Royal Pain (His Royal Hotness 1)

“I’ll be back, Savvy. I promise. We’re going to work this out.”

I nod, even though I know the truth. That we can’t work this out. Because no matter how he feels about me, he’s going to end up choosing Wildemar. As he should. As he must.

After all, none of this mess is on him. It’s on me. I’m the one who knew better and I’m the one who fell for him anyway.

“Savvy. Please. I can’t just walk away when things are like this between us.” He’s wrapping an arm around my waist, stroking a hand down my face.

“I’m fine,” I tell him, forcing the words out because I need him to leave before I burst into tears. “Go. We can figure this out later.”

“Are you sure? I—” His phone goes off again. Whatever’s going on is obviously urgent. “Goddamn it!”

“Just go, Kian.”

It takes a few seconds and more than a few searching looks, but eventually he does just that. I keep my shit together through it all, keep my emotions all bottled up until I hear the SUV start up in the driveway and slowly pull away.

Then and only then do I sink to the floor, arms wrapped around myself and tears streaming down my face, even as I promise myself that I won’t be here when he gets back.

Chapter 32

Kian

She’s gone. Savvy’s fucking gone, and I don’t have a clue where she went. Goddamn it.

I text her for what feels like the millionth time in the last two days and—big surprise—no fucking response.

“When did they say she was going to be back?” I demand of Lucas, who just got back from the Wild Sea.

“The manager refused to say. Just told me she was taking some time off.”

“Refused to say? Did you tell him who was asking?” I feel like a dick even as the words leave my mouth. But shit. If I can’t use my title for this, what the fuck can I use it for?

“Yes, Your Highness,” Lucas says drily, his way of telling me I’m being a dick, too. “But he reminded me that employee privacy is a matter of law in Wildemar.”

“I fucking know that! I had to memorize the whole damn legal code before I was sixteen, didn’t I?”

Lucas wisely chooses not to comment on that one. Goddamn it. I need to know where she is, need to know if she’s okay. Savvy was pretty messed up when I left her the other day and the fact that she’s just up and disappeared is freaking me the fuck out.

“And her landlord has no idea she’s gone?”

“None,” Lucas confirms as he pours a cup of coffee and then settles onto the sofa across from mine. “Which is a good thing, right? It means she’s not breaking her lease, which means she’ll be back. Maybe she just needed to clear her head for a few days.”

“Maybe.” I’m not convinced. Then again, I’m the first to admit that I’m not exactly thinking clearly right now. Between my father refusing to back down on his ridiculous ultimatum, Garrett pretending he doesn’t give a shit and Savvy disappearing, I’m a fucking wreck.

Part of me knows she’s fine, that she left because she can’t deal with what’s going on between us. But another, darker part keeps thinking about Garrett. About how he disappeared and a

ll the shit that happened to him. I know it’s illogical, know it’s not the same thing at all…but knowing it and believing it are two different things.

I’m fucking going out of my mind.

Four months ago I was flying assignments for the Navy during the week, partying all weekend and generally loving life. Now, it feels like the weight of the whole fucking world is on my shoulders, and if I can’t find Savvy soon, I’m going to lose my shit. Completely.

“You’ve got to calm down, my man,” Lucas says before draining his coffee.

“And how the fuck am I supposed to do that when Savvy is missing?”

“She’s not missing,” he tells me firmly. “This is not like what happened to Prince Garrett. She called in to work and took some time off. People who’ve gone missing don’t do that.”

“I know.” He only looks at me skeptically, so I repeat it just as the door to my suite opens. “I know. I do.”