Page 34 of Obsessively Yours (Fae Kings of Eden #2)

34

The next morning, Violet strolled into Roman’s favorite candy shop to buy a box of his favorite chocolate bars. He’d written her a letter while she was away about a new bar at the shop he couldn’t stop eating. It sounded delicious, and she couldn’t wait to try one and see the look on his face when she presented him with more chocolate bars than he could eat in a week for his birthday tomorrow.

Much to Violet’s dismay, Marissa sat in the corner of the shop, shoveling tiny chocolates into her mouth as she cried. She held a letter in her hand, staring at its contents with despair.

The paper, Violet noted, looked well-worn. The sight made her heart pinch. She knew the look of heartbreak when she saw it.

Guilt followed the sympathy. Had Violet misjudged Marissa? Clearly the woman loved someone else, and Violet had accused her of trying to steal Roman.

Sighing, she wove her way through the tables and sat across from Marissa. “Hey, are you okay?”

Marissa jumped and hid the paper in her lap, but when her watery eyes landed on Violet, they filled with resentment. “No thanks to you,” she spat in an almost whisper. “You ruined everything.” Stunned, Violet stared at Marissa, unable to form a reply. Marissa revealed the paper again and shook it. “He loved me until you came back.” Her shoulders slumped and she looked miserably at the letter again. “Or maybe he used me to pass the time until you returned.”

Dropping her shoulders pitifully, she dissolved into another fit of sobs. What in the fuck is she talking about? Violet plucked the letter from Marissa’s hands with no resistance from the mess of a woman across from her.

She instantly regretted it, for on the paper Marissa had so lovingly read repeatedly, was an all too familiar penmanship and signature. With each word, Violet felt to the urge to empty the contents of her stomach, or cry, or burn Roman’s favorite bakery to the godsdamn ground with Marissa inside.

Marissa,

Today I passed the pleasure house and thought of you. Specifically, of pushing you against the glass of my privacy box and winding your red hair around my fist while I fed you my cock from behind. Gods, it will look beautiful wrapped around my hand. And with my name on your lips? Fuck, I can’t wait. I’m counting down the hours until then.

The first time we sat together at the pleasure house was the night I purchased a privacy box of my own. I knew I’d have you in it one day. Thank fuck that day is soon and thank you for agreeing to it. It’s all I’ve thought about.

My cock could cut glass at the thought.

Soon.

Yours,

Roman

Marissa’s face twisted into a cruel smile. “He wanted me.” Her smile morphed into a sneer. “And now he barely speaks to me.”

It couldn’t be true. Violet knew Roman, and he wouldn’t lie to her. “This letter is forged,” Violet said matter-of-factly, “because Roman would never betray me like this.”

Marissa threw her head back with humorless laughter. “You really believe that?” She leaned forward and lowered voice. “No matter how many tattoos he has, your name isn’t on him, Violet. You left him, while I was here at his side. He wanted me.” The sound of her love-sick sniffle made Violet want to commit a crime. “The talks we had… he loved me.”

Violet snorted. “Roman spoke to you as a friend. Men are daft. He had no idea his friendship gave you misguided notions of romance.”

Marissa’s smug smile made her pretty face ugly. “Has Roman told you anything about me? Because I know all about you.” Bitch . “I know no one wanted you in school. I know that even your boyfriend who took your virginity wished he’d had Vivian instead.”

Violet fought to keep her expression impassive and scoffed. “Everyone knows those things, but nice try.”

Marissa tsked, the condescending sound grating on Violet’s last nerve. “I know Titus wouldn’t fuck you either, but he had no problem fucking Vivian. It seems you’re always second best. Isn’t it weird that Roman speaks to me about your intimate personal life, but doesn’t trust you enough to tell you anything about anyone else?”

She had Violet there, but that still didn’t mean the letter was real. Even if it looked real. Extremely real.

Looking back at the letter, she pulled the paper close and squinted. It was Roman’s handwriting. His signature. His vernacular. One would be hard pressed to deny he’d written it, but Violet sensed otherwise. She knew Roman would never write the letter to Marissa, but she also didn’t know how the woman knew about Titus.

Violet had told Roman that tidbit one night as she’d cried on his shoulder shortly after Titus left her. No one else knew. She was going to kick his ass, but first she needed to get to the bottom of this letter.

Without another word, she stood and stomped out of the candy shop with the letter clutched tightly in her hands.

* * *

War, who’d waited outside of the shop for Violet, trotted alongside her as she stalked toward the training arena. The beast, sensing her soured mood, cast worried glances her way.

She’d not been able to form enough words to tell him what his idiot bonded had done. He’d not only given Marissa the impression there was something between them, if even unintentionally, he’d also spilled her secrets, and now there was this blasted letter.

