Angela's Reblogs

“Liam, we really should—”

“Not now!”

Madeleine’s eyes narrowed as she watched him swoop in on Lady Beaumont. She could, and would, make Riley’s life a living hell. It was bad enough that she tolerated Penelope under her roof.

Liam had certainly made the most of his social season, wooing and bedding most of the suitors. Penelope had been the only one dumb enough, or smart enough if you asked the queen, to get herself pregnant. Not a week after the engagement announcement, Penelope had announced her pregnancy. Being neither able, nor particularly willing to break a council approved and legally contracted marriage agreement, he had done the only sensible thing and made her the official royal mistress.

Penelope was one thing. But damned if she was going to tolerate a second mistress. She turned with a huff and made her way through the crowd. She needed a plan.

Liam was oblivious to his wife’s machinations as he swooped in to stake his claim. His hand landed on her shoulder then slid down her back possessively. “Riley, what are you doing, love?”

Riley stiffened in annoyance and frustration. She liked Liam, and they had a lot of fun together. Parties, dinners, dances, trips to Paris. He was funny, smart and amazing in bed. But he was a little too intense, a little too possessive. She and Max had opened their marriage to experience new things and different people. Not to immediately hop into a second committed relationship, which is what her situationship with the king was starting to feel like.

She had already experienced Liam. Now she wanted to experience the adorably shy adonis standing in front of her, but Liam was making that difficult. He had both a wife and mistress, so she had not anticipated his jealousy.

She forced a smile to her lips and replied, “I was just making a new friend.”

“Hm.” Liam’s eyes flicked over to Rashad and back again. “Well, if you’re done with that, I was hoping that we could—”

“Sorry,” she demurred as she pretended to read a message on her phone, “My husband just texted me that it’s time to go. We have a family thing that we need to attend to. But you can text me later.”

“Oh, well, I…”

Her stomach clenched as a wave of guilt, regret and anger swept over her, but as that subsided, she felt the sharp satisfying sting of vengeance. A bit of payback for how he'd thrown her over for that bitch Madeleine.

She wasn't over it.

The public humiliation was nothing compared to the utter, overwhelming shame that had engulfed her that night. She hated herself for her own stupidity, and she hated him for exploiting her vulnerability. For making her think he loved her, for making her love him, and then throwing her away like yesterday’s trash.

She had stood there in that ballroom with bits of grass still clinging to her hair, her dress still wet and muddy from their encounter in the hedge maze. His essence still sticky on her thighs. His declarations of love and promises of a future still ringing in her ears as he stood there on the stage without an ounce of remorse and called out another woman's name, held another woman’s hand while smiling triumphally for all the court to see.

And all of it had happened while she was being literally dragged out of the palace.

Like some thief. Like a trespasser. An outsider. A criminal.

Liam had done that. No one else.

And now? Now he wanted to play the possessive fiancé? He wanted to act like he owned her? Like she owed him any loyalty or fidelity after the way he had betrayed and destroyed her?

Absolutely fucking not.

His Royal Highness King Liam Nicolai Ulysses Augustus Rys was about to find out that Riley Nicole Brooks did not fucking play like that.

He may have blindsided her with that engagement announcement (that she had never agreed to), and he may have convinced her to go along with it (in the moment at least) in order to protect Drake and Max, the two men that had actually stood up for her, that had stood beside her, helped her clear her name and who had each, in turn, held her while she cried. Who had each, in their own way, picked up the shattered fragments of her heart and glued them back together again.

She was willing to sacrifice a lot to protect them both, but Liam was one hundred percent mistaken if he thought she had intentions of doing anything other than making his life a living hell. She wouldn’t be owned, she wouldn’t be controlled and she would never forgive him.

“Oh, he’s mad!” She sang out gleefully as she turned and slid back down in the seat.

Drake shot a glance at her as he shifted gears. She was far too happy about Liam’s ire.

He loved the girl. He wanted her. No, more than that. He burned with desire for her, he was stupidly in love, he was weak for her. Here he was betraying his best friend for her, and still, he had no idea if she really wanted him, or if he was just the most efficient knife to plunge in Liam’s heart and twist. He wondered on an almost hourly basis every single day if she was really into him, or if she was just using him.

He couldn’t tell, and that was the whole problem. He prided himself on knowing what people where thinking and feeling, despite what they said. It was a skill he’d developed early growing up at the palace. It had served him well both personally and professionally over the years. But he was just too close to this situation. He couldn’t read her precisely because he cared so fucking much about the answers. It made him second guess everything.

He put his foot in the gas as the car shot out of the parking lot and power slid around the corner. He wasn’t going to think about it right now. Not tonight.

Tonight, he was getting her out of Cordonia City completely. Away from the palace, away from Liam, from Max, from all the distractions. But first, they were going to need a car that couldn’t be tracked.

He yanked the offending piece of jewelry from his cuff and flung it across the room before pouring himself a generous helping of thirty-year-old scotch. He untucked his shirt with one hand and lifted the tumbler to his mouth with the other as he backtracked to the door. Flinging it open, he barked at his head guard, “Alec!”

“Yes, sir?” Alexandros Eliades stepped into the room, confusion playing across his features. Liam had been perfectly calm, happy, and downright chatty on the walk from his office up to the royal suite of Winden Palace.

“Where is she?”

“Sir?”

“My fiancée! Where. Is. She?”

