Royal Escape: The Complete Series

by Peak, Renna

  “Really?” I lift my head, finally turning to look at him. “You’re not just saying that?”

  He frowns at the very suggestion. “Why would I lie to you, Clara? I’m a man of my word—”

  He’s cut off by me lunging at him, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek.

  “I want to come,” I tell him. “I really, really do.”

  His mouth twists up into a smile, and my heart pitter-patters at the sight. He so rarely smiles, but when he does, it lights up his whole face. And he’s smiling at me, at the idea of me coming to Montovia with him.

  Before I can tell him how handsome he looks, he leans his face down and kisses me. It feels like it’s been forever since we kissed, but my body hasn’t forgotten how to respond. If anything, the wait has made me even hungrier for him. Heat rushes across the surface of my skin, and my stomach ties itself in knots as I stand up on my toes and kiss him back with everything I have.

  Without warning, he suddenly scoops me up in his arms. I squeak against his mouth but refuse to let go.

  “What are you doing?” I ask him as he carries me deeper into that barn.

  “What I’ve wanted to do all week,” he says. “Since the last time we kissed in here.”

  He carries me into one of the empty stalls. The floor is covered in fresh, dry straw, and he carefully lowers me down to the ground. As he does, he lets his mouth drop from my lips down the side of my throat, and I sigh as goosebumps ripple across my skin.

  Everything has changed so fast. A little over a week ago I thought Nick was just a rancher, that I’d be spending the foreseeable future right here on his land with him. Now, my whole world has turned itself upside. I don’t know what to believe anymore, but that thought doesn’t bother me as much as it originally did. Because I know one thing, as much as I can know anything at this moment—right now, I belong with this man. Wherever that leads.

  And with that thought, I pull Nick down on top of me.

  Nicholas

  After we make love, I pull a blanket over us, and we lie in silence for a few moments. Clara clings to my chest, my arms wrapped around her.

  She’s the first to speak, her voice little more than a whisper. “This is weird, isn’t it?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.” I kiss the top of her head. “I can think of no place I’d rather be.”

  “Really?” She tilts her head against my arm to look up into my eyes. “No place?”

  “No place at all.” I press another kiss to her forehead. “If you’d like, we can lie here all night.”

  “But that’s not what I meant.” Her smile falls a bit as she stares up at me. “This is weird. You and me.”

  “There’s nothing weird about it.” I’m not sure how to convince her—I’m not even sure why she’s suddenly questioning everything now, though she’s certainly been through a lot in the past day or so. Finding out my true identity couldn’t have helped matters much for her.

  I tighten my hold on her, pressing my lips to her temple before speaking again. “When we get to Montovia, we’ll—”

  “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Nick?” She turns to look up at me with wide eyes. “I mean, is your family really going to accept me?”

  “You’ve met my sister. She seems to adore you. The rest of them aren’t so different.”

  “Right.” She gives me a look I can’t quite decipher—something between amusement and disbelief. She lifts her hand to my chest, placing it flat against my skin. “Maybe we should run off together. We can get a trailer for the horses, find somewhere else to go—”

  “We can’t run away, Clara.” Even as I say the words, I realize the mistake I’ve made.

  Her smile falls immediately, and she averts her gaze.

  I place my hand over hers. “What I mean to say, is that we shouldn’t run away from here, but rather we should move toward something.”

  “You’re so weird.” She shakes her head before she looks back up at me, her eyes wet. “I don’t want to run anymore, either. I just…” She frowns, and it appears as though she’s holding back tears.

  I find that I only want to make her happy—whatever it takes. “We can do whatever you like, Clara. If you’d rather we try to find someplace here, we can—”

  “No.” She gives me a forced smile. “No, I want to go with you. To Montovia.”

  I stroke her hair as I look down into her eyes. “We don’t have to go to the capital, the palace. My family owns several estates in the countryside.” I nod, mostly to myself. I haven’t seen my cousins in ages, but perhaps it would be best not to go directly to the palace. I can’t imagine anyone in my family would have a problem with Clara, but I can’t deny that it’s quite likely some sort of drama will be stirred up if we should go there.

