I’m sick of all the goddamn tests. I’m totally fine, but because I’m the Prince, they’re going to triple check every last possibility before letting me go.

I hate being in this fucking hospital room. At least Mila is up and moving around, despite her condition. They’re treating me like a fucking child. We’ve been here for a day now, pushing two days. Mila is downstairs finishing up an MRI while I eat dinner from a little tray in my bed like I’m an invalid.

All told, we got off easy. I have a fractured arm, which isn’t even that bad, plus some bruising. The driver has a broken arm and the guard in the front passenger seat has a fractured skull and a broken ankle. Mila is probably the worst of all us: fractured skull, broken ribs, and more bruising than I care to see.

But she’s an amazing woman regardless. She’s up on her feet already, although it’s probably hard to walk around with all that pain from the broken ribs. I can tell she labors sometimes when she starts to breathe too fast, but she’s going to hide any discomfort as much as she can, just because that’s the way she is.

I can’t help but smile when I think about her. I hate myself for putting her into this position, but I’m so proud and impressed by the way she’s handled things. She hasn’t run away, and instead insists that she’s staying longer. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I’ll let her think it for now at least.

I look up as the door clicks and slides open. Mila steps into the room and shuts the door behind her. She looks so gorgeous, even in her silly hospital gown. She grins at me as she walks over and sits in the chair next to my bed.

“How was it?” I ask her.

“Doctor says I’m fine,” she says.

“I don’t believe you.”

She shrugs. “No serious brain damage. I’ll be good to go in another day.”

“Perfect,” I say. “We can get you on a flight back home the day after.”

She watches me for a second and takes a deep breath. I catch her wince but she doesn’t look away from me. “Bran, we need to talk.”

“You’re not staying,” I say to her.

“Bran,” she says.

“Mila, please.” I reach out and take her hand. “You have to go. I can’t stand to see you get hurt again.”

“Bran.” She stares into my eyes. “I’m going on a mission for your mother.”

I blink, surprised. “You’re doing what?” I ask.

“She came to me yesterday while you were getting your arm X-rayed,” she says, keeping steady eye contact. I can feel myself getting angry already, but I have to admit that I’m impressed by how serious she is.

“And she wants you to go on a secret mission?” I ask a little jokingly.

“Yes,” she says. “Something like that.”

“Come on, Mila. What are you talking about?”

“Your mother believes that Blaz Perko will talk to me. She believes he’ll open up to me, if I give him the impression that I want to turn against you.”

I stare at her, totally uncomprehending. I can’t believe my mother would actually go behind my back with this. Aleks had mentioned using Mila as bait already, but I assumed that was some off-the-cuff suggestion. But if it’s coming from my mother then that means it has some serious weight behind it.

My mother doesn’t suggest plans that don’t have a strong shot at working, especially when they’d endanger someone I care about. Still, she should never, ever ask someone like Mila to put themselves at greater risk. Mila has given enough already. It’s horrible to ask her to do more.

“You can’t do this,” I say to her.

“Bran, I have to. I need to do this.”

“Do you know who my mother is?” I ask her, more harshly than I intended. “She’s Bellestan’s spymaster. She plays games within games. You can’t do this.”

Mila frowns and shakes her head. “I don’t care who she is. Would she ask me to do something dangerous?”

“Yes,” I say, and I know that it’s true. My mother would do anything for Bellestan.

“Would she ask me to do something dangerous that I can’t possibly do?”

I hesitate a second and sigh. “No,” I say.

“Then I have to do it.”

“Why?” I ask her. “I don’t understand. Before, this was just some business deal for you.”

“Things changed,” she says softly. “I love this place now. I want to help you. I’ve come this far.”

“You don’t owe me this. You don’t owe any of these people anything.”

“Maybe,” she says softly. “But I’m also angry. I’m angry that assholes like Blaz Perko can trick people. And I guess I want a little revenge.”

I stare at her and feel something inside of me breaking. I can’t let her do this, but it sounds like I don’t have much choice.

I reach over and take her hand. I pull her onto the bed and move over. She curls up next to me, head resting on my chest.

I pull her close and hold her like that, not saying anything. I don’t know what I can possibly say to change her mind. I’ve seen that look on her face before, though not many times. It’s the look of someone who’s so sure that what they’re doing is right. You can’t change the mind of someone with that look, although I know I’m going to keep trying. I won’t just let her walk off and do something dangerous, not if I can help it.

