Her Prince (Twisted Royals #2)

by Sidney Bristol

  God damn, how was he supposed to let this go?

  He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

  Things between them were not intended to be complicated.

  There was a job to do.

  They were attracted to each other.

  Two consenting adults had all the rights in the world to fool around.

  But this had never been simple fooling around. Kade knew what that felt like, and it wasn’t this. Being with Shelby, fucking her, it meant something neither of them were ready for. What the hell was he supposed to do with that knowledge?

  Shelby’s eyes were beginning to cross from staring at the tiny lines. The detail work on these were going to kill her. Three more to do, and three days to get it all done. She was really down to the wire on this one.

  The loft door banged open.

  She straightened, holding her breath.

  Did she mess up?

  “Everyone dressed?” Rusty called out.

  “Where have you been?” she yelled back.

  She peered at the canvas.

  Was that a bug in the paint?

  Rusty’s footsteps came closer.

  That was a damn bug.

  Shit.

  She grabbed the tiny tweezers off her stand and pulled the insect from the still-wet paint.

  Rusty rounded the canvas and stopped, watching her.

  “I came by last night to check in, but from the sound of things…you had company.”

  Shelby straightened, staring at Rusty.

  Oh, God…

  “Relax. You guys were in the bathroom. I locked up and saw myself out.” Rusty’s gaze flicked down her body. “That’s a new shirt. You take anything else off your new boyfriend?”

  “He grabbed one of mine. He was late.” She tugged the shirt down lower. It hit her mid-thigh, but she wasn’t wearing anything under it.

  She’d never particularly cared what Rusty saw. But now… She wanted more clothes on.

  “Late?” Rusty frowned. Of course he’d have memorized Kade’s work schedule.

  “He had a volunteer prince thing.”

  “Prince thing? Oh, you mean that YouTube video?” Rusty grinned.

  “Yeah. Some charity, fundraiser, volunteer—thing.” She shrugged.

  “Certified Boy Scout.”

  “He is not.”

  “Touchy.”

  “Did you come here for something? Or are you just being annoying?”

  “Mostly to annoy you, but also to see if this was familiar.” He held out a file.

  She rarely liked the contents of files. They were official, stark, and often made her life more complicated. She opened it and stared at ad copy for…she wasn’t sure what. She glanced up at Rusty.

  “You remember the CPA’s office we raided last year?”

  “The guy who did Ogden’s taxes like—what? Ten years ago?” Shelby had never understood that move. It seemed like snatching stale crumbs off the floor, instead of hot bites from the plate. Seizing the poor guy’s records did nothing that she could see.

  “That’s the one. Take a look.”

  Shelby flipped the file open and stared at one sheet after another.

  Photocopied receipts.

  Old ones.

  Very old.

  “These are for—plane tickets? A hotel?” That name was familiar. Why was it familiar?

  “Yeah. Check the date.”

  “It’s…holy shit.” Shelby stared at the dates. “July 24th. That’s…”

  “Six days before your parent’s death. It puts him in Miami at the right time.” Rusty nodded at the file.

  “Okay, so this puts him in Florida, but—what is the rest of this? Where is this hotel?”

  “You might not remember the name, because it’s been bought out.”

  “Oh my God. This, is this the hotel where they had her party?” Shelby glanced up.

  Her parents had fought about the party.

  She could remember it vaguely.

  “Dad said I couldn’t have a big, formal party like I wanted…” She stared at the pallet of paints, losing herself in the mix of reds and browns. “I was really pissed because Mom’s birthday was a couple weeks before mine and Dad had this whole, crazy thing planned out. They got into it because she wanted to cut something from hers or skip it, so they could do my sweet sixteen party how I wanted it. The money had to have been gone, but I didn’t know it then.”

  She scrubbed a hand over her face, ignoring the squish of paint on her cheek.

  Ogden had been at the same hotel her mother and father were throwing a party at. They’d stayed at the hotel. Shelby was only allowed to attend the first few hours of the party before she’d been relegated to the suite and room service. She’d been bitter and hadn’t stayed up to see her parents back from the party.

  The next morning, she’d gotten up to meet friends at the beach.

  She hadn’t seen them again, alive, at least.

  Dad took Mom out on the boat, and that was when the accident no one could explain happened.

  “I wonder if he was there,” she said. “I wonder what part he played in all of this.”

  “I know this doesn’t tell us anything—”

  “But it puts him in Miami at the time of the accident. It proves we are right.”

  “Not in court it doesn’t.”

  “No, but it’s good enough for me.”

  “Shelby—what are you doing?”

  “Nothing. I just…I just needed something to hold onto, you know? I need to know I’m right.”

  “Okay, as long as you aren’t planning something.” Rusty held out his hand.

  She gave him the file back and picked up her brush.

  If she got the opportunity to kill Ogden, she would. No, it wasn’t justice, but with someone as slippery as him, there might never be enough proof for a jury to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He was careful. Organized. Men like that didn’t go down easy. Which was why, if she got the chance, she’d kill him.

  She’d never killed before.

  It was one line she hadn’t crossed.

