Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 7)

by Crystal Perkins

  I’m sitting on a bench in a park near the village square, eating gelato, and trying to will myself to go back to the palace, as I smile at the people passing by. A shadow falls over me, and I look up to see Brayden’s uncle, Steven, standing over me. “Hello, Darcy.”

  “Hello.”

  “I’m surprised to see you sitting out here all alone.”

  “Who did you honestly think I’d be with? Brayden can barely stand to be in the same room with me. Your daughter hates me with a passion that I’ve rarely seen rivaled, even in the ugliest of child traffickers. Noah is Brayden’s best friend, so he can’t be friends me with. Who’s left?”

  “Your friends are here.”

  “They’re busy trying to keep your family from harming me.”

  “No harm will come to you, Darcy. Not as long as I am breathing. I swear it.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

  “I’m truly sorry for what you’re going through. My nephew made a promise to his father, and surely you can understand what that means to him.”

  “Your brother should’ve never made him promise what he did. Asking him to do the impossible was wrong.”

  “It’s not impossible. You could tell him what he needs to know.”

  “No. I will not break the oath I’ve taken. That would be an insult to the people who have died, and put those still living in even more danger.”

  “It’s a sad day when something as beautiful as honor can also cause heartache.”

  “Yes, Steven, it is.”

  He gives me one last, sad smile before walking away. I sit for a little longer, and then throw the rest of my gelato away. I’ve lost my appetite, and I just want to go home. Not to the castle, but back to Vegas, where I can nurse my broken heart with ice cream and World of Warcraft. Instead of having to hide the hurt with a fake smile and designer clothes while I sleep on the floor.

  I’m only a few blocks from the castle, when strong arms reach out and pull me into the shadows of an alley. It’s not dark, but it’s secluded, and I know I could potentially be in trouble. I force myself not to struggle as I try to plan my escape.

  “Hello, Darcy,” says a voice that has only lived in my nightmares for the past ten years.

  He’s behind me, and whispering in my ear as I try not to shiver in fear. I’m not a scared teenager anymore, I remind myself. I can fight him off. I can make it away from him alive. But can the other people I’m protecting? The fact that I’m unsure of that is the only reason I don’t break away.

  “What do you want?”

  “What I’ve always wanted. I’ve been patient with you, but your time is running out.”

  “My answer will always be the same.”

  “I saw you with Steven, and I’ve seen you with the son. You care for him.”

  “It’s an act.”

  “If you give them the jewels, there will be consequences.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.”

  “You know well enough that you should be. Your father already paid with his life, I would hate for the same to happen to you.”

  “No you wouldn’t. You’d love to kill me, but you want the jewels too much to do that.”

  “If I even think you’re close to giving them to the royal family, I will make good on my threats. Remember that, little girl.”

  With that, he lets me go, and is already a moving shadow when I turn around. I squat down and run my fingers through my hair as I try to breathe normally again. I can do this. I will do this. I’ve done it for ten years already, but I really hope I don’t have to do it for ten more. In a perfect world, I’d be able to hand over the jewels to Brayden before coronation day, but I know that’s unlikely. Honor can suck it sometimes.

  * * *

  Brayden

  I’m sitting by the pool trying to figure out what to do about everything when I see Darcy jump down from the top of the fence across the lawn. Of course she wouldn’t just walk in the main gate. Or even the side one. She looks shaken up, and sad, and I just want to go pull her into my arms. I want to, but I can’t.

  “She’s hurting,” Noah says, sitting down next to me.

  “I’m not doing so great myself, if you haven’t noticed.”

  “Oh, I’ve noticed. You still think the kingdom is worth more than her?”

  No. Maybe. “Yes.”

  “Then it’s good you’re staying away. Do you want me to bring some girls over tonight?”

  “What? No. I’m still engaged.”

  “A fake engagement.”

  “That’s supposed to show how responsible I am now. Having girls over is a really bad idea.”

  “I could find discreet ones.”

  “I said no. Now drop it.”

  The thought of being with another woman makes me want to throw up. I know I’ll need to move on once this is all said and done, but for now I belong to Darcy, even if we’re not speaking to each other. I’m hers, and I know deep down that she’s still mine.

  “Your Highness?”

  I turn to see Audrey standing in the doorway to the formal dining room. “You can call me Brayden.”

  “With all due respect, there are quite a few things I’d like to call you. Some of them even start with a ‘b’ but I think I’ll stick to formality for both of our sakes.”

  “Fair enough. What can I do for you?”

  “I wanted to go over the plans for Saturday with you.”

  “Just do whatever you want. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

  “You don’t care about your own celebration?”

  “Not really. I mean, there’s a carnival with Storyside, and then a fancy ball, right?”

  “You make it seem like it’s nothing. A lot of people have put quite a bit of effort into making these events something special for everyone who attends.”

  “I know. I’m sorry if I made it seem like I don’t appreciate it. I do. You’ve done a great job with PR for not only this weekend, but everything else. I’ll show up and play my part.”

  “Do you even know what that is—you part?”

  “I show up and smile for the cameras. Play a little polo, and then dance with my lovely fiancé at the ball.”

