Chapter 11

MAY 21 – SUNDAY 2:29 AM

N ash

What the hell was he doing at that house again? I stared at the little dot on my screen that showed my father was once more at the house in the quiet neighborhood. Who was he meeting, and how long had it been going on? I rarely spent a Sunday night at home, which was my only excuse for not noticing before. It was either that or he'd just started this little adventure in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

He stayed three hours last time, and I was determined to see how long he stayed now. I'd already tried his office to find it locked. I tried his bedroom, and that was locked, too. The area downstairs already had its shift change with two new guards, so I was stuck sitting on my hands anyway.

It never felt like I was doing enough. I'd made a deal with the Lost Souls, which looped in the largest MC in the area. I'd made a deal with the Mikhailov family. I'd just hired Morrison…well, once he was clean. Fuck, the look on his face when he realized I was sitting in his chair made me smile.

Ethan said I was making good strides, but there was still too large of a gap in power. Who could I go after that had power and influence and would help me keep my seat? Fuck. There were so many families, but I needed a way to test their loyalty to my father without raising suspicion, or all of this would be for nothing.

Dean Henry hinted at going to Italy, and my trip was booked for the end of summer when my father planned to be in Dubai for business. He'd be far too distracted to pay attention to me traveling then.

I hated it when I couldn't sleep, and I hadn't been able to sleep well for weeks. My mind just wouldn't stop turning, and right now, it was jumping between three topics. The mystery of who I was supposed to meet in Italy, what my father was up to, and for whatever reason…Ren Davies.

Did I miss her? No, I couldn't miss her. Could I? I didn't miss people, but the banter and teasing…okay, I found her amusing. The thought of training her when she got back also held a certain appeal. Throwing her around on mats, pinning her as she fumed at me, and getting to freely grab her ass as she took shots at me…fuck yeah. Now that shit, I could get into. I could still feel her adorable ass under my fingers in the pool and how my hand stung from spanking her.

Swiping away from the tracking app, I opened my photos and pulled up the shot I'd taken of Princess sleeping with her arm over her head, hair fanned out on the pillow, and the covers pulled down to her waist. The tank top she was wearing had pulled up in her sleep, showing off her stomach, while her nipples poked at the material. I might've blown on the side of her neck to make that happen.

I smirked as I flicked to the next photo, which was a close-up of her face. Before she started spending half of her time in Myles and Blake's room, I would visit her dorm when she and Vicky were sound asleep. I'd contemplated suffocating Vicky. She certainly deserved it, but her father was the head of the Italian mafia overseas. Mr. Genovese was the Don of Dons, and killing his daughter, as fun as it seemed, wouldn't be a wise choice.

While Princess had slept, I moved all of her things around on her desk, which shouldn't have been as amusing as it was, but it cracked me the fuck up. When she would complain to Myles at breakfast about how Vicky was messing with her, the devil would laugh on my shoulder. At least it had until Vicky went too far. That video was a bitch move, and I kept wondering if she helped orchestrate Axel's attack. She had a viper's tongue, and her brand of toxin was as deadly as having cyanide shoved down your throat.

I wouldn't put it past her to flirt and suck up to Axel only to say something like, "You know you'd make a better king than Nash." Drops like that in a weak mind like Axel's was how sheep turned to anarchy.

Giving up on sleep, I stood and went to my punching bag in the corner. I loved the sound the bag made as my fists connected and the chains rattled.

Thump, thump, thump.

I gave it a few more jabs, then pretended to duck a blow before landing a hard hook to the side of the bag that would've broken someone's ribs. Boxing wasn't really my thing as much as other styles of fighting, but the bag was more of a soother to my rage than anything else. Some people cuddled with a blanket, others drank or had sex to relax and fall asleep. I beat the shit out of this piece of black leather until I couldn't stand up.

Dropping to the floor, I hammered out fifty push-ups, and thirty burpees before starting the round all over again. My phone dinged, and I picked it up to see a message from Theo.

T: When we get back, set time aside for a meeting. I have information.

N: Tell me now.

T: I can't. This isn't something that can be said in a text or over a call. Just make time.

N: Okay. Is it good news?

T: Not sure yet, but it's explosive either way.

That was interesting. I knew sending Theo was a good call. He noticed shit others didn't, and he couldn't help himself and would look into every nuance of a situation until there were no more stones to flip or skeletons to uncover.

N: How are things otherwise?

T: Are you asking about me, the guys, the country, or a certain silver-eyed temptress?

I really hated the way he and Liam did this shit. It was so fucking passive-aggressive, and I punched the bag again, annoyed.

N: I guess give me all of it.

