Page 11 of Take My Place

“Well, if you want me to be the best man, you can forget about it,” Declan snaps. “You can’t expect Ivy to swap one controlling father for another. Grow some balls and stand up to your Dad for once. Oh, but you wouldn’t do that. Can’t risk losing Daddy’s money, can we?”

“You should talk,” Romy counters. “How many expensive guitars does one man need? And when are you going to realise, it doesn’t matter how many fast bikes you have, you’re not a good enough driver to ever win against me or Archer? But no. You have to get your father to shell out for a new one after every race you lose because you kid yourself that if you can just find the right vehicle, you’ll miraculously be able to ride it. Face it. You’re just jealous I got to Ivy first. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing in my position.”

“I know I wouldn’t,” Archer shouts. There goes the chatter in the room again. “I’ve seen first-hand the way Ivy’s father treated her. She deserves better and if you cared about her the way you claim to, you’d have come up with some other way of making sure she is safe.”

“You can move in with me,” Declan offers me. “We’ve got a little guesthouse we save for visitors. It’s completely private, out of the way. Nobody would know you were there. You can move in this afternoon. My parents are never home, therefore no one would make you do anything.”

“That would be-”

“No, she can’t.” Romy interrupts before I could accept Declan’s offer. “Do I need to remind you guys about what Solomon Archaic did to Archer? What he is planning to do to us? He is willing to kill us if he needs, and he won’t lost any sleep over it. He’s happy to take this town into an out-and-out war. We just have to give him the slightest excuse and he’ll be there.” He pauses to catch his breath.

I look at him with my mouth agape. Snapping my jaw closed, I am about to say...something...anything when he continues.

“Ivy, I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it, but being engaged to me makes it less likely your father will try anything. He’s not going to take on House Navarre while his reputation is still recovering. You go and stay in an isolated house and he could snatch you back at any time. Tell me I’m wrong, Archer. Tell me you wouldn’t have been able to get to her if she is living alone in this town.”

“You’re not wrong,” Archer concedes reluctantly.

“So she doesn’t stay in the guesthouse,” Declan nods. “We’ll make room for her in the main house.”

“And your parents would be happy to do that, would they? Protect an Archaic without getting anything in return?” Archer asks. “They might not be there but they must check in with the staff. The staff are never going to keep that secret.”

“Well...” Declan’s voice trails off uncomfortably.

“Exactly. For all you know, they would have demanded something even worse from her. And there’s no way Archer’s family would look after her, not when there’s a feud between the two Houses. Ivy would be in even more danger staying with the Knights. No, I know it’s not ideal, but Ivy’s safest with me as my fiancé.”

“Fine, but I don’t fucking like it,” Declan growls. “And if you marry my girl, I will kill you.”

I shiver as I meet Declan’s eyes. I don’t doubt him, not one little bit.

Now that Romy has laid things out like that, I hate to admit he has a point. But that doesn’t mean I am going to go through with his father’s crazy plan. Let him think he’s won my heart for now. It seems like everyone is out for themselves in King Town. It’s about time I start playing them at their own game.

Romy had ordered food for everyone and the waitress brings over our breakfast not long after, looking terrified of us all. I try to smile at her but it only makes her look more nervous and the plates shake in her hands. The conversation lulls as we all focus on our food. Romy is right–the bacon is the best I’d ever had, and it really takes the edge off my hangover.

It isn’t until I begin eating that I realise I haven’t had anything since lunch yesterday and I’m starving. I wolf down my food, pushing my empty plate away long before any of the boys.

“So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?” I ask. “Are the four of us going shopping? I can’t imagine you’d all enjoy sitting around changing rooms while I try on endless outfits.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Declan replies, a flirtatious smile playing about his lips. “I can see there being a certain charm about seeing you take your clothes off…”

“You don’t actually watch me change.” I roll my eyes, laughing. “But I’ve got a lot of Romy’s Dad’s money to spend and I intend to max out at least one of his credit cards. If I’m marrying into the family, I’ll make darned sure they pay for it.”

“Good for you.” Archer nods his approval with a classic bad boy smirk. “But much as I’d love to come along with you, I’ve got a few things I need to do. Maybe you could come over to my place when you’re free?”

“I don’t know.” I answer, glancing at Romy and see nothing but rage shimmering in his eyes. I imagine he thinks he is hiding it well. He isn’t. When an heir is angry, the whole of King Town can feel it. And me? I feel it in my heart. “Will my fiancé let me?”

“You’re not a prisoner,” he tells me. “You can go wherever you like, see whoever you want. But I would recommend you tell either me or my Dad where you are, just so we can make sure you’re properly protected. But don’t worry–the guards are very discrete. You won’t even know they’re there unless you need them.”

“That’s nice,” I say. However you dress it up, it still sounds to me like I am a prisoner in everything but name.

“And we’ve still got a song to finish,” Declan reminds me. “Unless you’ve dropped out of the Academy?”

“Dad wants her to finish her education,” Romy says before I have a chance to answer. “He’s already spoken to Pilkington. She can come back to the Academy and it’s her choice whether she repeats a year or has extra tutoring to stay in our year.”

“What if I don’t want to go back at all?”

“Not an option,” Romy says, shrugging apologetically. “Like I said, Dad wants you to finish your studies. He says it’s important that the mother of the next generation of Navarres has brains as well as beauty.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll take the tutors,” I say. “I’m not spending a day longer at that place than I have to.”

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