A Guiding Light_A Royal States Novel

by Susan Copperfield

  “That worried me for about ten seconds, then I went from worried to infuriated. Ian’s lucky I can’t kill him. I was tempted.”

  The subject of our discussion strolled into the living room in a bathrobe. “Sorry, Veronica. I needed to get your attention in a way that couldn’t be easily tracked. I figured if I got your attention using him, you’d come to the rescue.”

  Veronica shifted, got her hands under her, and sat up. I grunted as her weight settled onto my stomach, and she slid off me to perch on the edge of the cushion. “You score full points for your deviousness. Is this a hostage situation?”

  “If it makes you feel better, it can be. You’ll have to share a bedroom with your fellow hostage. He’s all yours to do with as you please. I’ll need him for a few hours each day to handle his share of the work, but right now, your job is to get his side of your bond stabilized. As you were so insistent you could fit on the couch with him, I’m sure you won’t have any problems on that front. I have a meeting with your father scheduled in a few hours, so you’ll have the place to yourself.”

  Veronica straightened, clasping her hands on her lap. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Ian.”

  “I am, but it’s one that benefits your kingdom while it teaches mine an important lesson. Oh, Adam? I’ll take care of Dr. Stanton. I want to make sure you have access to the right suppressors. I’m going to tell her I’m helping you by working out a few issues with your bond. I think she’ll bite, and it’ll make the anxious RPS agents relax.”

  “Dr. Stanton?” Veronica blurted, twisting to face me. “You’re one of Dr. Stanton’s patients? But she handles nullification and rehab cases.”

  I grimaced at the shrillness of her voice, and unease revived the pressure in my chest. “My previous doctor had me on hexapentin. Dr. Stanton took over my file. It’s less rehab and more finding a long-term solution.”

  “Why do you need a long-term solution? I’m here now. I’m not letting you go again. We have a solution.”

  Ian cleared his throat and sat on the arm of the couch near my head. “Veronica, thank about it for a minute. You’re able to feel him through two suppressors. I asked Zach about it last night. That puts him with an elite-level talent that developed through medications meant to weaken talents. Once he starts picking up from you, he’s going to need help—or a tuned suppressor to make it manageable. If his half of your bond kicks in at full strength, he’s not going to be able to tell where he ends and you begin. Dr. Stanton can help him with that.”

  Veronica sighed, learned towards me, and pressed her lips to my forehead. “Everything’s going to be better now. I promise. We’re not alone anymore.”

  Chapter Eight

  When Marshal had found his breaking point, he’d cried. I’d run out of tears years ago, so I did the only thing I could. I clung to Veronica, my face pressed to her shoulder, and breathed her in.

  I had no idea what perfume she wore, but I wanted to buy the company so it wouldn’t ever be changed. It soothed me almost as much as her presence. She sighed and waited, a stone in the middle of a flood keeping me from being swept away.

  “Do you need help with him?” Ian whispered.

  “I can take care of him. You go mislead my idiot father. He has truth seers, so watch your words carefully.”

  “How many?”

  “Two. They’re weak. As long as you don’t lie, they can’t tell if you’re omitting anything.”

  “I can work with that. I should be back by four. There are guns in the safe, and I’ll leave the key and code on the counter for you. If he gives you any trouble, call Dr. Stanton. You can get her number from the hospital, just tell the operator there’s an emergency with one of her patients.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “RPS agents are founts of knowledge and wisdom, and Zach told me if I didn’t tell you, I would be spending my evening being zapped incoherent.”

  Veronica sighed. “I can take care of him.”

  “No doubt. Just be patient with him.”

  “Just because I have no use for idiots doesn’t mean I can’t be patient.”

  Ian snickered. “Fair enough. I’ll get out of your hair. Try to get him to eat something healthy and expect him to crash and burn after.”

  “More RPS wisdom?”

  “That’s all me. I saw what a good meal did to him yesterday. The sedative should’ve taken an hour to kick in. He was down and out for the count in ten flat.”

  “Good to know.”

