Inheriting a SECRET (Corrigan & Co. #7)(15)

“They need to be working on regular missions, not watching over me. I feel bad enough that all of you are here already.”

“No one is suffering because we’re here. We wouldn’t all be out anyway. You know that,” Ainsley tells her.

“Would you care to formally introduce us to your friends, Darcy?” my mother asks.

“Umm…sure. These are my friends Ainsley, Audrey, Ellie, and Faith. Guys this is the queen, Noah, and Brayden.”

I already knew the blonde was Ainsley. Now I know that the sultry one is Audrey, the Asian one is Faith, and the one who looks like a brunette Barbie is Ellie. They’re all smoking hot. And all still glaring at me.

“Do you think you can call them off? I don’t really care that they’re glaring, but I was hoping for a nice dinner with you.”

“You threatened her, and now you want a nice dinner?” Faith asks me, and I’m man enough to admit that the look in her eyes scares me.

“We’ve called a truce,” I say, swallowing hard, but somehow maintaining eye contact.

“Have you? Darce?” Ellie asks.

“Yeah. We’re good. For the moment.”

“Please sit down everyone. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to discuss all of your roles here over our meal. It’s not the kind of conversation I’d usually encourage at the table, but nothing about this whole situation is within my usual protocols.” My mother is barely holding it together. She’s used to formalities, not female spies, at her dinner table.

“We appreciate that, Your Highness, but your son brought this all down on you. We wouldn’t be here if Reina didn’t think the threat was real.”

“It was real. I really threatened Darcy. I was an ass, and I own it. I’m truly sorry for what I said, and how it caused her to feel.”

“So she trusts you?” Audrey asks me.

I look at Darcy, but she can’t meet my eyes. It feels like I’ve been stabbed in the heart, but I know I deserve it. “No. I don’t believe she does.”

“Then neither do we.”

“Understood.”

“So, about our jobs,” Ainsley says, obviously trying to ease the tension in the room. “I’m part of the tech team, Audrey is an event and press consultant, Ellie is assisting the event planner, and Faith is your new chef.”

I scoff at that last part. “No way is Anna going to let her in the kitchen.”

“I already have, and she’s a dream. You’ll be eating some of her cooking tonight,” Anna says, coming into the room and smiling at Faith.

“Seriously?” No one is allowed in the kitchen. My mother and I included.

“Have you ever known me not to be serious?”

“Umm, no.”

“Then there you have it. Eat up and be prepared to ask her to marry you afterwards; although, I’ve heard that she’s taken.”

“So am I.”

Anna looks over at Darcy in her fitted t-shirt and yoga pants. “I think you should be, but you’re not. She’d be good for you.”

“It’s a good thing almost all of the staff has retired for the night. This conversation is delving into areas that shouldn’t be overheard,” my mother says.

“This room, as well as the surrounding ones, are secure and safe from prying eyes and ears. Even those belonging to your security team.”

“I’m still uncomfortable with letting someone have access to our security systems.”

“No offense, Your Highness, but I’d have access even if you didn’t let me.”

“Nice,” I tell Ainsley.

“Yes, well, let’s eat,” my mother says, clearly uncomfortable with having to answer to anyone, much less women who are a few decades younger than her.

She’s a good woman, and she did a great job raising me, even if that hasn’t been too apparent lately. Navigating all of this without my dad is hard for her, though. Even though she was a princess before marriage, she wasn’t prepared to be Queen. I mean, who really is prepared to rule a country alone? I’m supposed to be, but I have my doubts now and then. I’ll do it, though, because it’s what I’ve been raised to do—and to alleviate the pressure from her.

The rest of dinner goes pretty smoothly, with the women all talking about our home and catching up with Darcy. I know our “date” is off now that her friends are here, and I won’t even pretend that I’m not disappointed. But there will be other nights to play games—video and otherwise.

“Dinner was delicious, Faith,” I tell her, honestly.

“Thank you, Brayden.”

“I’m going to go look over my schedule for tomorrow. I’ll see everyone in the morning.”

I get up and walk towards the door, but Darcy steps in front of me. “We had plans tonight, didn’t we?” she asks, looking a little hurt.

“I thought you’d want to hang out with your friends instead.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t. I mean, I love them, but I see them all the time back home.”

“I’ll miss you when you’re gone,” I blurt out.

It’s not a lie. I’m not in love with her, but I definitely care for Darcy. I have a feeling that love is going to come into play before this is all over, but, for now, I just know the thought of being without her fills me with a sadness I wasn’t expecting.