Accidentally Royal_An Accidental Marriage Romance

by R. S. Lively

  I drop down into the seat across from Mason and take a sip of coffee, my eyes never leaving his. He sits there for a long moment, saying nothing, sitting statue still, waiting for me to fill the void in the conversation – something I'm not going to do. It's a common lawyer trick – most people can't handle a protracted silence, and they'll say anything, just to break it. More times than not, they say something stupid or incriminating.

  Good thing I'm not stupid and my keen survival skills prevent me from saying something incriminating.

  He finally relents, realizing I'm not going to be the one to break the silence. He opens his briefcase and takes out a newspaper. He unfolds it and slides it across the table to me. On the front cover is a picture of Darby and me, looking quite cozy. I suppress a grin and take another drink of my coffee.

  “That suit is terrible,” I say. “Why did nobody tell me it looks like that? I'm going to have to fire my tailor.”

  “So, I understand that you and my sister have rekindled your – romance?”

  I take another drink of my coffee and set the cup down on the table. “It would appear so,” I say. “Though, I never took you for the type to read the tabloids. Seems a little – beneath you. Doesn't it?”

  “Did you forget about our last conversation when you tried to date above your station like that?”

  I chuckle softly. “Above my station?” I ask. “Last I checked, I think my net worth is about five times the size of yours. At least.”

  “Having money doesn't mean anything,” he says. “You're still just gutter trash.”

  “Gutter trash with a hell of a lot of money,” I correct him.

  “But gutter trash nonetheless.”

  “What happened to you, man?” I ask. “Not that you were ever a decent human being back at St. Aggie's, but at least I could recognize you as a human being. Now though? You're nothing but a six-foot prick on two legs.”

  His face darkens, and I see his jaw clench. He's not used to being spoken to that way, clearly. He demands obedience and subservience by those in his presence. Too bad he's never going to get that from me.

  “I'm here today to remind you that the statute of limitations on murder never expires,” he says. “And, as a U.S. Attorney, I'm in a much better position now to fuck with Pops Ramazzo as I see fit. Do you really want him to spend what's left of his golden years rotting away in prison?”

  “Pops isn't going to prison,” I say simply.

  “He will if I say he does,” Mason replies. “Unless you stop seeing Darby. Walk away from her like you did before and I leave Pops alone. Ignore me and Pops will be living in an eight-by-eight box for whatever time he has left on this planet. Is my sister really worth that to you?”

  “Let me ask you something, Mason,” I say. “Why do you feel the need to control her? She's a grown woman with her own life and her own career. She's a smart woman, has her own mind, and can make her own decisions. Why do you feel it's necessary to control her like she's just some dumb kid?”

  “My sister has a good and kind heart,” he says. “She's naïve and wants to believe the best in people. What she fails to understand is that some people are rotten down to their core and there is no good to be had in them. You know – people like you.”

  I give him a slow grin. “You still haven't quite gotten over the fact that I kept you from getting your ass beat at St. Aggie's. Pride and ego still wounded about that, huh?” I say. “It's been twenty years, man. Don't you think it's time to move past that shit?”

  He slams his fist down on the table, his eyes blazing with anger. “This has nothing to do with that, as much as you want to think it does,” he says. “Nothing at all. This has everything to do with you being a piece of shit.”

  I laugh and shake my head, enjoying the fact that I'm getting under his skin. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much,” I say.

  Mason talks a long breath and regains his composure, though I can see it's a Herculean effort on his part. When he looks at me, he seems more under control – though, his very aura radiates hostility and hatred.

  “Last chance,” he says. “Stop seeing Darby or I'm going to turn the hounds loose on poor old Pops. I'm going to use everything at my disposal, bring the entire mechanism of justice to bear, and make whatever years he has left excruciatingly miserable for him.”

  “You know, Pops is an old man. Doesn't get out much anymore,” I say. “I actually just came from his place. Mentioned that you might be paying me a visit and what you'd probably have in mind.”