  “I’d like you to be a little more involved than that. I think the people of your country deserve more from you than that. For the international events, do what you want. But Saturday afternoon should be special for your people.”

  Well, now I feel about an inch tall. Because she’s right. “I’m sorry I made it seem like I didn’t care. Things are a little rough right now, but my people deserve my best. Please sit down and tell me what you’d like me to do.”

  “What I’d like you to do is make my friend stop crying herself to sleep on the floor every night. What I need you to do this weekend is be present in everything. Not just show up and look pretty. I need you to play some carnival games, go on rides, sit on the grass while eating junk food with the kids, and dance at the concert. Preferably with your fiancé by your side, but I can spin it that you want to interact separately.”

  I hear what she’s saying, but my brain’s still stuck on Darcy sleeping on the floor. Why the hell would she do that? I realize that Audrey’s waiting for me to respond, so I do. “I can do all of that. It sounds great. I love my people. Darcy should be by my side. If she wants to, I mean.”

  “She’ll do whatever’s necessary for her mission. I’ll talk to her.”

  “Does she really sleep on the floor?”

  “I shouldn’t have told you that. She’d kill me if she knew I told you.”

  “I don’t want it to be like this. I need my family’s jewels back, though, and she’s the only person who can tell me where they are.”

  Audrey stands, and I have to look up so I can meet her eyes. “I don’t know any more than you do, Brayden. But I do know Darcy. If she says that she can’t tell you, then she has a good reason. She isn’t doing this for herself. She hasn’t told me that, but again, I know her.”

  “
I can’t let this go.”

  “But you don’t want to let her go either, do you?”

  “He’s not staying with her either way. He can’t,” Noah says. I’d almost forgotten he was sitting next to me.

  “Why? What’s wrong with Darcy?”

  “Nothing’s wrong with her,” I say. “She’s fucking perfect.”

  “Except that she’s not royal,” Noah reminds me. Like I could forget.

  “So?”

  “As you’ve seen, my country is very small. Its rules and traditions were decided centuries ago by kings who wanted to protect us from anyone who might want to conquer us. For that reason, it was put into our charter that a king could only marry another royal. Someone who would combine their forces with ours if we were ever attacked.”

  “Why is Darcy even here as your fake fiancé then? Don’t the people know you can’t marry her?”

  “Yes, and no. They know of the charter, but my people—especially the younger generation—hope that I’ll break it. They’ve seen other royals around the world marry commoners, and they want that, too. The staff that go out and talk to my people have found that they’d rather I marry for love, and not for tradition.”

  Noah jumps in again, to shoot it all down. I know he’s right, but he could let me have the fantasy for at least a few minutes. “Those are the people with no power, though. Our Parliament would never let that happen. Those old men live and breathe tradition. I don’t think the word ‘change’ is even in their vocabulary. That’s why it’s best for the two of them to remember that this is fake.”

  “I think it may be too late for that,” Audrey says, squeezing my shoulder as she walks past.

  She’s right again. It’s way too late to pretend that we don’t care. But Noah’s right, too. The powerful men in this country would never let me marry Darcy, and with my coronation already set in motion, I can’t stop it now. I’ll have some time after I’m crowned, but I’ll be expected to find a suitable queen eventually. One who doesn’t have bright orange hair, and the ability to make me smile just by walking into a room. Tradition can really be a pain in the ass.

  Chapter 10

  Darcy

  It’s Friday, and I’m really not ready for tomorrow’s festivities. Audrey told me she wants Brayden and me to be involved in all of the daytime events. I tried to say that he wouldn’t go for it, but she told me he’d already agreed to everything she suggested. Which was not only a surprise, but sent me into a near panic attack. I can handle the little kisses and even holding hands, but this is going to be so much more. It’s hours where we have to act like we’re in love. It won’t necessarily be acting, but it will be torture.

  Stella’s been keeping Jenysis busy and away from me since she arrived. I can’t wait to see my boys tomorrow, but I’m still stressed. Time is running out for Brayden, and I need to keep my distance. I’ve had no other encounters with the devil himself, but I know he’s around. If he even has an inkling of me giving Brayden what he needs, the house of cards I’ve so carefully built is going to come tumbling down around all of us. That’s another reason the lovefest tomorrow is a problem. It’s not one I can get out of though. I took this mission knowing that it could create problems, but also realizing that I needed to keep everyone close in order to have some control over what goes down.

  It would be easier if I could tell the Society everything, but I swore to tell no one, so my hands are tied. There’s only one person alive who can release me, and he can’t do it unless the terms are met. So there’s really no way out for me. I should be used to it, because for three years I had only myself to depend on, but in the last seven years I’ve also learned to depend on others. The women and men I work with, and call my friends, they’ve always had my back, and without them now, I’m floundering a little.

  I hear a slap as I round the corner towards the dining room for dinner. I see a red faced Jenysis and a smirking Wayne in the hallway. He’s one of the singers in Storyside and best friends with Stella’s boyfriend, Kace. He has a red handprint across his cheek, so I’m not sure where the smirk is coming from. I step into the shadows to watch this all play out.