  “Really?” She gives me a weak smile. “Would there be horses?”

  “Many horses. And I’ll arrange to have ours brought to Montovia as soon as possible. I know you’ve grown to love them.”

  “I’ve grown to love a lot of things.” Her eyes widen as though she’s said something she didn’t mean. “I meant, here. About here. You know, the ranch.”

  I smile down at her, continuing to stroke her hair before I place another kiss on her forehead. “I know exactly what you meant.” I look into her eyes for a long moment. “And I hope you’ll grow to love Montovia equally as much.”

  Clara

  It’s hard to believe that I’m going to Montovia. A week ago I had no idea who Nicholas was and thought I’d stay in Firebird Falls forever. Not even two months ago I was living in New York and engaged to Adam. My life has changed so much so fast that I’m surprised I don’t have whiplash.

  As I zip up my suitcase, I stare around the bedroom one last time. I might not have been here long, but I’ve come to think of this room as mine. And I’m going to miss it. I wander over to the window and take in the breathtaking view. Will Montovia look anything like this? Or will this be the last time I see anything this beautiful? Nick has decided not to sell this place just yet, but I know it will be a long time before I come here again. If I ever do.

  There’s a soft knock on my door. A moment later, Sophia pokes her head in.

  “Are you ready?” she asks.

  I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  She grabs one of my bags, and I grab the other and my suitcase and follow her down the stairs. Pax and Nick are already loading things into the truck. Most of the new things we bought for the house will be left here—the furniture, the kitchen supplies, things like that—at least until Nick decides what to do with the place. Nick and I took the horses over to the Waters’ place this morning, where they’ll be boarded for a couple of days until they can be transported across the ocean. I only teared up a little when we said goodbye to them. If I didn’t know I’d get to see them again soon, I would have bawled like a baby.

  “Is that everything?” Nick asks me as he helps load my things into the bed of the truck.

  “Yes,” I tell him. “That’s everything.”

  Without a word, he turns and looks back at the house. He hides it well, but I know he’s just as sorry as I am to leave, even if he’s the one who proposed this in the first place.

  “Let’s go,” he says finally. “I don’t want to spend all day on the road.”

  The nearest airport is a couple of hours away in Bozeman. Nick managed to charter a private plane so we could fly to Montovia directly, but we have to get to the airport first.

  All four of us pile into the car. Nick is driving—he shot down Sophia’s suggestion of hiring a private car, though I have no idea what he intends to do with his truck when we reach the airport—but I think he planned it this way on purpose. Nick seems to like driving. As he settles behind the wheel, a sort of calm determination takes over his features.

  As he pulls down the driveway, I twist around in my seat, looking back at the ranch. My heart aches, but I promise myself that I’ll come back here someday. No matt
er what. I’ll sleep in that house again, run across those flowery fields, ride Pom down one of the trails. I will.

  Nick doesn’t even glance back. But I’m sure he’s said his goodbye in his own way. I know how much this place meant to him. Means to him.

  The car ride is a quiet one. Even Sophia and Pax seem to catch the solemnity Nick and I feel.

  And I don’t mind being quiet for once. I let myself enjoy the scenery, staring with wonder at the fields and rivers and forests we pass. I count the horses I spot in the pastures, and I try to pick out shapes in the clouds. Anything to keep my mind off of leaving my new home.

  I make myself think about Montovia, too. I don’t know anything about the place aside from the odds and ends I’ve picked up from all the news coverage of the royal family. How different will it feel from the places I’ve known? Are the people friendly? What will Nick’s family think of me?

  It’s almost a shock when we finally reach the airport.

  This is it, I think as I climb out of the car. I’m really doing this. I’m really leaving for Montovia. It absolutely terrifies me, but when I look at Nick, something swells in my chest and I know I’m making the right choice.