Roman loved her, and she knew that. She trusted him. But she’d also told him this would happen. Marissa wouldn’t stop until she either had him or was forced to leave. Well, she’d just earned herself the latter because Violet wouldn’t stand for the other woman’s constant challenge.

The letter crinkled in her fist. The nerve.

A guard at the gate of the training arena smiled kindly and started to say something, but with one look at her face, he snapped his mouth shut.

“I need to see Roman,” Violet said hotly.

“Yes, Your Grace,” the guard said just as Roman burst through the arena door looking frantic.

“What’s wrong?” he panted.

Violet glared at War. “You couldn’t let me surprise him this once?”

Roman’s hands clasped her face, but she batted them away. “Don’t touch me when I’m pissed.” She shook the letter. “What have you gotten yourself into?”

The prince looked at a complete loss. “I’m going to need a little more information, and fast.”

Violet held out the letter to read the contents. She would ensure every guard and warrior within earshot heard the lengths Marissa would go to. “Today I passed the pleasure house and thought of you. Specifically, of pushing you against the glass of my privacy box and winding your red hair around my fist while I fed you my cock from behind.”

Lowering the letter, she stared at Roman and noticed the muscle in his jaw flex. His expression no longer held confusion, but murderous intent. Wait. “Did you write this?”

“Violet, do not read another fucking word,” Roman warned her through gritted teeth. The guard who’d greeted her stepped far away from the prince.

She raised her chin defiantly, and continued, “ Gods, it will look beautiful pulled tight in my hand. And with your my name on—”

“Enough!” Roman thundered, and her head snapped back.

“Did you just yell at me?” she demanded. “It’s your fault Marissa thinks you’re in love with her, not mine.”

Roman ripped the letter from Violet’s hand and she made a grab at it, but he held it above his head. “Every man within hearing distance will lose their head if you keep reading,” he warned.

Why? she wondered silently, then said aloud, “I wanted everyone to hear the lengths that woman will go to to come between us,” she stated calmly. “I want them to see how shameless she is.”

The warriors and guards around them seemed to lean in with interest. Perfect .

Violet was usually a kind person, but if she was to be queen, people needed to learn she would not tolerate disrespect. Hopefully, they wouldn’t hate her. No . She couldn’t think that way. Her days of being a people pleaser were behind her. Just look where that’d gotten her in the past: walked all over.

Roman stared at her like she’d told him War could fly. “Why would Marissa think I love her? I’ve given her no indication.” His eyes lowered to the letter and bulged. “What the fuck?” Emotions ran a gamut across his face. “I didn’t write this letter to her. I wrote it to you.”

Violet chewed on her lip, losing a bit of her bravado. How had Marissa gotten a letter meant for Violet? Addressed to Marissa?

“I wrote it right before I left for the border,” Roman mused to himself, “but not to Marissa.”

“Someone clearly intercepted the letter and, I don’t know, traced it and changed the name, hair color, and sign off.”

Roman’s eyes ticked to Violet’s hair. “Your hair is red, but I think you’re right.”

Violet picked up the end of her hair to inspect her auburn strands that were more brown than red. Men were clueless.

“When the candlelight in the pleasure house hits your hair, it looks more red than brown,” he said defensively, reading her thoughts.

“It’s not just the letter,” Violet told him. “She knew things she shouldn’t and claimed you divulged them to her. She then informed me that my name wasn’t on you, and I had no claim.” Roman wasn’t a toy or a novelty, and it sickened Violet that so many people treated him as such. Violet, Marissa, random strangers who only wanted to be his friend because of who he was and what he could do for them.

Roman stalked to Ares who stood in the background, looking thoroughly amused, and murmured something low. The man nodded and took off running. “Let it be known,” Roman bellowed for those around them to hear, “I have only ever loved Violet Maekin, your future queen. Any woman who says differently will be considered a traitor to the crown. I’ll not have anyone disrespect my mate with falsehoods.” He looked Violet dead in the eyes when he added, “If anyone mentions what I said about my mate in that letter, I will mount your head above my mantle.”

* * *

Watching rebels almost hurt Violet was the scariest thing Roman had experienced. Seeing the fire in her eyes, not knowing why she looked fit to rip his head off for his naivety, was a close second.

An all-consuming fury raged within him, and it was all he could do to not shred his way through the capital until he found Marissa. He didn’t know how she’d done it, but somehow, she’d changed his letter.

A letter with his private thoughts. How many other letters did they steal? If he found out someone had kept a letter Violet wrote from him, they’d not survive to live another day. Her words were his and no one else’s.

The things he’d written had been for his mate and no one else. Knowing his warriors heard them, that they were likely picturing their queen being thoroughly fucked, caused Roman’s blood to boil. Had Violet kept reading, he would have ripped them all limb from limb to banish the vision from their minds.