“Ah,” the confusion cleared as Alec bit back his annoyance. Of course, that was the problem. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I’ve been with you all day. How would I know-“

“You are the head of my King’s Guard, are you not?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then get on your com and find out where she went. And if she’s not somewhere in this palace, then whoever was on her detail at the time she disappeared is fired!”

“Really?” Alec grumbled as pulled his walkie off his hip. “Because at this rate, we’re going to have to replace an entire bloody platoon…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Alec backed through the door, “I’ll let you know as soon as I find out something.”

“You do that.” The moment the door shut, Liam hurled the leaded crystal Waterford tumbler emblazoned with the Rys family crest at it. “Fuck! I’m surrounded by incompetence!”

He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed her number.

No answer.

He hadn’t expected one. He should have seen this coming. She got bored when he worked long hours. They’d been fighting more lately.

Ever since he’d blindsided her with that press conference and more or less forced her into the engagement, she’d been bitchier than usual.

While he normally liked it when she was mean, he hated, no, he loathed it when she ran from him.

He liked a challenge, but he hated losing complete control.

“Sir?” There was a rap on the door, then Alec stuck his head in. “We know where she is.”

“Excellent. Let’s go!” Liam rolled his sleeves up as he tread across the room to the door.

Forty-five minutes later they pulled up to what Liam imagined a honky tonk looked like.

There were haybales strewn across the front of the building as if they were decorations. A neon guitar flickered on the roof.

Liam crinkled his nose as he stepped out of the back of the SUV. The parking lot smelled like bad liquor and piss.

“Sir,” Alec tried to wave him away, “You should really stay in the vehicle and let us handle this.”

“Let you handle it?” Liam snorted.

“Yes, sir. You’re too recognizable and—”

“People see what they expect to see,” Liam snapped his fingers at one of the guards that had just exited the second SUV. “Give me your sunglasses and hat.”

The guard handed the items over and Liam donned them. “There. This will do.”

“But, sir,” Alec tried again, “There’s really no need. We can just pop in there and—"

“No,” the king snapped as he strode toward the establishment, pulling the cap down further on his head. “If she sees a guard, she’ll just bolt. And clearly, you can’t stop her.”

Alec ground his teeth as he bit out, “Do you want us to detain her by any means necessary? Physically drag her out even if she’s screaming and fighting?”

“No, of course not!”

“Then how in the name of all that’s holy are we supposed to-“

“Exactly my point! That’s why I have to go in.”

Alec shook his head, but he stopped arguing. It’s not like Liam ever listened to him anyway. Especially when it came to that girl.

It took a moment for Liam’s eyes to adjust to the darkened interior. He pulled the sunglasses off as his eyes scanned the bar and the tables situated along the perimeter of the dance floor.

Nothing.

He moved onto the dance floor, turning this way and that, searching through the throng of bodies moving and gyrating to the music.

The crowd parted for a moment, and he caught a glimpse of glossy curls and a heart stopping smile.

She was wrapped up in a pair of arms that weren’t his as she twirled around the room. Liam’s gaze tracked up to find the face that was attached to those arms. He froze as his onyx eyes met a pair of oh-so-familiar copper ones.

The smile on Drake’s face disappeared as he spun Riley in the other direction, and they disappeared into the crowd.

Max’s head jerked forward to find Drake Walker standing next to him, whiskey in hand, gaze piercing through him to his very soul. “Oh… I… ah…” he fumbled over his words. “I just needed a break… um… from all…. That.”

“Huh.” Drake lifted his glass to his lips as he turned his gaze out toward the dance floor. His eyes scanned the room until they fell on the source of Max’s discomfort. Understanding washed over him as he watched Riley glow under Liam’s attention.

His best friend did tend to have that affect on women.

Lowering his drink, he turned back toward Max. The younger Lord Beaumont was known for his gregariousness, extroversion and love of a good party. The fact that he was moping at the back of the room told Drake all he needed to know about the answer to the question he decided to ask anyway. “So, how’s the Cordonian Agreement going?”

Max shrugged. “Fine.”

“Fine?” Drake lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “Have there been a lot of takers?”

“She’s had a few.” None of the others had gotten under his skin the way Liam did though.

“I meant for you.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “Me?”

“Yeah, you.” Drake watched him intently over the rim of his tumbler as he lifted it for another drink.

“Oh…uh… I’ve…had a couple,” he confessed with a shrug.

“Just a couple?”

His gaze dropped down to focus on the toe of his well polished shoe. “I’m just really not interested in other women to be honest.”

“Other women?” Drake snorted. “What about men?”

“I…what?” Max’s head jerked up to find the other man standing closer than he had been a few moments ago. “I mean I haven’t….I’ve never….uh….what?”

Drake leaned closer, “I was under the impression that you liked both. Am I wrong?”

“N…no,” Max stammered as his heart thudded in his chest and his palms were suddenly inexplicably sweaty. “I mean… I just haven’t… er, I mean, I haven’t really pursued…. Where did you hear that?”

It was Drake’s turn to shrug. “Things get around.”

Max and Riley may have started dating at fifteen, but before Riley, there had been a boy. A boy that Drake had briefly dated a year later.

Max wanted to fall through the floor. Not because he was embarrassed to be bisexual, but because he was mortified at how flustered he was.

Drake Walker was a dream. Tall, athletic, handsome, and confident in a way that Max just wasn’t. There was no way a man like that was into him…. Was there?

