Free Kiss of the Goblin Prince by Shona Husk

Turn yourself in.”
    “I’ve done nothin’ wrong.”
    Amanda swallowed. He’d slipped, gone back to where he was when she’d first started seeing him. Maybe further, since he saw nothing wrong with violence to get his way. How could she help him? She didn’t know, but she had to protect her own family.
    She got up from the table, and Flynn stood too. He was the same height as her, a boy almost a man and one capable of beating a man senseless. There was a hard glint in his pale eyes she’d never seen before. Was that how he’d looked before attacking? Dazed by the attraction of gold?
    His gaze dropped to her hand and the shining gold band on her finger. Her wedding ring. No. He couldn’t have that. Matt had placed it on her finger. She put her hand behind her back, but it was too late. He’d seen it and wanted the gold.
    “Give me the ring.”
    “Flynn…” She started backing away. The table was still between them but not for long.
    He eased around the chairs and stalked her. Oh God, she was going to have to give him the ring to get out of there.
    “Mom, hurry up,” Brigit yelled.
    Flynn tilted his head as if startled. “Give me the gold.”
    “You’ll let me go?”
    “Gold.” He held out his hand, still several paces away.
    She pulled the ring off her finger and threw it across the floor. It bounced over the tiles, but she was already running. She slammed the door and got into the car. Brigit buckled herself in as they reversed out the driveway.
    “Where are we going?”
    “I don’t know.” Where was she going? What the hell was she going to do? Her hand shook as she shifted gears, her finger strangely naked. Her house had been invaded, but the loss of the ring hurt more, like she’d lost her armor against the world.
    She stopped around the corner at the park where Brigit liked to play and rang the police. By the time they arrived, Flynn was gone and so was her ring. No doubt he’d add it to his hoard. While she knew it wasn’t his fault, she needed someone to blame. And it was easier to blame Flynn than herself. If she’d taken the ring off years before, it would have been safe, but instead she wore it because she was scared that if she took it off she wouldn’t think of Matt.
    While the police waited, she packed a bag for Brigit and herself. Even though it went against every instinct, she was taking the cops’ advice and staying with Eliza. Just for a few days, until they caught Flynn. They kept reminding her how lucky she was.
    Lucky.
    That summed up her life. Lucky. How lucky she was to lose her father to early onset dementia; by the time she was twelve he didn’t know who she was. Lucky her mother quit her job to care for him and left her to sort out herself. Lucky to lose Matt, have his child, have a sickly daughter, and be dependent on the Coulter Trust to make ends meet.
    Lucky her.
    She clamped her teeth together as another wave of self-pity broke over her back. She forced a breath out between her teeth. It could be worse. There was always someone worse off. She didn’t want to believe that. She wanted to wallow, even though she’d sworn long ago not to do that. It was a trap. Once in the mud it had a tendency to cling and suck her down. She couldn’t afford to get stuck in the mire.
    Brigit was talking the cop’s ear off in the kitchen. She was excited to be staying overnight with Eliza. To a kid, everything was a new adventure. To Amanda, it felt like defeat. She worked hard, damn hard to get there. To get to college, to finish college, to buy a house, and raise her daughter. Outrage got her moving again. She would get her life back; there was just a temporary hiccup.
    She finished packing, rounded up Brigit and Sheriff, and off they went. The only night she’d ever spent under the Coulter roof was after Matt had a party while his parents were away. His father never approved of her—she didn’t have the right background. Yet she knew exactly which room she would be sleeping