’ve been here before, and it always ends the same.

This time isn’t going to be any different. If anything, it’s going to be worse now.

“P-please,” I finally whimper as he holds the gun steady, trained right between my brows.

“Why?” he spits. “Why would I save you? Because you’re my wife?” The final word rolls off his tongue as if he can’t even bear saying it.

Much like I’m having a hard time accepting it.

We’re married.

He’s my husband.

And even worse, my own fucking mother signed off on it.

She condemned me to this hell.

My fists curl as pure hatred for the woman I was still longing for only hours ago rushes through my veins, poisoning every single one of my breaths.

How could she?

She sold me to the Cirillos like I was nothing more than a prize cow.

Tears burn my eyes, but I refuse to cry. I refuse to show this twisted motherfucker that any of this is affecting me.

“P-please,” I try again. “Just do it. Put an end to it right now.”

For the first time since I opened my eyes, I see his aim falter.

It’s almost as if me begging for him to kill me affects him.

Which can’t be right, because nothing, and I mean nothing, affects Theo Cirillo’s focus. Ever.

A smile twitches at my lips.

“You can’t do it, can you? Cold-hearted, ruthless Theodore Cirillo can’t bring himself to shoot his own wife. What will your father think when he finds out?”

Bang.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I sit bolt upright and stare at the door.

My heart thunders so hard in my chest it makes me light-headed.

The darkness I’ve become almost used to since I first woke up in here surrounds me, the coldness of the cell seeping into my bones.

“Shit,” I hiss, pulling my legs up to my chest and lowering my brow to them as I will my heart to calm down.