should be thankful this was the first time.” Kris had wanted to throw the man’s desk against the wall and his bigoted skull along with it. “He said Tommy was in the wrong place at the wrong time—with the wrong kind of friend—and that Jonah should be more careful.”
“Piece of shit,” she muttered, and then stilled. “But you told your family?”
Shame slid around the back of his neck like clammy fingers and shoved his head down.
“Kris.” Frankie sounded appalled. “Erik could have contacted Philip. He could have ensured those men were found and charged with treason.”
He’d known that, but had been too sickened to admit it was his fault. “I described them down to the damn hairs in their ears. Our authorities should have caught them.”
Frankie’s breath turned shallow and she stared at him without blinking. “Oh my God.”
“Let me guess.” Had she just had the same realization that had haunted him for months?
His voice was hushed as he said, “You’re thinking two critical attacks on the royal family feels less accidental than one.”
Disbelief was dark in her eyes. “They can’t be related.”
He leaned closer. “Why not?”
She rolled her lips, breathing a little too fast through her nose. “People who bungled an attack in small-town America could hardly go on to successfully commit royal murder inside the Kiralian palace.”
“Bungled?” Shame dug its nails into him. Deep, deserved pain in the pit of his being. “I still don’t know how Jonah fucking made it.”
But she shook her head. “It’s a stretch.”
“That balcony collapse wasn’t an accident.” Kris was sure of it. “Plans for renovations of the west wing first started three years ago. There were delays, sure, but if someone had a grand plan involving a construction accident, they acted to remove the spare heir ahead of time.”
“I—I have to call Philip.” Her phone was out, unlocked, her thumb whipping across the screen.
“Don’t tell Tommy.” Humiliation rushed out of Kris with the words. His brother could never know it was his fault. The resentment he felt over Kris taking the throne would be nothing compared to Kris nearly getting him killed, nearly getting Jonah killed. “He’d never—I’d never—”
Her features were severe in the glow of the screen as her attention snapped back to him. “Don’t blame yourself.”
How could he not? “I should have told those men it was me. They thought Dad only had one son. Common belief here in Kiraly, apparently. I could’ve claimed to be it. Protected everyone else. But I panicked and sent them straight to Tommy and Jonah.”
Phone falling, she shifted to her knees in front of him. “No.” She bunched his shirtsleeve in her fist and gave it a hard tug. “They would’ve killed you. You sent them to an empty property so no one would get hurt. It was smart. You didn’t know the boys would be on their way home.”
“What if they’d died?” His eyes stung; everything stung. “Jonah came so close. And Tommy . . .”
“It still wouldn’t have been your fault.” Through the fabric, the warmth of her fingers pressed against his forearm. Then her brow creased. “But you’re right. Jones was in a bad state when we got there.” Careful words for unconscious, sliced up and bleeding out through a stomach wound. “I called Philip. He’s the one who organized that air ambulance to fly to the best trauma doctors in Montana. Jones wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”
“Exactly.” That was part of why it made sense. “The attackers left the scene believing he was dead. A secret, spare heir out of the running.”
“But.” Her eyes were glazed. “Erik was next in line. For this theory to float, they should have gone after him as well.”
“Too obvious.” Kris had traveled this road. “One attack could be passed off as random. But two separate murders of the royal line? Not so much. Security would never have let anyone near the royal family in Kiraly again.” He raised a shoulder in sad acceptance. “And Dad’s been unwell for a while. They could have presumed he’d abdicate, and if he didn’t, staged an accident that could be blamed on his condition.”
Frankie was shaking her head slowly.
“Look,” he said. “I was confused and ashamed and didn’t know how to fix things then. But I’m going to find them now. The attackers. Whoever brought that balcony down. And they’re going to rue the fucking day they messed with my family.”
“No, you’re not—” Frankie halted as her eyes narrowed. “Oh, no. You haven’t been.”