“So…” Drake propped an arm on the wall and leaned in, putting his mouth close enough to Max’s ear for his breath to send goosebumps cascading down the other man’s back. “Do you wanna keep staring at them, or do you wanna get out of here and have some fun of your own?”

“I…” Max gulped as he slowly lifted his cobalt blue eyes to meet Drake’s gold flecked copper ones. He wasn’t sure he trusted his voice or his knees at that moment, but he managed to croak out, “I want to get out of here.”

He’d heard about their arrangement from Leo, who had found out from Bertrand, who had learned about it directly from Maxwell himself. Riley and Max were experimenting with other people.  Liam was other people.

He saw a chance, and he was taking it. The small matter of being married wasn’t going to stop him. He was in possession of his own Cordonian Agreement. It had been a non-negotiable for him during the marriage contract discussions.

He hadn’t married for love, he’d married for duty and he had done his duty admirably if you asked him.

His father wanted heirs? He’d given him plenty. His wife was carrying his fifth legitimate heir, and the official royal mistress had three.

But Madeleine was cold and calculated where Riley was warm and spontaneous. Penelope was beautiful but shallow and a little dim where Riley was deep and sharp as a tack. She was the total package and he was determined to unwrap that package, to peel back the layers and find out what made her tick.

She leaned in toward him, hand on his arm as she laughed. “Liam, you’re so funny!”

She was definitely flirting with him and there was no way in hell he was letting this opportunity go to waste despite the daggers Madeleine was shooting him from across the room.

He covered her hand with his own as he leaned in even closer. “Could I interest you in a dance?”

Her smile lit up the ballroom. “Why yes, I’d love that!”

“I mean,” Riley sat up, drawing her knees to her chest as she continued, “I love you and I would never leave you, that’s not it. I just…. remember we talked about an open marriage before?”

Max was now sitting upright as well, his eyes glued to her face with a stark intensity. “Yes… but we were sixteen then and not even engaged.”

“Right. I know. But… don’t all the reasons still apply?”

He scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration. It had been his stupid idea to bring up an open relationship. Mostly because they had started dating when they were fifteen and everyone kept putting it into his head that neither of them had ever experienced anything, or anyone, else.

They had agreed that if they were still together after university, and still in love, they would get married, but in order to stave off the possibility of one or both of them ever feeling cheated out of the sowing their wild oats phase, they would have an open marriage.

It had made perfect sense at the time.

“We have a Cordonian Agreement,” she reminded him.

His jaw clenched. “We do.”  Bertrand had insisted on it, convinced that his brother would eventually tire of his high school sweetheart.

He hadn’t. He wouldn’t.

“So, let’s try it. We can always go back to the way things are now if it doesn’t work out.”

He studied her face. “Are you unhappy with the way things are now?”

“What?” Surprise flashed across her face. “Of course not. I love you and I love our life together. I just… don’t you ever wonder what else is out there?”

“Not really.”

“Oh! So…. You don’t want to—”

“I’m not saying that.”

He wasn’t saying it, but he was sure feeling it. His mind spun through the possible scenarios and what it landed on was the one that he could not live with.

He could not, he would not, risk losing her by stifling her. It was better to let her explore within their marriage than to risk losing her because she felt constrained or trapped in it.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” he drew in a fortifying  breath, “let’s do it.”

“Really?” The delight in her voice was evident.

His resolve to be the best possible king was no longer rooted in some abstract sense of duty or obligation but in the desire to make the world, at least the part of it that he controlled, a better place for her. That meant throwing himself headlong into governance, into improving social programs, into building an education system envied around the world.

Ellie would inherit a throne that had invested heavily in the people it served and a country that was thriving.

His gaze went back to the infant at his chest as she shifted in her sleep. He lowered his head to inhale her sweet baby scent. Her smell flooded him with protectiveness.

She was the reason for everything he did now.

Of course he wanted vengeance for his mother, but more than that, he wanted safety for his daughter. The world would learn what happened to traitors who crossed the monarchy. He would track down and eradicate every threat to her life. There would be no mercy.

Let Madeleine and her ilk think him a tyrant. He didn’t care. Protecting his child was worth any cost.

He had thought it wasn’t possible to love anyone as much as he loved Riley, but then Eleanor had been born and proven him wrong.

The thought of Riley filled him with the same bittersweet intensity that it always did.

Grief and loss mingled with love and longing. But the overriding sentiment was gratitude. She had given him Ellie and for that, he would be forever grateful.

It was tradition to introduce the heir to the public at the age of four months. Liam had pushed it back to five citing her early and traumatic arrival into the world. But that wasn’t the primary reason he had moved the date back.

Riley and Drake were planning to move back to Valtoria after the presentation ceremony.

He wasn’t ready.

And this time it wasn’t about trying to hold onto Riley. It was about holding onto his child.

Yes, they would be co-parents. And yes, he would have unfettered access to her, but it wasn’t the same as having her nursery right down the hall. His time with her would be diminished.

He could compel the heir to the throne to live at the palace if he so desired, but there was nothing in him that wanted to force or coerce Riley into staying if she didn’t want to be there. That would only breed resentment and that resentment would spill over and poison their child.

His deepest fear was that his enemies would strike at him through her the moment she was out from under the protection the palace provided.

Drake had assured him Valtoria was safe. They had poured over the new security plans together and they were solid. He trusted Drake but Valtoria would never be as secure as Stormholt.