  I relaxed against Veronica, drawing slow, deep breaths. “I’m all right.”

  Laughing, Veronica held me closer. “You’re a terrible liar, Adam. Ian’s going to leave and take his RPS agents with him. I’m going to feed you breakfast, then we’ll talk. Go away, Ian. Shoo!”

  “Going, going. Good luck, Adam. Don’t let her wear you out too much.”

  I flipped my middle finger at him, and Veronica laughed.

  While I had no doubt Veronica meant for us to talk, but my body had other plans. Years of sleep deprivation and stress caught up with me, and when I wasn’t being assaulted by some form of vegetable, I collapsed on the nearest soft surface. The armchair was my favorite spot, as Veronica insisted on joining me. She used Ian’s laptop, and when I was coherent enough to ask, she claimed she’d left hers at home to limit the ways she could be tracked.

  When I was awake enough to care about anything, I watched her keep a close eye on North Dakota’s stock market. The fall had stabilized, but I foresaw a long time for it to recover.

  The front door opened, and Ian laughed. “Is he still sleeping?”

  I cracked open an eye. The New York prince tossed his suit jacket on the couch.

  “Ah. It seems not. Good afternoon, Adam. I’ve brought a friend.”

  The friend was my new doctor, and she glared at me with her hands on her hips. “This explains so much about your opinions, Mr. Smith. However, it seems your beliefs regarding certain matters were incorrect.”

  I yawned and stretched as much as I could with Veronica using me as a chair. “I can live with being wrong.”

  Dr. Stanton’s attention locked onto Veronica. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. How has he been?”

  “Asleep unless I was forcing him to eat. When he’s been awake, he’s been watching me work.”

  “I trust you understand the importance of regulating your emotions until he’s equipped to handle them. I recommend keeping in as good of a mood as possible for the foreseeable future. I’m assuming you’re capable of filtering his emotions?”

  “I am.”

  “Good. If you require a suppressor, I’ll put in an order for you. It may be wise, especially should you become ill. Sickness can be a serious issue in a bonded pair. Considering Mr. Smith’s rating, I strongly recommend you acquire at least one. Without suppressors, the pair both tend to get sick and stay sick for longer. The suppressors I have in mind will be attuned to Mr. Smith’s leeching talent, and they’ll be tuned so the bond is present without allowing much to leak through.” Dr. Stanton set her briefcase onto the coffee table and opened it, revealing papers, a variety of silver suppressor bracelets, several boxes, and two pill bottles.

  I spotted a syringe and tensed.

  “The needle isn’t for you, Mr. Smith. It’s for her Highness.”

  “No.” I scowled. “It’s absolutely not.”

  Veronica leaned against me and snickered. “You’re afraid of needles.”

  Careful to avoid Ian’s laptop, I wrapped my arms around her. “I might have a minor aversion to them.”

  “You saw it and went cold. That little thing terrifies you.”

  Dr. Stanton smiled and held up the syringe. “This is a three-month birth control shot, Mr. Smith, as I expect Her Highness is interested in pursuing the advantages of being bonded to a concentrated leech like yourself. This birth control is reliable and has few side effects. Should Her Highness wish to grace the kingdom with a future heir, she’ll be physical
ly ready within a month following its expiration. It’s the preferred birth control among royal families.”

  With a snicker, Ian strolled towards the kitchen. “Welcome to the rest of your life, Adam. Everyone in every royal family around the world knows who is sleeping with who, who is trying to have children, who isn’t trying to have children, and if the princes or kings are responsible enough to be taking birth control, too.”

  I groaned. “This is a nightmare.”

  Veronica huffed. “Having an heir is important to the kingdom, and I don’t want nor need my father’s damned permission to have kids! He can go fuck himself.”

  Her on my lap had somehow become dangerous for so many reasons.

  Dr. Stanton smiled. “I was considering the issue of your virginity, Your Highness. Wouldn’t you like to enjoy the benefits of your bond before you commit to a child?”