  As we finish loading all our things onto a luggage trolley, I lace my fingers through his. He looks down at me in surprise.

  I grin back. “You ready?”

  He raises my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “Yes.”

  And for a moment, the fear disappears and I feel nothing but excitement.

  I also feel a little guilty. Since the whole surprise wedding thing, I haven’t talked to my family. They know I’m going to Montovia, but I should probably give them a few more details. And promise them that I’m not running away forever. They’re still my family. I pull my cell phone out of my purse and pull my hand from Nick’s.

  “I just want to call my mom before we go,” I tell him when he gives me a curious look.

  If he’s worried about me talking to my mom, he doesn’t show it. He gives a small nod and walks away to give me some privacy.

  There are a couple of new messages. I’m not surprised, after the way I left things. It’s probably a good idea to listen to them before I call so I can gauge my parents’ current mood. I might be walking straight into a battlefield, but at least I don’t have to do it blind.

  Sure enough, the first message is from Mom. She rambles on for a bit about how she’s worried about me, how she wants me to come home and go see her therapist, but by the end of the message she’s talking about how handsome Nick is and how she’s always wanted to go to a royal wedding. She even asks if I might be able to get her free transportation to Montovia to come visit me. I smile to myself. My mom can be difficult sometimes, but I’m glad she’s coming around.

  Then the next message plays.

  I was expecting it to be another one from my mom—she does that sometimes, calling back immediately to ramble on about something she forgot to say in her first message—but it’s not. I recognize Adam’s voice immediately, even though it sounds kind of off. Almost like he’s drunk.

  “I’m not letting you go, Clara,” he slurs. “You’re mine. And I always get what’s mine. Always. You tell that fucking prince of yours that I’m coming for you.”

  The bottom drops out of my stomach. I thought this was over. Prayed it was. What I did to Adam was heartless and wrong, but there’s no way to go but forward. Will Adam haunt me for the rest of my life?

  I drop my phone from my ear. I don’t think I have the energy to call my mom anymore.

  Nick is looking my way, frowning.

  “Is something wrong?” he asks, coming over.

  I shake my head fervently. “No. It’s fine.” There’s no reason he needs to know about Adam’s drunk, stupid message. We’ll be in Montovia soon, and all this will be behind us. There will be an ocean between Adam and me, and that should be enough.

  Nicholas

  There’s no doubt Clara received some sort of troubling news as she checked her phone, but she does her best to hide whatever it is that happened.

  The plane ride to Montovia is fairly uneventful, though Pax does his best to needle me every chance he gets.

  The four of us are sitting in the main part of the cabin as we prepare to land.

  Pax and Sophia sit across from Clara and me. He smirks, looking between the two of us. “Don’t worry. The stick seems to magically come out of Nick’s ass as soon as he lands in Montovia.”

  “Pax…” My sister grasps his forearm. “Let it go.”

  “That’s what I’m saying, though.” He grins. “He lets it go as soon as he breathes. It’s like taking in the air there loosens up his—”

  “Pax.” My sister gives him a curt shake of her head. “That’s enough.”

  My sister’s husband laughs. “He knows I’m just kidding. Don’t you, Nicky?”

  I say nothing, merely stare behind him at the bulkhead of the plane. Better to think of other things than to engage my brother-in-law in a verbal sparring match. Though he’s as obnoxious a man as I’ve ever known, my sister loves him. And while I’ve come to tolerate him, he’s still usually gets on my every nerve.

  Clara takes my hand in hers and leans over to whisper into my ear. “My mom always told me to ignore it—that it makes you the bigger person. I say you let him have it.”

  I pull away from her to look down into her eyes, giving her a smile. Perhaps she’s right—though royal decorum would certainly argue against it.

  But I’m not one to throw barbs at a member of my family. I leave those sorts of things to my brothers Leopold and William. But I’ll admit, it is drama such as this that makes me not want to spend a moment inside the palace. Perhaps we won’t go at all. Perhaps we should just go to one of my family’s estates, far away from the capital city. It won’t be as far away as my ranch in Montana, but still far enough from my family that I won’t have to deal with any of their constant drama.

