by Rose, Louise
“Thanks, Lucas.” I lean over and kiss him on the cheek, unable to wipe the smile off my face as I polish off the rest of my breakfast burrito.
* * *
I agree to meet Lucas at the Bomber Derby later and get on my motorbike to go visit my best friend. Buzzing down the road, no guards looking over my shoulder, I feel free for the first time in I don’t know how long. If I want, I could simply ride off into the distance, but where I might have been tempted to do that just a few days ago, now that I have a plan to depose my father, I need to stick around. I am not going to abandon the town to the evil machinations of Solomon Archaic. I don’t know what’s behind all his trips to Italy, but whatever it is, it can’t be good. Someone has to stop him once and for all, and the only person who has a chance of doing that is me.
I am staying in this town for the time being.
Just like her brother, Milly has her own house on the grounds of the Knight estate. From the outside, it looks just like Archer’s, so I wasn’t expecting what greets me when I walk inside.
“Wow, Milly. This place is amazing!”
Archer’s house is very much a typical bachelor pad, with simple furniture and sleek lines. But Milly’s home is the complete opposite. The walls are painted with intricate murals, swirls of pastel colours sweeping across the surfaces. But over the murals are countless hand drawn images from manga comics, creating a mind-blowing montage I could look at for hours.
“Did you do all these?”
Milly nods. “Yeah. I wanted to take art A-level, but my dad wouldn’t let me. He says there’s no future in making comics and nobody wants to read my comics, anyway. I guess he’s right. I mean, I’m supposed to be a representative of House Knight. Comic illustrator isn’t exactly a popular career choice for my family.”
“I had no idea you could draw like this,” I say, still fascinated by the images surrounding me. “I wanted to do art as well, but my father made me choose between that and music.”
“I’m not surprised you went with music,” Milly says. “Your songs are so beautiful. And if you hadn’t chosen that subject, you and Declan would never have started writing together. I loved that song you sang at the concert about forbidden love. It filled me with emotion-–I’ve never had a boyfriend, let alone anyone who would look at me the way Declan was looking at you while you were singing.”
“So you know about Declan too, huh?”
“Everyone does,” Milly says. “I didn’t want to say anything because I figured you’d talk to me when you were ready. And obviously, I knew you had a thing with Archer, so I wasn’t sure if you wanted to discuss it with me in case I took my brother’s side against you.”
“And? Do you take his side?”
Milly shakes her head. “He’s absolutely head over heels in love with you, Ivy, but just because he has strong feelings for you doesn’t mean you have to reciprocate. I mean, I wouldn’t say no to a date with Declan. The way he tosses his hair gives me goosebumps!”
“Declan is pretty darned gorgeous,” I agree. “But then Archer’s just my type. If you asked me to describe my dream man, I’d give you a photo of him and call it done. The problem is, I like them both. They’re so different-–how can I choose between them? Declan’s really sweet. He’s never pressured me to do anything I didn’t want, and he really seems to care about my happiness. Like, if I choose Archer over him, he’d be sad, but he wouldn’t do anything to change my mind. He’d rather I was happy with Archer than miserable with him. Not that he’d make me miserable. Argh!” I could tear my hair out with frustration.
“And then there’s Romy. What’s the deal with you guys? I thought he’d be devastated when you married Lucas, but he seems to be fine.”
“That’s because everyone thinks Romy’s a player,” I remind her. “He’s good at putting up a front so no one knows how he really feels. That’s what I like about him. He intrigues me. He puts up a huge front so people think he’s nothing but a Casanova, but underneath all of that he’s really sensitive. He was devastated when I married Lucas, but he understood it wasn’t my fault. My marriage is a sham, so it’s not like anybody should take it seriously. I know who I want to be with, even if I tried to push them away. They know it too.”
“You don’t think you can figure something out with Lucas and make it work?” Milly asks. “I mean, plenty of arranged marriages turn out perfectly fine and you’ve got to admit that Lucas is really good looking.”
