Chapter 18
Eighteen
ALERIC
“Now, we don’t normally do random drug testing on set, but is there something you want to tell me?”
I stared at Christoph in shock, though I knew why he was making his quiet threat. I was entirely off my game, and I had been ever since speaking with Camillo. First, I was losing it because Camillo had been rushed off by paramedics, and I hadn’t heard from him in twenty-four hours.
Now, I was reeling because I had, and it turned out that we’d been lied to. Before Camillo collapsed, he hadn’t been on set, and it took me asking more than six times to get an answer out of anyone.
Christoph had been irritated and snapped that Camillo had requested some time off.
That wasn’t like him. At least, I didn’t think it was. We’d been fine when we talked over text, so it didn’t make sense. Now, I understood, and I had no idea if I should confront Christoph about it.
“I’m still sober. Just having an off day. If you want to cut me for the afternoon,” I wheedled, hoping to get out early. I wanted a long shower and to jerk off before I saw Camillo again.
Unfortunately, I must have given myself away because Christoph smirked. “Actually, I need you for reshoots, so this is probably going to go long today.”
Fuck.
“How long?”
Folding his arms, he lifted a brow. “Somewhere to be?”
I hadn’t wanted to punch someone in a while. Not since Camillo’s smarmy grin giving me shit about smoking, but even that was half-hearted, and I would have easily settled for a kiss. But Christoph made me want to show him what teeth looked like when they fell on the floor.
He was fucking with us.
“No.”
“Mm.” His smirk was insufferable.
“Speaking of, did you solve the issue with my upcoming scene with Otis?”
He looked annoyed at that, but then again, no one was expecting Otis to get injured and delay filming. “I have a bit of time to decide now, don’t I?”
“I suppose so.” I saw a PA to my left trying to get his attention, so I took that as a reprieve to escape. They were going to reset for the next scene between Camillo and his brother—something that now made my heart swoop because while I hadn’t actually talked to the crown prince, Camillo had been on his brother’s phone.
I had the future king of Caverna’s number in my contacts now.
My life was weird.
Slipping down the hall, I rushed across the walkway and made it into my trailer before locking the door behind me. I hadn’t heard from Camillo at all, but I was taking that as a good sign that he was on his way home and getting settled in.
The last I’d seen him, he was practically green, trembling and sweating. His eyes had been rolling in his head as Cillian carried him away, and for a moment, I thought he was going to die. I’d tried to follow him, but Cillian gently took my arm and told me it was going to be okay.
“He’s had this before. It’s an infection, but they can clear it up. It’s better if you let him rest.”
“But I?—”
“I know,” Cillian rumbled. His voice was so soothing, and in spite of my racing heart, I found myself able to breathe a little easier. “He’s done this before. We know what we’re doing, and we can get him better. But you have to let him go.”
So I did. I let him go, and then I’d worried myself sick—not sleeping, barely eating, just…waiting.
I told myself not to call the moment I was alone. But it was eating me alive, and if Christoph really was going to try and fuck with me, I needed to let Camillo know. And frankly, any excuse to call him was a good one.
After tapping on his name, the phone rang and rang until it reached his voicemail. It was nondescript, I was assuming in case somehow someone managed to type in the wrong number. They didn’t need to know who he was.
But I couldn’t bring myself to say any of this over message, so I hung up and opened my call log. Prince Carlo was next on the list. The future king. The man closest to Camillo. A person I had zero permission and zero business calling.
My fingers trembled, and I tapped his name.
“Who is this?”
It was a wonder I’d mistaken Camillo’s for his. Their voices were nothing alike. I cleared my throat but said nothing.
“You could be arrested for this, you know.”
“It’s, ah—this is Aleric,” I stammered.
There was a beat of silence, then a chuckle. “Aleric King? The man I’m not allowed to speak to?”
Was…that a thing? “I’m so sorry. I’ll go. We can forget this ever happened and?—”
“No, no. But when my brother finds out, please make sure he knows it was you calling me. He deleted your number from my phone and forbade me from speaking with you.”
I choked on a laugh, though my cheeks blazed hotly. “Ah.”
“He’s not embarrassed of you, if that’s what you were worried about.”
I wasn’t. Until now. “Right.”
“He doesn’t want me meddling in his love life until he’s got a chance to tell you how he feels.”
And that sent my heart right into my mouth, balancing precariously between my teeth. With a single bite, I could crush it. I took a deep breath. “Well, ah. I haven’t been able to reach him, and there’s been a…complication at work.”
“What complication?” Prince Carlo sounded dangerous. “Do you need help?”