Riley and Drake returning to their duchy had all been part of the original plan they had made back before everything had gone sidewise. He had agreed to it but that was before; before his daughter had been placed in his arms, before he knew what being a father really was, before he realized that for the rest of eternity, his heart would go walking around outside his body.

Pushing the presentation ceremony bought him more time. Time to sway Drake to his side, time to convince Riley to stay, time, perhaps, for forgiveness.

Gazing down into his daughter's face, he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe. Right now that meant convincing Riley to stay. It also meant tracking down Godfrey and dismantling The Sons of the Earth.

He had tails on all of Godfrey’s known associates, most notably Barthelemy Beaumont. His back from the dead routine made no sense and like any reasonable person, Liam had questioned it.

Why hadn’t the facility contacted Bertrand when his father woke up? Didn’t coma patients require months of physical therapy before regaining all motor functions?

At first, it had just been out of curiosity and an abundance of caution. But now that Bart’s best buddy Godfrey had been revealed to be a killer and the elder Beaumont had revoked the power of attorney that had made Bertrand the Duke pro tempore of Ramsford, Liam had the surveillance around him tightened and the investigation into his past intensified.

Barthelemy was up to something, and he was going to find out what it was.

Bertrand shared his suspicions. If it had been anyone else, Liam would assume the real issue was a reluctance to relinquish power, but he had known Bertrand most of his life and had witnessed firsthand how the stress of stepping up so young to both governing and caring for his younger brother, had weighed on him.

Bertrand had given the King’s Guard unfettered access to all Beaumont records and accounts. They were working quickly to search through everything before the newly restored duke realized he needed to lock down his systems.  

And now they had the location of a hunting lodge that Godfrey had kept hidden from his family. Adelaide had found out about it when she’d hired a private detective to follow him the first time she had suspected him of cheating.

She’d never told her husband that she knew about the existence of his hideaway, but she had told Liam in an effort to prove her loyalty to the crown and secure her ancestral lands and titles for her daughter.

Liam could respect Adelaide’s attempt to protect her daughter. After all, he knew that he would do anything to protect his.  

A faint stirring at the doorway caused him to glance up. Riley was watching him with an expression that caused his heart to stutter in his chest.

Madeliene was good at ruling. She was good at whatever she put her mind too. Adelaide had never been much good at anything other than drinking and gossip and she knew it. Her father hadn’t adequately prepared her for ruling, telling her that her future husband would tend to such mundane tasks for her.

Boy, had he.

Godfrey had ruled everything. Her duchy, his duchy, their homelife. He had kept track of the finances. Her job was to spend the money, he had told her. His was to make it, invest it, safeguard it.

She had never suspected he had been funneling it to The Sons of the Earth. She had never suspected him of espionage or treason, much less cold blooded murder. Infidelity, yes. Sure.

Godfrey was the reason she drank.

“Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” she demurred as she poured herself another vodka. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Everyone assumed she was just a spoiled rich girl. Daddy’s little princess. A privileged socialite. And while she was those things, she had once aspired to be much more.

She had wanted to be an opera singer. She loved singing and she was good at it. But when her father found out she had an audition at a prestigious opera house in Stormholt City, he’d locked her in her room for a week and threatened to disinherit her.

She had dedicated her life, instead, to her husband and her daughter. Her husband had betrayed her and her country, and her daughter hated her. Maybe hate was too strong a word. Madeliene certainly had little respect for her mother. Adelaide was afraid her daughter pitied her.

She couldn’t blame her for it, though, could she? What had she done, after all, to command any respect? She brought the cool glass to her forehead with a sigh. “Just tell me what you need.”

“Excellent!” Liam smiled like he had just won the lottery. “I knew I could count on you! Regina said you’d see reason.”

Ah, yes, her cousin Regina. The one who had actually married well. If her father could see how Godfrey had turned out, he would be so disappointed. Gripping her glass tighter, she made direct eye contact with the king. “Liam. You have to know that I had no idea he was capable of…of…this! My family has always been loyal to the crown! My cousin is your stepmother! My daughter was prepared to marry you! If I had know….”

“It’s alright, Adelaide,” he cut her off, “the important thing now is that we find him so he can be tried for his crimes. What can you tell me about where he might be hiding?”

“Unfortunately, nothing. My husband has never confided in me. But I can give you unfettered access to his study.”

Liam shook his head. “We have that already. This estate is mine for now, remember? Is there anything else you can think of that might help us?”

Her eyes closed as her brain spun through a million scenarios. She searched for the part of her heart that wanted to protect the man she had married, spent her life with, procreated with. It wasn’t there.

What was there, despite her losing her title, her money, her lands, was something she hadn’t felt in years. A tiny spark of hope. Hope, and the desire for freedom.

Imagine having no husband, no duchy, no responsibilities. Maybe she could sing again.

“Just shut up, both of you.” He shook his head as he made his way over to the body where the medical examiner was already crouched over the victim. “Hey, Hana. How’s it going?”

“I can’t complain,” she smiled up at him, “But this poor girl…”

“Yeah. What do we know so far?”

“Blunt force trauma to the head.”

The apartment was swarming with officers. One of them approached him, “You must be the homicide detective from the seventh precinct.”

“That’s right, Liam Rys.” He shook the squat balding guy's hand.”

“Steve Carlson. The twelfth precinct is happy to collaborate with you, but this is our case.”

“Of course, but the vic was a suspect in my case.”

As the two detectives hammered out jurisdictional concerns, Drake made his way over to Riley. “You sure know how to get a guy sideways with people he’s supposed to be getting along with.”

