Page 82 of Wicked Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 2)

I stalk off, turning my back on my bodyguard and marching in the direction of the parking lot, more than ready to escape this bullshit.

“Stella, don’t do this.”

A growl rumbles up my throat, but I don’t turn around and bark all the things I want to say at him. I’m too pissed.

“Someone is trying to fucking kill you, baby. What would you rather I did? Sit back and let him get to you?”

Spinning on my heels, I hold his eyes steady.

“It’s not your job to protect me, Seb,” I bark.

“No? Then whose is it? Because your father has done a fucking shitty job of it, Princess.”

Unable to argue with that, I keep my mouth closed for a beat, my fists curling at my sides.

“I can’t let anyone hurt you, baby. Not again.” He steps toward me, and despite my better judgment, I don’t back up. “I thought you were fucking dead. I thought I’d lost you before I’d even really found you.”

I swallow, wanting to shout at him again that me being gone is what he wanted from the beginning, but I’m bored of having the same argument over and over.

“Take me home, Seb.”

“To Harley’s or…”

“To Harley’s right now. Then tomorrow, we’ll get on that flight out of here.”

All the air rushes from his lungs at my words.

“Yeah?”

Stepping up to him, I poke him in the chest. Hard.

“Don’t make me fucking regret it, Papatonis.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Doukas.”

“I can’t believe someone’s been following us all this time,” I mutter, walking away from him once more. “Oh my God, tell me he wasn’t watching us on the beach?” Images of what we did in my happy place come back to me, and my cheeks heat.

“He’s a professional bodyguard, not a creep, Hellion. He knows when to back off.”

“I really hope you’re right. Enough images of me in compromising positions exist without adding his collection to it.”

He hesitates for a second. “You mean the ones I’ve taken, right?” When I don’t respond right away, he tries again. “Right?”

“Maybe.” I wink. “Come on, I want to spend some time with my friends before we leave.”

Pulling the passenger door of Harley’s car open, I drop down and wait for him to join me, already predicting what he’s going to ask me the second he does.

“Who else has photos of you, Hellion?”

I shrug. “I wasn’t a good girl before I met you, Seb.”

He glances over at me as the engine rumbles to life.

“I’m going to need names.”

Barking out a laugh, I turn to look out of the window.

“Too many to even remember,” I mutter, not even trying to hide my smirk when he growls.

“You’re going to be the fucking death of me, Princess. I hope you know that.”

“I’m counting on it. You’re a pain in my ass alive.”