  “Is that so?”

  I nod. “That's so,” I say. “The funny thing about an old man with nothing but time on his hands is that he would actually enjoy wasting your time. He'd love for you to try and charge him with anything because he'll make your life a nightmare. And at the end of the day, you're going to have nothing but your dick in your hand to show for your efforts. Pops hasn't killed anybody and I'm confident that justice – actual justice, not your bullshit brand of pseudo-justice – will prevail.”

  Mason leans back in his seat and looks at me, his expression one of complete disgust. “What about you?” he asks.

  “What about me?”

  “Think you're so squeaky clean?”

  “Actually, yeah. I do,” I say.

  “What would you say if I told you that my office has been investigating you for months?”

  “First, I'd say that's complete bullshit,” I say. “Secondly, I'd say you need a new fuckin' hobby, because that's got to be boring as hell. Not to mention a massive waste of taxpayer dollars. I run a clean shop here.”

  “Nobody runs a perfectly clean shop,” he snaps.

  “I do,” I say simply. “You're welcome to look until your heart's content. You're not going to find anything because there's nothing to be found.”

  “So, you say.”

  “So, I know,” I reply.

  “I guess we'll see about that.”

  I nod. “Bring it on,” I reply. “You'll have my full cooperation. Mostly because I can't wait to see you fall flat on your fuckin' face. What do you think that will do to your political ambitions? I'd say it'll blow them right up. Especially after I file a civil suit against the Department of Justice – and you – for harassment and anything else I can come up with.”

  “Good luck with a civil suit,” he says. “I know most of the judges on the federal bench, and –”

  “You should probably also know that I've got a lot of friends on Capitol Hill,” I say. “Turns out, everybody – Democrat and Republican alike – love making money. And I make them a lot of money, Mason. Which means I doubt they'll look to fondly on some loose cannon U.S. Attorney wasting time and money on nothing more than a trumped-up witch hunt. A bullshit personal vendetta.”

  He lets out a long breath and glares at me. “You can have any woman you want,” he says. “Why are you so insistent on seeing Darby?”

  “Because Darby is so unlike any other woman I've known,” I say honestly.

  “And when you tire of her?” he asks. “When you get bored? You just going to up and leave and shatter her heart again? You have no idea what she went through the last time –”

  “You seem to forget,” I say loudly, cutting him off, “last time was because of you. I wouldn't have left if not for you.”

  “You made a choice. You sacrificed her for the old man,” he says. “And you need to do it again.”

  “I don't need to do shit, you insufferable prick,” I seethe. “I fucked up once because of you. I'm not going to make that mistake again.”

  “Walk away, Carter,” he warns.

  I chuckle. “This world is not your gameboard. And I'm not one of your pieces that you can move around at will,” I say. “You want to come at me? Then have the spine to come at me head on, you cowardly fucking weasel. Don't use other people to play your game. Come at me straight up. That is, unless you're still too much of a little bitch to do that.”

  He slams his briefcase shut and stands up abr
uptly. “You've been warned, Bishop,” he says.

  “So, have you,” I reply, my voice cold. “I'm somebody you really, really don't want to fuck with, Mason.”

  “Oh? They gonna find me face down in the river with a couple of bullets in the back of my head?” he asks. “I mean, that is what you – people – do, isn't it?”

  I chuckle, but my eyes hold no humor in them. “Oh no,” I say. “Killing you would be way too easy. You fuck with me, I am going to revel in tearing your whole fucking life down, brick by brick, setting it all on fire, and then pissing on the ashes. Back the fuck off. Now.”

  He gives me a cocky little smirk. The man thinks he shits gold bricks and doesn't think he can lose. It's a trait I ordinarily admire in a person, given that I'm the same way, if I'm being honest. But, his ego is far outstripping his common sense in this. He's letting his need to control everybody around him – as well as his hatred for me – cloud his judgment.

