Royally Not Ready(118)
“Love?” Brimar asks, his thick brows kissing his hairline. “You barely know each other.”
“We know way more about each other than what I apparently know about you.” I push my hand through my hair. “I can’t—I can’t fucking believe you, man. You broke my trust. And for what? Pride? Pretty fucking stupid. I need to know who else you told. Did you leak it . . .” My voice trails off as a thought hits me square in the chest. My eyes flash up to his again, and I ask, “Are you the fucking leak we’ve been looking for?”
“Took you enough time to figure that out too,” he says, his voice full of arrogance.
And with that, I can’t stop myself, I charge at him, plowing him into the wall and creating a dent in the plaster with his body. He hits me in the stomach with an uppercut, causing me to back off him for a moment, but it’s enough time for him to cock back and drive his fist into my eye. I stumble backward, my vision blurry as I see his fist come at me again, but this time I duck and blow my fist into his stomach.
He buckles over, and I take my chance at hitting him with an uppercut to the jaw so he falls backward.
When he’s on the ground, his head lolling to the side, I say, “That was a fucking security risk, and you know it.”
“And not once did you ask me for my advice. Thought you’d be able to step off your high horse and notice—”
“Notice what? That you’ve been slacking on your job? Because that’s what’s been happening. That’s why I haven’t asked you. Because before we went to Miami to find Lilly, you were slipping up. You were making mistakes. You were putting the people we’re supposed to protect at risk and I wasn’t about to let you do that with Lilly. She’s all we have left.” I grip my head. “Jesus, fuck, Brimar. She’s it. That’s all. Without her, we have nothing left of this country. And because of your pride, you’d let that get in the goddamn way?” I get close to him, inches from his face. “Now tell me, who else did you fucking send that text message to?”
His jaw works to the side, and then he says, “The Tribune.”
My nostrils flare with anger, but before I can beat him into the floor, I tear out of his room and head straight for the palace.
LILLY
Lilly: Keller, can you please text me back? It’s five in the morning and I want to know if you’re okay.
Lilly: Keller, please. I’m scared. I need to talk to you about all this, and I don’t want to do it through text message. Please, just see me. I’m awake.
I stare down at my unanswered texts as the clock in the top left corner of my phone switches to half past five. Lara left about forty-five minutes ago after I promised her I wouldn’t do anything stupid, like attempt to find Keller. And I’m holding myself to that promise, because even though I’m desperate to see Keller, to work things out, I know the value and importance of my actions.
So, I’ve stayed up, still waiting for Keller, texting him often, hoping he’ll respond or visit me in my room.
But . . . nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
And the more the silence goes on, the more my heart breaks.
KELLER
“I need to speak to the king,” I say to the footman at his bedroom door. “Now.”
Thankfully, I still have the authority to override the guards at his door, and they knock on it before opening. When the door parts, I push through into a dark room, the curtains completely blocking off all the light from outside.
“Your Majesty,” I say, using formal terms. “I need to speak with you. It’s urgent.”
“What’s going on?” he grumbles as Katla switches on a light, casting the room in a yellow glow. Theo sits up and spots me. He rubs his eye and asks, “What time is it?”
“Almost six,” I say. “And I’m sorry for barging in like this, but I need to speak with you about the protection for the welcoming parade.”
“What’s going on?” Katla asks, keeping the comforter close to her chest. “Has there been a threat?”
“No, but I found the leak we’ve been looking for. It’s Brimar.”
“Brimar?” Theo asks with a surprised cough. He pats his chest. “Our Brimar?”
“Yes,” I answer, still pained from the thought of my best friend turning on me. “I’ve noticed he’s been slipping on his responsibilities, not making the right calls, so I stepped up with Lilly to make sure she was protected. Not enough, apparently, because he was leaking information right under my nose.” I hang my head. “I’m so sorry.”
“Do not apologize to me,” Theo says sternly. “This is not on you. Tell me, what’s happening to ensure Lilly’s safety?”
“I’ve gathered with Henrik, and we’ve been working on a plan. We detained Brimar, since he’s broken the code of trust with the crown. We’ve also taken his phone and searched it for any leads he might not have told us about.”
“Is there a security risk for the parade?”
“No, we’ve spoken with the rest of the security detail, and they’re all on the same plan we originally had. They haven’t been tipped off about any threats, and from the rounds they’ve made on the parade route, everything seems to be in order.”