He flinched at Drake’s angry words that’d been hurled at him when he’d tried one last time to stop Drake from confronting Arturo over embezzling part of their inheritance.

Only fifteen, Drake had thought himself man enough to fight.

And after Arturo had almost killed him for his adolescent stupidity and left the boy in intensive care, Darling had made the mistake of going to Ryn.

“You have to help us. Even though you’re illegitimate, you’re a direct blood descendant from the governor. The CDS can make a special accommodation for you to rule until I turn thirty.”

Just like Drake, Ryn had sneered in his face. “Forget it. You’re not dragging me back into that backbiting shithole. I’ve had enough of it. I don’t want your throne or anything else to do with Caronese politics. For the first time in my life, I’m happy and I intend to stay that way.” Ryn had tried to make him leave Ryn’s apartment, but Darling had refused to go.

“He’s going to kill them, Ryn. Don’t you understand? They won’t listen to me at all. Not my mother or Drake. No matter how much I beg or threaten them. Drake’s only getting worse as he gets older. He thinks he can take Arturo head on. And I’m tired of running interference between them. Of deflecting Arturo’s anger to me so he’ll leave them alone. Please? I can’t take it anymore. I can’t. I’m through being their punching bag. I just want to go to sleep one night in my shitty life and feel safe. Is that really too much to ask?”

Darling had gestured to his arm that Arturo had shattered when Darling had stupidly tried to kill him for what he’d done to Drake. “I’m still underage by our laws. And none of the other aristos will do anything to help us. Believe me, I’ve tried. The gerents are all too afraid of Arturo to back me without a stronger man to come in as my guardian. You told me that you’d be here if I needed you. I need you, big brother. We all do. Please, don’t do this to me. I’m begging you for mercy.”

Ryn shook his head in continual denial. “I love you, Darling. I do. But I’m not about to let you or anyone else drag me back to that hellhole. I’m not a politician and I don’t want to be one. Just go home where you belong. They’re your family, not mine. You deal with their psycho asses.”

In that second of panicked desperation, Darling had looked down at the scars on his wrists from when he’d tried to kill himself and, like Drake, he’d let his fury get the better of his tongue. He didn’t want to go back either. It wasn’t fair that Ryn had his freedom while he’d have to wait more than another decade for his. He was tired and frustrated.

Most of all, he was through with being the sole defender while he had an older brother who should have been willing to help them.