Boys of King Academy

by Rose, Louise

  “What are you thinking, Ivy?” Declan asks.

  “My father’s private plane,” I say. “He’s going on those trips to Italy all the time. If I can get a hold of his schedule, I can figure out when he’s due to leave and we can plant something on his plane. It’s heavily guarded, but if we are able to watch the guards for a few days, I’m sure we’d be able to figure out a way to get close to it.”

  Romy nods slowly. “That could work. How soon do you think you could get his schedule?”

  “I’m not sure,” I reply. “His study is like a fortress within a fortress. It’s almost impossible for me to get in it.”

  “What if you didn’t have to go into his study?” asks Archer.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, Isabella knows everything that’s going on. She’d be able to tell you when he was due to travel. Can’t you try sweet talking her?”

  “Or even turn your charm on your father,” Romy suggests. “Tell him something like you want him to bring you back something from Italy so it would be helpful to know when he was travelling next.”

  “I can do that.” I feel an excited little tingle in my tummy. We are planning to take out my father and it might actually work.

  “Do you think you can do it without Lucas figuring out what you’re up to?”

  Declan’s question brings me back down to earth with a bump.

  “I don’t know.” I bite my lip. “Lucas isn’t stupid and I still haven’t been able to figure him out. Sometimes I think he’s an arsehole who’s got his nose permanently fixed up my father’s backside and other times he does sweet things like getting my favourite people in a room together and leaves me on my own with you. I’d like to think I could get away with finding out my father’s schedule without him figuring out there’s something going on, but I can’t guarantee it. Nor can I promise that he wouldn’t go to my father if he did hear about our plan. For all I know, he’s being nice to lull me into a false sense of security. He could be plotting against me. I mean, we’re married. If something were to happen to me, he’d be the new Archaic heir.”

  Declan pales at the thought. “You really think he could be planning something like that?”

  “I’d like to say no, but I just don’t know him well enough to be sure.” I shrugged sadly.

  “All right. So for now, we have to assume that Lucas would be against us if he found out we’re going to make a move against Solomon,” says Archer. “So we need to come at this from a number of angles. Ivy, you try and find out your father’s schedule without raising any suspicions. We’ll scout out the plane and see if we can figure out a way of getting a bomb on board without anyone noticing. Timing’s crucial-–if we put it on there too soon, they’ll find it when they do a security sweep before the flight.”

  “Unless we can figure out a way of camouflaging it so no one notices it,” Romy puts in.

  “Maybe.” Archer does a half nod, half shake of his head. “We don’t want to over-complicate things though.”

  “What about if I could get the bomb in his luggage?” The thought suddenly hits me. “That way we don’t have to know about his schedule or anything like that. Archer can just give me the bomb and I’ll keep it until I see my father packing. I’ll figure out a way of smuggling it into one of his suitcases and he’ll take it onto the plane himself without realising he’s carrying his own death in his hands. It’s a private airport, so he doesn’t have to go through the security checks you usually get, so his case will be right by his side when the bomb detonates.”

  “Ivy, you’re a genius!” Archer kisses me full on the lips. “That’s the perfect solution.”

  “Yeah, good idea, Ivy.” Declan smiles. “Simple is best, and that’s so simple nobody will suspect a thing.”

  “So, Archer, you need to make the bomb as soon as possible,” Romy says.

  “No problem,” Archer replies. “I’ll put a remote detonation on it with a timer, so we can control exactly when it goes off. I can make it so that once it gets far enough away from the trigger, it automatically explodes, and I’ll give you the trigger, Ivy, so you know you’re perfectly safe until then.”

  “Good.” I don’t like to show any nerves about having a bomb in my room until my father went away, but knowing there’s no way it can go off until he’s up in the air makes me feel a heck of a lot better about the plan.

  “And you’re sure you’re happy to do this?” asks Declan. “I mean, I should be glad you’re taking on the lead role in assassinating your father and making amends for what you did for mine, but if you’re not comfortable, we’ll figure out another way.”

  “I have a feeling that taking out the current Head of House is the Archaic way,” I tell him. “If anything, my father should be proud that I’m following in his footsteps.”

  “Okay.” Declan nods slowly, satisfied.

  “Well, now we’ve finished planning, Ivy, send a text to Lucas and let him know he can come pick you up. While we’re waiting for him to arrive, who’s for some champagne to celebrate?”

  I tap out a message on my phone as Archer went to get the bottle of champagne. He pours out four flutes and passes them out.

  “To Ivy, soon to be a single woman and Head of House Archaic!”

  “To Ivy!”

  We clink our glasses together. As I sip my champagne, I gaze round at the three men standing with me. I am so lucky to have them on my side. I’d be utterly lost without them.

  There’s only one problem with the thought of being a single woman again. Which of these three would I choose? I love them all so much, I can’t imagine picking one over the others.

  I put the thought aside for the moment. One day, that will be the worst of my problems and it isn’t a bad one to have. Many girls would be more than happy to have three gorgeous guys in love with them, and when the time comes, I’ll just have to follow my heart.