  Shot someone?

  In self-defense.

  But kill?

  Not yet.

  How had Kade known? He’d looked at her and been able to surmise as much. Was it her eyes? His were dark, bottomless pools she wanted to throw herself into and forget everything else. But she couldn’t.

  “Earth to Shelby?”

  “What?” She shook her head.

  “The museum wants to move up the timetable for getting the paintings in place.”

  “No—why?” She flinched. They were barely drying as it was. She needed every minute she could get with the canvases under the lights.

  “Because—that’s what they say needs to happen.” Rusty shrugged.

  “God damn it.” She grumbled and scowled at the canvas.

  She was an artist and a thief, not a miracle worker.

  “Things going well with Kade?” Rusty’s tone changed.

  “Go fuck yourself.”

  “He must be good if you’re this prickly.”

  “Seriously, I am not in the mood for you.”

  “You never are.” Rusty dragged over one of the stools she used for setting things on and perched on the edge.

  She hoped there was paint on it.

  A big, white glob that would stain his pants forever.

  “He’s just—nothing like his brothers.” She didn’t have time to stand here and moon over a guy. There was work to do.

  “Yeah, he seems like a really decent kind of guy.”

  “Decent? Decent is the nine-to-five guy who holds the door open for you. Kade’s…he’s…better than decent.”

  “This is the part where I throw up a little in my mouth.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “You know, Shelby, there’s nothing wrong with wanting something besides this.”

  For other people.

  For her, this was all she had.


  She could never be the kind of woman Kade needed or deserved. She’d always be looking over her shoulder, waiting for someone to exact their pound of flesh. That wasn’t the kind of life Kade wanted. He’d gotten out—away—and she’d just bring it all back to his doorstep. She might be selfish at times, but she wasn’t cruel. She wouldn’t do that to Kade.

  Shelby cared about him too much to do that.

  Which was why, when all of this was over, she’d leave. No goodbyes, no “See you around,” just—leave. He’d thank her for it. Oh, not to her face, but she’d know. He’d be grateful she didn’t force him to say it wasn’t working out. Because they both knew this relationship, this thing they had going, was short lived. They were a flash in the pan, nothing more.

  17.

  Kade untied the laces holding the cape-cloak-thing from around his shoulders. The costume was unbearably hot, even for Seattle summers. He perched on the rear fender of Ian’s Jeep and twisted the bottle cap off a bottle of water.

  “Fuckin’—shit—crap.” Ian glanced around, but the children were nowhere near them.

  Kade snorted and tipped the bottle up, guzzling the cool liquid.

  “I’m dyin’ in this thing.” Ian attacked the shiny, gold buttons on his chest. “Where you been lately?”

  “Huh? Oh…” Kade gulped down more water to keep from answering right away.

  “Who was that girl with you last night?”

  “Shelby.” Shit. Was he supposed to admit her name? She’d come to the bar of her own free will.

  “Well, I guess that answers where ‘ya been.” Ian grinned and slapped his shoulder.

  Kade’s phone buzzed, saving him from more small talk he didn’t know how to make. He was hoping to meet up with Shelby and talk. Just talk. Nothing else. They were getting complicated, when they couldn’t afford to be. It was time to sort out what was going on so they could deal with his brothers with a clear head.

  “Hello?” He glanced around at the rest of the guys, dragging themselves from the depths of the park. The fundraiser had really worn them all out, but it’d been fun.

  “Mr. Tsaplin?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Hi, I’m with building management. We had a noise complaint early this morning.”

  “Sorry about that, my brothers—they’re staying with me for the week. They aren’t used to apartment living.”

  He made the required promises to keep it down and hung up.

  What the hell were his brothers doing at his place?

  “Your family’s in town? Why didn’t they come out last night?” Ian asked.

  “Because they weren’t invited.” Kade tossed his phone into the back of the Jeep and started unbuttoning his doublet.

  “Oh, dear, bad blood?”

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “No, I reckon I don’t. My family wouldn’t be bothered if I rolled over an’ died.”

  “Sorry, man.”

  “Nah, it’s better this way.” Ian shrugged.

  “How’s Taylor?”

  “Good.” Ian stripped out of the top part of his costume and hung it in the back. “You ridin’ with me to the pub?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Nope. In.”

  Kade dragged his sorry ass around to the passenger seat, too many thoughts knocking around in his head.

  “What’s got you chewin’ your cud like that?”

  “Chewing—what?”

  “You’re scowlin’ and shit. Just want to know if I should get ready to hit the ground.”

  “My brothers aren’t that kind of trouble, just… We don’t get along.”

  “I’ll say. I didn’t know you had any.”

  “Two. Older.” Kade stared out of the window. He didn’t want to talk about Sasha and Anton. “Taylor meeting us at the pub?”

  “You aren’t trying to hit on my girl, are you?” Ian glared at him.

  “No, dude.” Kade chuckled.

  “What gives?”

  “What gives? What’s up with you? You’re chatty all of a sudden.”

  “Byproduct of livin’ with four women.” Ian rolled his eyes and sighed.

