Twenty-Three
Of course, the moment I went looking for my uncle, he was nowhere to be found, building on my already temperamental mood. What was he doing here? Was Lord William telling the truth, or was he just trying to provoke me?
And why did that man seem to want to get my family?
Frustrated and crashing from my buzz, I went searching for Theo, finding him with a bunch of nobles and celebrities, drinking and laughing, which peeved me. Had he even tried to find me? Not even a text?
Hazel, Charlie, Ben, and of course, the last person I wanted to ever be near, Lord William, circled the prince.
Damn, he’s a cockroach that won’t die.
As I stepped up next to Theo, his smile widened, his hand coming to my back.
“There you are.” He drew me in but still kept it respectable. Royals were criticized for showing too much PDA but also too little, walking the Goldilocks line of “just right.”
“Here I am.” I forced a smile on my face, acting like Lord William’s greasy gaze wasn’t drilling into me. “Why didn’t you come find me?”
“Oh sorry, I got distracted.” He motioned to the group. Two actors from a telly soap opera were standing on the other side.
My lips pinned together with a nod. “Sure.”
“It’s my fault, my dear. I was jabbering his ear off, but if it makes you feel better, we were talking the entire time about you.” Lord William’s voice was full of hidden “Easter eggs” of threats.
My back straightened, my expression going neutral as fear iced my veins. “Really?”
“I was just asking him about your interests.” He took a sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving me. “I didn’t know you had studied to be a veterinarian. How interesting.”
“Yeah, Spence was the top of her class, got invited to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.” Theo rubbed my back.
“Wow. Impressive.” Lord Dickhead lifted an eyebrow, his mouth coiling in a knowing sneer. “And you didn’t accept?”
“No.” Arsehole. He knew my family couldn’t afford it.
“Well, it’s not like she could go anyway. So I guess it was for the best. Down the road, she can pick up charities to focus on if she wants,” Theo replied.
Like this was some adorable hobby. “What?” I pulled away, turning to look at him. I could feel the eyes of the group moving to us, picking up on the mood shift.
“Spence, you knew this. We talked about it.” Theo’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, his voice low. “As a royal, you couldn’t have continued on with your studies anyway. It would have been a waste of time and money.”
“Excuse. Me?” My foot stepped back, my shoulders rising. “A waste of time?”
John’s eyes glinted as they went back and forth between us.
Theo’s face bowed in a frown. “You know I didn’t mean that.”
“You seem to say that a lot,” I challenged. “Didn’t sound very convoluted.”
“Spen-cer.” Theo dragged out my name, his gaze darting around to the group staring at us with awkward fascination. “Can we talk about this later? This is not the place.”
The fire inside raged like a monster, screaming and clawing, but as usual, I tucked it back, pinning a thin smile on my face.
“Of course.”
He grinned, his arm curled back around me, pulling me into his side, his lips brushing my forehead.
“All bets in? My horse is coming up next race!” Theo sliced through the strained air, getting his friends cheering and moving toward the jumping track, forgetting the scene they just witnessed. “Look, there she is!”
Numbly, I moved with them, my eyes landing on the horse Theo was pointing at, my throat closing.
Penny Dreadful.
And on her back was Katy.
It was like that final fuse. I needed to get out or the monster was going to burst from me.
“I need some air.” I broke from Theo.
“You all right? Want me to come with you?”
“No,” I said far too firmly, my head shaking. “I’ll be fine. Enjoy the race.” I didn’t let him respond, my feet already cutting across the large stadium.
“Spencer?” he called out, but I slipped into the throng of people, the announcement of the next race drawing groups closer.
Keeping my head down, tears burning under my lids, I rushed for a back door. Yes, I was a bit sensitive tonight, but officially hearing the crash and burn of my dreams being brushed aside so easily hurt like hell, knowing that without question, my entire world should revolve around him.
I loved him, but right now, the chains felt heavy.
“My lady?” The voice calling for me only tore at my chest even more.
I knew if I turned around and looked at him, I’d break.
“Spencer. Stop.”
For some reason I did, feeling depleted, no fight left in me.
His physique moved in behind mine, and I could feel the heat, his presence battering against my skin, plucking at my lungs like a violin. He didn’t touch me, but with every bit of my skin, clothed or not, I could feel him like he was.
“Leave me alone,” I whispered.
“I can’t,” Lennox rumbled, his timbre gliding down the back of my neck. “Kind of my job.”
“Please.”
“What’s wrong?”
Everything.
Nothing.
