Page 95 of Deviant Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 5)

“You need us. We’re here. Always,” she says echoing Dad’s words.

‘Thank you,’ I mouth.

“Anyone else want a refill?” she asks the room.

A round of agreement sounds out as Dad drops another kiss to my head.

“What time is it?”

“Four PM.”

“Four?” I ask, my eyes widening in shock.

“You slept for almost a day,” Cruz tells me from the other side of the table.

“Jesus,” I mutter, scrubbing my hand down my face after stepping out of Dad’s hold.

For the first time since I ran, I look at the people in here along with Dad, Piper and Cruz.

Link, Xander, and Gunner are here once more, along with Malice, Cruz’s closest friend, and a younger girl with violet hair that I don’t think I’ve met before.

Cruz clearly notices who’s caught my attention.

“This is Faith, Em. She’s Mal’s sister. She’s the one who got you all the stuff.”

I smile at her, grateful for her help.

“You’re telling me you didn’t buy all that shit?”

He holds his hands up in defence. “Sorry, kid. I was amused that you thought I was capable. I’ve never bought women’s underwear in my life. Not sure I’m ready to break that record, even for you.”

“Charming,” I mutter, dropping into an empty chair. “So what’s happening? You two are in the same room and no one’s bleeding, so…” I say, looking between Dad and Cruz.

Dad chooses to ignore my teasing and goes straight in for the heavy stuff.

“Cruz called a couple of days ago, saying you were in trouble. We couldn’t get on a flight home until last night, so I had to trust him to handle the situation.”

“By situation, you mean me, right?”

He smiles at my joke, but it’s forced at best.

“Fuck, Em. I’m—”

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry. None of this is your fault.”

Guilt flickers through his eyes, and my brows lift.

“What are you hiding, old man?”

“I knew who your grandfather was on your mother’s side,” he confesses.

Irritation swirls within me. “And you threw me to the wolves without so much as mentioning it.”

“I had to get you into a decent school somehow, Em. You couldn’t stay at Lovell. And the second your mother told me you were staying with me, I took some admittedly questionable steps in order to give you a decent future.”

My lips part, ready to rip him a new one, but how can I?

By enrolling me in Knight’s Ridge, he re-connected with Piper and became happier than I’ve ever seen him. And he’s not wrong, I couldn't continue at Lovell Academy. That place is literally the pits of hell. I’d either have been murdered, or I’d have offed myself just to end the torture.