by Malone, Nana
Her laugh was a sharp crack through the humming silence of too-polite society. “I promise you, it was nowhere the sun has ever seen.”
“In that case, I’m insanely jealous of a flower.”
The flush crept up her neck, and I had to resist the urge to kiss the hollow of her neck. She licked her lips, and all the blood in my body rushed south. It wasn’t entirely my fault when I groaned low. Thinking about her ass could do that to me.
“I’m happy for you, Lucas. Really. I’ll see you later.”
I wanted to follow her. But I knew better. Patience. I had to learn some. It was also not at all one of my virtues.
* * *
Bryna
I should have stayed in bed that morning I just knew it.
After the coronation the previous day, I’d been unable to sleep. I kept having all manner of dreams about Lucas. At one point, I’d been so desperate I’d almost called him just to alleviate the dull ache between my thighs. When he’d said he was jealous of the gardenia, I’d almost melted into a puddle of hormones like an idiot.
The thing was we were good in bed. Better than good. Hell, sometimes all it took was a look and I was ready to explode. The bed was no problem. His inability to stick was. He’s sticking now though. He’s officially the prince.
Still, prince or not, I could still see myself waking up alone and wondering if this was the time he’d left me for good. I couldn’t live like that. This was better. Friends.
Add in with benefits and you’ll be happy.
I shoved that thought down as my production assistant came running over backstage. “Bryna, oh my God. We have a problem, the venue double booked.”
I stared at her. “What?” It was Laila’s first show. “No, that’s not even possible. I’ve had lots of artists who had events here.”
She handed me two fliers. “Here. Two fliers for tonight at the same time.”
Sure enough, Laila Drake, the date, the time, and then Timothy Houston. Tim Houston was an older, more established artist. He’d been around for years, touring the Islands. And he had a hell of a library of music. He’d been nominated for two Grammys. That meant the place was going to be packed. “Fuck my life. Don't tell Laila yet. I’ll figure something out.”
Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! There was no way I was going to tell that kid that I had to disappoint her. Relax. Focus. Do the thing you know how to do. I’d done lots of events in my lifetime on the island. I should be able to find someone who owed me a favor.
“Okay, we can do this. We can fix this. We need to find another venue that has speakers. It doesn’t even have to be fancy. This place is a dive. They serve drinks, yeah, but I can call my bestie and we can get some people here with drinks. That’s not the problem. But I need an outdoor venue.”
I called Jinx. She’d bartended during Uni at several island bars. She might know someone who could help out with drinks.
I was in such a mad dash for a venue that I missed it when Laila came bouncing through. “Hey, so when’s sound check? I know I’m early by five hours, but I thought maybe if I could even just get on the stage, you know, feel it out, I’d feel a lot better.”
Shit. What did I tell her? How did I do this? “Um, okay, I don’t want you to panic. It’s going to be fine. Everything is going to be fine, okay?”
Her face fell. Worry etched her brow, and her breath was coming in short little pants. “Oh my God! I’ve been dropped from the label, haven’t I?”
What? “No. You have not been dropped. But we do have a slight problem with the venue. It seems that they’ve double booked. Surprise…”
Laila’s face fell even further. “But, I told my Mom. She got off work just so she could come see me.”
“Yes, I know. And we’re going to work it out. We still have a couple of hours, okay? It’s going to be fine. I just called—"
I didn’t get to finish.
There was a commotion at the entrance of the venue. And sure enough, the newly minted Crown Prince was striding right toward me, coming right for me and looking like some kind of knight in shining armor, except without the horse or the armor. Just looking overall sexy enough to lick. But I couldn’t think about that right now. “What are you doing here? I really don’t have time for this.”
There was no cocky smirk, no smile. He just shook his head. “I’m here for Laila, actually. Jinx called me.”
I frowned. “Jinx?”
He nodded. “You know, your best friend. She’s about this tall. Pixie-cut blond hair? She called me and asked if I knew anyone who could distribute large amounts of alcohol for a floating venue. So clearly I knew something was going on. She clued me in, so I came to help.”
I blinked rapidly. “Lucas, you can’t just fix everything. You don’t have a venue, do you?”
His lips tipped into a smirk then. “Don’t I? I have acres, remember? Just tell me what you need, and I’ll set it up.”
Her brow furrowed. “Acres?” Oh, he meant the palace. “Oh. Oh. Oh my God. But could we?”
“Yeah, of course. I don’t see why not. Besides, what other debut artist gets the king and queen in attendance? At the very least, Penny will definitely be there. Sebastian, if he’s free.”
Next to me, Laila clutched my hand tightly. “Please, please, please, please.”
I turned to her. “Breathe. Nice long deep breaths. That’s it.” I turned my attention back to Lucas. “Okay, whatever. I just—" This is not the time to argue with someone saving your ass. So instead of protesting, or licking him like I wanted to, I said, “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Laila, bring your equipment. Let’s get you up to the palace. I’ll make the calls on the way. I’ll also get someone to distribute new fliers and post someone here to direct people up to the palace road.”