I hold her close against me and feel her breathing. I brush the hair from her face and lean down to kiss her. She tips her chin up and our lips touch, sending shivers down my spine.

The kiss lasts longer than I expected and I can feel something inside of me rising. She adjusts herself, not breaking the kiss and wraps her legs around my hips, straddling me.

I pull her close, but not too tightly, since I know her ribs are broken. I can feel her breasts against my chest through the thin hospital gown, and I know she can feel my hard cock getting even harder. She kisses me deeply and passionately. It’s the kiss of someone that survived death and is willing go up against it again. I kiss her back, knowing full well that I can’t stop her, and wanting this moment more than anything else.

She leans back, still straddling me, and pulls her gown off in one easy swoop. She tosses it aside and I smirk at her. “I guess those are good for something,” I say.

She laughs and leans forward again. I tease her breasts and I kiss her. I slide my hands down and cup her perfect round ass before moving one hand down between her legs.

She’s dripping wet already. I tease her clit as my other hand cups her ass. I kiss her full and deep. My heart is hammering and I know we could get caught at any moment, but I don’t care. I need this so badly it almost fucking hurts.

She reaches back with one hand and strokes my cock as I slide two fingers inside of her, making her gasp. I fuck her tight little pussy with my fingers, sliding them in and out of her, as she strokes my cock the best she can.

After a moment, she shrugs back and pushes my gown up around my hips. She wiggles her ass and grab my cock as she presses it against her tight little pussy.

We lock eyes as she slowly slides down. I groan softly as I push inside of her, filling her tight, warm little pussy. I grab her ass and push her all the way down, making her take my full cock. I want her to feel every fucking inch of me inside of her tight little pussy.

She moans and starts to move her hips. I don’t push her, I just let her do what she can. I know she’s still injured, and my arm fucking hurts, but I’m not stopping. I grab her hair and kiss her hard as she works her hips, sliding along my cock.

“I’ve been needing this,” I whisper in her ear. “I need your little pussy, my Princess, so fucking badly. I need to feel your skin. I dream about it.”

“I needed it too,” she groans, working her hips faster, riding my cock. “I need to feel you come inside of me. Can you do that? Can you come inside of me?”

“Yes,” I grunt. “I’ll fill you up, Princess. You just keep riding that cock.”

She works her hips as I tease her breasts. Her face is a mask of pure pleasure and I know she’s been desperate for this too. She writhes and gyrates her hips, working my cock, and I slide myself back to pump into her. I fuck her as she rides me, and we get into a perfect fucking rhythm, my big cock tearing into her tight little pussy, her thick hips working in tight perfect circles.

I grab her hair again, pulling her close to me. I kiss her lips deeply, knowing that I’m getting close. She rides me faster, jerking and working her hips. Her pussy feels so fucking good, warm and tight, and I know I’m going to burst deep in her.

“Oh fuck, Bran,” she moans. “I’m so close. Can you feel it?”

“Yes,” I grunt. “I can feel it. I want you to come for me.”

“I need to come so bad.” She bites her lower lip as I slam into her. “I fucking need it.”

I grab her hips and thrust into her pussy as she continues to move along with me, riding my big dick. I can see the pleasure cresting in her face, and I can feel it building in my cock.

She puts her hands on my chest and slams herself down along my cock. She tips her head forward as she starts to come, her whole body tensing and shaking as the orgasm rips through her. I keep fucking her, not letting up, and I know I’m close. Seeing her fucking come like this drives me inside.

I explode inside of her pussy. I shove her down my cock as I come, wanting to fill her up as deeply as I can. She keeps moving her hips, sliding around and riding me. Slowly, we finish coming together.

She climbs off me, and I notice her wince. “Are you okay?” I ask.

“I am now,” she says, curling up against me again. I wrap my arms around her and pull her against me, tight but not too tight.

I kiss her hair and breathe her smell. I need her like this so badly, she probably doesn’t even realize it. “I can’t let you do it,” I whisper to her.

“I know.” She kisses me softly. “But that’s why I have to.”

We lapse into silence again. I hate that she’s going forward with this. But I know that no matter what, I’ll keep her safe. Nobody will ever touch her again.