Royally Arranged (Bad Boy Royals Book 3)

by Nora Flite

  “So break it down for me,” I said. “How exactly would you like this to go?”

  Kurtis eyed his two daughters as he spoke to me. “You would marry one of them. Nova sounds like your preference.” He tossed me a quick look and a quicker smile. “We would then stage an engagement photo session to announce to Torino and the world that the crown prince in line for the throne is marrying Nova Valentine. That would lead some positive buzz into the coronation dinner. After that, it would be a simple matter to arrange the wedding, making it official.”

  “You really do have our lives planned out,” I mused. Why was my glass empty already? I didn’t recall inhaling my drink, but I must have.

  “There is more.” Kurtis turned his attention to my parents. “We all know that this marriage would only protect my family for so long. If something happened to Hawthorne, well, we’d be back to square one.”

  “How considerate of you to worry about my health.” I didn’t hide the poison in my voice. “What would keep this union from just being a waste of time?” And as I asked, I knew the answer.

  “A baby,” Nova said, finally lifting her eyes from the torn-up bread. “My parents expect us to create the heir that Austere couldn’t.”

  Sweat began to sprout along my throat.

  “Yes,” her father said. “That’s exactly it. A child is the only thing that would truly protect my family from being tossed aside in the long run. It secures our future claim to the crown by blood.”

  “Thorne?” my mother asked gently. “You’re hearing this?”

  “Oh, I’m hearing it. Loud and clear.” I tilted my glass, squinting into it. It was empty, it didn’t matter. No amount of alcohol could wipe clean the sensation of unease growing inside me.

  I was going to become not just the king, but a father. My whole life was laid out in front of me. But it wasn’t my fate. It wasn’t ever supposed to be. If it belonged to anyone, it was Costello. That thought made me realize how little my father had said in this whole meeting.

  How could he sit there, silently letting this happen?

  I pivoted so I could level my glare at him. He was hunched forward, all hard planes and emotionless rock. “I guess you shouldn’t have wasted all that time preparing Costello for this kind of life, huh?” I laughed, and I was sure they could all hear my disgust. “It’s just crazy.”

  “I know it’s a lot,” Nova said gently. “And if you don’t want to do it, I understand.”

  Her mother whipped her head around so fast it sent her hair rippling down her bare shoulders. She was watching her daughter like she was prepared to smack a palm over her mouth to shut her up.

  Nova ignored her. She only had eyes for me. “I really, really would understand if you didn’t want to do this. When I sat in that meeting at your estate, I was terrified.” Her frown fluttered into place. I wanted to kiss it away. “You didn’t know me, I didn’t know you. I’m sure you thought I was as awful as my brothers. And I know you didn’t like the tentative peace treaty we all agreed on.

  “You have no reason to want to be with me, not a single one.” She made fists on the table, and a wave of determination moved through the line of her jaw, making it harder. “If you give me a chance, I think we can make this work. And if it means that everyone you love, and everyone I love, can go on and live for years and years without looking over their shoulders in fear, isn’t it worth a shot?”

  The entire table was silent. My heart was throbbing and I didn’t know whether it was from appreciation for her honesty or panic over the fact that I felt myself agreeing with her. If she was tricking me, she was doing a damn good job of it.

  I was compelled to back down from the growing disgust inside me. “I want everyone to know that I’m not a fan of this kind of ambush,” I said carefully. “But I’m even less of a fan of my family or myself having our throats slit.” I looked at Nova, studying how still she was. How brave was this woman? Or was I just an idiot to believe her speech?

  “I’ll do it,” I said. “I mean, you probably guessed that I would, since you aren’t really giving me many options. I’d planned to make a much bigger deal about this and be much more difficult, but Nova . . . let’s just say she’s more charming than I was ready for.”

  Darla rolled her eyes. “Why am I even here?” she asked. “I could’ve avoided being embarrassed like this if Nova had just said that she had this guy wrapped around her little finger.”