“How was I supposed to know our witness was going to be dead when we got here?”

He just smiled as he shook his head. “I told you that you were going to be trouble.”

“Nothing you can’t handle, I’m sure.” She teased.

“I’m not so sure about that,” he mused.

“Have you learned anything new?”

“You’ve been with me the entire time we’ve been here.”

“Not true. You were with the police when they searched the place while I was exiled to this couch, waiting to be questioned.”

“Well, I didn’t learn much except…”

Riley perked up. “Except what?”

Drake paused to consider what he should tell her. His client had only hired him to investigate Trent’s murder. Sarah’s murder was likely related, but he couldn’t fathom a motive for either Katie or William Sloan to have killed her. So what he had learned didn’t fall under client privilege. He didn’t see how the information could hurt his client, and that’s all he cared about.

“Except that the murder weapon was her own rolling pin.”

“She was killed with a rolling pin?”

“It was one of those heavy, marble ones.”

“Huh.”

“Huh, what?”

“Weapon of opportunity.”

“Looks like it.”

“Just like Trent’s gun.”

“That’s a pattern.”

“Yeah… but…. “

“What?”

“Ok, so the motive was jealousy. Sabrina kills Trent, then gets in her car and goes to kill Sarah, right?”

“That’s the working theory, yeah.”

“Why didn’t she just bring the gun with her? I mean, she didn’t know there would be a handy murder weapon lying around this place. She could have just brought the gun.”

“Maybe she wasn’t thinking clearly. She shot Trent and panicked.”

“Panicked.” Riley raised her eyebrows skeptically. “Then drove across town to kill the mistress?”

“Am I supposed to understand how murderers think?”

“Yes. I would think so. It’s your job.”

“I mostly track down cheating spouses and runaway kids, Riley.”

“This is your first murder?”

“Well, no, but still—”

“Come on. What else have you got? You must know something.”

“I know that the police found two airline tickets in Trent’s possession, and Sarah’s bedroom looks like she was packing for a trip.”

“So, Trent and Sarah were about to skip town together?”

“Looks that way. And there was an engagement ring with the tickets.”

Riley’s eyes widened. “So, Sabrina found out he was about to wife up her competition?”

Drake nodded. “Motive enough for you?”

“Maybe,” Riley’s gaze swept around the room distractedly.

“What are you looking for?”

“I don’t know. Something doesn’t add up.”

“Seems pretty cut and dried to me.”

They were distracted by a disturbance at the door. A plainclothesman was yelling, “Sir! Sir! You can’t be in here!”

They turned to find Max in the doorway. “I was just—”

The man yelling at Max whirled on the uniformed officer who seemed to be escorting him and continued, “What the fuck are you doing letting a reporter up here?”

“Reporter?” The cop recoiled. “I thought he was the crime scene photographer!”

Returning his attention to the man with the camera, the plainclothesman shook his head. “You do realize it’s a crime to impersonate—”

“I wasn’t impersonating anyone! I was called to the scene!”

“By who?”

“That would be me.” Riley stood up and waved to Max.

“You have no authority to—”

She blinked innocently at the officer. “I just needed a ride home. I’m too shook up to drive.”

The man grunted in consternation. “Fine. But he can wait for you downstairs.” Turning back to Max, he made a shooing motion, “Go!”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” Max called to Riley as he was roughly escorted from the apartment.

Drake turned to her in astonishment. Lowering his voice so the police wouldn’t overhear, he hissed, “You drove yourself here. And if you’re really too upset to drive…which I sincerely doubt, I could have given you a ride home. I’m right here.”

She shrugged and gave him a devious grin. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.” Her fingers flew over her keyboard as she texted Max to get photos of the outside of the building and the police going in and out.

He reached out, grabbed her arm, and dragged her closer. “Yes, they can actually! Do not give them a reason to charge you for impeding an investigation!”

“I’m happy to know you care, but they can’t arrest me for calling a friend for a ride.”

“Don’t play stupid, Riley. It doesn’t suit you. You’re a reporter, he’s your photographer, and he totally just tried to bullshit his way into a crime scene.”

“Max just gets enthusiastic—”

“Max does whatever you tell him to do. I’ve known you for a day, and I already know that. He’s young and naïve, and if you’re not careful, you’re going to get him in trouble.”

“And you’re underestimating him. Max can take care of himself.”

“Yeah? And how would you feel if he got arrested because of your antics?”

“Antics?” She arched an amused eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, antics. It’s a valid word!”

“Ok, grandpa.”

“Grandpa? Really?”

Riley shrugged. “If the shoe fits…”

Drake grunted in consternation. “Whatever. Just answer the question. How would you feel if you got him arrested?”

“Well, if he managed to get himself arrested, which is highly unlikely, mind you, then I’m sure his family would send a cadre of lawyers to get him out and probably sue the police for arresting him in the first place.”

Drake blinked. “Who’s his family?”

Riley’s mouth fell open. “Seriously? He’s a Beaumont! Didn’t you notice his last name when you were writing those checks to him?”

It took Drake’s brain several seconds before the pieces fell into place. “Wait. You mean those Beaumonts?”

“Yeah. Why do you sound so surprised?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Riley! Maybe because it never occurred to me that a member of a notorious crime family would be moonlighting as a photographer for what amounts to peanuts!”