T: Flight was horrible. I loathe you, and you owe me. My family has a private jet for a reason.

Okay, that made me smile. I'm glad Theo suffered. He had too many sticks that weren't Liam's shoved up his ass and needed a few of them loosened.

T: The guys are disgustingly in love. They make me want to hurl every few seconds, but fine otherwise.

A twinge of jealousy twisted in my chest, and I growled and stomped on it. I had nothing to be jealous of. Relationship shit was not for me. I wasn't built for it, but seeing them all pathetically happy and panting after Princess was bothering me. If they were going to be that loyal to anyone, it should be me.

T: The country is fine. I'm impartial at this point since I haven't seen much.

I waited, but no more little bubbles appeared, and I could picture his smug face on the other end of the phone. Son of a bitch was going to make me ask about her directly. No, I wouldn't do it. Sitting the phone down, I resumed my workout, but not knowing was driving me insane. Fuck. When I picked up the phone, Ren's sleeping face stared back at me. No, I wouldn't give Theo the satisfaction of getting under my skin. Instead, I opened a text to Ren. I smirked at the nickname I'd given her.

N: You all still alive?

It took a minute, but the bubbles formed, and my lip turned up.

Princess: It's like 4 in the morning. What are you doing up?

N: It's 3 here, and I could ask you the same question.

Princess: I wasn't until my phone went off. But yes, we are all alive. Did you think I was planning on killing the guys or something?

N: It was more of a rhetorical question. So, when are you going to send me nudes?

I sat down on my desk chair and hated that this stupid banter was making me feel better.

Princess: When hell freezes over.

N: Come on, you know you want to.

Princess: Pretty sure you've got the wrong number if you think that. Try texting Vicky. I'm sure she would send you full colonoscopy pics if you wanted.

I laughed and wanted to gag at the same time. She wasn't wrong there.

N: What if I send you one first?

Princess: If you send me a picture of your junk, I swear I'm sending it to all the guys.

N: Nothing they haven't seen before.

Princess: You're so damn annoying.

N: And yet you answer my texts every time…

Princess: Fine, I'll stop answering. Happy now?

I should be. Chewing my lip, I looked at the last message and just couldn't leave it alone. Why? No clue, but I couldn't.

N: Fine, no nudes for now, but you're no fun. Now, I only have the ones of you sleeping to jack-off to.

Princess: OMG! Why do you have pictures of me sleeping? And why the hell are you jacking-off to them? I'm never touching your phone again.

N: I don't use my phone, Princess. You better avoid my hand.

Princess: I hate you.

I laughed hard and slumped in my chair. Why couldn't she just want to suck my dick like every other girl? Then I could get this shit out of my system. But no, she had to play hard to get and steal my guys, and now here I was more intrigued than ever. If her plan was to make me less interested, it was failing.

N: No, you don't. You want to. You get angry and want to hit me, but you don't hate me.

Princess: Oh yeah? And how do you know that?

N: Because I know you.

I hit send and then groaned. I shouldn't have sent that, fuck my life. It didn't matter that it was true. Those four words never should've been said. My pulse pushed higher as I waited to see what she would say next.

Princess: You're right, I don't. It's not really in me to hate anyone, but you're really fucking annoying.

I snorted, a stupid smile pulling at my mouth that I just couldn't wipe away.

Princess: So why are you awake? Done with your latest conquest and thought you'd annoy me?

I looked around at the empty room. It was rare that I brought a chick over, and no one had been here since Vicky. I refused to look at the why because I knew I wasn't going to like the fucking answer.

N: Jealous?

Princess: Of what? Being your sloppy seconds? Hardly.

N: But you're okay with being Myles and Blake's sloppy seconds?

Shit…that was uncalled for. Always too far, Nash.

Princess: At least neither of them touched Vicky and then kissed me. I thought I was going to get a fatal disease.

There was the sass. I typed out ten responses and erased them all. I gave up when a notification appeared that my father was on the move.

N: Sleep sweet, Princess.

Getting the hell out of the messages before I did anything else stupid, I watched the dot on the screen and clocked my father as he stopped at a store around the corner and then came home. Opening my door, I slipped out and silently followed him from a distance through the house until he unlocked his bedroom and went inside.

I walked down to the kitchen and grabbed a snack before making my way up to my room and bolting the door. Wandering over to my bed, I flopped down, and all I could think about was that I needed to know what my father was up to. Well, that wasn't the only thing. Freaking Princess and her feisty mouth…fuck the things I wanted to do to her mouth.

"Fuck it," I said and then groaned as I slipped my hand past the waistband of my sweatpants.