Amorevolous: (Savage Princess book 2)

  It’s a long way to happy ever after.

  Amorevolous

  Savage Princess: Book two

  Liberty Freer

  Copyright © 2021 Liberty Freer

  All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people, or real locations are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. (This also includes the cover image and/or cover model(s) appearing on the cover. The context of this book does not in any way depict the personal life said cover model(s). Image is licensed and used purely for fictional purpose only.)

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotation in a book review.

  Cover Designer: Dark City Designs.

  Edited by: Ellie McLove My Brother’s Editor.

  Proofread by: Moonlight proofreading

  Contents

  Copyright © 2021 Liberty Freer

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Epilogue

  One week later

  Eleven months and three weeks later

  Note from the author:

  About the author:

  Chapter 1

  Graysen’s words play out in my head. “Does your cousin know you’ve been fucking her boyfriend?” I don’t want to believe him, but I kind of have to because the proof is right fucking there.

  My cousin’s hands are all over Nick, and her body is pressed against his as their mouths move together. You’ve only known him a week, I tell myself. It doesn’t matter that he isn’t pushing her away or that they are still fucking kissing.

  It doesn’t matter. He was nothing but a good fuck. The anger flowing through my veins and the pounding of my heart against my chest says otherwise. I fucked up. Dominick Cabot wiggled his way into my head, but not my heart. Very few have made it that far.

  Just a few hours ago, his mouth was on mine. My hands fist at my side. I need to smash something. My whole body is on fire. I’m going to fucking explode. Nick and Molly finally break apart, but I’m still so fucking hurt. No, not hurt, furious. I’m shaking with rage. I need—

  “You look upset,” Graysen whispers with feigned concern.

  I twist to the side and look up at him. He’s close to six feet, not quite as tall as Nick but just as beautiful in a preppy way. I’ve never been into guys with such light hair. They seem too good and pure—everything I’m not. But right now, I don’t give a fuck. I’d corrupt a fucking priest and burn the church to the ground with the rage coursing through my veins. I know I’m not rational, but I can’t snap out of it.

  Nick used me, fucked with my head. Maybe he never really forgave me for going to the interview. Maybe he still isn’t convinced I’m Anna. When I told him and Aiden that Nora didn’t believe I was her daughter, I saw a spark of something in his eyes.

  All these thoughts flash through my mind within a few seconds, and I don’t think as I fist Graysen’s shirt, pull him down to my level, and then press my lips to his. Actually, press is too delicate of a word for what I do.

  Graysen’s hands settle on my hips, gripping tightly and then tugging so our bodies are pressed together. I run my fingers through his silky locks as our mouths move and our tongues tangle. He tastes like mint, clove, and revenge. I hope Nick’s watching this. I want to show him that he can’t hurt me. That had to be what he was trying to do. Hurt me like he thinks I’m going to hurt Aiden. Nick might not believe Aiden’s my brother, but two DNA tests and my memories say he is.

  Yanking Graysen’s hair, I punish his lips with mine. He lets me take out my frustration on his mouth until I’m ripped away, pulled so fast by my upper arms that my feet leave the ground. I stumble to the side as I’m released. Nick rushes past me to get in Graysen’s face.

  I quickly survey the room to see if my newly acquainted family members notice what’s going on. Only Molly, who is standing where Nick left her, is aware. She looks angry, but I’m angrier, and dammit, I don’t want to be. I hate her right now, which is ridiculous. She’s innocent in this. I’m the one in the wrong, fucking her boyfriend and all. Nick made me the other woman, and I despise the other woman.

  Nick’s growling something to Graysen like a caveman, and then he’s spinning around and charging at me. My eyes widen as I’m lifted off the ground, thrown over his shoulder, and swiftly taken from the room.

  “Put me the fuck down NOW!” I pound his back with my fists, but he continues down the hall at a quick pace. Anger clouds my brain to the point I know I won’t be able to control myself.

  He swings me forward, dropping me to my feet, but I lose balance and my ass hits the second step on the stairs. Glaring down at me, he’s breathing heavily, and so am I. Face to face with him, crippling betrayal has me on the verge of breaking down. Why does it hurt this bad?

  My emotions are all over the place. I want to punch him in the face, but I also want to curl in on myself and break down. Knowing I’ll probably regret doing either of those, I shoot to my feet, and then spin around to run, but he grabs me around the waist, pulls me down, and deposits me in front of him.

  “What the fuck, Hayley?” His angry expression changes into confusion and then pain, like he’s the one who’s hurt. Nick’s a good actor just like his cousin Rocco who is an actual actor. Maybe it runs in their shared blood.

  I lift my chin so I don’t appear weak. “When were you going to tell me you were fucking my cousin?” Saying the words out loud has my body heating up until my blood is boiling. I swing, my fist aiming for Nick’s face, but he catches my wrist and then the other. I attempt to yank free, but his hands tighten their hold.

