Royal Escape: The Complete Series

by Peak, Renna

  The hairs on my neck stand on end as I recognize the voice singing. Though it’s not a song I’ve heard before, I know exactly who it is. It only makes me hate this Adam person more that he might actually enjoy the music my sister’s husband makes—if one can even call it music.

  The song ends suddenly and there’s shuffling on the other side of the wall.

  I straighten, ready to fight him, but the person who comes around the corner isn’t Adam.

  It’s Sophia.

  My eyes feel as though they might pop out of my head, and they widen even further when her husband appears behind her.

  “Nicky ol’ boy.” The man laughs. “So good to see you.”

  Clara drops my hand. “You…you’re… You’re Pax Donovan.” Her gaze turns to my sister. “And you’re…”

  My sister grins, extending her hand. “Princess Sophia. Nicholas’s sister.”

  Royal Escape #3

  This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, locations or incidents are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 by Ember Casey and Renna Peak

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  First Edition: July, 2018

  Clara

  I stare at the strangers standing in Nick’s kitchen.

  They’re not complete strangers, I guess—at least, I know who they are. Most of the world does. Pax Donovan is one of the biggest rock stars in the world. And last year, he married Princess Sophia of Montovia in the midst of a wild, public romance that occupied the tabloids for months. They’re both stunning in person—Pax, with his shaved head and arms of tattoos, has been the object of many women’s fantasies, and Sophia, with her dark, wavy hair and bright eyes, is even more beautiful than she looks in pictures.

  But I’m still trying to grasp why they’re here, of all places. And then Princess Sophia’s last words sink in.

  She said she was Nick’s sister.

  I glance up at Nick. He looks as stunned as I feel. But not confused. He actually knows these people. He’s actually…

  Sophia has four older brothers, but only some of them have spent as much time in the tabloids as she has. I’d probably only recognize a couple in person, but most of the world knows their names. Andrew, Leopold, William, and…

  “Nicholas,” I say, the pieces falling into place. “That’s your real name, isn’t it? You’re a fucking prince?” It’s all starting to make sense—the strange accent he slips into when he’s not paying attention, his rigid formality, his secrecy about where he comes from. It all makes sense.

  He turns to me, but he doesn’t immediately say anything. I can only stare at him, too shocked to go on.

  Beside us, Pax laughs. “Must be a common thing in this family. Sophia didn’t tell me who she was when we first met, either. She was pretending to be an assistant.”

  Princess Sophia shoots her husband a look that’s half affectionate, half exasperated. “You know why I did that,” she says. “And anyway, it doesn’t matter now. Nick, aren’t you going to introduce us to your…friend?”

  Nick starts. “Yes, of course. Sophia, this is Clara Weaver. She…” He clears his throat. “She’s my ranch manager. She works for me.”

  Ah, so that’s how it is? I think. Just an employee. Not even his ‘friend.’ Who cares what just happened between us in that cabin? But I don’t know why I’m surprised. He’s a prince. A prince! Out here in the middle of Montana pretending to be a cowboy. And sleeping with the random woman who showed up out of nowhere and demanded a job.

  My cheeks are blazing—I’m not sure if it’s from embarrassment or anger—but I plaster on a smile and stick out my hand toward Princess Sophia. “Nice to meet you, Your Highness.” I hesitate with my fingers extended. “Am I supposed to bow?”

  She smiles warmly at me and shakes her head. “God, no. And call me Sophia.” She shakes my hand.

  As soon as she releases my fingers, Pax extends his hand, too. “Nice to meet you, Clara.”

  “Why are the two of you here?” Nick demands, sounding even more irritable than usual. “I told you I wished to be left alone.”

  “We were worried about you,” Sophia says. “You haven’t returned any messages in weeks. Our mother was starting to get concerned.”

  “I promised I’d contact the family if there was any news of great importance,” Nick replies. “In the meantime, I was trying to appreciate a little peace and quiet.”

  “You said you’d check in weekly, and you haven’t done that in a month.” Sophia crosses her arms. “You can get some ‘peace and quiet’ without dropping off the face of the earth, you know. Did you really think Mother and Father were just going to let you disappear?”

  At least I’m not the only one he’s lied to these past few weeks. But I’m not about to let him off the hook. He’s a prince. A fucking prince! I know Nick and his sister have some things they need to work out, but I have questions, too. Lots of them.

  “How long were you going to hide this from me?” I demand. “And what is a prince doing all the way out here?”

  He finally meets my eyes. “You were the one who proposed that agreement about keeping our pasts private.”

  “This is obviously not your past,” I point out. “And this is a hell of a lot different than refusing to tell me where you went to college. This is…” Honestly, it feels a lot like betrayal. Ten minutes ago, I was happier than I’ve been in a long time—free of my old life, building a new one in a beautiful place. Finally connecting with someone new. But my exciting new life out here suddenly looks less like a beautiful escape and more like a complete illusion. I thought I’d stepped into something real for the first time in my adult life. But now I realize it might be just as fake as the life I left behind.

  “I need some air,” I say. “You all should keep catching up.”