“First of all, all the crime was committed by his great-grandfather, and allegedly his grandfather, not him. The Beaumonts are legitimate now! Second of all—”

Drake snorted loudly. “Yeah, okay.” Everyone knew that Beaumont Enterprises was a front for organized crime. Or at least suspected it. No one had ever been able to prove any accusation. Probably because of all the lawyers.

“They are! And even if they weren’t…. that’s hardly Max’s fault.”

“Hey, I get it.” He put his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. “No one likes to be judged by their family.”

Something in his tone drew a sharp gaze from her. “Judging from my research, your family seems pretty exemplary. Something I missed?”

He shook his head emphatically. “I’m just saying, some people may be trying to live down their family’s infamy, while others are busy trying to live up to an impossible standard.”

Her demeanor softened. “I get that.”

“Really?” He sounded skeptical. “Judging from my research, you’re the most successful person in your family.”

“Really.” She nudged him gently. “All that success is a stunning disappointment to parents who saved all their lives to pay for their daughter’s wedding and want nothing more than grandchildren.”

“Ouch. I’m sorry.”

“Nah. It’s fine. I’ve learned to live with it.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re amazing.”

“Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself.”

They both looked up at the sound of a throat clearing. Liam fidgeted uncomfortably. “Am I interrupting something?”

Drake was the one who answered. “Nothing we can’t continue later. Did you need something?”

“I just wanted to let Miss Brooks know that she’s free to go and to remind you not to keep spilling secrets to the press.”

“I didn't spill anything she wouldn't have found out on her own.” A note of admiration crept into his voice as he continued, “Have you read any of her articles? Do you know how many awards she’s won?”

Liam frowned. “What’s your point?”

“My point is, she's really good at what she does. She doesn’t have to steal information from me. She’s the one who pointed me to Sarah in the first place.”

“Did she now?” Liam turned a thoughtful gaze to the reporter. “How did you find out about Sarah?”

“I’m an investigative journalist, Detective. I investigated.”

“If you had information pertinent to the case, why didn’t you share it with law enforcement?”

“I did.” Riley gestured to Drake.

“Right.” Liam scoffed. “In the future, please refer any and all relevant information about my active murder investigation to me. The officer in charge. Got it?”

“Got it.” She gave him a mock salute.

“Riley,” he pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “I know you’re mocking me, but I’m serious. There are protocols and procedures for a reason! I’m simply trying to do my job, catch the bad guys and keep the general public, including you, safe!”

“I know, Liam. I just—”

“Do you? Because I have a code of conduct that I live by, and I take my oath to the badge seriously!”

“I do know that. You are an honorable man, Detective Rys. Which is something I really admire and respect about you.”

Surprise flashed across his face. “Do you really feel that way?”

“Yes, Liam, I do.”

Drake cleared his throat. “Ok, I don’t mean to interrupt a moment here, but—"

“There’s no moment.” Liam snapped.

“Are you sure? Because to me, it looked like—”

“I’m sure. I just wanted to impress upon Miss Brooks the importance of staying out the way of an active investigation.”

“So just to be clear, you're not interested in dating her?”

“No!”

“Great!” Drake crowed before turning his attention back to Riley. “Now, about that dinner…”

Liam paled. “Wait—"

Drake slapped him on the back with a grin. “Too late, no take backs!”

Riley shook her head. “Guys, I’m standing right here!”

“Detective!” A plainclothesman approached Liam with a cell phone in his hand. “The chief has a question for you.”

“Alright, I’ll be right there.” He gave one last look over his shoulder before walking away. “I mean it, stay out the way, Riley.”

“Yeah. I will.”

"I don't think I've ever been this wiped after a Court dinner." Maxwell rubbed the back of his neck. Knots didn't even come to mind when he felt how tense he was back there. Boulders might be a better description for the hard lumps his muscles were currently in.

"This might have been a bad idea." Riley told him while slumping back against her bed pillows.

The skirt of her blue dress flared up, nearly drowning her in its many layers. She batted it down with a huff all while wondering what in the world she was doing in Cordonia. She could easily be back in New York, no worries, no trying to impress a group of people who somehow had photographic evidence of her being the literal worst, and no more draining what little was left in her savings account on ridiculous dresses such as the one trying to smother her.

While Maxwell attempted to help her tame the wild fabric with a mind of its own, a knock sounded making them freeze.

"Who could that be?" Riley whispered.

"Dunno." Maxwell said with a great deal of apprehension. "Maybe Bertrand?"

Riley's nose wrinkled at that possibility. She loved the man, but she was in no shape or form willing to hear another lecture on propriety.

Audibly swallowing, Maxwell cracked the door open.

His dimples popped up in a grin when he was handed a large bouquet of roses.

Riley sat up with a start when he showed them to her.

"Where'd those come from?" She asked.

He shrugged, still smiling. "Maybe from a secret admirer."

Riley buried her face in the fragrant blooms. She took a deep breath, wishing they were magical and could take her away from this place. Opening her eyes, she noticed a piece of paper wrapped around one of the stems.

She quickly unfurled it while a frown formed upon her face.

"What's it say?" Maxwell attempted to read over her shoulder.

"It's from Liam." She crumbled the paper in her fist. "He wants to meet me in his room."

"I don't think that's doable." Maxwell argued. "His room is all the way on the other side of the castle. You'd never be able to get over there without dozens of people seeing you."

Riley briefly eyed her window.

"Don't even think about it!" Maxwell exclaimed when he realized where her mind was at.

"I'm not stupid!" She snapped.

