Page 139 of Wicked Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 2)

He’s almost disappeared from our view when I call him back.

“You implied earlier that you were made the scapegoat for more than just my dad’s death. This thing with Stella… is it because of one of those?”

“I’d put money on it. Damien, Nico, Charon, and I aren’t leaving a stone unturned. We’ll find this motherfucker.”

I nod, confident that they’ll figure it out. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.

The second he’s gone, I spin Stella around and pull her into my chest.

She sucks in a shaky breath and squeezes me tight.

We stand there locked in our embrace for the longest time before she looks up, her huge, watery eyes bringing me to my goddamn knees.

“Who’s Charon?” she asks quietly.

“Toby’s grandfather. Jonas’s father. “He’s Damien’s consig—advisor,” I correct when her brow starts to furrow. “He’s a good man. There’s no way he knows about all this shit with Jonas.”

“Then we need to tell him.”

I nod. “Yeah. Although I think it probably needs to come from Toby, not us.”

“Do you think there’s really a way out of this?”

“There’s always a way.”

“Well, yeah. But if what Dad said was true, then Maria and Toby stand to potentially lose everything.”

“We’ll figure something out. There will be a way around whatever precautions he’s put into place.”

A door opening cuts our conversation off.

“Has he gone?” Theo asks, poking his head out of his room.

“Yeah,” Stella says with a laugh. “It’s safe to come out.”

“There’s no blood,” he says, inspecting his floor.

“No, there isn’t. Someone else deserves our wrath right now.”

Theo and Alex’s gazes narrow on Stella, but she doesn’t continue. As much as this might be a part of her story, it’s Toby’s too, and she wouldn’t betray him by spilling his secrets like that.

“Not now,” I say for her. “You guys want a drink?”

“Sure,” Alex says, falling down onto one of the couches. “I’ve got laid, I’m good with watching you two manhandle each other. Him, on the other hand…” Alex mutters toward Theo. “He’s got friction burns on his hand from jacking off to you two.”

“I’ve barely been here twenty-four hours. We aren’t that bad.”

“You all know that this is my place, right? I can kick you out whenever I want.”

“Yeah, but you won’t. Why don’t you get the princess to call her friend? She might be willing to help with your little issue,” Alex suggests, making Stella’s spine straighten.

“My friend? Do not tell me that Theo is crushing on his cousin.”

“What?” Alex splutters, spraying the coffee table with beer, much to Theo’s disgust. “No. He’s pining after the emo chick.”

“Emmie?”

“No, I’m fucking not,” Theo sulks, getting up to get a cloth, much to Stella’s amusement.