  For now, we need to deal with my father once and for all.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  “Have fun?” asks Lucas, as I climb into the passenger seat next to him.

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “What did you two talk about?”

  I almost correct him, then think better of it. If he believes I was only hanging out with Archer, he’s less likely to suspect there is a conspiracy against my father.

  “It was like you said, he was worried about me,” I tell him. “He wanted to know how I’d been over the weekend and if there was anything he could do to cheer me up. We ended up watching a few episodes of the latest season of Brooklyn Nine Nine and had some champagne. He called it a belated wedding toast.”

  “That was nice of him.”

  There doesn’t seem to be any guile behind Lucas’s words as he drives me back home.

  As we pull into the garage, I see my father talking to Isabella in front of the garage while the staff loads suitcases into one of the limos.

  “Ah, Ivy, Lucas. I’m glad you’re back before I leave. I would have hated to go without saying goodbye.”

  My father strides towards us, arms outstretched, and I suffer an embrace.

  “While I’m gone, you’ll be the man of the house,” my father continues. “This means you are the interim head of House Archaic.”

  “Aren’t I supposed to be the head of House Archaic?” I point out.

  “My dear Ivy.” My father practically pats me on the head, his tone is beyond patronising. “I would love to leave you in charge, but I have yet to see evidence of your loyalty to your House and family. In comparison, Lucas has worked diligently for me, following my every command to the letter. Moreover, his upbringing means he has an innate understanding of what to do in any eventuality without needing to seek my approval first. At this moment in time, your husband is the best person to take care of House affairs. Perhaps when you have proven your worth, I will be able to trust you with the duties which are your birth right, but as it currently stands, you are nowhere near ready for such responsibilities. Sit back and let
Lucas do the heavy lifting. Go play your guitar, get Isabella to arrange a visit from a masseur. You’re far too uptight.”

  “I might just do that. Thanks, Dad.” I do my best to sound grateful, but in my mind I am puking. Anyone would be uptight in my position. “Where are you going, anyway?”

  “I’m off to Italy.” He sighs dramatically. “My partners are insisting on an in person visit and it’s a good opportunity to stock up on fine Italian wine. Would you like me to bring you back anything, Ivy? Lucas?”

  “Surprise me,” I say.

  “I don’t need anything, Dad,” Lucas tells him. “But thanks for offering. Is there anything I need to know about while you’re gone?”

  “There are a few little details that would be useful for you to know. Walk with me.”

  My father leads Lucas away, out of earshot, leaving me and Isabella on our own together.

  “How can you bear working for that sexist pig?” I ask.

  “I have my own agenda.” Isabella shrugs. “Besides, men like him think they’re in charge, but you and I both know where the power really lies. There’s always a woman behind the throne and we’re always the ones pulling the strings.”

  “Is that right?” I look at Isabella with new respect. “So how would you advise I manage my father?”

  “Simple,” Isabella says. “Do exactly what he wants you to do-–for now. While you were estranged, he always talked about his perfect little girl. He had an image in his mind about his princess, a girl who loved pink and unicorns, a girl who spent hours playing with her dolls. When his spies brought back reports of a tomboy who had a major rebellious streak running through her, he didn’t want to believe it, so he continued in his fantasy of the girl he wanted you to be until the time came to bring you here. It was harder for him to keep up the picture perfect daughter with you standing right in front of him. So instead, he’s done his utmost to force you into the vision he has for you.”

  “Tell me about it.” I roll my eyes.

  “I get it. I really do,” Isabella says. “It’s frustrating when we’re forced into living up to someone else’s idea of who we ought to be.”

  “It sounds like you have personal experience of that.”

  “We’re not talking about me right now,” Isabella snaps. I make a mental note to find out more about her background later. “We’re talking about you and how you can manipulate your father into giving you more freedom. I’m not saying you have to jump to his whims permanently. Just do enough to create the illusion he has the daughter of his dreams. Once he buys into that, you’ll be surprised at what you can get away with. For example, when he asked you to shoot Claude Dauphin, you didn’t have to actually aim at him. You could have sent the shot way over his head. No one would have been hurt, but you would have demonstrated pure loyalty. Your father didn’t have to know you missed deliberately. He was expecting you to miss. You have no experience with firearms. What he wanted to see was you obeying without question. Instead, you fought him-–and make no mistake, he would have given the order for you to be stabbed. Anything less would have made him weak in the eyes of his men, and Solomon will never do anything to make himself look weak.

  “But I promise you, it would have broken his heart.”

  “Somehow I doubt that.” I laugh bitterly. “My father doesn’t have a heart to break.”

  “Still, the things he does don’t bring him any pleasure,” Isabella tells me. “But that’s what it takes to be head of House. Which is why he’s left Lucas in charge. Do not underestimate that boy. He can be absolutely ruthless if need be. That’s why your father likes him so much. He sees a lot of himself in Lucas. In many ways, he thinks of Lucas as more of an heir than you.”

  “Well, duh.”

