Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Julian
The house was bustling in the morning as the staff prepared for the arrival of my parents and siblings.
It wasn’t common that we were all present in any castle other than the one on Lamdera.
Hannah and Mark were informed that the royal family was coming and had offered to stay elsewhere.
Personally, I’d have appreciated that, seeing that some of the conversations we had to have shouldn’t be overheard by them, but of course Wynn had told them not to leave.
We’d just finished breakfast when I saw Edward for the first time since he’d left to take Corey to the airport. I approached and motioned for him to follow me to the study. To my surprise, before I could shut the door, Wynn slipped in.
“Wynn, something wrong?” I asked.
He snorted and proceeded to plop himself onto one of the couches. “Oh, there’s a lot wrong. What are you two discussing?”
Edward glanced at me and I shook my head. “He knows.”
There was no hiding Edward’s upset over that development. I understood it; he often told me that the more people who knew, the more danger the royal family and myself were in. But this was Wynn, and he was my forever.
“Did Corey get on the plane?”
“He did, Your Highness. I will be sure to monitor him.”
“Where’d you send him off to?” Wynn wondered.
Edward again regarded me.
“You can speak freely around Wynn. He knows everything, and from what I’m gathering, he is demanding to be part of all future conversations I will be having with everyone everywhere.”
Wynn chuckled. “Pretty much.”
“He’s in Australia.”
Wynn’s brow scrunched. “That’s a huge-ass continent, can you be more specific?”
“Brisbane.”
Wynn nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know Australia at all, so that means very little to me.”
“He’s been given money and an apartment. He’s better off than he was here.” Edward’s response seemed to appease Wynn, who relaxed.
“Anything else?”
Edward pursed his lips. “Ridgeway. We need to deal with him.”
“My father will be here shortly. I will make sure he’s up to speed and see what he thinks can be done in that regard.
I’m sure I can get Henderson to remove him from the case and have him return to Crellesia, but that may be a Band-Aid solution.
If he’s determined, it will piss him off more, and simply removing him could ignite his behavior. ”
“It’s our best option currently, Your Highness. We can’t have him disappearing right now, that’s for sure.”
I hummed and leaned against my desk. “Father will be here soon. We can discuss this further, but getting him off this island may be our best bet.”
Edward agreed and made his leave. Wynn looked over at me when we were alone.
“What if Ridgeway doesn’t back off?”
I joined him on the couch. “Then we will make him.”
“By killing him?”
I wanted to say yes right off the bat, but I didn’t. The truth was, his death on top of the governor’s would be a problem. Even if he just disappeared. We’d figured out they were cousins, so others would and start digging.
“If he doesn’t stop after we’ve gotten him taken off the case and sent home to Crellesia, if need be, my father will order him removed from the force for disobedience.”
Wynn nodded and I thought that was it until he spoke again. “And if that pushes him over the edge and he retaliates?”
“Then that will be the worst mistake he’s ever made.”
I knew he wanted to talk more, and I had a feeling that would be a common thing going forward.
Wynn was the type of person who needed to know everything, to dissect it, understand it.
The world I’d thrown him into was a complete unknown for him, and he’d have to search out every corner and survey all facets.
I was glad he seemed not to be angry anymore.
Was it too much to hope he had accepted his fate with me?
A light knock on the door, however, halted the conversation.
“Enter.”
Minnie entered. “Your Highness, your family has landed and should be here within the half hour.”
“Thank you.”
She left, and I looked at Wynn, who was noticeably nervous.
“I’m sure your family already hates me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, your dad is risking his crown to remove me as a suspect. Something I’m sure he doesn’t want to do since he doesn’t know me.”
“Right now, my father and mother don’t know you. They only know what’s been going on. Once they get to meet you, I have no doubt they will accept you and learn to like you. Probably more than they do me.”
“You’re their son. They love you.”
I shrugged. “They fear me. Which will make you an enigma to them.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never had a partner. Never dated, even. Sure, I have gone to galas and such with someone on my arm but it was usually a friend of the family, someone I fancied for a night. Nothing serious.”
Wynn bit his bottom lip. “And we’re serious?”
I gently pulled the lip from his teeth with my thumb. “I can’t tell if that’s a joke or not.”
“Sorta is. Last night, well, it doesn’t get more serious than that. Your approach with relationships isn’t normal and, well, there’s the fact that you kill people. You say you’ve chosen me, want to keep me, won’t let me leave, and it makes me wonder.”
“Wonder what?”
“What happens when you get sick of me? I know too much. There’s no way you or your family will let me just walk out of the castle and move on.”
I gripped his face in my hands, maybe a little more forcefully than I should have, but he needed to understand.
“Wynn, listen to me. Hear me. I will never tire of you. I will keep you always, and you’ll never want for anything, and if anyone ever tried to hurt you and take you away from me, I’d hunt them down and make them wish they’d never been born. No matter who it is. Do you understand me?”
He swallowed and tried to nod, but my grip was steadfast.
“Now, my family will be here soon. Let’s go find your friends and wait for them in the sitting room.” I pressed my lips to his, wanting more than anything to show him right here on this couch how much I was obsessed with him, but time wasn’t currently my friend.
With a sigh, we rose, gathered his friends, and strolled into the sitting room.
There was no hiding Wynn’s anxiety, so I held his hand in mine.
Hannah and Mark talked a lot, and I knew it was for Wynn’s benefit, hoping to get his mind off meeting the family.
It was almost effective until Brantly stepped into the room and announced my family’s arrival.
“Oh, God.” Wynn squeezed my hand.
“It’s going to be fine.” I kissed his knuckles and made a silent promise to destroy my family if they upset my Wynn.