“I—well. No?” Was that an actual option? How much power did he have here, anyway? “Camillo—ah, His Highness?”
“Camillo is fine,” Carlo said, and I could hear a grin in his voice.
Christ, I was sweating. “He was having a car sent to pick me up, but the director just told me he wants to keep me for reshoots.”
“Is that normal?”
“Sometimes. Tonight, I think he’s angry at me because he wanted Camillo to shoot a few scenes, and I helped stand in the way of that when he said no.”
Carlo hummed softly. “I see.”
Was that wrong? God, Camillo and his whole family were so hard to read. “Ah. So. I think I’m taking the brunt of his ire, and I figured Camillo should know I have no idea when I’ll be free to leave.”
“What time was your original agreement?”
“A little after six?” My knees were knocking together.
“Then expect the car at quarter ’til.”
My eyes widened. “Ah, sir?—”
“Are you going to tell me no?”
I wasn’t a fool. Of course I wasn’t. “Noooo. But?—”
“Do you think anyone on that set will tell me no?”
“Likely not.”
“Then I will see you. Have a good rest of your afternoon, Aleric.”
The line went dead, and then it hit me. See you soon? Was the fucking crown prince coming to fetch me? If we weren’t screwed before, we definitely were now.
Quarter ’til six, and everything was suddenly shut down. Several suited men walked in, looking terrifying and dangerous. There was a hush across the set. Then the back doors opened, and Prince Carlo walked in. He was tall—not sure if he was taller than Camillo, but I wouldn’t doubt it.
He was also imposing. Camillo was terrifying with his ability to remove any expression from his face at all. Carlo had more of a do it, I dare you kind of look. A man who had been raised to know that one day he would be king of an entire country. A man who understood power over people on its most fundamental level.
And then his gaze found me, and he smiled. His entire face transformed. He was clearly much older than Camillo and had a vibe a lot like Cillian—a sort of caregiver, father type that triggered the resentment I had toward my own.
But I couldn’t be angry at him.
I realized I was dressed up like his brother and sitting in a chair that was almost an exact replica of the one Camillo used, and I jumped to my feet. It felt odd to be sitting there. I faced him, then did a sort of half-flailing bow.
“Your…Royal Highness?” Fuck, why was I so bad at that?
He closed the distance between us and touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry. Camillo will teach you everything you need to know before you meet anyone important.”
Like he wasn’t important? I nearly choked on my own tongue as I straightened.
“Your Royal Highness,” Christoph said. His eyes were alight. “I never expected you to grace us with your presence.”
Carlo gave him a slow up and down, then sniffed. “I’m here for my brother.”
“That’s…not your brother, sir,” Christoph said slowly.
Carlo’s brows rose. “Isn’t it?”
Christoph very clearly didn’t know what to say, and it took everything I had, and a little of what I didn’t have, not to burst into laughter.
“Let me clarify. I’m here on behalf of my brother. Aleric has an invite to the palace tonight,” Carlo said after letting Christoph stew in his own awkward juices. “I understand that you’re in the middle of shooting or whatever it is you call it”—he waved a dismissive hand—“but I was hoping you wouldn’t mind me stealing him.”
Christoph’s eyes glittered. “As much as I would love to say yes, unfortunately, we need him until late tonight. It’s a matter of budget, you see, and?—”
“Send me the bill.”
Christoph stared.
Ignoring him, Carlo extended me his elbow, which was only a little humiliating. I didn’t buy into that hyper-masculine crap, but he was making a spectacle out of me.
“Sir—” Christoph attempted.
Carlo paused and turned his head. “The bill. I’ll have my man here give you the details. And I do hope we all have an understanding that none of this is to be in the press at any point.” His tone was deadly.
Christoph swallowed thickly, his gaze darting to mine. I was going to pay for that later, but it was hard to give a shit when I was standing beside one of the most powerful men in our country. I smiled, and he looked like he wanted to murder me where I stood.
Luckily, Carlo’s request was met with quiet, nervous nods, and that seemed to satisfy him enough because he gripped me by the forearm and tugged me along through the open doors. I was still in makeup and costume, which was not how I wanted to present myself to Camillo, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d be allowed to argue for a shower now.
Carlo walked with purpose, stopping for no one, his small entourage behind him. We didn’t slow until we were in the parking garage, and like a gentleman, he held the door for me, which felt all wrong. Shouldn’t he go first?
“Um.”
“Just get in,” he said, smacking me on the shoulder. “No one gives a shit if no one’s watching.”