  “But that’s only because Lucas knows how to play the game,” Isabella says. “If your father had asked him to shoot Claude Dauphin, he’d have done it in a heartbeat. And he’d probably have missed deliberately and no one would care. Ivy, haven’t you figured it out yet? This town is nothing but a game. The players dance around each other, but it’s all about appearances. Your father gave you good advice when he told you to relax. If you stop going around looking for reasons to be offended, you’ll have a much easier time of it.”

  “If you say so.”

  I don’t like to admit it, but I can see the wisdom in what Isabella is saying. I just hate the thought of sucking up to my father like that. I detest him, and that is never going to change.

  Speak of the devil…

  Lucas and my father come back to join us, a broad grin on both their faces.

  “Isabella-–I want you to treat Lucas as you would me. His word is your command, understood?”

  “Yes, sir.” Isabella nods.

  “Ivy-–be a good girl for once?”

  Isabella and I exchange a quick glance.

  “I’ll do my best,” I say.

  “That’s what I like to hear. Now I’ll be back before you know it, so don’t have too much fun while I’m gone.”

  My father turns and gets into the back of the limo. Lucas puts his arm around me as we wave him off.

  I inhale deeply, blowing the air out in one long, relieved stream. “Thank goodness that bastard’s gone and I don’t have to see his smug little face anymore.”

  “Don’t let his guards hear you talking like that,” Lucas warns.

  “I don’t care,” I say. “I’ve had enough. I tell you something, Lucas. You’re welcome to House Archaic. If I could, I’d walk away from it all today. I’m done with all these mind games.”

  “Oh, boo hoo, Ivy,” Isabella sneers. “Next you’ll be saying you didn’t ask to be born. We all get it. You’ve got it tough. We all know your father’s treated you badly, but instead of focusing on what you don’t have, look at what you do. You’ve got more money than most people can ever dream of. You’ve got a husband who is kind, caring and considerate. Who wants nothing more than to make you happy if only you’d let him. I’ve told you how to handle your father. It’s not rocket science. But if you’re not even willing to help yourself, then I’m done. Be miserable, Ivy. That’s clearly what makes you happy.”

  She stalks off, leaving me gaping after her.

  “I hate to say it, Ivy, but she does have a point,” Lucas says, giving me a sheepish smile.

  I glare at him and he steps back a little, putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

  “Hear me out,” he says. “I don’t agree with what your father’s done to you, but you can turn it around. It’s like Isabella says. Play the game. Learn the rules and then bend them. Do that, and you could have the whole of King Town in your hand. Now, I’ve got to go and do something for your father, but I want you to think about what I’ve just said. If you want my help, you only have to ask and it’s yours. It’s time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and make a change.”

  If only he knew what I’d been discussing earlier tonight. I am going to make a change all right. And by the time I’m done, this town will be reeling.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  “Are you looking forward to the Bomber Derby tonight?” Lucas asks me over breakfast.

  “Sure. I want nothing more than to ride pillion while you do your best to win, only to come in behind Archer yet again.”

  “Actually, I was talking more about whether you were looking forward to competing in the Bomber Derby?” Lucas side-eyes me, grinning.

  “What do you mean?” I don’t dare to believe that he’s actually telling me I’m allowed to compete.

  “Well, since your father’s away and I’m the interim head of House, what I say goes. You even heard him say that. And I say that my wife should be allowed to compete on her own terms as the amazing biker she is. Only heirs to a House are allowed to compete in the Bomber Derby, but technically we’re both heirs, so I figure we might as well take advantage of the opportunity to give us two chances for House Archaic to take the crown.”

  “Thank you!” I squeal and throw my arm
s around his neck.

  “Now, just because you get to compete doesn’t mean you’re going to win,” Lucas warns me. “I’m not going to slow down to let you go ahead of me. Nobody’s going to give you any slack. You’ll be lucky to come in third.”

  “We’ll see.” I smile enigmatically, already running over the route in my head. Tonight, our House is in charge and Lucas and I spent ages plotting out the perfect route to challenge the racers. I knew it like the back of my hand, because we’ve ridden round it a few times to make sure it was as challenging as we wanted it to be. The others didn’t stand a chance. If I’m competing, Lucas and I are going to take the first two spots-–and I am going to cross the finish line first.

  “I’m going to oversee the preparations for the race tonight,” Lucas says. “You can come with me if you like, but it’s going to be pretty boring.”

  “Because sitting around in our suite all day is so exciting,” I point out.

  “True, but that’s not the only option you’ve got.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you I’m not your father, but maybe actions speak louder than words. You can do whatever you like while he’s away. If you want to go and see your friends, I don’t care what House they belong to. They’re your friends, and if you want to visit them, that’s fine. Just because we’re married doesn’t mean we have to be joined at the hip. Why don’t you go and see Milly? The two of you are well overdue for some chill time together. I’m sure she’d love to see you.”

  “Are you sure?” I like this side of Lucas, although the cynic in me wonders whether he is getting me out of the way so he can do something without me knowing. Those thoughts can drive you mad, though, and I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have suggested it.”