Summary: Damien’s not sure why Liam invited him to this ball, Kai visits the police station to share intel, and Riley has a rough night.
Diplomats milled about, swarming Liam as politely as possible, everyone wanting a piece of the handsome young king on his first visit to the U.S. since his coronation.
Damien perched at a standing cocktail table in the corner, frowning.
What am I doing here?
A small, perfectly manicured hand appeared on his shoulder. “What’s a grumpy P.I. like you doing in a place like this?”
He turned to face Riley, a genuine smile on his face for the first time since he’d arrived. “I was just asking myself the same thing. How’s your night going?”
Riley shrugged, sighing. “Not the greatest, to be honest.” She gestured towards the general direction of Liam, his fiancée Madeleine on his arm, pointedly not turning to look. She grabbed Damien’s drink and took a swig.
“Can I ask you something?” He pushed his glass towards her, gently encouraging her to keep it.
“Sure, why not?”
“Do you want to marry him?”
She stared at him for a long moment, mouth agape. Damien gave her an apologetic smile, but let the question continue hanging in the air.
“Of course I want to marry him,” she answered finally. “He’s…he’s Liam.”
They both looked across the room at Liam. He caught their gaze and gave a small wave and smile. “Liam is great,” Damien agreed, “but it’s not just Liam. It’s…” he gestured towards the crowded ballroom, “…It’s all of this. Fancy balls, press conferences, living in a palace, every aspect of your life judged and scrutinized on a national, if not global, stage. Are you sure you want all of that?”
Her expression turned cold, her arms crossed over her chest. “I don’t understand why you’re asking me this.”
He laid a hand gently over hers. “Because I care about your feelings, Riley. Liam’s too. You’re good people, and I just hope…” He noticed Drake approaching from behind Riley’s back. She turned to see him before looking back to Damien.
“Hope what?”
“Hope you figure out who you want to be with.”
Kai left the police station charged with adrenaline. He pulled out his phone to text Damien.
K: Your buddy at the station is HOT. Why didn’t you tell me?
D: He’s straight. And married.
K: That doesn’t make him any less fun to look at.
D: So did you talk to him about the investigation or just look at him?
Kai rolled his eyes at his phone before hitting the call button. He didn’t feel like typing out a full report on his phone, and it would be nice to hear Damien’s voice, anyway.
It rang several times before going to voicemail. He hung up just as another text came through.
D: Can’t talk. Sorry.
K: OK they have Drake’s statement from this afternoon and everything Bastien had on Stathos. Hot Stuff seemed excited. Call me l8r for deets?
D: ok
He sighed as he tucked his phone into his pocket and hopped on a bus for home. It was always fun when Damien enlisted him as his assistant and he’d get to play detective for a while. But it was a lot more fun when it meant working with him, rather than going out and doing the dirty work while he did…whatever he was doing.
Going to fancy balls. Having a secret affair with real-life royalty. Investigating high-profile murders. None of this made sense, not for Damien, at least not for his Damien.
Kai caught his own reflection in the bus window and frowned. He’d never been one to lack self-confidence, but it hurt that Damien had friend-zoned him for nearly four years and then jumped into bed with a guy who resembled him but…better. A little more handsome, a little older, a lot richer. Ten thousand dollar suits, bodyguards outside the door, elaborate galas…was that what Damien really wanted?
Did he even know him at all?
Damien tucked his phone away, smiling. “The police are thrilled with your intel, Drake. With any luck you’ll have blown this thing wide open for them.”
Drake nodded, taking a small sip of whiskey. “I just want to see whoever’s responsible behind bars. Stathos and whoever’s paying him…I just need this to end.” He shot a pained look at Riley.
“Me too,” she said softly, squeezing his free hand in hers.
Damien coughed awkwardly. “I’m gonna go get some fresh air.” He headed for a large, quiet courtyard off of the ballroom, the night too chilly for anyone else to be out there.
He was staring blankly into a fountain, contemplating his next move, when he heard familiar footsteps behind him. He stood perfectly still, waiting for him to say something, not knowing how to act around him here.
“You came.”
Finally Damien turned to face Liam, trying not to show how his body reacted to the sight of him, so close. How the corners of his mouth pushed upwards against his will, his heart raced, his breath became shallow and… “Yeah. You invited me.” He sat on the edge of the fountain, gazing up at Liam, all dressed up in god knows what…sashes and medals and long, formal coat tails. Damien was suddenly very aware of how underdressed he was, even in his best suit.
Liam’s gaze, fixed firmly on him, didn’t seem to mind. “I’m sorry I couldn’t greet you personally earlier.”
“It’s OK. Riley’s kept me company.”