  “Darla,” Valencia warned.

  Her daughter folded her arms. “Just let me know when I can bring my things over to the castle, I’m sick of that hotel room. And I should at least get something nice out of this trip for all my troubles.”

  If I hadn’t been turned off by Darla before, I definitely was now.

  “About that,” my father said. “I, too, would like to move into the castle. I expect that won’t be a problem?”

  “Your son is about to become king.” Kurtis chuckled. “I don’t see anyone trying to bar you from entering the castle. It belongs to all of us. We’re all going to be one big, happy family now, aren’t we?”

  His words turned my stomach. Under the table I gave Nova’s foot a slight kick, just to get her attention. It worked, and she rewarded me with a questioning smile. “You’re really sure about this?” I asked, as quietly as I could. It was for her ears alone.

  She glanced around, then back to me. “Of course. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure.”

  Her confidence made my pulse throb. It drove me crazy wondering how much of her wanted this marriage with me, and how much of her was after something else. There were a lot of unknowns.

  I waved my empty glass at the waiter. “Then I guess we should toast our inevitable engagement. Did you buy the ring already, too?” I asked, arching my eyebrows at Kurtis and his wife. “Write our vows while you were at it?”

  Nova flinched. But my mother, her eyes lit up. “We might as well have some fun with this,” she said. “I’ll meet with the engagement photographer. And I definitely want to help with the wedding. Oh, gosh, we’ll need to invite everyone we can with such short notice. Your siblings would kill me if they missed this.”

  The rest of the meal went by mostly in silence. No one really had anything to discuss, and it was obvious we were still on shaky ground. None of us were friends. All of us wanted something from each other.

  And as I finished off the new drink the waiter brought me, I wondered if any of us would get what we were after.

  - CHAPTER THIRTEEN -

  HAWTHORNE

  I’d seen the castle from a distance. It had felt like a painting, something that you never expected to come into full focus. The closer we got, the more magnificent the structure became. It was set back from the center of the city. I wondered why, until I noticed the right side faced the ocean. That makes it more secure from attack. There’d be no way for enemies to scale the cliff walls without the castle having an advantage.

  I’d learned that in one of the many war-room-style meetings my father had had me sit through. It was strange to have something from a history lesson be so relevant now.

  My car lifted dust as it maneuvered toward the long stretch of spike-topped gates. They were open for us. Waiting. People standing at roadside fruit stands, buying or selling, stared at my window as I passed. They couldn’t see through the tint, but they didn’t need to in order to know our caravan of fancy cars was important.

  My town car was in the middle—Rush and more security had gone ahead. Behind me were vans with my luggage, as well as my parents’. They were back there somewhere, too; I’d asked to ride alone.

  It might be the last bit of solitude I get for a while, I thought, dreading what was to come. Were the Valentines really going to move into the castle with us? They were taking this “one big happy family” shit too far.

  When my driver pulled onto the flat stones in front of the giant arched doors, I sucked in a hard breath. Then another. I still struggled to believe this was happening. It was all s
o damn fast. Surreal.

  The attendants must have thought I was waiting for them to open my door, and not that I was hiding, grasping at every last second I had in the back seat, because I saw a young man hurry over and yank on the handle. “Sir,” he said, beaming. “Welcome to Red Crown Palace. Let me help you out of there.” He stretched his arm out toward me expectantly.

  I stared at him from inside the car. He stared back.

  His smile cracked. “Uh, is everything all right?”

  My eyes darted pointedly to his half-curled fingers. “I thought so, but now you’re making me wonder if my legs are broken or something.” His whole face shaded crimson. “I appreciate how badly you want to feel my grip. But didn’t you hear? I’m off the market. No more slutty hand-holding for me.”

  He was still blushing as he moved out of my way so I could step into the sun. Shielding my forehead, I squinted at the cloudless expanse of sky. I’d been in this country for a week now, it amazed me that I hadn’t seen a drop of rain.