God, I probably seemed so spoiled, not one person would feel bad for me. I got that. If circumstances were different, I might not either. But as much as I loved Theo and wanted to be with him, this world was strangling the life from me.
And the way my heart was pounding, my bodyguard was not helping. No, Spence, you don’t feel anything for him. You are feeling lonely and lost right now. Whatever I was feeling, it was something I needed to distance myself from. I needed to get away from it all.
Peering up, I spotted Eloise arguing with someone hidden behind the mob around her, her face pinched, her head shaking. Was it the same person as earlier? Dalton? Though I was pretty sure I saw him close behind Theo.
She spit words through her teeth, her finger pointed, forehead lined with fury before she stomped away, heading for me.
She looked like her night was going as well as mine.
I rushed forward, feeling the coolness of where Lennox was chill my skin.
“Eloise?”
“Bugger, tonight sucks tits,” she grumbled quietly to me, searching her purse for something. “I need a bloody drink.”
“Same.”
She looked up at me, inspecting my expression, her head bouncing.
“You want to get out of here? If I have to pretend and smile any more tonight, I might shatter.” Her mouth flicked up with mischievousness. “Let’s go have fun. Without any of them.”
“I should tell Theo I’m leaving.”
“Seriously? That’s missing the whole point.” She stared at me; her eyebrows hiked up into her hairline. “You are so good, Spence. Be bad for a night.”
That was the thing. I was tired of being a good, well-behaved daughter or girlfriend. Doing whatever others told me. Parents, teachers, now the entire royal house.
“Lennox will never go for that.” I rolled my eyes in his direction.
“You act like I haven’t done this before. I’m a professional at dodging my guards.” She drew out her phone, typing out a text. It was only a few seconds before it beeped, her smile growing. “Freedom awaits. Follow me.”
“How?” I turned around to see Lennox only a few yards back, his lids narrowing as if he sensed I was about to go against him.
“Don’t lose me and whatever you do… don’t turn back when he yells your name.” She wiggled her eyebrows, flicking her head to where her bodyguard, Peter, was blending in with the wall. “Don’t worry, you’re with a proficient guard ditcher. You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
She clutched my arm and, in a blink, scurried us deeper into the cluster of figures, weaving, twisting, and sprinting for an exit, slipping out into the cold, damp night like a freaking ninja.
“Princess!”
“Spencer!”
Our names echoed in the air, only pushing us faster, across the pavement, the back area quiet, empty, and dark, glowing with a dim yellow-green light. Our heels smacked against the wet concrete, the thumps of their boots clipping up my spine.
“Where are we—?” Tires squealed in the night, and a pristine black Aston Martin skidded to a stop in front of us, the tinted windows lowering, a familiar blonde behind the driver’s seat.
“You ladies looking for a lift?” Hazel winked as Eloise tore the door open. What the hell? I just left her with Theo’s group inside.
“Spencer! Stop!” Lennox boomed, curling with anger and warning, his tone wrapping around the chilly air, flushing my skin.
“There is no ditching me and running out the back of a store like it’s some goddamn movie.” I could hear Lennox’s statement twist guilt into my chest, but I shoved it away. He didn’t control my life or me.
I dove into the backseat. The car was obviously made for speed and looks, not necessarily comfort for guests in the rear.
Eloise hadn’t even shut the door before Hazel slammed on the gas, the car squealing as it tore off, speeding down a back alley.
Twisting my head around, I saw Lennox slow his chase, coming to a stop, his expression vibrating with fury. I couldn’t hear him but saw him bellow, “Fuck!” His foot stomped as Peter caught up, both of their figures disappearing into the darkness.
I turned around, settling back into the seat, the wind blowing back on me, my heart thumping, adrenaline spiking my veins, the first real smile all night arching my lips.
“Can I say, best idea ever. I was about to shoot myself if I had to watch one more horse jump or hear about their statistics.” Hazel shifted the stick, propelling the car faster through the city like it was on rails.
“Glad Lord John’s car was in front. I’ve wanted to take this car for a spin for a while now. ”
“Wait. This isn’t your car?” I asked over the pop music pumping through the car, my question making them both look at me like I had lost my mind.
“Oh, sweetie, you have a lot to learn. You never take your own car.” Hazel glided around a corner.
“Why?”
“They have trackers on all royal cars. And security knows all our friends’ cars. Easy to find our location,” Eloise replied, her hair flicking wildly in the breeze. “Plus, this is so much more fun.”
“So, where to?” Hazel asked.
Eloise pulled a joint out of her purse, lighting it up. She leaned back her head, inhaling and exhaling deeply. “The Church.”