His anger did not belong to Violet, it belonged to Marissa, but his emotions were impossible to tame. What if Violet had believed Marissa? He could have lost her.

As his inner turmoil settled, he could admit that seeing Violet pissed off and out for blood made him want to fuck her into oblivion. He’d seen her many ways, but angry beyond reason was not one of them. Witnessing her fire stoked his own.

“You’re not in the clear,” Violet informed him and dropped her voice to a whisper. “You told her about Titus and me. She was quick to remind me I’ve always been second best. Dominic. Titus. Every other man who showed interest then promptly ignored me.” He saw it then, the flicker of insecurity and hurt in her eyes as she tapped her chest. “There’s something about me that sends men running, and the fact that she knew about all of them because you told her. I am not happy.”

Shit . Roman had not realized how her dating history might have affected her. Unable to allow her to think something was wrong with her, he knew he had to confess what he’d done, but first he needed to correct her assumption that he’d ever betray her confidence. “I didn’t tell Marissa anything, princess, I swear it. And you didn’t send the other men running. I did.”

Her brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

Licking his lips and praying she didn’t kill him in front of everyone, he confessed. “Boys started to notice you when we were fourteen.” Roman drank in her beautiful face. “How could they not? I couldn’t stand it. If they showed interest in you, I encouraged them not to.”

Violet gasped but recovered quickly. “And Dominic? Did you force him to want to fuck Vivian after taking my virginity?”

Roman’s mood darkened further. “Never remind me what he stole from me again, and no, I didn’t force him to say that. I didn’t even hear him say it, but if I had, I would have killed him in front of everyone instead of waiting for suggesting your sister held a candle to you.”

Violet assessed him like a puzzle that needed to be solved. “ Instead of waiting ? What does that mean?”

Double shit. “I don’t think you want to know.”

His curious little mate wouldn’t be deterred, like a dog with a bone. “Yes, I do.”

Roman looked at those who still watched their row. He could order them to leave, but if they heard what he’d done, they’d know not to fuck with what was his. “I killed him later.”

It was the first time Roman had killed anyone. He’d laid in wait for Dominic to recover from his injuries, let the man think he’d escaped death, then he’d cornered him.

“You humiliated Violet,” Roman said, deceptively calm.

“I didn’t mean what I said about Vivian,” Dominic insisted. To Roman’s surprise, he sounded genuine. “I don’t know why I said it.” The man raked a hand through his hair. “I’ll never forgive myself for embarrassing Violet, but I’m hoping she will. I really like her.”

That did it. If Dominic thought Roman would let him anywhere near Violet again, he was sorely mistaken. Roman stepped forward and wrapped his hand around Dominic’s neck. The man clawed at Roman’s grip as it cut off his lifeline. “Ask for her forgiveness from hell. Tell Orcus hello for me.”

Violet covered her mouth, and Roman wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled it away. “I couldn’t let him live after disrespecting something so sacred.”

She gaped at him. “You can’t kill people for being assholes, Roman.”

He snorted. “If I killed people for being assholes, Slayton would not be breathing, princess.”

She dropped her hands and stared at him incredulously. “You killed a man, and you’re making a joke?”

Roman frowned at her. “That wasn’t a joke.”

“And Titus?” she asked.

He heard her apprehension, knew what she feared. “No. I planned on killing him once I found a way to dissolve the bond with Vivian, but I never would have allowed him to hurt you the way he did.”

The guard closest to him took a few more hesitant steps backward. Good , Roman thought. Every person in his kingdom should fear him where his mate was concerned.

“How many people have you hurt because of me?” Violet rasped. Her tone suggested condemnation of his behavior, but her eyes told a different story. The black of her pupils ate the blue of her irises, and her lids drooped slightly.

He tried not to smile, he really did. He invaded her space further, leaving nothing between them, and wrapped his hand around the side of her neck. “Hurt or killed, princess?”

“Oh my gods,” she breathed.

“You are everything to me.” Leaning down, he dropped his mouth to hers. “I will soak the earth beneath your feet with the blood of anyone who disrespects you.” Roman straightened and spun to look at the small crowd. “I would lay my life down for this kingdom and any of you.” He ushered a still-stunned Violet forward. “Except when it comes to your queen. I would not hesitate to make a necklace of your bones if she’d only ask.”

He expected abject horror, but he saw none. His warriors and the few guards who stood around merely answered with variations of their understanding and respect.

* * *

Violet wondered how hot hell was because it would surely be her eternal resting place for the thrill that ran through her at Roman’s declaration.

He’d scared off the boys in school. All these years she’d thought it was something about her they hadn’t liked, but it’d been Roman’s doing.

It should infuriate her.

He’d killed Dominic.

It should horrify her.

It should make her feel a lot of things.

More in love than ever shouldn’t be one of them.