Chapter 14
My eyes move between them a few times before a sick feeling sinks inside me. This mystery guy is Lamar…
“My prince,” Lamar says, choking back emotion as tears start sliding down his face, but he keeps his head bowed.
Manella turns and looks at the numerous guards behind him. “Privacy. Now.”
They all exchange a look.
“When a dark prince tells you to get the hell out, you turn and walk away. You don’t look around for someone with more authority, because it will cost you a trip to hellfire,” he growls.
They all disappear without missing a beat. Manella’s harsh expression crumples, and he turns, grabbing Lamar by the shoulders and lifting him until he can hug him.
“I didn’t do it, my prince,” Lamar says on a choked sob. “I have no reason to.”
That’s…confusing.
“I know,” Manella says, soothing him as he strokes his hair.
I stare, unable to look away, at the clear devotion and genuine concern etched in Manella’s tired and exhausted face, as though he’s lived days in a tortured nightmare.
He kisses the top of Lamar’s head, and pulls back before saying, “Un Bracco.”
The cuffs fall away, and suddenly Lamar is shoving his hands into Manella’s hair, dragging him down to kiss him the most passionately I’ve ever seen anyone kissed.
I turn away to give them privacy, since this feels far more intimate than anything I’ve ever witnessed the guys do. And I’ve seen them do far more scandalous things than simply kiss.
Since I can still feel the comforting presence of the guys, I’m assuming we’re still in hell, even if this side of hell is a lot more glamorous.
When I hear the kiss break, both of them panting for air, I turn around to see their foreheads pressed together, each clinging to the other.
“You have to run,” Manella says, looking over his shoulder before his eyes meet Lamar’s again.
My heart stutters.
“I can’t,” Lamar says with a sad smile. “They’ll believe I’m guilty then.”
Manella shakes his head. “You don’t understand; someone is in my father’s ear right now. Whatever is going on with the three remaining quads in the group has him on high alert. He’s brought all three sets here to stay hidden in the throat, convinced they’ll all be safe. Someone put that idea into his ever maddening head.”
I take a seat, because this just got good.
I can’t wait until the day I can have popcorn for moments like these.
“Which means someone is setting the quads up to die in here. The guards can’t be trusted, if that’s the case, because they’ll be the only ones able to get in there besides the escorts,” Manella goes on, staring Lamar in the eye. “They’ll come for you too. This is an attack on the family.”
Lamar shakes his head, clasping Manella’s hand. “If I run right now, they’ll know you set me free. Lucifer will believe you’re the one behind all this.”
“He already suspects as much. I have no envy and no greed—he knows this when he’s rational. I pointed out it made no sense for you to stab an elder and not ensure his death while wearing your true form. Why wouldn’t you conceal your identity? I’ve asked all the obvious questions to my father, and still he insists it was you, and no doubt he believes you were acting on my behalf. I’d rather him banish me than allow you to be killed,” Manella continues.
Those are actually good questions. If he could change into anyone, then why wouldn’t he just look like someone else in front of Harold, in the event the elder survived? Especially since he didn’t stick around to see if Harold died.
Another shape shifter would have a lot more to gain by framing Manella, who was already a suspect.
“I have no clue who is doing this, or they’d already be dead,” Manella continues, a growl to his words.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lamar says, his jaw tightening as determination steals his features. “I’ll continue to proclaim my innocence until they silence me. I’ll never let them take you down with me. I’ve already proven I never confessed as they tried to claim I did.”
Manella whispers some words, and a small grouping of words appear on Lamar’s forearm.
“Use that. Get out of here if they come for you. Do not die. That’s a direct order from your prince,” Manella says, clearing his throat as though he’s trying to rein in his emotions.
I bounce out of my seat, seeing the weird words. I’m not sure what language this is, but I hope I can say those words close enough to get the guys out.
Lamar bends, picking up his cuffs and begins putting them back on.
“Say you understand me,” Manella snaps.
Lamar gives him a watery smile.
“My time is up, my prince. I’ll see you soon.”
Before Manella can argue, the doors open, and Lamar disappears, even though another person never comes in here. Well, shit.
That’s not good. How the hell am I supposed to get back to the throat?
Then again, I found the answers to escape, discovered Manella and Lamar look to be getting framed, all in less than ten minutes of being down here. It’s likely I could discover so much more down here if I had more time.
That explains why the guys want access to this area so badly.
The doors slam shut, sealing me inside with Manella. And I watch as the dark prince sags to a chair…and cries. He seems far less evil when he’s a man weeping with a broken heart.
No way would he send his love to go after the guys if the price would be his life. He’s not willing to sacrifice anything so important to him.
Manella stands, slinging a lamp across the room. It passes through me and shatters on the wall at my back. Then he breaks.
He drops to the ground, sobbing so fiercely that it’s impossibly painful to watch. My chest feels like it’s going to cave in on itself just to help bear some of the weight of his misery.
“I’m going to help you too,” I groan aloud, hating myself as I turn to pass through the wall beside me and give him his privacy in this moment.
I can’t believe I’m going to help the son of the devil that my guys are convinced is working against them. I was convinced of it too…until today.
Blowing out a breath, I ignore my own mist of ghostly tears. They’re definitely going to hate me once I defend Manella and Lamar.
The sooner I can sever this link between us, the better. Even if it does feel like excruciating fire in my chest to even think about.