“You think?”
“Oh yes,” Milly gushes. “All the girls at school think so. If he didn’t have that ring on his finger, he’d have his pick. As it is, a few have tried to make a move on him.”
“Really?” I am surprised by the little pang of jealousy which hits me when I hear that.
“Yeah. Ally tried to get him to kiss her at the ball. She was probably trying to get back at you for stealing Declan from her.”
“I guess I can’t blame her for that,” I say. “Although, I didn’t exactly steal Declan. It was a little more complicated than that. I had no idea he had a girlfriend when we kissed and nothing more than that happened until after they broke up.”
“Lucas wasn’t interested though,” Milly told me. “He’s so loyal to you. When we danced together at the ball, all he could talk about was how cool you were and how you were even better in real life than your picture.”
“Is that right?”
“It was interesting though,” Milly says. “I got the impression that although he likes you a lot, it wouldn’t have mattered what you were like-–he would have married you anyway. It’s just that he likes you enough to see if you can make your marriage work right now. But there was a part of me that thought…”
Milly bites her lip and looks away.
“What is it, Mills? What did you think?”
“You’ll think I’m being silly.” Milly shakes her head and waves me away. “It’s not even appropriate for me to say. Forget I mentioned it.”
“You know I can’t do that, Mills. Just tell me. Whatever it is, it’ll be fine, but you’ve got me all intrigued now.”
Milly inhales deeply, not looking me in the eye. “I kind of got the impression he was flirting with me.”
“Flirting with you?” That’s the last thing I expected her to say.
“I know. It’s silly of me to even think about it. Like someone like Lucas would be interested in someone like me. He’s a great guy.”
“Someone like you?” I scoff. “I’ve told you this before and I’ll keep telling you until you believe it. You’re beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to be with you. If you think Lucas was flirting with you, then I have no doubt that’s what he was doing.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
I shrug. “Maybe if things were different I’d be annoyed, but with Lucas, not with you. You’re my best friend. I know you’d never do anything to hurt me. But this isn’t a real marriage and I’m planning on getting it annulled as soon as I possibly can. We haven’t even slept together.”
“Really? Not even once?” Milly’s eyes boggle. “Aren’t you curious to find out what he’s like in bed?”
“Not really. I mean, I’m already juggling three guys. I really don’t feel the need to complicate things but adding a fourth one into the mix. In fact, Milly, if Lucas does make a pass at you and you want to reciprocate, that would be fine by me.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Nope. You deserve a little happiness, and so does Lucas. I’m not ever going to be interested in him in that way, and I don’t expect him to live like a monk for however long we’re married.”
What I don’t tell Milly is that if she did have an affair with Lucas, it would make it even easier for me to get my marriage annulled. Part of me feels bad for using my friend like this, but I know Milly well enough to know that it is unlikely she’d ever follow through with Lucas. She is simply too sweet.
“Well, I was probably imagining him flirting with me anyway,” Milly says. “So, I don’t
think you’re going to have to worry about that any time soon. Do you want a drink or something? I can make some coffee. My dad got me the most amazing coffee maker for my birthday.”
I can tell Milly wants to change the subject, so I nod. “Sure. That would be great.”
“I can add something stronger if you like,” Milly offers. “Do you like Irish coffee?”
“I do, but I’d better not,” I tell her. “Not if I want to win the Bomber Derby tonight?”
“Win?” Milly gasps, a delighted smile spreading across her face. “You’re competing?”
I nod as she throws her arms around me, squeezing me tight in a hug.
“I’m so excited for you! I just know you’re going to kick those boys’ butt! It’s about time a woman showed them how to compete. But how did you persuade your dad to let you ride?”