  I brace for what’s coming. I know he can be rough, so I expect it to hurt. My eyes stay locked on his. I won’t back down. After a second, I frown because the hit doesn’t come. “I saw you kissing her, but I’m sure that was deliberate,” I hiss.

  “Fuck.” He squeezes his eyes shut and then opens them, his face softening. “No, Hayley. I didn’t want you to see that. It’s not what it looked like.”

  My brows draw together. He isn’t going to hit me? I swung first, so he has every right. I shake my head. “I don’t care. Kiss whoever the fuck you want.”

  “Like you kissed Graysen?” Showing his aggression, he jerks me forward, my chest hitting his muscled torso. “What the fuck was that? Revenge?�
��

  I twist my arms free. “Revenge?” I laugh darkly. “Nah, that was me showing you that I don’t give a fuck.” I shoulder check him before dashing up the stairs. Saying that and seeing his surprised reaction felt good, but the good feeling doesn’t last long. As soon as I’m alone in my room, my airway becomes tight, and my heart feels like it’s cracking in half.

  Lying on my back in bed, I stare up at the ceiling, but I can’t see the angels and flowers I know are painted up there because tears are filling my eyes. Don’t be a weak bitch, my mind growls. Do not cry over a stupid guy. I take a few deep breaths and the tears disappear, but the pain stays.

  “Have you calmed down yet?”

  “What do you want?” I ask Nick without looking at him. I don’t want to see his lying face.

  “I hate that you saw that. I don’t want to do anything to hurt you, Hayley. I told you it wasn’t what it looked like. Let me explain.”

  “Oh, so you aren’t fucking my cousin?” I feel the bottom of the mattress dip as he drops down.

  “I had fucked Molly. We dated for a few months last year. Tonight was the first time I’ve seen her since then.”

  I lift my head to study his face. He looks like he’s telling the truth.

  “Molly came here thinking she could get me back, but then she saw the way I was with you and flipped out. She was going to out me and you to the whole room, so I appeased her ass and said we’d talk about getting back together. She kissed me and I didn’t knock her on her ass like I wanted to. I figured it was better than her telling your whole family about us. Nora would have lost her shit, blamed us for ruining the party, and Aiden… Aiden would have been pissed that he heard it from someone else first. I didn’t want your grandmother—”

  “I get it,” I say, scooting back and sitting up. I want to believe him, and that sounds believable. I study his face, the anger I feel toward him shifting to Molly. “If that’s true, I’m going to kick my cousin’s ass. You better not be lying to me.” I swing my legs over the bed and stand. “I hate liars. I will cut you out completely.” I search his face for any sign of a tell, but I don’t find one.

  He leans forward and grips my chin between his fingers. “What was going through that pretty little head of yours? You think I was using you?”

  I pull away. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I don’t lie, and I don’t like liars.” He smiles and gets to his feet. “But you already knew that, didn’t you, princess?”

  I can’t help but smile as I think about how he treated me only a week ago because he thought I was lying. Nick Cabot definitely doesn’t like liars. “I was never scared of you,” I murmur.

  He runs his thumb over my bottom lip. “Tell the truth, Hayley. You looked a little scared when I had you pinned against the door of your friend’s house.” He moves his thumb away so he can press a kiss to my lips.

  “I wasn’t scared of you,” I whisper against his soft lips. “I was scared of what you knew.”

  His tongue sweeps into my mouth. He kisses me roughly, bruising my lips, and then pulls away.

  The amusement in his eyes fades. “Stay away from Graysen.”

  “Fine. Easy. But I’m going to kick Molly’s ass.” I arch a brow. “That isn’t a problem for you, is it?”

  Nick chuckles. “I’d expect no less, princess. You and I aren’t that different. Molly fucked with you, and she has to face the consequences. You can’t let that slide. That’s why I handled Miller. Nobody fucks with me, my family, or what’s mine.”

  I push down the warmth that wants to spread from his words—what’s mine. I wasn’t his then or now. He’s including me in the “my family” category because he considers my brother his family.

  “Why’d things end with Molly?” I ask.

  “She fucked Miller behind my back when she stayed with us last summer. I found out when Miller posted pictures of them together in bed. He loves attention.”

  I think about how Nick punched Miller in the face the other day at the party. I thought it was because Miller had threatened to expose my secret, but maybe not. “So that’s why you hate Miller,” I say absently.

  “I’ve never liked Miller. Him and I were never friends, and I don’t blame him for what Molly did. She’s the one who cheated. He was just being himself and using the opportunity to get noticed.”

  “I hate cheaters,” I say. “Just another reason to beat her ass.”

  “Nora.” Nick sighs. “You can’t go down there swinging.” He tilts his head to the side. “Well, you could, but Nora would flip, and Aiden hates to see Nora hysterical.”