  “How’d you get on board with helping Taylor?” For Kade, he hadn’t thought twice. His friend needed help and there was someone hurt whose life was at risk.

  “There wasn’t anythin’ to get on board with. She needed help. I helped her.”

  “Yeah, but you had to know it wasn’t all above board.” Kade turned his head, studying Ian’s profile.

  “I knew Taylor was a straight-and-narrow person, even if she didn’t see herself that way. She was always more concerned about others.” Ian shrugged. “I trusted my gut. What’s Shelby into?”

  “It’s not Shelby.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “No—”

  “Kade?” Ian stopped at a red light and turned, staring at him with stone-cold eyes. “Don’t lie to me.”

  “I…can’t talk about it.”

  “Must be fun.” Ian turned back to the road. “Let me know if you need backup.”

  “It’s not that—”

  “Your girl was packing—what? A nine mil under that jacket? Don’t forget you have friends, is all I’m sayin’.”

  Kade scrubbed a hand over his face.

  “Thanks,” he muttered.

  “No need for thanks. If it hadn’t been for you, Taylor might be dead, and where would I be? Drownin’ in a bottle. What’s fair is fair.”

  Kade tapped his screen.

  Shelby made a living out of trouble. He was worried about her. For her.

  A text popped up.

  Speak of the she-devil.

  Hey, something came up. Rain check on tonight?

  Kade frowned. What kind of something? He didn’t like not knowing.

  Anything I can help with? I don’t go on shift until tomorrow.

  Her reply was almost instantaneous.

  No. Old case related. Relax. We’re going to get brought in for a face-to-face sometime in the next few days. Be ready.

  How could he relax when there was so much to sort out?

  “That’s her, isn’t it?” Ian asked.

  “How—”

  “Your face.” Ian pulled the Jeep into a spot outside of Trinity Hall.

  “My face?”

  “Yeah, you just…” Ian shrugged. “You look different.”

  “I do not. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Kade got out of the Jeep.

  He barely knew what was going on.

  The others couldn’t see it, could they?

  What the fuck was he supposed to do?

  Aunt Liv swept the back stoop that served as the employee entrance and the access point for the upstairs apartment. The owner, Erik, often let friends use the place. Today, they’d gathered to gear up for the prince act.

  “Hey, Aunt Liv, what’d you think of Kade’s new girlfriend?”

  “Who, the girl from last night?”

  “Will you stop?” Kade grumbled.

  “She likes him,” Aunt Liv said in a sing-song voice.

  “O’ course she does.” Ian grinned and slapped Kade on the shoulder.

  Except liking each other, having chemistry, didn’t mean jack shit. It took a lot more than simply wanting to be together to make a relationship work. And when he looked at it all, he wasn’t sure what they had.

  Iestyn Ogden turned, surveying the space.

  He couldn’t have planned this to go down better.

  There was an excitement to the whole plan that made him positively giddy. He hadn’t felt this alive since…well, since that last, fateful Miami trip. Such a mess.

  But this time—they would get it right.

  It was all going to be so much better than he’d hoped. He could never have planned on the man—whatever his name was. He didn’t matter. He was simply playing a part.

  “Everything ready, sir?” Gil shifted his weight from foot to foot.

  “I beli
eve so.”

  Iestyn turned, surveying the dim room. They’d already tested the projector. The plans were in place. The act was prepared. The only thing missing were the performers.

  “The team is just waitin’ for my call,” Gil said.

  “Tell me, how are they getting on together? You said you had to add someone new?” Iestyn turned, locking eyes with Gil.

  “Uh, yeah. He’s the brother to those two guys from Texas. Works for the fire department. He’s our ticket in without setting off the alarms.”

  “Splendid. Has he worked with anyone else on the team?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. Just his brothers.”

  Interesting.

  Gil didn’t know that Shelby and the Tsaplin brother were involved. For now. What else went on with his team that Gil didn’t know about? If it weren’t about to be a moot point, Iestyn might have cause to be concerned.

  “Call the team. Bring them to me.”

  Iestyn smiled at nothing.

  It was finally starting to unfold.

  He loved a good drama.

  Kade finished going over the ambulance kit. There were people responsible for making everything was restocked, but Kade was a firm believer in double-checking. When lives were on the line, he couldn’t make mistakes.

  He knew it was fruitless, but he hoped the shift would be quiet. That the worst they got was a fender-bender. The way things were going for him lately, he wasn’t going to hold his breath.

  A pair of boots came to a stop just on the other side of the back door.

  Kade scowled at the footwear.

  Those weren’t familiar.

  A man rounded the other side of the ambulance.

  Kade’s stomach dropped.

  “What are you doing here?” He pushed to his feet and took two steps to the bumper.

  “We have to go,” Anton said.

  “Come on.” Sasha jerked his head toward the parking lot.

  “I can’t leave. I’m working.” Kade gestured to the ambulance.

  The other guys on his crew had gone to grab some food from the burger stand around the corner. They’d be back any second. The last thing Kade wanted was to connect his family to his work.

  “Too bad. We have to go. Now.” Sasha’s hard stare left no room for argument.