Page 3 of Take My Place

I breathlessly stare up at him, remembering what it’s like to kiss him. Wondering if he is thinking the same thing I am. The way his eyes seem to darken suggest he does.

“You don’t have to leave.”

“Of course I do. There’s no way I’m going back to my father.”

“Things have changed,” Romy says. “Sit down and let’s talk about it. I can explain everything. If you still want to go after I’ve finished talking, I’ll give you a hundred grand of my own money to get started somewhere else. You could even leave the country. But I don’t think you’ll do that once you hear what happened.”

“Please, Ivy. At least hear the man out.” Katy pulls out the spare chair at the table.

Nervously, I sit down. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to hear what you’ve got to say.”

“Great!” Romy’s smile sends a stab of emotion through my heart. I’vereallymissed him. I had no idea how much until this moment. “As you can probably imagine, the shit really hit the fan when Archer, Declan and I managed to get back to our families. When Archer’s dad saw the state of him, he wanted to start a full-on war in the town. But when we told him how we’d taken him to your father because we knew it was the best way to get him fast treatment and how he’d brought in his very best doctor to take care of him, he calmed down.”

“Wait.” I frown. “What do you mean, you told him my father looked after you? Youliedabout what happened?”

“It’s how things work in King Town,” Romy says simply. “We have a real chance of making peace. Believe it or not, our fathers have come to an agreement over you. Because of you. Something that has never happened before.”

“But you’re going to let him get away with it?” I shake my head in disgust. “I can’t believe you people.”

“Oh no.” Romy reaches out and takes my hand. “We’re not going to let him get away with it. I promise. Life in King Town is like a dance. Sometimes you take a few steps forward, sometimes you go back, and sometimes you sidestep. Your father tried to take over. But fuck, so has my dad. So have all our fathers at some point.

“If he’d succeeded in keeping us all hostage, he would have been able to wield his power over our families. He would have made us look weak, positioning himself as the only person strong enough to lead the town. Instead, he played right into our hands. Thanks to you, he’s the one who looks weak. Archer, Declan and I all have material on him that he wouldn’t want to be made public. How do you think he’d like it if it were public knowledge that his own daughter betrayed him to save the other Houses? It would be a devastating blow to his reputation.”

“So you’re going toblackmailhim?” The more I hear, the less I like it.

“Not exactly,” Romy replies with a cheeky grin. “For now, your father’s secret is safe with us. He’s got nothing to give us. It’s not like we need money. But knowing how we outsmarted him means he’ll be a lot more cautious in the future.”

“Or sneaky,” I correct him.

“Of course,” Romy agrees. “But then sneaky is a way of life in King Town. We’re used to dealing with that. Your escape dealt him a devastating blow, but it’s time for you to come back.”

“I don’t think so.” I shake my head. “If my father’s suffering because I’m gone, let him continue to suffer. I never want to see that place again.”

“Don’t be like that,” Katy interjects. “I know he’s done some terrible things, but he’s still your family.”

“No, he’s not.” I grimace in disgust. “As far as I’m concerned, my father died when I was a child, just like my mother always said. I don’t want anything to do with him. There’s no way I’m going back to his house.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Romy tells me. “I’ve spoken to my parents, and you’re welcome to stay with my family for as long as you like. You can even have your own little apartment so you have some privacy. Your father even agreed to pay you an allowance so you don’t have to worry about money.”

“That’s big of him,” I huff. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not taking the risk. I’ve listened to what you had to say, but I’m not changing my mind. I’m never going back to King Town. So if we’re done here, I need to go home, collect my things, and hit the road.”

“Please don’t go.” Romy says the words so quietly, I almost didn’t hear him.

“What?”

“Look, there are so many reasons why I need you to come back, and a lot of them are personal,” he tells me. “I’ve missed you so much, Ivy. We all have. You’re not like the other girls at the Academy. You’re not afraid of anything and I fucking love that about you. You know exactly who you are and who you want to be.

“Ivy, we’ve got plans for King Town,bigplans which we need your help with. Archer, Declan, and I all want to drag the place into the 21stcentury, kicking and screaming if we have to. King Town needs to change and you’re the only one who can make it happen. Thanks to your influence, the heirs are already starting to work together to make things better for everyone. We would never have done that without you to bring us all together. Do you know how much Archer hates my guts? It’s not my fault I’m better looking than he is, but jealousy’s a terrible thing.”

“Romy…” I try to make my tone a warning, but the way Romy bats his eyelids and plays up to me makes me laugh, spoiling the effect.

“Look, I promise you. Things are different now.” He takes my hand between his, holding it against his heart. “You’ll be safe at my home. We can get you an armed guard if it makes you feel better. Heck, we can even armyouif that’s what you want. And if you don’t want to take up the offer of an apartment, there’s always room in my bed for you…”

“I don’t think so.” I smile despite myself. Romy is so terribly charming. I can see why he is the one who’d been sent to persuade me to go back to King Town. I can feel myself warming to him, wondering whether there is some truth to what he says.

“What about the others?” I ask. “How do Declan and Archer feel about your offer?”

“We talked things through before I came down. They agree with me–you’re safest staying at my place. They want you to move in with me. Fuck, they don’t care as long as you come back.”

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