  Ian moaned and slumped against the kitchen counter. “And I thought my doctor was bad.” Collapsing to the floor, he dissolved into helpless laughter.

  Dr. Stanton shot a glare at Ian and sighed. “I thought you might enjoy a chance to marry him first, Your Highness.”

  “That’s not necessary. I have two words for anyone who doesn’t approve.”

  “Which are?”

  “Fuck off.”

  My doctor arched a brow and turned her attention to me. “Mr. Smith, should you be a more reasonable person than Your Highness, I brought a pill-based variant for you.”

  No matter what I said, I’d make someone angry, and the last person I wanted angry with me was on my lap, tense and glaring at the doctor responsible for keeping my talent in check. There was only one way I could think of I could make Veronica—and myself—happy at the same time. “I’m not a reasonable person, Dr. Stanton. I bought a lot of land so I could build a house, hoping for at least three kids.”

  “Three sounds good to start with,” Veronica replied, lifting her chin.

  Veronica on my lap had truly become dangerous for so many reasons, and I liked the direction the conversation had taken.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Dr. Stanton returned the syringe to the briefcase and pulled out the suppressor bracelets along with one of the pill bottles. “These are vitamins, Mr. Smith. I expect you to take them as directed.”

  Veronica held out her hand for the bottle, which Dr. Stanton tossed over. “I’ll make sure he takes them.”

  “Good. For at least the next week, I recommend you keep him contained, eating an appropriate diet, and taking his vitamins. We’ll need to do some blood work to see how he is progressing, but I expect he won’t be difficult to manage.”

  “I think I can take care of him.” Veronica pocketed the pill bottle. “Hey, Adam? What lot are you talking about?”

  “One I own.”

  “Adam.”

  “What?”

  “When did you buy a lot?”

  I fought to hide my grin. “Sometime before I came to Fargo, I suppose.”

  “You suppose? And when did you come to Fargo?”

  “Your brother made me do it.”

  Veronica lurched off my lap, spinning to stare at me with narrowed eyes. “What lot did you buy?”

  I didn’t need to sense her emotions to hear the desperate hope in her voice, strong enough I cracked and smiled. “I refuse to tell you until the house is built and I’m showing it to you. It’s a present.”

  “You bought the waterfall, didn’t you? Father had told me someone had purchased it, but he wouldn’t tell me who. He was pretty unhappy about it.”

  I bet His Royal Majesty was unhappy to discover how much money I had readily available for the purpose of reclaiming my life one purchase at a time. I averted my eyes so I wouldn’t cave immediately. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Dr. Stanton cleared her throat. “Focus, please. We’re discussing an important matter here.”

  I supposed my health counted as important, although I put my health far behind Veronica and her need to know the waterfall’s fate.

  “So am I. Adam?”

  I couldn’t help myself; once I started grinning, I couldn’t smother my amusement. “Still no idea what you’re talking about. What waterfall?”

  “Adam!”

  “Your highness, please don’t kill my patient for testing the limits of his luck. I expect the relief of close proximity with you has addled his brain. Considering the circumstances—”

  “Did you buy our waterfall?” Veronica shrieked.

  I gave it ten minutes before she suffered a meltdown the match of mine. “Calm down. Your brother ran away so he could give me the lot numbers. Yes, I bought the waterfall and the—”

  North Dakota’s heir slammed into me so hard she flipped the armchair, and we crashed to the floor.

  Concussions hurt like hell.

  Taking the brunt of the fall was a relief as it meant Veronica dodged injury, but the throbbing headache refused to subside. It didn’t help that Dr. Stanton and the woman of my dreams were engaged in an act of verbal warfare so loud I bet they could be heard in the next kingdom.

  When had my life become so abnormal? How had I gone from battling depression and dodging interaction with other people to being stretched out on a rug with one of New York’s princes poking at the lump on the back of my head? At least Ian pressed an ice pack to where my skull had met the floor; it helped numb some of the pain.

  “You have no luck,” Ian announced. In a softer voice, he continued, “At least Veronica escaped unscathed. The last thing we need is you worrying about her right now. This is better for everyone.”

