Page 102 of Wicked Lord

Mother-fucking hell. I had feelings for Lorelei Battenberg. I didn’t just want to bang her once in my car. I wanted so much more. And, I wanted to protect her from that sadistic prick Brock.

If I ended our fake relationship, it would leave her vulnerable to Haversham. I’d rather cut off my own hand than let that bastard so much as lay one dirty finger on her.

“I want to be with you, Axel.” Cordelia’s slurred voice yanked me out of my dark thoughts, and her eyes closed just as she murmured one last thing. “Can’t you break up with Lorelei for me?”

A creak echoed, and Lorelei appeared, her hand trembling as she set the bottle of water by Cordi’s bedside table. “I should go.”

Shit. She’d heard Cordi’s confession.

An invisible fist punched a jagged hole through my chest.

“Lore, wait.” I bolted off the bed, followed her into the hall, and snatched her wrist before she could get too far. “I don’t know what?—”

She jerked out of my hold and crossed her arms over her chest. That icy, aloof façade rebuilt around her again, but it didn’t mask the pain in her eyes.

“This is what you want. Our fake relationship worked.” She flicked her hand toward the door. “You got the girl of your dreams to admit she wants you.”

“But things are more complicated now.”

Lorelei scoffed. “Why? Because you suddenly feel some need to protect me against Brock?” She flicked her blond locks behind her shoulders. “I’m a big girl, Axel. I can handle him and anything else life throws my way. I don’t need you or anyone else.”

She stormed off as my phone buzzed in my pocket. I snatched it out, hoping it was Lexi or Killian. The supposed girl of my dreams, the one I worked my ass off to make jealous, was begging me to be with her, but my heart ached for someone else.

Frost suddenly crawled down my spine as I read the text from the same unknown number Brock had used.

Unknown: Your friends should be more careful when crossing the street.

Had that sick son of a bitch sent someone after Cordi, or had Lorelei been his intended target?

CHAPTER 42

PLAN B

Lorelei

Dammit, you’re such an idiot, Lorelei. I buried my head under the pillow and curled into the fetal position under the comforter. I’d barely slept all night, tossing and turning andnotcrying. The clock on the nightstand taunted me, the bright red numbers reminding me it was well past noon, and I was still curled up in bed drowning in misery. Over my fake boyfriend.

My phone buzzed again, but I ignored it for at least the tenth time this morning. Axel had called and texted dozens of times since last night, but I just couldn’t talk to him right now. I didn’t have it in me to plaster on that fake smile and pretend to be happy for him and Cordelia.

If that car horn hadn’t interrupted us, we would have had sex, no doubt about it. Axel wanted it as badly as I did in that moment, but now, I was relieved we hadn’t gone through with it. Because it only would have made everything more difficult.

It was bad enough that we'd done other things…

How could I have forgotten the most important rule?

I hadn’t just forgotten, I’d stomped all over it and ground it into dust. Not only had I caught feelings for Axel, I was in love with him. Something that hadn’t happened… Ever.

And now, Cordelia wanted him back, and they’d be together and live happily ever after. My plan had worked flawlessly. For him. I, however, was shit out of luck and stuck with the repulsive Brock Haversham.

My skin crawled at the thought of that creep’s hands on me. Nope, I’d rather be poor, no doubt about it. In fact… I shoved the fluffy comforter back and forced myself to sit up. One night of wallowing in self-pity was more than enough. Lorelei Battenberg would not take this lying down. If my fake relationship with Axel was over, I needed to get to work on Plan B, ASAP.

If my father planned to cut me off, I’d just have to find a way to support myself. And I knew exactly where to begin. It only involved asking my fake boyfriend for one last favor… But he kind of owed me now that I’d gotten him Cordi back.

My phone vibrated again, and Axel’s face flashed across the screen. Sucking in a deep breath, I forced my finger to swipe right.

“Hey,” I muttered, my voice raspy from all the crying.

“Damn it, Lorelei, why didn’t you answer any of my fucking calls or texts? I’ve been going crazy thinking something happened to you. I was a second away from marching over there and breaking down your damned door.”