Page 54 of His Prince
He wants him.
Well, he can’t have him.
We grapple, our bodies heaving, and then I hear it, metal landing on bone. Casey grunts and falls back, cradling his head as he wobbles on his feet and then I sense it too, the rush of wind and then the crack of something landing right on the back of my head.
And right before I pass out, I swear I can hear her laughing at me.
A hollow, dead sound.
“Honestly, Ivan,” Angel says as Casey and I sit slumped over the island, ice packs on our heads. The pain has lessened after Angel made us take some pain medication, but it still throbs.
My damn brother.
“Don’t hit people with cast-iron pans. Especially over the head. Especially your brother!” he scolds.
Ivan shifts on his feet and mumbles under his breath, pushing his glasses up his nose and looking contrite. I’ve never seen Angel so angry at someone. Besides me, of course.
He looks pissed right now.
It makes my cock twitch in my pants.
“And what about me?” Casey asks, and Angel coos at him, moving toward him and pressing a hand to his cheek, looking worried all over again.
“You poor baby,” he says, and Casey smirks at me.
I want to cut his lips off.
“And don’t hit my bodyguard either, got it?” Angel tells Ivan, scowling at him. “I mean it, or no more snickerdoodles.”
Ivan frowns. “I did not know who was attacking my brother. All I know was you were in trouble.”
Casey rolls his eyes at Ivan, who only ignores him.
“Well, thank you, but never again, okay? Can’t go around whacking innocent people over the head. What if you had hit Jake?”
This is the first I’ve heard of this person, and I clench my jaw so tightly I hear the joint pop.
“Who’s Jake?”
“My new gardener,” Angel replies dismissively.
“There are protocols to hiring someone.”
“I got it all taken care of. Now, when is George going to be here?” Angel asks, ignoring me completely. “I really think you hit them far too hard. I’m worried they’re concussed.”
Ivan shrugs just as Georgiy appears, walking assuredly into the house. He looks immaculate as always, his eyes sure and astute, his suit and tie perfectly pressed. It’s why I hired him. He’s to the point and no-nonsense. No one would guess what this man does in that house on the far end of the property. The horrors he inflicts there.
“What’s happened?” Georgiy asks, setting a leather bag on the island and opening it. He pulls out a penlight and a stethoscope and turns toward me.
Oh, and did I mention that he was a surgeon years ago, before he started working for me? He never did tell me why he quit. But he gave up his illustrious career and is happy with his current job.
And it makes him quite useful at times like this.
He pulls the ice pack off my head and takes a look at the bump that’s forming there, right beneath my hair. He stays silent when he moves in front of me, making me follow his finger and the penlight. He finishes the exam by pressing the stethoscope to my chest and listening to my heart.
He does the same to Casey, working quickly and quietly until he’s concluded his checkup.
“They’re fine. Ivan isn’t strong enough to hurt anyone.”