  I pointed at the bickering women. “How is this good?”

  “Well, you made Veronica very happy. Her father has lost most of his hold on her because of you. The only way she could secure a better hand for herself is if she happens to get pregnant with your child. His Majesty would be a great deal more hesitant to get rid of you if there’s a little one confirmed on the way. He’s an asshole, no doubt of that, but he’s a traditionalist asshole. As you have no way of knowing this, I’m pleased to inform you that Veronica adores children, and she gets pretty pissy she doesn’t have one—or more—of her own yet. The only one she’s having children with is you, and everyone except her idiot father understands this.”

  I groaned and wished I could disappear. Unless I acknowledged Ian, he wouldn’t leave me alone about it, so I replied, “Message received.”

  “In case this wasn’t obvious, you’ll need to ditch your virginity in order to get her pregnant. You’ll like it.”

  Why couldn’t I assault a prince? I closed my eyes and wished he would disappear. His snickers promised he stayed close, waiting to inflict another ice pack on the back of my head. “None of your business, Ian.”

  “Completely my business, Adam. If you’re going to overthrow North Dakota, you’re going to want an heir. Since you’re just like Veronica, obviously, she’ll be the mother of your heir. Or you’ll be the father of her heir. Whichever way you want to look at it, you both win.”

  Ian thought I was going to what? The thought of me taking over North Dakota stunned me into silence. He snickered, pressed a fresh pack of ice against the back of my head, and waited.

  “Who said anything about overthrowing North Dakota?” I boomed. Grimacing at the way my deep voice thundered, I regretted opening my mouth the instant the words broke free.

  The fighting between the two women came to an immediate halt, and they both twisted to stare at me. One of Veronica’s brows arched high.

  Ian dug into his pocket and flung a handful of shredded scraps of paper into the air. “Congratulations. You’re going to overthrow North Dakota, claim your queen, and unseat an idiot who needed to hand over his crown years ago.”

  Veronica sighed and smacked her forehead. “Ian, you’re an idiot.”

  “What? You get Adam and a kid or ten out of the deal. I thought you’d like my plan.”

  “You just threw paper all over the floor.”


  “It’s confetti. I’m celebrating.” Dipping his hand into his pocket, Ian flung more scraps of paper. “This is working out so much better than I thought it would. If I have my way, you’ll be on the throne where you belong, I’ll restore some of New York’s integrity, and my reputation won’t be completely ruined.”

  I sighed, closed my eyes, and wondered how I’d gotten involved with Ian’s insanity. Ah, right.

  I’d invited Veronica’s little brother into my home.

  “Which one of us are you talking to?” Veronica demanded.

  “Both of you. You were ready to become the queen the instant your father put his pride over everything else and sent Adam away. As for Adam, he’s earned his crown. He single-handedly bought your kingdom. All roads lead to Rome, and today, Rome is Adam.”

  Since I couldn’t refute the truth, I sighed and said, “I really do own an unfair percentage of North Dakota’s banking sector.”

  “That really surprised me,” Veronica confessed. “I’d known you had at least twenty-five percent; it infuriated my father. He’d researched your stock activities. Worse, his team suggested the kingdom should hire you to manage finances. According to several of my father’s advisors, you’re Midas. Stocks you touch turn to gold. You have several fans among my father’s advisors, actually. When they did the research on your acquisitions, they tracked you all the way from the beginning—at least for your activities within North Dakota. Your buying and selling was a masterpiece. You turned five hundred dollars into a fortune.”

  “Your seed money was five hundred when you turned fifteen?” Ian choked out. “That’s it?”

  “My first investment purchase was around that much, I guess. I skimmed what my parents had flagged for rent to do it. They had arranged for a house near the new school. Instead, I moved into someone’s basement. I took the difference and invested it.”

  Ian grunted. “And now you own ninety-one percent of North Dakota’s banks. Incredible. I agree with the advisors. You’re Midas.”

  “I’m not. I just had nothing else to do with my time.”