  Without another word, he leaves, marching out of the office, all the employees watching them pass – a couple of them even making the sign of the cross. That's the reputation Mason fucking White carries. And it's that reputation I'm going to enjoy burning to the ground.

  “That went well,” Rupert says as he steps into the conference room.

  I shrug. “Could've been worse.”

  “I especially liked the bit about burning his life down and pissing on the ashes,” he says. “Nothing like a little over the top melodrama.”

  “I thought the situation called for it.”

  “Good call,” he says. “Maybe they'll use that line when they make this a made-for-TV movie.”

  I laugh. “He's going to be a problem.”

  “No doubt about that,” he replies. “One question before we go to war with this assclown – is Darby worth it?”

  “She's more than worth it,” I say without hesitation.

  “Then let's gear up and go to war.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Darby

  “I can't believe you didn't tell me,” Jade squeals. “You're keeping secrets from your bestie, now? What's up with that?”

  “I didn't mean to,” I say. “Everything just happened so fast, and –”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she says. “It's in the besties rule handbook. You are required by law to report any new boyfriends or fuck-buddies within forty-eight hours.”

  “I must have missed that bit,” I reply.

  We're sitting in The Moonshiner having a few drinks. Things with Carter have been so intense and moving so fast lately that it's nice for me to take a step back and take a breath. I hadn't really had time to stop and think about anything. It's literally been a blur. But, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying myself.

  But then, Mason had to stick his nose into it and screw things up entirely. Or, at least, screw up what's going on in my head. I've already been holding back a little bit, just because of that history of pain I have with Carter. Mason though, compounded the fears, concerns, and doubts in my head with his little stunt.

  “Tell me something,” Jade says.

  “What's that?”

  “Back in the day – were you and Carter hooking up?”

  I can't meet her eyes and feel the heat burning in my cheeks. To this day, I haven't told Jade about my relationship with Carter. A fact I feel bad about – especially now that it's biting me in the ass.

  “I knew it,” she laughs. “I knew it! You worm! You knew I was into him!”

  I shrug. “It wasn't supposed to happen like that.”

  “Please,” she says. “I knew the minute you drove off with him that you were gonna be banging him inside an hour. Not that I can blame you. He's gorgeous, Darby. And loaded, which makes him doubly hot.”

  “So, you're not mad?”

  Jade cocks her head and looks at me. “No, I'm not mad,” she says. “I would have loved to have banged the hell out of him back then, but he seemed to prefer you. I'm happy for you. Actually, I'm just happy you're finally getting laid. You needed it bad, babe.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  She laughs as I take a sip of my drink then let out a long breath. Relieved. I didn't realize just how heavy that burden I carried around with me was until Jade took it off my shoulders. Call me silly, but I still believe in loyalty.

  “So? How is he?” she asks. “In the sack? How is he?”

  I laugh and shake my head. “Oh my, God,” I say. “I'm not going to answer that.”

  “Sure, you are,” she says, putting on an overly dramatic sad face. “It's the least you can do after stealing my man.”

  I throw a napkin at her. “Shut up.”

  “Come on, Darbs,” she says. “Give me a little thrill. You know all I get is boring old married sex.”

  “Your husband is gorgeous, Jade,” I say.

  “He is. And he's great in bed, don't get me wrong,” she replies. “But, after so many years together, things can sometimes get a little – stale. Which is why I need to live vicariously through you. So, spill. How is he in bed?”

  My cheeks are burning bright and I'm sure are a shade of red not found in nature. “He's amazing,” I say. “Earth-shattering. Mind-blowing.”

  “That's my girl,” she beams. “I have to admit though – I'm jealous. What I wouldn't give for just one crack at that.”

  “You're incorrigible,” I say. “And married.”

  “Hall pass?”

  “Don't think your hubby would approve. Sorry.”