  The young man bowed his head to me. “I’ll help get your things and bring them inside. If you need anything, just shout. My name’s Drake.” He jogged away, his ears still glowing. I almost felt bad for teasing him.

  Our motorcade filled up the long driveway. I spotted my parents as they exited their car. My father said something in my mother’s ear. She kissed his cheek, leaving him and coming toward me. “Isn’t this amazing?” she gushed, giving her light green shawl a toss over her shoulders. “And the view of the ocean!”

  “It’s fine.” Nova will love it. I shook myself, hands in the pockets of my slate-blue trousers. “Let’s see if it’s as nice on the inside.”

  I’d always imagined castles as purely exteriors. Just pointy towers and stones, maybe a moat. I hadn’t spent any time picturing the inside of such a huge structure. My mother and I passed through the giant doors that were partially open. I’d thought the cathedral was magnificent. This, though? This was something else entirely.

  Standing where I was, I could see that every exit from the foyer was flanked by shiny statues. They were as bronze as the floors, as old as the walls. Crimson rugs splayed out toward the tall staircases that headed to the second-floor balcony above.

  It was all strangely familiar. But I couldn’t place why.

  My mother was twirling in a circle, gasping as she gazed around the castle. “It’s so gorgeous!”

  “It seems a little extreme. Do we really need all the space?”

  “What, do you want to start renovating things already?” she teased. “You’ve barely moved in and you’re already nitpicking.”

  “You should want me to feel comfortable.” My hands were still in my pockets. My limbs were taut, stiff—as if I was too nervous to touch anything. I was a foreigner here, no matter what people said . . . no matter what preparations had been made.

  My father’s friend, Glen, had been the ambassador for us. The bearer of the big news. Every inhabitant of the castle now knew exactly who we were. And who I would be.

  I could feel them watching me as I stood there. The castle guards gave me brief glances, and the maids and butlers pursed their lips in my peripheral vision. They were wondering if I was going to be worse than my uncle. Or maybe they were wondering why someone they’d never met was running their home.

  It mirrored my first day at the Dirty Dolls. No one had liked me then, either. They’d just pretended to out of fear. I’d worked hard to gain the trust of all the girls. I’d stayed after hours many nights to get to know the bodyguards and bartenders. It had taken a lot of work before they’d welcomed me. Years, even.

  I wasn’t looking forward to repeating that here.

  “Come on,” my mother said. “Let’s take a tour.”

  Looking over my shoulder, I saw that my father was talking to Glen. They had their heads bent together. The tense lines that had haunted my father since we’d arrived hadn’t vanished; if anything, they’d increased.

  Part of me wanted to be included in their discussion. At the same time, I was relieved that they hadn’t tried to involve me. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I was sure it was something stressful.

  “All right,” I said with a smile, “lead on.”

  My mother glided through the long hallways, gasping at every single oil painting and elaborate vase and colored window. The castle was much bigger than the home I’d grown up in.

  When we walked outside into the gardens and I saw all the white roses, I realized why everything felt so familiar to me. My father had grown up here. He’d used much of his old home as the inspiration for the estate he’d built in Rhode Island. Our gardens back there were very much like these. And the architecture, the color schemes, the rugs I’d taken my first steps on . . . all of it had been influenced by my father’s memories.

  My feet slowed, then halted, on the grass. All along, he was still attached to this place. He never actually let it go when he ran.

  My mother must have realized as well, because she was staring out over the greenery with a wistful smile on her face. She turned, catching me watching her. The vulnerability in her expression went up like smoke. “This is where the engagement photos are going to be done,” she chirped.

  She doesn’t want to talk about it. “It’s as good a place as any.” I spoke with a casual shrug, doing my best to go along with her wish to drop the unspoken subject.

  My mother gave me a light tap on the shoulder. “I know this is hard, but try to enjoy it for what it is.”