“Ah, excellent. Well…” Liam’s regal bearing faltered for a moment, his eyes suddenly not meeting Damien’s, his hands fidgeting with the hem of his jacket. He recomposed himself quickly and Damien frowned, wishing the playful and passionate man he knew would break through the carefully controlled facade.
Not here. It was too much to ask for him to be himself in a place like this. It might look like a party, but Liam was very much on the job. Damien cleared his throat. “Well?”
“Well…I suppose I should leave you to your investigation.”
“There’s nothing to investigate here, Liam.” Damien took a small step closer to him, almost too close, but not quite a scandal. Or maybe it was…were there rules about how closely you could approach a king? He was so far outside his element he had no idea how to behave. He stared down Liam anyway. “Kai’s doing the investigating and I’m just…here.”
“Then why did you come?”
He didn’t answer, just held his gaze, licking his lips absent-mindedly.
Liam stared right back, barely breathing. “Follow me.”
Damien followed him along the wall of the building to a small, dark alcove just off the courtyard. In the dim light he could only see Liam’s outline, leaning against the wall. He reached for him and took his hand. “Is this OK,” he whispered.
Liam lifted his hand to his lips, kissing it softly.
Damien chuckled. “Such a gentleman.”
“I never feel like a gentleman around you.” Liam pulled him closer, and now he could see his dark eyes shining in the night, fixed on his.
“Is that a good thing?”
“Probably not.”
They stood staring at one another in the dark, close enough to listen to each other’s breath, no other sound but the white noise of the city, seeming so far away. Liam started to lean in, but Damien turned his head, listening. He held a finger to his lips, straining to hear a voice in the distance.
“Not here. The security, the bystanders, your daughter is here, for fuck’s sake…”
Liam gawked at Damien in disbelief. Damien stared at him in wide-eyed panic, hoping his face was communicating what he needed it to. Don’t move. Don’t speak.
The voice grew closer as it continued. “Maybe as she’s headed back to the hotel later…I have to get out of here before I get recognized by security. I know, sir. Your Grace. Of course…wait…is that…?”
Another voice cut through the night, much louder, and much too close. “Liam? Are you out here?”
Damien was running before he had time to think, crossing the courtyard in a few seconds that felt like an eternity.
There’s no way. I’ll be too late.
His body crashed into hers as he tackled her gracelessly to the ground, hissing an apology in her ear as she fell hard on the ground, gasping for breath underneath him, eyes wide with horror.
No gunshot.
He looked up and saw Liam, righteous in his fury, kneeling on the back of a man in all black, pointing the man’s own gun at the back of his head. Damien gasped. “Liam!”
“Stathos,” he responded bitterly, digging his knee deeper into the man’s back, causing him to cry out in pain. Liam’s guards were already pouring out into the courtyard, two of them efficiently disarming and cuffing Stathos while another two whisked Liam away into the night without a word.
“Riley!” Drake was suddenly in front of her face, kneeling over her. He offered her his arm and helped her to sit up, shaking off the daze. Her head hurt like hell and she gasped desperately for breath, but none came. Drake fussed over her, gazing into her eyes. “Breathe. You’re OK. Jesus, what happened?”
“I’m so sorry, Riley,” Damien sputtered, backing away to give her some space. “I was trying to protect you from him. God, if Liam hadn’t gotten to him first…I’m an idiot.”
She finally caught her breath, a small sob the first sound that escaped her lips. “Thank you,” she wheezed. “Just knocked…the wind…”
“Shhh.” Drake stroked her hair, pressing his forehead to hers. “Just breathe.” She collapsed into sobs in his arms, all her fear and pain and shock and relief coming out in a mess of tears that soaked his shirt.
When she’d just about worn herself out, Drake and Damien helped her to her feet. She frowned at her dirtied ball gown, knowing it would cost her more to dry clean it than she had ever even spent on a dress before going to Cordonia. She wouldn’t have to worry about these things if she became queen.
At what point did “when” become “if”?
She shook the thought of her mind, Drake already speaking to her. “…back to the hotel…”
“Absolutely not.” Damien cut him off abruptly. “Before Liam took him down, hitting her on the way back to her hotel room is exactly what Stathos was planning. We can’t be sure no one else is coming for her.”
“Oh god,” Riley moaned, burying her face in Drake’s chest once more. “I can’t live like this.”
“Come back to my place,” Damien offered. “I can sleep on the couch. You can’t go where anyone is expecting you.”
Drake eyed him skeptically. “I don’t know…”
“You’re welcome too, of course. Everyone just needs to lay low until we’re sure everyone involved is in custody.”
“Liam…” Riley cut in, not really knowing what she wanted to say.
“He’s well taken care of,” Damien assured her. “Whisked off by some guards that can keep him safer than I can. But I’ll do what I can for you, if you’ll let me.”
She nodded resolutely, her head starting to clear. “I trust you.”
“Then let’s get the hell out of here.”