Then again, she realized she just might be for even thinking she had a chance with Cordonia's king.

Seeing the worry upon her best friend's face, she reached out and hugged him.

"I'm not going out the window." She reassured him.

She glanced down at the wad of paper in her hand and decided to have a note of her own delivered.

"Hey Max?" You can easily see Liam, right?"

"Yeah."

She rushed over to a desk and pulled out some paper and a pen. Sitting down, she tapped the pen on her bottom lip while thinking of what she wanted to say to the man she'd once thought of as Prince Charming.

Her eyes narrowed the longer she considered her circumstances. After all, she chased after Liam for months, while he had a virtual harem at his beck and call. What if the night with Tariq had been her doing? It wasn't like Liam had made her the only woman in his life. Practically every moment they stole away from the court had him mentioning he should pay more attention to the other ladies. Why would she even think he felt what she'd felt?

She'd made every first move, whether it was in initiating conversation or kissing him. All that she'd attempted to do and the results she'd received all pointed to one thing.

Maxwell's eyes widened at the vicious swipes her pen made as it furiously moved across the paper. He was surprised she wasn't ripping through it as she dotted i's and crossed t's.

Once she was satisfied with all she'd written, she folded it and placed it in an envelope.

"Here you go." She mumbled. "I'm pretty sure after Liam reads this that there won't be anymore flowers delivered."

."You sure you want me to give this to him?" Maxwell hesitated at the door. "Maybe you should sleep on it instead."

Riley squared her shoulders. "No, I want you to take it to him. At least then I'll know I said everything I wish I could have in person."

Saying a quick prayer that Bertrand wouldn't kill them both for this, Maxwell made his way through Madeleine's home in search of Liam.

****************

Liam tore into the envelope while Maxwell attempted to soften the blow he knew was in that letter.

The young king's brow furrowed as he read through Riley's feelings and views of not only the actions of the Court but also in his own choices concerning her.

His eyes widened at the end.

Now I know without a doubt that I shouldn't have ever come here. Not for you. Not for adventure. Not for anything. I'm stuck here for the time being in helping restore Bertrand's and Maxwell's reputations. They are the ONLY ones who mean anything to me. I ask that you help me fix things for the Beaumont's (which I believe you owe me after dropping me faster than I could blink after seducing me in your ridiculous hedge maze). Once they are back where they need to be, I will leave for home and you will never have to see me again.

Riley

P.S. No more roses or flowers of any kind. If you knew anything about me, you'd know I hate cliché romance crap like this.

"She can't mean this." Liam crumbled the letter, refusing to accept any part of her dismissal of himself.

"Weeeellllllll." Maxwell hedged. "I think tonight was the last straw."

When Liam merely blinked at him, Maxwell continued.

"You know? The straw that broke the camel's back?"

"I know the idom!" Liam snapped in frustration. "But what happened tonight to make her feel this way?"

"Oh, well, um, you didn't talk to her." Maxwell explained.

"Of course I did!" Liam argued. "I greeted her warmly, or as warmly as I possibly could given the circumstances."

"You haven't spoken to her about being dragged out of the castle." Maxwell pointed out. "Why you chose Madeleine over her, or why you did it after sleeping---"

Maxwell slammed his hand over his own mouth for letting that major detail slip.

Liam winced at his oldest friend knowing how badly he'd behaved with Riley. Granted, he had not intended for that night to end with seeing the one he truly loved treated so horribly. And yet, he'd stood there with no emotion while it all unfolded.

Clearing the regret out of his throat, "Be that as it may," Liam searched for a way to explain. "That was why I wanted to secretly meet with her here. I want to explain to her my reasons for everything that happened that awful night."

"Sorry, but no can do." Maxwell told him about the distance between their rooms.

Liam glanced down at the crumbled paper in his hand. He couldn't allow another second to pass with Riley believing he was nothing short of a cad. He had to speak to her in person and plead his case. He needed to see for himself if there was any chance for her to forgive and believe that his heart was truly hers.

Raking his hands through his hair, he looked about the ornate prison of a room he was stuck in for some inspiration. Surely there was a way to leave this suite without anyone being the wiser.

His eyes lingered on the double doors of his balcony.

Maxwell felt a sense of deja vu. Surely he wasn't friends with two people who were crazy enough to precariously climb their way to one another?

Liam took off his coat, ordered Maxwell to make sure Riley's window was unlocked, and made his way outside his balcony.

Maxwell dashed after him and watched as the new king began the dangerous path to the woman he loved.

****************

"Did you give him my letter?" Riley asked when Maxwell returned.

"I did." He casually eased over to one of her windows and opened it.

"What are you doing?" She paused in turning back the bed covers.

"Seems stuffy in here." He mumbled on his way out the door. "Doesn't it seem stuffy to you?"

"I figured it was all the nobles polluting the air." She teased. "Of course, you're an exception."

He grinned at her as he prayed she wouldn't hate him for what was about to happen next.

"Sweet dreams, blossom." He quietly shut her door.

Riley took a deep breath and made her way over to her open window. She felt a touch better at having vented all her frustrations in her letter. She could actually look about her with interest now that all her bottled up emotions had been set free.

She couldn't deny that Madeleine's home was lovely. The sandstone castle walls gleamed in the moonlight, giving an almost mystical feeling. Soft music and faint rumblings of voices drifted on the wind, reminding her that tonight's celebration of the newly engaged couple was slowly coming to close.