His men were watching, and God, what if they reported back to the king and queen about how shitty I was at following rules? But I did as he said because that seemed like a bigger crime than bending etiquette, and I ducked into his massive SUV.
He was right behind me, then three men climbed in, and he grinned, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Alright, four to one odds,” he said.
Which meant…what?
The man with the blond hair on Carlo’s right laughed. “Five.”
“Fine,” Carlo said. “Five to one. I think he was about to piss his pants, so I’m going with nothing.”
The man with the darkest hair stroked his chin. “Small article in a print magazine.”
Carlo grimaced. “You literally never win, Markus. It’s like you enjoy giving away your money.”
The man—Markus, apparently—shrugged. “I’m going with my gut.”
The man with light brown hair snorted. “Your gut is a joke. I’m not taking this bet. I’m pretty sure he did piss his pants a little.”
Were they talking about me?
“Pretty boy,” Carlo said. I realized he was speaking to me. Pretty boy ?
“Um, no, thank you?”
Carlo raised a brow. “No bets?”
“Not a pretty boy.”
“My brother certainly thinks so, and I think it fits.” Carlo looked me up and down. “I’ve never really liked men. Don’t get me wrong, I sucked a few cocks when I was in school just to try it out. I’ve always been a man of experimentation.”
All of his guards choked on their laughs. Was he serious right now?
“But when I met Belina, nothing else mattered but her.” He sounded like he meant it. I’d seen photos of Princess Belina, and I understood the physical appeal. She was beyond gorgeous. But I didn’t know why I hadn’t been expecting him to really love her. “Anyway, do you want in on this bet?”
“What bet?”
Carlo looked amused. “Whether or not this’ll end up in the gossip rags this week.”
My eyes widened. “Is that a real possibility?”
Carlo leaned back and hooked his left foot over his right ankle. “It absolutely is. Everyone signs NDAs around us, but people are clever at getting around them. Everything is a risk.”
“Camillo knows this?”
“Of course he does,” Carlo said, waving me off. “Trust me, this is nothing new for us.”
That didn’t make me feel better. “So, he knows I’m coming, right?”
“Well…” Before Carlo could finish his thought, his phone began to buzz. Pulling it out of his pocket, he stared at the screen, then laughed before hitting Answer. Only it was on speaker. “Hello, Cam.”
“What do you think you’re doing?” Camillo’s voice was sharp and fussy—and fuck, I missed him.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Carlo turned and winked at me. “How are you feeling?”
“Pissed off. Why was Cillian just told that you canceled the car for Aleric? I warned you about getting in my business, Carlo. I will find snakes. I will find four snakes and put them in your bed.”
Carlo snorted. “You and I both know you’d never do that to Belina.”
“I will warn her first. I’ll invite her and the girls over for a sleepover, and you will have snakes!”
Carlo burst into laughter. “You’re so upset, Cammy.”
“Don’t,” Camillo snapped, “call me that.”
“Why not? Your boyfriend thinks it’s cute.”
“He’s never heard—wait.” My heart started racing when Camillo didn’t automatically correct his brother that I wasn’t his boyfriend. There was another long beat of silence. “Aleric?”
Carlo elbowed me so hard I yelped. “Ow! Fuck. Hi, Camillo.”
The entire car was silent apart from the sounds of the road. Then Camillo sighed. “Why?”
“Because his boss was being a right fucking piece of shit. He called me for help, so I helped.”
“Um,” I said, deciding to risk Carlo’s wrath, “that’s not exactly true. I was trying to call you, but you didn’t pick up. Christoph wanted to keep me all night for reshoots.”
“He’s doing this on purpose.”
With a sigh, I nodded, though he couldn’t see me. “I think so. Your brother was very…convincing.”
“Mm. He can be. Don’t listen to anything he says,” Camillo ordered. “And never call me Cammy.”
“It’s not that cute,” I told him.
Two of the guards looked at me in surprise while Carlo burst into laughter. He pulled the phone toward himself. “We’ll be there in ten. Get yourself all pretty.”
“I look like a goblin. I haven’t showered in three days.”
I can help , I wanted to say. Instead, I told him, “I’m still in makeup and your suit.”
“Oh shit!” the one called Markus said, clapping his hands. “That’s why you look so familiar. You’re Camillo.”
The others laughed while I wanted to sink into the floor.
“Carlo. Snakes,” Camillo reminded him.
The crown prince rolled his eyes. “Boys. Shut up. Cam, we will see you soon. Aleric, breathe. You’re amongst friends, I promise.”
I nodded, but I could already tell this was going to be the longest ten minutes of my life.