  “You bloody bastard.”

  “You wanted that kiss, Jen. You’ve been asking for it all week.”

  “It’s Jenysis to you, and I don’t ever remember saying ‘please kiss me, Wayne.’”

  “You haven’t said the words, but you can’t keep your eyes off of me. Admit it, you want me.”

  “What I want is for you to sod off. I’m not one of your groupies.”

  “You’re not? Because I’m sure it was you I saw dancing to our music on your balcony last night.”

  “You were spying on me?”

  “No. I was just taking a walk, and then I saw you. It was hot.”

  “I’ll give you hot, you arsehole,” she says before punching him in the jaw and then flipping him over her shoulder.

  “Fucking hell. I have to sing and play the guitar tomorrow, bitch.”

  “You should’ve thought of that before you tried to disrespect me.”

  “How did I disrespect you? I called you hot.”

  I move down the hall before he gets himself killed. “You should probably shut up now, Wayne. She knows her way around a sword.”

  “I have a sword I’m pretty good with,” the loveable idiot says.

  I run over and jump in between them before she really does kill him. “What part of shut up did you not understand?” I ask as I look down at him where he’s still on the floor.

  “You’re going to protect him?”

  “We need him to play tomorrow. The people are looking forward to it.”

  “Fine, but keep him in line or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  “Got it.”

  I wait until she’s moved down the hall and into the dining room before helping him up. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “Umm, she’s gorgeous and uptight, and I think that’s hot. I like it.”

  “You like that she’s uptight, or you like that she just kicked your ass?”

  “Both?”

  “You’re ridiculous.”

  “But you love me.”

  “I do,” I tell him with a laugh. It’s almost impossible to stay mad at Wayne. “Now, please, try and behave.”

  “That’s no fun.”

  “Nothing is fun about this place.”

  “Nothing? Because I’ve seen the way Brayden looks at you. And the way you look at him.”

  “There’s not a damn thing either one of us can do about it. So, yeah, nothing is fun.”

  “I’m sorry, Darce.”

  “Thanks.”

  We head into the dining room together and take the only two seats left, which happen to be next to each other. Jenysis shoots me a dirty look as Wayne pulls out my chair for me, letting me know that what was going on in the hall wasn’t all one sided. Interesting. I just give her an overly sweet smile in return.

  The rest of the table keeps the conversation going while I just take it all in. Zack and Ainsley are doing a pretty good job of acting like they don’t know each other, and no one seems the wiser. I guess they don’t pay much attention to the American tabloids since those two are regularly featured. Stella and Kace don’t have to hide their relationship, and they’re acting like their usual lovey-dovey selves. Brett and Kevin are keeping the PDA to a minimum, but I can’t help but smile at the way they look at each other. I’m a little jealous of all of them, if I’m being honest.

  Nate, Jade, Matt, Reina, Jake, and Aiden will be arriving early in the morning with the mentors and their families. They’re going to be the hardest to ignore, because the guys are my besties, but I’ll do what I have to do. Nate’s already said that if Brayden gets out of line, he’s going to kill him, royal or not, so I have to make sure to diffuse any situation that may arise.

  “Hey, should we give the little prince something to be jealous of?” Wayne whispers in my ear as he leans into me.


  “No.”

  “Are you sure? It would liven up this dinner.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not into those kinds of games, and you’re too good of a guy to be playing them, either.”

  “Have your fans been supportive of you since you came out, Wayne?” Brayden asks as Wayne moves away from me.

  Kace spits out the wine he’d just taken a drink of and everyone else looks at Brayden like he’s insane. Wayne raises an eyebrow, before responding. “Excuse me?”

  “I’m sure I saw a picture of you kissing some guy.”

  Ah. I guess the game is being played, even if I’m not a willing participant.

  “That was for charity. Sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping to lock lips with me.”

  “You seemed pretty into it for something that was only for charity.”

  “If you have something to say, just say it. Stop trying to act like I’m batting for the other team. I’m not.”

  “Defensive much? I mean, you don’t have a problem with homosexual relationships, do you?”

  Shit. That’s not the place to go with Wayne. Not when one of his two best friends is openly gay. “No, I do not. And you’re on very thin ice at the moment, so I suggest you tread carefully.”

  “You’re in my castle.”

  “And that doesn’t matter to me even just a little bit. If you’re jealous of me talking to your fiancé, you need to just say it. Or better yet, act like you’re happy to be engaged to Darcy.”

  “You know nothing about our relationship.”

  “I know that you’ve barely touched or kissed her since we’ve been here. You don’t sit next to her at dinner, and you’ve barely acknowledged her presence, other than to act like a jealous asshole.”

  “She’s still mine, and you need to stay away from her.”

  “Do I? Because I don’t think a woman like Darcy can be claimed without something to back it up. Are you stepping up?”

  I see the warring emotions cross Brayden’s face as he tries to figure out how best to respond. I can’t bear to hear him respond in the way I know he will, so I step in. “Enough, Wayne. I appreciate your support—however misguided—but as Brayden said, you don’t know anything about our relationship.”