Royal Line (Tattered Royals #1) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,23
bed between us.
London just blinked at me before her cheeks went red and she picked up the phone. She didn’t, however, turn off the speaker.
“You knew? They called you?”
“Of course, they called me. You were run off the road? Jesus Christ, London. I’m sending men to you right now.”
“The accident was just a one-off thing. And for all I know, the shooters who came later could have been after Kannon.”
I didn’t know if she actually believed the lie or if she was just trying to make sure her brother didn’t worry.
“They weren’t,” I said. I had already cleaned up the messes that would have come after me. There was enough blood on my hands that nobody needed to worry.
“We already looked up Kannon Security. They’re likely who we would have called in that situation if we couldn’t bring our own people,” the king said, surprising me.
Maybe I would like her brother. Not that it mattered.
“I’m fine. I just don’t know why any of this happened.”
“We’re going to figure it out,” Roman soothed. “But the reason you left is still an issue here. I’m working with the council, but I’m getting pushback. If you show up right now, it’s going to be an issue, and I’m not going to be able to get us out of it.” He paused, and I looked at London, wondering what the hell the king was talking about.
“London, if you came home, I’d never force you into that situation, but it’s going to take away our options.”
“What are you saying?” she asked, and I wanted to reach out. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay. Because I knew she was so damn strong, and yet she looked nothing of the sort standing there in front of me at the moment.
“I’m saying I’ll send my people to get you if that’s what you want, but Wilder gives a thumbs-up on Kannon. He’s been vetting him while we’ve been talking. He’s good to protect you. As long as he watches his fucking tone.”
I ground my teeth together, but I didn’t say anything. I did what I always did; I swallowed what I wanted to say for the greater good. Besides, me shouting just then would probably end up with my neck in a guillotine or some royal shit.
“You can’t just hire random people. I’m fine. I just need to get to Rian.”
“Do you honestly think going to your vapid actress friend can keep you safe? You’re going to put Rian in the middle of everything and endanger her. She’s likely to drag you to a party and expose you.”
“First off, Rian is so much more than a ‘vapid actress’ as you called her. You know that. I don’t know what you have against her.” She held up a hand as I opened my mouth to say they were getting off the subject, but she shook her head. “That has nothing to do with this, other than you’re an asshole.”
“I am, but that isn’t new.”
“I don’t want to put her in danger, and I won’t. When she rescheduled her flight, she told me to head out to her place in the country. You remember she had a stalker five years ago? This house is where she hid out. It comes complete with a panic room.”
As her brother railed about how he didn’t know the specs of said panic room, London bit her lip and started to pace the room, though the space wasn’t all that big for her to move around. Every time she went past me, her arm brushed against mine, and I bit back a groan.
Focus, man. Lock it down.
I did not want this need, this urge to put my hands on her and tell her everything was going to be okay. Besides, I knew better. I knew what happened when someone slipped by my carefully constructed defenses.
And I wasn’t that man anymore. I was a liar. I had lied the last time I told someone everything would be fine and that we’d make it out alive.
I had lied, and she had burned, taking every good part of me with her. I’d relearned those hard lessons. Focused on what I could control. On what was ahead of me. Emotion clouded the mind and ripped out the heart.
I wouldn’t be that man again.
“I need to be able to handle myself, Roman,” London said, and I could practically hear the plea in her voice. Maybe not to her brother but begging for herself.