  I crack my knuckles. Nora. The demon who holds a weight at my throat with her threat to hurt my dad. She is ruining everything. She called Graysen my fiancé, but Graysen didn’t seem surprised by it. Maybe fiancé means something else in her native language. Or maybe it was just Nora being Nora and trying to get under my skin. Aiden and Nick say she’s mentally ill, but I think she’s a calculated psychopath.

  She obviously didn’t kill Anna like the rumors suggest because here I am, but maybe she had something to do with the kidnapping. It would explain why she doesn’t believe I’m Anna. Maybe the kidnappers were supposed to kill me. I’d like to beat the shit out of Molly in front of Nora, let her see that I’m not someone to fuck with.

  Nick runs his finger over the wrinkle between my brows. “What are you thinking, princess?”

  “Why would Nora invite Graysen?”

  “Your grandmother probably invited him and his dad, Alexander. They’re still close with your extended family.”

  “That must be awkward for Nora. The guy she was supposed to marry shows up.” I nod to myself. Nora is probably having a mental breakdown. That would explain why she called Graysen my fiancé when it’s Graysen’s dad who was her fiancé once upon a time. She’s confused.

  I swing the bedroom door open. “I need you to lead Molly into the library for me.”

  Nick grins. “Anything for you, princess.”

  Chapter 2

  Nick’s on the other side of the room talking to Molly while I’m by the wide living room entrance saying goodbye to guests like Nora asked me to. Molly looked angry when Nick first approached but now she’s smiling and batting her fake lashes. Heat floods my face, bringing back the emotions I felt when I saw them kissing.

  Someone laughs and squeezes my hand. “Are you tired, Anna?”

  I tear my gaze away from Nick and Molly. Nora’s aunt—my great aunt, is standing in front of me looking amused. “Yeah, sorry. It’s been a long day.” I force a smile. “It was nice meeting you.”

  “I’m sure I’ll see you again soon. Take care, Anna.” She lightly pinches my cheek. “And get some rest.”

  My grandmother is the last one to leave. I put Nick and Molly to the back of my mind so I can give her my full attention.

  She pulls me in for a hug and then takes my hands. “I wish I could bring you home with me now, but I know Aiden isn’t ready to let you leave his side.” She kisses my cheek. “I love you, granddaughter.”

  “I’m glad I got to meet you,” I say with a smile.

  She turns to Nora, who’s standing next to me. “I want her on a plane to see me once Aiden’s settled at school. Liv too. Send both of my granddaughters.”

  Nora smiles tightly. “Of course.”

  Grandma winks and pulls me in for one more hug before walking away. My smile falls when my gaze lands on Nick and Molly again. Her hands are all over him as he leads her out of a side door that connects to a hallway near the library. I give them a five-second head start and then slip from the room as Nora’s opening her mouth, her face lined with anger. She calls after me as I speed walk away. No doubt she was about to tell me everything I did wrong today.

  My steps falter as I round the corner in the hall. Nick and Molly are standing outside of the library, but they aren’t alone. I recognize Graysen, but not the older man standing beside him. I slowly walk forward, hoping they’ll leave before I
make it to them. The older man’s hair is blond, wavy, and gelled. His bright blue eyes are ice cold and go well with the hard angles of his face.

  Molly sees me first. Her blue eyes harden, and she steps closer to Nick, pressing her flat chest against his side. The older man follows her gaze and narrows his eyes slightly before turning back to the cheating bitch.

  “Let’s go, Molly,” the man says, adjusting his suit jacket. “The driver’s waiting.”

  “What’s up?” I say to Nick, stepping next to him, and deliberately placing myself within arm’s reach of Molly.

  “Graysen and his dad are giving Molly a ride to her hotel,” Nick says tightly.

  “Really?” I glare at Graysen, not knowing if this was his plan all along or if he somehow figured out that I was going to beat her ass. “I think Molly should stay a little longer. I want to talk to her.”

  Molly scoffs. The sound and her sneer pushing me over the edge. I lunge, grabbing a fistful of her hair before anyone can stop me. “I heard what you were planning.” I yank her hair and she shrieks in pain.

  Her hands claw at the air wildly as she tries to scratch me with her acrylic nails. I kick her legs out from under her, sending her ass to the floor. A hand wraps around my upper arm and tugs, but I’ve got a strong hold of Molly’s hair, so her head gets jerked with me. She screams and whoever has my arm, lets go.

  I glance over my shoulder just as Nick’s stepping chest to chest with the older man. Graysen’s hard stare is on me, but he doesn’t make a move to stop me. I turn back to Molly, whose weak attempt at getting me to let go of her hair is only making me angrier. I rear back and swing. My fist nails the side of her face.

  Her head snaps to the side, and her scream bounces off the walls. She uses her arms to shield her face as best she can. I yank her hair again, and she whimpers.

  “Do not fuck with me. If my name—either of my names, leave your lips, I’ll cut them off. Who I’m fucking or not fucking is none of your business!” I shout in her face. I need to raise my voice for her to hear because Nick’s yelling at someone, probably the guy he was bowed up to.