I only had a moment to give some quick instructions to the crew that was there waiting. All I could do was trust that Lucas would get it done. And the funny thing was when it came to something like this, I trusted him whole heartedly.
The way he led the way out of the venue to his car with that confident stride, like he knew exactly what he was doing and how to get what he needed, I knew he was going to take care of it. He opened the door for Laila and ushered her in. Then he opened mine. I blinked up at him. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you hardly seems like enough.”
He shrugged. “Don’t mention it. You needed a favor. I could do it. It doesn’t require payback.”
“No, I just—“ I was bad at this now. “Thank you.”
“Of course. Also, next time you’re in trouble, call me first. I could have saved you an hour of running around.”
“I don’t want to take advantage. It doesn’t feel—I don’t know, like the right thing to do.”
For the first time since our night at my apartment, he touched me. It had been two weeks since we’d pretty much scorched the sheets of my bed. I wasn’t used to his touch, and the bolt of electricity surprised me. “I meant what I said. Even as your friend, whatever you need, you just call me. I want to help you. It’s what you do when you love someone.”
And then he let me go. Just like that. He said it so casually. As if he hadn’t told me he loved me like he really meant it. As if he hadn’t dropped that bomb when it wasn’t in a heated moment. Just casually, with feeling and meaning, and then he walked away from me.
* * *
Lucas…
It was short notice, but I could do this thing for her.
All I had to do was ignore the fact she hadn’t asked for my help. It turned out, putting on a show at the palace required a little logistical work. First of all, the public would be attending. And that required security, so my first stop was Ethan. He looked like he wanted to blow a gasket, but Penny was there, and she talked him down. Just like that, he gave us what we needed. Sebastian had been next.
The Rose Garden was perfect. Great acoustics, and it was an easy walk for everyone in the North Tower and the north parking lot. There was just one path, so
it was hard to get lost. And we could place guards along the way to keep anyone from wandering too far from where they were supposed to be.
Catering sources were a lot easier. I walked in and asked for wine and beer. The Chef just looked at me, nodded, and asked if I wanted food too. Didn’t even blink. Well then, it turned out, being a friend or a brother to the king had its perks.
Next was the sound. The acoustics were great, though working with the equipment guys was a bit of a nightmare, so we were trying to get some alternative equipment from the palace staff who handled all the balls. Hopefully, we had everything Laila needed.
More like I had everything Bryna needed.
“So, the new prince wants a party?” I was helping one of the audio-visual guys set up, and I looked up to find Roone sitting against one of the tall hedges.
“Well, not exactly a party. More of a concert. You should come. This kid… I was watching her YouTube videos. She’s amazing.”
Roone frowned. “You’re having a party for a kid?”
I shook my head. “No. Well, yes. But there was a venue problem. Jinx called me, so I pitched in.”
His frown only deepened. “What game are you playing?”
I shook my head. “No game. The kid needed help, so I’m helping her.”
“To impress Bryna?”
I shook my head. Maybe at first. When I’d heard Bryna needed help, I’d automatically jumped in to say, yes, I could do it. But now, seeing the look of excitement on Laila’s face, it was like me getting to look like that again. She was a sweet kid, and I was sure no one had ever done anything like this for her before. I liked helping her. I liked making her feel good. “Well, they both needed my help, so I helped. Besides, someone once told me that you can’t just tell people how much you love them, you have to show them. So, I’m going to show her.”
Roone shrugged. “You realize you won’t always get what you want, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but that’s half the fun. Besides, all I want to see is her smile anyway. Anything else is just a bonus. I took your words to heart. Maybe I can’t show you yet, but I get it. I’m making amends the best way I know how, even if doesn’t get me anything in the end. It feels good to see her smile.”
Roone stared me and gave me a long, hard look before nodding and then turning to go. I watched him walk away, wishing things were back to normal, wishing things were the way they used to be, but knowing that they couldn’t be. Maybe one day we’d figure it out, but for now, he wasn’t my biggest worry. My biggest worry was Laila. I was letting her have the best concert of her life. I could worry about myself and everything else later, because I wasn’t the one that mattered right then. That kid was. I wanted that look of excitement she’d shown earlier. I wanted to see it all over her face, because looks like that mattered.
* * *
Bryna…
I swallowed hard as I approached Lucas through the crowd. There was no avoiding him. He’s pulled a rabbit out of a hat for me. I needed to thank him for that.
He was leaning against the bar looking as cool and delicious as an iced hibiscus ginger drink in the middle of the desert. And damn was I parched.
Focus. Say thank you. Then run away before he melts your panties…or you voluntarily give them to him.
“I um—" I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Thank you. I don’t even know what to say about what you did for Laila. Her family doesn’t have much money, you know. It’s just her and her mom and her younger brothers, and I’m really grateful.”
Lucas gave me an easy smile as he pushed himself away from the bar and sauntered over to me. He watched the crowd for a moment before speaking. “All you have to do is ask.”
I frowned. “Ask for what?”
He took another sip of his drink. “Ask me for anything you need. And if I can give it to you, I will.”
“You know I don’t want to ask.”