  She smiles and takes a sip of her drink. Jade likes to talk like a scoundrel, but I know for a fact that she's so deeply in love with her husband, that she'd never cheat on him. Never in a million years. Back in the day, she was a wild child. I never thought that she'd actually ever be content to settle down and be with just one man for the rest of her life. But, she'd surprised me by falling in love and getting married.

  “Is it getting serious between you two?”

  I shrug. “I don't know,” I say. “Maybe?”

  “Maybe?” she asks. “You don't sound so sure.”

  “Well, it's not like we have the best track record.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I drain the last of my drink and signal the waitress for another. A few minutes later, she comes over and slides a fresh round in front of us, I wait until she leaves before I tell Jade the whole story. Every bit of it. I catch her up on everything that happened ten years ago, and everything going on today. She listens to every word, alternating between aghast and amused. And when I'm finished, she takes a long swallow of her drink and then begins to laugh.

  “What's so funny?” I ask.

  “I'm going to have to go online and find that video,” she says. “That would be hilarious.”

  “Wasn't really all that funny at the time.”

  “Probably not,” she says. “But, I just want to see the look on his face. I bet he's not used to having people smack him like that.”

  “Probably not,” I admit. “But, he thought it was pretty funny too.”

  She eyes me evenly over her drink and I can tell by the look on her face that she has something to say. Not that Jade doesn't always have something to say, but the look she has on her face tells me she's about to impart some of her patented three-drink wisdom.

  “Tell me something,” she says. “Do you think Carter is capable of murdering somebody?”

  I don't reply, instead looking down at my drink. The truth is, I don't have an answer for that question. My heart screams of course not. The man I know is gentle and kind. Compassionate and caring. My brain then interjects with flashbacks of him punching that guy in the face for being crude to me. Yeah, it's a long way to go from assault to murder, but it showed me he has the capability for violence in him.

  “Obviously, I don't know Carter all that well,” Jade says. “I imagine he can be arrogant and condescending. I imagine he can be one of those take charge, macho male alpha dog types. Am I right?”

  Though he's never been that
way with me, I have seen hints of that personality within him, so I nod.

  “Asshole, maybe,” she says. “Killer, no. I never got that vibe off him.”

  “Yeah, well, you knew him for all of what, half an hour?”

  She nods. “Yeah, and I never got that vibe,” she responds. “You were with him for longer and you never got that vibe from him.”

  “Maybe I blinded myself to it because I was falling for him.”

  “Listen to me, Darby,” she says. “Despite what your brother says, you are not naïve. You are not some idiot with a schoolgirl crush. You have an instinctive feel for people. You have an uncanny ability to see whether they're good people or bad people. When we were growing up and partying with older guys, how many times did you stop me from leaving with somebody because you got a bad feeling about them?”

  “Not that you listened to me every time,” I say, a rueful smile on my lips.

  “No, I didn't. And I found myself in bad situations more than once because I didn't listen to you,” she says. “Because you were right, way more often than you weren't. You kept something truly terrible from happening to me because you sensed something was off about some of those guys.”

  I pick at the cocktail napkin on the table in front of me, processing everything she's saying, still not sure what to make of it all.

  “You've let Mason live in your head rent free for years, Darbs,” she says. “Years, honey. You've let him make you think you're something you're not – a silly, stupid, naïve girl. You're one of the most intelligent, intuitive, strongest people I know.”

  “He says his office has been investigating Carter for a long time though,” I say. “Says he has him cold on a number of different crimes already.”

  “And Mason has never been known to lie to you before in order to manipulate you into doing something he wants, has he?” she asks, arching an eyebrow at me. “Look, I don't know if Carter is guilty of anything or not. Chances are, he's not been a perfect angel in his life. None of us has, Darbs. But, is he guilty of what Mason is suggesting? I don't know that I'd go by Mason's word alone. If I were you, I'd listen to my gut a lot more than a man with an obvious agenda.”