  I stumble from the kitchen and out onto the back porch. I’m pissed. And embarrassed. And I feel a little like I’m going to be sick. I’ve known all along that Nick was hiding something, but I never thought for a second that it would be something this huge. How do I even process this?

  My eyes flick longingly toward my car, and I ache to hop in and drive away, but my keys are inside and there’s no way in hell I’m going back in there right now. Instead, I hurry across the yard to the stable. The horses haven’t even settled down from their last ride. I’m just strapping the saddle back onto Pom’s back when I hear Nick’s voice.

  “Clara!” he calls.

  I swing up into the saddle. It’s already twilight, and the last of the light is fading fast, but I need to be alone somewhere. To think about what all this means. I was supposed to be getting married tomorrow. Instead, I just had sex with a prince masquerading as a cowboy. And just when I thought my life couldn’t get any more confusing.

  Nick has spotted me. He’s striding across the yard now, still calling my name, but I ignore him. I give Pom a squeeze with my heels and ride off down one of the nearby trails.

  “Clara!” Nick calls once more from behind me.

  Let him call all he wants. He might be a prince, but this is one girl who’s not about to obey his orders.

  Nicholas

  I glance over at Prince. I can catch up to her rather easily, I think. Make her see reason.

  As I rush toward my horse, meaning to saddle him and chase her into the night, another thought enters my mind.

  Let her go.

  I stare at the horse for a long moment, almost willing the animal to tell me what I should do. But he only appears interested in the hay Clara has set out for him—he doesn’t pay me the smallest bit of attention.

  I wait a few moments, still uncertain of the right course
of action. I finally spin on my heel and make my way back to the house.

  Sophia and Pax have made themselves comfortable in my kitchen, and while Pax looks nothing but amused, my sister seems to have an expression of concern on her face.

  “Is everything all right?” Sophia asks. “She seemed quite upset.”

  My gaze narrows for a moment as I watch Pax. I’ve never quite trusted the man, and nothing about that has changed, even if he did donate one of his kidneys to my father and save my sister’s life. “Ms. Weaver and I have just had something of a misunderstanding. That is all.”

  “Mm.” Pax’s grin widens. “Was it something about how you told her you were a cowboy and she just found out you were a prince?” He laughs. “Can’t tell you how many times that’s happened to me.”

  Sophia slaps at his shoulder, shooting him a look that might be a warning. “Pax.”

  “What?” He laughs again. “It’s good to see Nicky here has finally embraced that side of himself.”

  “And what side of myself is that?” I can’t help but glare at the man. Even if I might have softened a little toward him after it became clear that he and Sophia were going to make a go of their relationship, he still gets under my skin the way very few others have.

  Pax shrugs. “The one that’s willing to lie to a girl to get her in bed. It works, right?”

  “Pax!” Sophia’s eyebrows draw together. “We spoke about this on the way here—”

  “I know, I know.” His smile turns a bit more sheepish. “Sorry, man. I just can’t help myself.”

  “Try.” I take the chair across the table from the pair.

  “But you are sleeping with her. A girl wouldn’t act like that if you weren’t.”

  My expression must give something away, because he turns to my sister.

  “I knew it.” Pax grins, turning his gaze back to me. “And it’s about fucking time. I’m telling you, man. Great sex will mellow you the fuck right out.”

  “Pax…” My sister rolls her eyes. “Can we just…not.”

  “Sorry.” His grin widens as he takes his wife’s hand in his. “Sorry.”

  I ignore the apology. “As I said, Ms. Weaver and I have merely had a misunderstanding.” I fold my hands on the table in front of me. “And as I also said, she’s my employee. It would be highly inappropriate—”

  “Inappropriate or not, Nick…” My sister shakes her head. “It’s very dark out there. Is it safe to ride?”

  “She’s a good rider.” I glance out the window behind them. “Though I’m not entirely certain she knows the land well enough to ride in the dark.” My stomach twists into a knot at the thought of Clara alone and lost in the darkness. Perhaps I should go and search for her, though I have no idea where she might have gone.

  Sophia watches me for a moment. “You like this woman.”

  I frown, saying nothing.

  “You don’t have to say it out loud. I can see it in your eyes.” She turns to look out the window behind her before turning back to me. “We didn’t mean to get in the way of anything you’re doing out here, Nick.”

  “Well…” Pax cuts in with a grin.

  Sophia shoots him another look I’m sure is meant to shut him up. “We only came to see how you were doing. And only because you weren’t taking our calls.”

  “There is no cellular reception here.”

  “That’s what landlines are for, buddy.” Pax chuckles. “They might be old school, but that’s why they’re still around.”

  I press my lips together, taking in a long breath to calm myself. It takes every bit of my will not to tear the man across from me limb from limb every time I encounter him, particularly when he attempts to have fun at my expense.

  “It’s not a terrible idea, Nick.” Sophia loops her arm through Pax’s. “Just so you can check in.”