“I didn’t have to,” I say. “He’s gone to Italy, leaving Lucas in charge. Lucas said that if I want to compete, I can. He isn’t going to tell me what to do. What my dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“That’s so cool! I told you he’s a great guy. But why do you think your dad keeps going to Italy? I overheard my parents discussing it. Nobody can figure out what he’s doing there.”
“Beats me.” I shrug. “It’s not like my father tells me anything about his plans, even if I ask. Maybe Lucas knows something-–his adoptive mother was Italian, and he’s spent a lot of time there–-but if he does, he’s not say anything to me. It can’t be anything good though. You know what my father’s like. He never does anything without a million and one other plans going on behind the scenes. I wouldn’t be surprised if he told Lucas one thing, but the truth was completely different.”
“I feel sorry for your father.” Milly’s statement surprises me.
“Why would you feel sorry for him?”
“It must be so lonely not being able to trust anyone,” she says. “All that money but he hasn’t got anyone to curl up with at night. He can’t hang out with his friends. He doesn’t have any because he can’t trust they’re not trying to get close to him to hurt him.”
“And whose fault is that?” I snap. “My mother adored him, but he was so abusive to her, she had no choice but to run away. He could have come for me after she died, but he chose to leave me in foster care. I mean, if I’d grown up with him, who knows what our relationship would be like now? We might be close.”
“And you’d probably be a bitch, like Ally and Taylor,” Milly points out. “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that your father did you a favour abandoning you like that? I know you had a hard childhood, but it’s made you into the person you are today and she’s pretty darned awesome.”
“Thanks, Mills.” I smile as Milly pours fresh cream into my coffee, just how I like it.
We take our drinks and step outside to sit on the deck. Her house has stunning views across the Knight estate and sitting there with my best friend, I have a brief moment of forgetting my messed-up life and simply enjoying the moment for what it was.
“Is that Archer over there?”
Milly nudges me and I beam when I see one of my favourite people walking towards us. He’s wearing a wifebeater, the lack of sleeves showing off his well-defined muscles. I feel my cheeks reddening at the memory of those powerful arms pinning me down, while he…
“Hey, you two.” He pulls out a chair and turns it round, sitting on it backwards. “You look like you’re having a serious conversation.”
“Just thinking about what might have been if my arsehole father had made different decisions,” I tell him. “But I guess he’s too full of himself to do things any other way. He’s selfish to the core, and that’s never going to change.”
“I hear that,” Archer says. “Still, I thought he was in Italy at the moment. That should give you a bit of a break.”
“Yep, although he’s left Lucas in charge instead of me. Sexist pig.”
“Would you expect anything else?” Archer reminds me. “It’s frustrating, but I don’t think your father would ever let you take over the family business. I have a funny feeling that the only reason he made you marry Lucas is because he didn’t want you to marry into House Navarre. If you hadn’t been engaged to Romy, you probably would have had a little longer as a single woman, but sooner or later, he’d have forced you to marry the man of his choosing. He couldn’t possibly trust you to make your own decisions when it came to important decisions like that, not with you being just a girl.”
“You’re probably right.” I sigh. “There was no way my father was going to let me marry Romy unless it was his idea, and it fit into one of his nefarious schemes. I should have agreed to marry Romy sooner.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.” Archer fixes me with a meaningful look. “None of us takes your marriage to Lucas seriously, which means you’re free to be with whomever you like. And isn’t it even more exciting knowing that every kiss, every caress, is a slap in the face for your father?”
“It does feel good to go against his wishes,” I admit. “Although I feel sorry for Lucas.”
“Why?” Archer’s tone is sharp. “Unlike you, he could have said no. He didn’t have to marry you. He’s only got himself to blame if you cheat on him.”
“I don’t think it’s quite that simple,” I tell him. “Lucas has told me a bit about his upbringing and he hasn’t had it easy either.”
“So?” Archer sneers. “I’ve got no sympathy for the man. And I can’t wait to rub his nose in it when I beat him in the Bomber Derby tonight.”
“Is that right?” I smirk. “You’ll have to get past me first.”