“I know. But I’m telling you, if you need it, I’ll give it to you. Even if it’s the crown jewels.”
The way he said need, had be me thinking about other needs entirely. Ones I hadn’t been fulfilling since I’d walked away. “Lucas, I don’t know what to say—"
He shook his head. “No, it’s not about that. My whole life, I’ve been selfish. Part of that was survival, because hey, got to live, right? But I’ve been selfish even when I didn’t need to be. When I left, it hurt you. And in all honesty, maybe there was a part of me that was looking to run to protect myself, so that you never really saw how bad it could get with me. Yes, bad shit was coming, and I did need to protect you, but I’m acknowledging that part of it could have easily been because I was terrified. Then you came for me in Sanremo, and I couldn’t believe my luck. I was scared for you, but I was still scared for myself too. Especially when you asked me if I was coming home.”
“Lucas, we don’t need to do this. Not here. Not now. I just wanted to say thank you.” I didn’t want to rip open the old wounds. I was barely able to keep it together being so close so him without touching him or begging him to touch me. “Lucas, you’re not selfish, and I think you proved that tonight. You just had to do what you did to survive at the time. I don’t want to get into it or rehash things now.”
I turned, and he reached out and took my hand. His touch set off sparks, making me jump back and snatch it from him. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I stared down at my hand. Why did it always feel like that with him? “We’re all scared Lucas.”
He nodded. “I know. I’ve been watching Sebastian and Penny, and I see that. But they’re trying to work it out. I’m just telling you now, every time I’ve said that I love you, I meant it. From the bottom of my heart. But I’m going to give you room to breathe. If you need me, call me. But I’m not going to turn up on your doorstep anymore. Maybe that’s being selfish. When you’re ready, just know I’m here. I’ll be waiting for you, as long as it takes. There’s no rush.” Then he turned and walked away.
Now, what the hell was I supposed to do with that?
24
penny
My feet hurt. The thing was my feet always hurt. I was not destined for royal life. All I wanted desperately were my tennis shoes. But apparently, queens didn’t wear tennis shoes. I was going to talk to Sebastian about that because that was one stupid-ass rule. How about what you are doing, breaking all the other rules?
Yes, there was that, but I tried. I really did. I wanted to be what he needed in a queen while hanging on to as much of myself as possible. It wasn’t always easy.
As a matter of fact, my darling husband, the protector of my heart, was about to be royally pissed-off at me. He’d finally told me to get answers out of Robert in a sanctioned interrogation. But there hadn’t been much time to get any answers from him between the family meeting and the coronation, so I’d been trying to talk to him in transport.
“Robert, now is the time to tell me everything you know. When we walk into the judgment room, they’ll set the dates for your trial. There will be no walking away then. No time for pleas. So now is the time to talk.”
I needed to get some information out of him. Sebastian and Lucas were counting on me. Speaking of my husband, he was likely standing in the judgement box at that very moment, waiting for me. The judgement box was located just inside the courtroom and was where the reigning monarch could sit in on the major cases. He attended court from time to time, especially when the crimes involved his citizens.
“You can stop this. You’re the queen.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Only you can stop this. You have the letter from Michael. I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for. It’s time to tell me something useful, or a jury of your peers will seal your fate.”
The guards in charge of Robert nodded to me as I passed by. We’d arrived at the front of the courthouse, and they frowned as they bypassed the front entrance and instead headed for the side. Why were we going that way?
Robert shook his head. “Things weren’t suppo
sed to go this far. This was not how my story was supposed to end. I’m a prince.”
“You could have been family, but you made bad choices, Robert. Tell me the truth now. It’s the last major decision you’ll be able to make for yourself. Do the right thing.”
The guards pulled him to the side entrance so it wouldn’t be a media circus with him walking through the front door. I followed along behind them until we reached the entrance, and we slid into the main courthouse. Once the doors were pushed open, I had to walk in front of him because as queen, no one was supposed to walk in front of me. Which was another stupid rule I planned to have a talk with Sebastian about. When I located my husband in the courtroom, his brows snapped down, and I could see his jaw muscles work. He was pissed. It was fine. He’d get over it. He could be as pissed as he wanted because it was too late now.
Behind me, there were two guards, and then two more, and then the final four holding Robert. I took two steps forward to sit in main gallery instead of sitting with my husband. But then I heard groaning, and someone shouted, “Fuck, stop him. Stop it. Stop it.”
I whipped around, and it was like one of those movies where everything was in slow-motion pandemonium. I whipped my head back around to make sure Sebastian was covered. His guards were on him like glue, forcing him down and shuffling him out the back.
I saw one of the hall guards heading my way. Tom, his name was? Something like that. But I wasn’t going down without a fight.
I ran. Not away from the fight, but into it. And I could only watch in sheer, stark terror as Robert sank to the ground, blood spurting out of his neck and his gut. “No. No. No.” I ignored the guards as they tried to block Robert from the onlookers. One of them took off after whoever had wielded the knife, and I fell onto Robert, my hands desperately trying to stem the bleeding. I applied pressure and glared at him. “You do not get to die on me. Not today.”