  “You mean, so you can check on me. I’ll remind you both that I am a grown man. I don’t need the influence of my family—”

  “Nick, how many times have you told me that we don’t have a choice about that?” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t really matter how much you want to run away from it or how much you might want to wish it isn’t so—we’re always going to be who we are. We’re always going to be royalty.”

  My jaw clenches at her words. I suppose I have told her as much, but I certainly don’t like my own words being used against me.

  “I suppose you have a room for us?” My sister cocks her head. “Unless you’d rather we try and find a hotel?”

  “Of course.” I tell her. “You may have my room.”

  Pax laughs. “Because you think your girl is going to invite you to sleep in hers? I wouldn’t be so sure, Nicky ol’ boy.”

  “I’ll take the sofa.” My words come out almost as a growl. “Though if you’d prefer to sleep in the barn, Patrick, I’m sure I could accommodate you.”

  “Your room will be fine.” My sister gives me a gracious smile that reminds me very much of my mother. “Won’t it, Pax?”

  “Yeah, fine.” His grin widens ever so slightly, and it’s clear he means to say something else, but my sister nudges him in the ribs before he can.

  “Come on, Pax.” She stands, pulling on his arm to have him join her. “We’ll just take our things up to your room and freshen up a bit.”

  “First door up the stairs,” I mutter.

  They edge around me, walking toward the living room.

  Pax turns before they reach the staircase. “You’ll probably need to wash the sheets in the morning.”

  My hands clench reflexively into fists.

  My sister seems to have the same reaction, slugging her husband on the shoulder. “Pax!”

  “Sorry.” He gives me another sheepish grin. “I told you, I just can’t help myself around you, Nicky. It’s too easy to get you going.”

  I wait until they’ve gone up the stairs and closed the door to my bedroom before rising and making my way back out onto the porch.

  When we thought it was Adam in the house, Clara said she chose me. She chose me.

  I’m going to find her tonight. And when I do, I’m going to make her understand that I choose her.

  Clara

  Okay, so this was a terrible idea.

  I know from all those books I read as a kid that horses can see better in the dark than people can. But that doesn’t mean Pom knows where she’s going, or that she won’t stumble over a root and accidentally kill me. Even though I’ve been down this trail before, it was always during daylight hours, and everything looks different now.

  After about ten minutes of riding, I feel like I’m far enough away from the house. And Nick obviously isn’t coming after me. I climb down from Pom’s back and lead her slowly along the trail until we reach the next clearing.

  Here, at least, the moonlight provides plenty of light. In its soft glow, I can see all the way across the field to the other side, and the top of the grass is painted with silver. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, though I think I’d appreciate it more if I weren’t so deep in thought.

  Nick is a prince.

  I’m still having a hard time accepting that fact. One moment I want to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it—my grumpy cowboy is a prince!—but the next I get that sick, twisty feeling in my stomach again, reminding me that I have no idea what I’m doing out here. My new life is just as fake as my old one.

  Is that just how the world works? Is it all just people pretending? God, that’s depressing.

  There’s a fallen tree at the edge of the field. It looks like it’s been down for a while, and someone took the trouble to cut the larger limbs away. What’s left is covered with moss and flat white mushrooms that glow in the moonlight. I give the tree a few kicks with my boot, just to make sure there aren’t any snakes or badgers or whatever hiding in it, then I take a seat on one of the patches of moss. I twist Pom’s reins around the stump of a branch so she won’t run off.

  I need to figure ou
t what I’m going to do now. After I just convinced Nick to let me stay. After we just had what was probably the best sex of my life, something I totally would have been down to do again if I hadn’t found out he’s been lying to me all this time.

  Don’t get me wrong—I understand wanting to run away from life. I probably understand that more than anyone. But this is a little different. I’m not going back to New York, not if I can help it. I doubt Nick can say the same about the life he’s left behind. He’ll always be a prince. That’s not something he can run from forever, and he knows it. At some point he’ll have to give up living here. I’m sure he has all sorts of princely duties he’ll eventually have to fulfill. And where will that leave me? I’ve been building my new life on quicksand.

  Something crackles in the trees behind me—footsteps on fallen leaves. I fumble around on the ground for a rock or something I can throw. What if it’s a bear or a wolf or something? I was an idiot, coming out here alone at night.

  A moment later, Prince emerges from the trees with Nick on his back. I consider jumping up on Pom again and making a run for it, but Nick would catch me in a heartbeat.

  Instead, I sit up straight and pretend it doesn’t bother me at all that he’s here.

  He slides down from his horse and walks toward me. “You shouldn’t have come out here alone.”

  “I told you I needed to think.” I cross my arms. “You shouldn’t have lied to me about this.”

  “I didn’t lie to you, not outright. I simply omitted the truth.”

  “That’s the same thing, and you know it.”

  He stops in front of the log and motions to a place beside me. “May I sit?”

  “Do whatever you want, Your Highness.”

  “Don’t start with that, Clara. Please.” He sits down beside me, and I’m ashamed by the way my body responds to him being so close to me. My heartbeat quickens, and even though we aren’t quite touching, I’m acutely aware of all the places we almost do.