“I always knew you were a treacherous bleeder, but killing your own father? You are scum.”
He takes a step toward me, his eyes blazing. “Careful, Liam.”
Sneering, I turn around and wrench open the door.
“How dare you turn your back on the king!”
In my mind’s eye, I picture his outrage as his voice spills outside where the advisors wait.
“Liam, I command you to return.”
I stop for a second to look at him over my shoulder.
“You’re not my fucking king.”
Twelve
Royally Pissed: Prince Liam Sacked!
Daisy
My fingers pause over the keyboard.
Prince Lucian kidnapped me.
No, too abrupt.
Today’s Facebook post will address the former King Jonathan’s decision to name Prince Lucian as the successor to the Anglefell throne. I urge the public to denounce Prince Lucian’s claim—
Using Backspace, I delete the small paragraph and stare at the white screen until my eyes feel as though they’re burning. My fans are flooding the royal family’s Facebook page with concerned comments, and I feel like I should say something, even though it’s not my problem.
Why am I doing this?
Prince Lucian is a dickhead. He murdered the king and kidnapped me. Do not support him.
“‘Dickhead.’ Not very classy, but true in essentials.”
I jump a mile in my seat as Liam hovers over my shoulder, reading my half-written post. Heart hammering, I watch as he highlights the text and deletes it.
“Help me write this out.”
“And give him an excuse to sentence us to death? No. We’re not going to write anything.”
“We can’t just let those people rot in jail for the rest of their lives.”
He wheels my chair around, and I grasp the arms as he leans over, his face inches from mine. “You mean the bastards who took you from the castle and smuggled you into Scotland? Forgive me for not giving a flying fuck what happens to them.”
Unbelievable.
Prince Liam straightens, the smirk on his face faltering. “What?”
“You’re shirking your duties to this country.”
“I don’t have any more duties. My father saw to that.”
I stand up, grabbing his arm and wrenching him back. I misjudge how immovable he is and instead wind up hurling my body into his. He catches my arms, laughing.
“Easy, love. At least buy me dinner first.”
“You need to wake the fuck up. Your people need you.”
“I’m tired of it, Daisy,” he says baldly. “Really fucking tired. I have a way out of this for the first time in my life. We could leave. We don’t have to stay here. My brother would probably welcome it.”
“No.”
He flinches at the sound of my voice. “Why not?”
“You have to be able to live with the choices you make. This isn’t one I can live with. You’re stronger than this.”
Liam’s mouth creases into a scowl as his fingers slowly inch up under my blouse. Damn it, this is important, but I can’t stop the spread of heat over my skin. Can’t help but feel out of control when he touches me.
“I don’t want the responsibility anymore.”
“Bullshit. You had all sorts of plans for the country. You promised them, Liam! I heard you say things were going to change.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve decided fucking my wife is more important than saving the country.”
He takes my waist, and I’m stunned by his hands and his lips suddenly claiming mine. I turn my head as my cheeks burn.
“No, damn it! This is serious!”
“So is my hard-on for you.”
He grabs my hand and lets me feel just how hard he is. I instinctively squeeze, feeling him lengthen. “God.”
He touches the back of my head as his mouth hungrily devours mine. I’m forced backward as he pushes me toward the bed. We break apart for a second, and his handsome face fills my vision. He smiles, and it’s like a bump to my heart. I’m not even angry anymore. How the hell does he keep doing this? I place a palm on his chest, stopping him as he pushes me over the bed.
“Liam.”
“What?”
“We’ve got to attend the coronation, remember?”
He makes a deep sound at the back of his throat. “Let’s just stay here and fuck.”
“Would you be serious for one second?”
“I am. I don’t want to be king if I can’t have you.”
A lump forms in my throat. I open my mouth, no sound coming out. “You have me,” I say finally.
“Not if I’m king.”
“Yes you would!”
“I meant what I said, Daisy. Just let me be a selfish prick for a little while longer.”
I open my mouth to argue, but an insistent knock hammers at the door.