  Sophia interrupts my thoughts. “Mother is looking forward to seeing you, Nick. I told her you’d be happy to spend some time at the palace before you—”

  “You what?” I’m not sure what my sister is thinking making a promise like that for me..

  Sophia’s eyes widen slightly. “I told her she should meet our lovely Clara. And Mother has been worried sick about you, Nick. It was why she asked Pax and me to go to fetch you in the first place.”

  “I’m in no need of being fetched, Sophia.” I shake my head. “And we’re not going to the palace.”

  My sister and Clara seem to speak in unison.

  Clara’s eyebrows draw together. “We’re not?”

  Sophia seems equally surprised, saying, “You’re not?” at the same time.

  “No.” I set my jaw. “We’re not.”

  “And where will you go? It isn’t as though there are many places to hide from us in Montovia, Brother.” If I didn’t know better, I’d say my sister appeared almost disappointed at the news.

  “And what difference does it make?” I give Clara’s hand a squeeze as I turn to her. “There are a number of lovely—rural—places in Montovia. I thought we might—”

  “Mother will have your head if you don’t at least stop to say hello. She hasn’t seen you in months—”

  “And what of it? I’m a grown man—”

  Sophia interrupts with a sharp shake of her head. “If you are in the same country, you are obligated—”

  “Forgive me,” I say, interrupting my sister as I turn to her husband. “You were just in the same country as your mother, were you not? Did you stop by to say hello to her before you traversed to my property?”

  “I…” Pax turns to look between Sophia and me. Sophia gives him a tilt of her head, obviously signalling what she wants him to say. “Uh, no. No, I didn’t. But…but I would have. If we’d been in the area or something.” He gives Sophia a weak smile. “And I did call her—”

  “Of course you did. Because you’re a good son.” Sophia crosses her arms
over her chest. “Nicholas on the other hand—”

  “Forgive me, Sister, but you’ve no right to say such things. I spoke to Mother before I left. I told her my plans, not that it is any of your concern.”

  “It is every bit my concern, Nick. You weren’t the one asked to go and check on her brother when he didn’t return phone calls for many weeks.”

  I let out a long breath, trying to calm myself—it isn’t worth getting angry about this, but it is difficult for me to bear witness to my sister’s hypocrisy. “Sophia, perhaps you recall what transpired when you decided to take up with your…husband.” I glance over at Pax, who now seems to be doing his best to stare at the bulkhead behind my shoulder. “I do seem to recall that I was asked to go and check on my sister. In fact, I was required to live with you—”

  “I would hardly say it is the same thing.” Sophia works her jaw for a moment. “It wasn’t like I just went and disappeared—”

  “Okay.” Pax takes Sophia’s hand in his. “I think we all get it. The tables have turned and whatever.” He gives me a weak smile. “And I probably did give you way too much hell back then.” He shrugs before breaking into a grin. “Some things’ll never change.”

  “Sophia, I presume you can give our mother the message that I am fine, and that I am in the company of a fine woman. One who will be accompanying me to the countryside. And if mother—or father—has issue with that, they can bring it to me themselves.”

  My sister gives me a look of exasperation. “One day Nick. That’s all I’m asking you to commit to. One day. Come home and see Mother and Father. Visit with your new niece and your nephew.”

  “I’d rather not, Sister.” I don’t dare tell her I’d rather stab my eyes with daggers than visit with babies, but I refrain. My siblings have chosen to have their families, and that it wonderful for them. It just isn’t something I want any part of.

  But the look on Clara’s face gives me pause. She smiles at me, and I swear, I want nothing more than to see that look upon her face every day forever. “The royal babies… I forgot all about the royal babies…” She whispers the words, but I can hear the wonder in her voice. “Oh my God. Is this really happening?”