“I didn’t think you wanted to ride pillion.”
“Who says I’m riding pillion?”
I love the look of delighted surprise which comes across Archer’s face. “You don’t mean-?”
“Yep. Since my father’s away, I’m competing. And when I win, he can’t exactly complain about me racing again. In fact, knowing my dad, he’s likely to start boasting about how amazing I am and insisting I compete in every race going.”
“You think you’re going to win, huh?”
“I know I am.”
Chapter Fifty-Six
I rev my bike, the powerful roar of the engine mingling with the other bikes to create a deafening cacophony. Lucas is lined up next to me on my right, while Archer flanks me on the left. Romy is next to him, with Declan on the other side of Archer. Just like the last few races, none of them have a girl riding behind them.
Taylor volunteers to start the race tonight and she slowly walks up and down in front of the bikers, a loudhailer in her hands.
“You all know the rules,” she says. “There aren’t any! Just ride your fastest and your hardest, first across the finish line wins. If you want to team up with another rider to take someone out…” She glares at me. “Feel free, but remember-–there’s still only one winner. You have Lucas and Ivy to thank for tonight’s route, so if you’ve got any problems with it, take it up with them. Now rev your engine if you’re ready to race!”
I flip down the visor on my helmet and rev my bike. Adrenaline courses through me as Taylor makes her way to the side, safely out of the way of the bikes.
“Ready… Set… Go!”
The second she gives the word, I release the brakes and slam on the gas. My bike lurches forward, quickly picking up speed. I’d chosen my bike for its powerful acceleration, knowing that once I was out front, it would be easier for me to maintain my lead than try to take it from someone else.
I come up to the first bend, a sharp turn which takes me into the grounds of the Archaic estate. With my father being away for the foreseeable future, Lucas and I decided to make the race partly off road, knowing we had bikes in the garage which could cope with the difficult terrain better than most of our competitors. When we heard the groans as the others saw the course, we’d both grinned, knowing our decision had the impact we wanted it to have.
I take my bike across the grass, following th
e route which Lucas spent all afternoon marking out. Heading up a slope, my bike takes off when it reaches the top and I fly through the air for a few feet before coming back down to earth. I can hear the sound of bikes following me and there is a scream as someone crashes. I didn’t dare risk looking back to see who it is. I have a race to win!
I lean into the next bend, my bike so close to the ground I almost fall, but I grip the handlebars tightly, determined to show the boys who’s boss. The next bit of the race involves weaving through the trees in the small forest on the estate, requiring lightning fast reflexes. I’m forced to slow down a little, which allows Lucas to shoot past me. He raises his hand in salute and I narrow my eyes. There is no way I am going to let Lucas beat me.
He goes left round a tree, so I go right, hoping to gain some ground on him, but I realise I’d made a mistake as I see another tree looming right in front of me. I turn the handlebars sharply, kicking at the tree to make sure I get round it, but the error cost me. I emerge from the trees to see Lucas ahead of me, Romy and Archer close behind him.
There is a short lawn after the forest, and then we are back on the road. I grin, knowing that we are about to hit a straight, which will allow me to go full throttle and make up some ground. The boys’ bikes have powerful engines too, and the noise is incredible as our speed creeps up.
70… 80… 90… 100.
I am closing on the three men ahead of me, but with the finish line looming, I’m not sure I’ll be able to catch up to them. Darn it. Why didn’t I just go after Lucas and overtake him as we hit the road? I knew the track. I’d helped design it! There was no excuse for making a mistake like this.
First Lucas is ahead, then Romy, then Archer, the three of them in a dance as they vied for victory. I’m not sure which one of the three I want to win. I am not even sure I care. I want to win.
We go round the final bend, Archer out front, Romy close behind him, Lucas snapping at their heels. I lean forward over my handlebars, willing my bike to go faster, even though I am pushing the limits of what it is capable of achieving.