  “Do I look like I’m not having a good time?” I asked, making sure my voice was light. “I’d like to think that for someone being forced into early fatherhood, I’m doing a pretty good job on the cheerful front.”

  She clicked her tongue at me. “Say whatever you want, but I can tell you like her.”

  I laughed harder than I should have. “Yeah?”

  “Don’t forget, I’m your mother. I know you better than anyone. And you like that girl.”

  The urge to argue bubbled up. Her chin was jutting forward—she always did that when she was feeling cocky. She had every reason to be. My mother was right. I did like Nova, and thinking about her genuine laughter as it tickled from her throat . . . of how perfectly her waist dipped into her deliciously round ass . . . it left me distracted.

  “The situation could be worse,” I admitted. “So when is this photo shoot happening again?”

  “Tomorrow. I’ll try to find something nice for you to wear.”

  “Make sure it brings out my eyes.”

  Swirling on her heel, she sent her shawl gliding through the air. Clutching it back in place, she walked toward the patio doors. “I’m going to go check out the kitchen, are you coming with me?”

  “Not yet. I could use a little fresh air.”

  She left me there. Folding my arms behind my back, I strolled through the hedges. It was like a small maze created from roses and ivy. Not so big that I could get lost, but enough that I could feel like I was alone.

  Wandering aimlessly, I gazed up at faded ivory statues of cherubs. An angel with wide wings guarded a waterless fountain. My phone buzzed in my pocket, startling me. I checked it, scowling at the pointless spam email alert. I’d thought it was a message.

  Frowning, I ran my thumb on the corner of my phone. Opening my text app, I was halfway to typing a message to . . . well, I didn’t even know who. It wasn’t like I was really close to my brothers or my sisters. Not enough that I could send them a message telling them what I was feeling. As it was, I wasn’t so sure myself.

  Sighing, I fingered the screen, making little circles. Leaning against the hedges, I inhaled the heady scent of roses. I hadn’t seen Nova since the luncheon four days ago. I didn’t know where she was staying, and I hadn’t felt like I could ask anyone for her information without looking desperate. If not tonight, I’d see her tomorrow at the engagement shoot. I just had to be patient.

  Voices crept into my ears. I leaned away from the hedges, peering
through leaves. I caught the telltale profile of my father, then the deep voice of Glen as they moved through the grass nearby. They must have come outside looking for somewhere more private to talk.

  “It’s bad,” Glen said. “I don’t know if you understand how much your brother left this country in ruins.”

  “I got a sense for it just from looking around,” my father mumbled. “But tell me what you can. I’m not allowed to touch any official documents or even the ledger until Thorne is crowned.”

  “Hester spent money greasing the palms of corrupt officials so he could keep even more coin for himself. And the queen, my God! Between her and her brother-in-law, the amount of loans they’ve taken from the Royal Bank is astronomical. And I call them loans, but there’s no intent to pay them back.”

  They discussed more of the country’s struggling condition. I’d heard some of this at the hotel, but at the time I’d felt too awkward to get involved. Now this talk about the country falling apart served to terrify me. I didn’t know anything about the laws here . . . the ins and outs. How was I going to rule Torino? I should step out and just ask them for advice.

  “Fixing this place is going to take everything we have,” my father said, sighing. His voice was gravel and sand. “We’ll have to arrange multiple meetings daily once the coronation is complete.”

  There was a pregnant pause. “Do you think your son can handle it?” Glen asked.

  All the blood in my body tingled—it swam through my skull. The thorny bushes scraped my cheek as I desperately pressed closer so I could hear my dad’s answer.

  “Being king requires work ethic, dedication, and passion.” The grass crunched under Maverick’s heavy heels; he was walking away. “Hawthorne has none of those things.”

  A blossom of pain grew in my heart. They were still talking, but their voices were fading. If I’d been farther away . . . if they’d left sooner . . . I wouldn’t have heard what my father thought about my capabilities. What he thought about me.

  I’d always suspected it.

  That wasn’t enough to prepare me for his brutal honesty.