27. Lennon
LENNON
I lived my entire life cold until the day you set my soul on fire.
—Lennon’s Secret Thoughts
“W hy am I the asshole carrying the tree?” Rome moans, and Lucky laughs.
“Because you two assholes practically live at my house, and I’m carrying the baby. Do you think Lennon should be carrying the tree?” Maddox barks at his brothers as they tie our first Christmas tree to the top of the Escalade.
Lucky pouts, cracking me up as Maddox opens my door for me. “You sure this is the one you wanted?”
“She’s sure,” Rome grumbles from the top of the SUV. “I’m not cutting down another tree.”
“I’m sure,” I whisper against his lips, excited to decorate for Brennan’s very first Christmas. I close my eyes and lean back in the seat, soaking in the cool sun as Maddox gets Brennan situated and the guys get in the car. “Where do you feel like ordering lunch?”
Rome leans forward, popping his head between Maddox and me. “How are you hungry again? Didn’t we just have breakfast?”
“It’s not my fault. Nursing burns calories.” Pretty sure I just have an unnaturally fast metabolism and a love of burgers and fries. “Can we pick up something from West End?”
“I’ve gotta be there in like four hours. I don’t want to eat there too.”
Maddox turns to Lucky and grins. “Suck it up, buttercup. She wants West End.”
“Fine...”
“Shit...” Rome’s voice drops, and so does my heart. The way he says that single word scares me in a way I didn’t know it could. “Princess...”
“What—” I fly around in my seat with my heart in my throat. “What’s wrong?”
My phone rings as Rome hands me his cell phone.
The headline on his screen reads
Flags Lowered as Palace Confirms Death of King Frederic Ernest Augustus Windsor, Longest Ruling Monarch of Mornea.
My hands shake, and my throat closes as I sit, frozen in time.
The king is dead—my grandfather is dead.
My mother is dead.
Oh, Rhys...
I don’t even realize my phone has stopped ringing until Maddox’s hand cups my cheek, pulling me out of my state of shock. Or as far out of it as I can get. He holds the phone out for me to take, and I stare at it, unsure what to do. “It’s Atticus.”
Maddox’s voice is so soft... unnaturally soft.
I don’t like it.
It makes me feel broken.
Like he’s scared of hurting me.
And something about that forces me out of my shock long enough to take the phone from him. “Atticus... Is it true?”
“Shit, Lennon... I’m not sure how the news got out so fast. We wanted you to hear it from us first.”
I look up, and three sets of Beneventi eyes are all on me, but Maddox’s are the only ones who don’t shine back with pity.
“When did it happen? How?” My thoughts come out rapid-fire, bombarding me. “How is Rhys?”
“They think it was a heart attack. The butlers went to wake him this morning, and he was gone.” Atticus is uncharacteristically quiet for a moment, and my heart hurts for my brother. For my country. For me. To have lost such an important man. To have lost my grandfather, and to have lost him without ever reconciling... it all just hurts. “You know Rhys.”
I do. And that’s why I’m worried about him.
“You need to come home, Lennon.”
Atticus’s voice carries within the confines of the car, and there’s no doubt Maddox heard his order, whether he realizes that’s what it was or not. I look to him for support and hope he trusts me. “How quickly can the jet get to us?”
“It’s on its way there now. A full protection detail is on board.”
“Maria?” I ask, concern growing.
“Yes. She’s heading the team,” he tells me. “And it’s a full team, including officers dedicated to Maddox and Brennan for as long as you’re in country.”
“We’ll be there soon. Take care of Rhys, Atticus. And keep Papa out of his ear.” God, this is not happening. Not now.
“I’m sorry, Lennon...” he says quietly.
“Me too, brother. Me too.”
* * *
M addox’s hand runs down the length of my back as I fold the last of Brennan’s clothes and sort them into his suitcase. “Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sure I wish we didn’t have to go.” I turn in his arms and rest my head on his chest. “But I’m also sure we have to go. I need to be there for my brothers and my country. I’d feel better if we had someone with us to help with Brennan though. You have no idea how many things go into the funeral of a monarch. When my mother died, I felt like we didn’t sleep for a week, and she was heir to the throne. She wasn’t the king.”
“My parents should be here soon. They’re coming with us.”
I’m not sure anything he could have said could have surprised me more.
“What? Why?” I have no words. None that make sense. None that don’t sound awful. “I thought we agreed not to ask them to help.”
“I didn’t have to ask. They offered. They knew we’d need help with everything you’re going to be dealing with, and they knew I’d want to be at your side. They also knew there isn’t anyone else in the world I’d trust with our son outside of our family. This might be your world, principessa , but it’s not mine, and I’ll feel better if my parents are with Brennan when we can’t be.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and suck in a breath. “Your family constantly amazes me.”
“They’re your family now too.” He rests his chin on my head, and I blow out a shaky breath, having never known what it felt like to have parents who would drop everything in their world to prioritize you. “Do we need to pack anything else?”
“I need a separate garment bag for your black suit and my black dress. We’ll have to change on the flight.” I step out of his hold and straighten my spine. “And I need to grab my mother’s pearls.”
“Won’t it be the dead of night by the time we land? Who’s going to care whether we’re wearing fancy black clothes or not?”
His words hit me harder than he may ever know.
“The entire world, my love. The entire world will be watching. Your family may have had the eyes of this town and this state and at times, even your country, on them... But trust me when I say the entire world will be watching.”
* * *
Maddox
M y mother and Lennon are going over everything they think Brennan could possibly need when I step into my office to take the call that just came. Rhys’s name flashes again with an incoming FaceTime. Fuck . Lennon hasn’t even talked to him today.
I cross the room before answering. “Hello?”
How do you address the king of an entire fucking country?
Dad slides into my office behind me and shuts the door.
“Maddox.” Rhys’s face appears on my screen, and he doesn’t look different, even if somehow, I expected him to. “How’s my sister?”
Right to business.
This I can handle.
“She’s worried about you.” I sit behind my desk and switch the call to my computer. “But she’s okay. We’re leaving for the private airstrip in a minute.”
“Do you understand what you’re walking into?” He runs his hand through his hair, and I see the weariness lingering in his face. “I hope when you said for better or worse, you meant it. Because this is going to be worse.”
My fists tighten at my side. “Question anything you want, but don’t question my love for your sister.”
“Good answer. I’m going to need you to remember that this week. No matter what anyone says... No matter what they try to force her to do when I’m not around. No fucking matter what happens, she’s your job. Lennon is the only thing you are responsible for. Put her first because as of this morning, I can’t.”
Fuck... What the hell am I supposed to say to that?
“She’ll always come first for me,” I tell him with complete certainty. “Her life, her happiness... they matter more to me than my own.”
“Good.” He nods his head like that’s what he needed to hear. “Remember that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He disconnects the call, and I look at my father. “Have you ever not been the scariest motherfucker in the room?”
“Nope,” Dad says in all seriousness.
“Pretty sure that’s about to change.”