Her heart ached that she was still here. Even though Maxwell and Bertrand deserved her loyalty, she wondered if it wouldn't be better for them and herself to leave Cordonia.

"How am I going to even begin to prove my innocence?" She mumbled.

A dark shadow passed overhead.

A muffled scream squeaked out while she stumbled back in shock.

"Forgive me." Liam panted once he was straddling her windowpane. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"What in the hell are you doing here?" She snapped once she was able to still her racing heart.

"I believe you are aware I wanted to see you." He began. "I--"

"And I believe my note showed how little I wanted to see you." She bit out.

"Please." Liam caught her hand when she turned away from him. "Allow me to explain."

Yanking her hand away, she folded her arms and grumbled something about the nerve of kings and their stupid authority.

Liam nervously swallowed. "I don't even know where to start other than that all I've done, I did for you."

Riley's suspicious glare turned to one of complete anger.

"Whatever did I do to deserve you, my dear?" She said in a fake syrupy sweet voice. "To think you got me to sleep with you just so you could have the strength to propose to another woman."

She pretended to wipe a tear from her eye.

"You're so thoughtful."

Liam rubbed his hands over his face. He could see how his actions looked and that she truly thought the very worst of him, but he had to try.

"I did it to protect you." He tried again. "I--"

"Good job on protecting me." Riley snickered in derision. "Not only is my reputation destroyed, but I was also publicly humiliated by being dragged out by guards as if I'd stolen the Crown jewels."

"I know." He said with a great deal of remorse. "Please, just hear me out before dismissing me from your life."

Riley rolled her eyes. Knowing she'd never get any sleep if she didn't allow him his say, she reluctantly agreed to listen without interruption.

Liam told her about his mother's death along with his fear of the same fate befalling Riley. He did his best to reassure her that he still planned on them finding a way to be together.

Her eyes narrowed when he told her that Madeleine agreed that they could still maintain their relationship in secret.

"Hold on." Riley interrupted his profession of love. "You not only expect me to conduct an investigation, on my own, into whoever set me up, you also want to conduct an affair in the midst of it?"

Her hands balled into fists.

"Are you insane?!"

Liam took a step back.

"Liam, I'm a waitress! An unemployed waitress! How do you expect me to do better than a freaking king with unlimited resources and power at his fingertips?" She demanded.

"I can't use the king's guards." He pointed out. "If it's someone within the Court, then your safety might be--"

"Then hire someone outside your palace!" She snapped.

"But I--" he tried to speak.

"No, you know what? Forget I said anything!" She stormed over to the window he'd climbed through. "I'll do it all since you're too much of a coward."

He stumbled back in disbelief.

"Riley, I love you." He argued. "I'll move heaven and earth for us to have our happy ending."

"If that were true then you'd have not only picked me that night, you'd have already cleared my name." She gestured towards her window. "Now if you'd be so kind, your majesty, I'd like you to leave."

Liam felt his heart drop. Her cold demeanor left little hope that she could find her way to forgive him.

Squaring his shoulders, he walked over to her and dropped down to one knee.

"What are you--"

"I'll fix this." He declared. "Whatever it takes, I swear I'll clear your name."

He carefully took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"Then I'll do all I can to win your heart again." He vowed. "I don't care how long it takes, we will have the life we dreamed of on our date."

Riley blinked back tears. The last thing she wanted to do was to be swayed by his words. Hadn't she gotten hurt the last time she believed him?

"We'll see." She said.

Liam felt like a knight who'd been given a sacred task by his queen. Bowing his head, he tenderly kissed her hand once more. Getting to his feet, he climbed through her window to begin his journey back to his lonely room.

He thought of how he'd solve this problem. Riley was right. It was foolish of him to think she could easily investigate whoever set her up. He also shouldn't have asked her to basically become his mistress.

The Secret Note: MC receives an anonymous Valentine's card

The Magical Candy: Write a story about a box of chocolates that causes people to tell the truth.

New Traditions

Love at first sight

First love

First kiss

Let’s get married!

This is wrong/we shouldn’t be doing this…. (write a forbidden love story)

Worst/Best Valentine’s Day ever

Bittersweet Goodbye/Lost Love

Reconnection/Reunited

It’s always been you

Best Friends: use this as a friends to lovers story OR write about single characters handing out on V-day. Platonic or ACE love.

Toxic Love: Because why not?

Additionally, feel free to use prompts from previous years.

2024:

First date

First kiss

But I can’t dance…..

I know my brother/sister is your ex, but if you’ll just listen….

Last kiss

This isn’t remotely romantic, but I still wouldn’t want to be anywhere else

I don’t want to ruin our friendship but I can’t keep my feelings a secret a moment longer

Be my fake date for a wedding?

I’ve been expressly forbidden from seeing you. However…..

You’re the most toxic person I’ve ever met and honestly I can’t get enough.

Good girl/Bad boy or Good boy/bad girl

Would you shut up for a minute? I’ve never proposed to anyone before!

Okay, we stole all the valentine’s cards….now what?

Be my valentine/I love you

2023:

This isn't what I imagined a relationship would be like. It's so much more.

You broke through every wall I had. How can I resist you now?

Marry me

I don't need a hall pass, you're my hall pass

I was wrong, I want you back

I'd burn down the world for you

Let's have a baby

I'll never forget you

You're the only one that truly knows me

You always make me laugh

Go on a date with me

I knew you were the one when.....

You're my best friend