Twisted Games (Twisted, #2)

by Ana Huang

If there was one thing I hated, it was men who couldn’t take a fucking hint.

He was the bane of my existence.

“Life is a war zone, Princess. The sooner you understand that, the safer you’ll be.”

Gray storms against blue skies.

“You’ll find out the hard way what happens when you bargain with the devil.”

A grim half smile touched Rhys’s lips. “I’d rather you hate me alive than love me dead.”

I’d joined the military to gain a purpose and family I’d never had. I became a bodyguard to absolve myself of sins I could never cleanse.

“I suggest you stop lookin’ at me like that, Princess,” I said, my voice lethally soft. “Unless you plan on doing something about it.”

I took this job thinking I had one objective, but now it was clear I had two. The first was to protect Bridget. The second was to resist her.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Because it’s your job.”

“Yes,”

“Because it’s my job.”

“Yes.” I bared my teeth in a semblance of a smile. “Remove your hands from her before I remove them for you.”

“So tell me, Princess. Have you ever been in love?” “No.” I returned my attention to the stars. “But I hope to be one day.”

None, except for the fleeting moments when he looked at me like I was his whole world, and he never wanted to blink.

Meanwhile, all I could do was stand there and watch, because women like Bridget weren’t meant for men like me.

But that was the problem. Bridget wasn’t beautiful and nothing else. She was everything. Warmth, strength, compassion, humor.

“Careful, Mr. Larsen, or I’ll think you actually like me.” His mouth curled into a grin. “Baby, we’re way beyond like.”

“You asked me if I’d ever been in love. I said no.” He pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. “Ask me again, Princess.”

“If anything leaks, Ava will never forgive you.” It was the only threat that worked against him.

It is outdated and holds no practical value for the country or the people. Without value, tradition is nothing but an imitation of the past, and the people agree.

Good thing I was, and always will be, a soldier for one queen.