Both of us gasped, our eyes wide behind the makes.
“What— I mean how?!” My jaw dropped, the last person I could imagine being here standing in front of me A few weeks before, I’d used my ins with the palace to set Julia up with a job interview for the open PA position with Prince Snow of North Revania — a neighboring country to Berne. She’d aced the interview and gotten the job, and her first day had been a couple days ago. But, we’d both been too busy to talk besides a quick few texts since she’d started.
And now here she was standing in front of me in the bathroom at the Triple Crown Club.
I grabbed her hand and yanked her inside before ducking out and looking around. No sign of Carl having followed me, but I quickly shut the door and locked it. I whirled back to my cousin, taking my mask off. She did the same.
“Jules, what the hell are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same!”
I blushed bright red. “I— I’m just…”
I swallowed, biting my lip nervously,
“Jules, you can’t tell anyone about this.”
“You think,” she laughed sarcastically before looking at me curiously.
“Hey,” she said, her face turning tender. “I’m not telling a freaking soul about this. Trust me, this is just as insane for me.”
I glanced at the door, part of me freaking out like Carl was going to come crashing through it.
“It’s more than that,” I said with a small shiver. This whole “claimed“ thing was freaking me out.
“Anya, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just…” I shook my head “I should go.”
“Hey, hang on,” Julia caught my arm. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Maybe.
Me being here in this sort of place was bad enough, especially considering that I worked intimately with the royal family of Berne. I mean a scandal like this could do terrible things if it blew back on Adele.
I didn’t say anything, but Jules’s face softened.
“Look, Anya, the guys I’m here with — they’re powerful, and they can—”
I barked out a brittle laugh.
“Help me?” I rolled her eyes. “Jules, apparently all the guys here are powerful, and rich, and have all sorts of influence.”
I sighed, pinching my nose.
“Sorry, I’m not trying to freak you out. I really am fine. There’s just this situation I’m trying to avoid.”
“We can go right now,” Jules said quietly. “You’re family, Anya. If you’re in trouble, we can go.”
I grinned, winking at her.
“You don’t really want to go right now.”
“I would, and I will if you’re in trouble.”
I pulled her into a hug, smiling into her shoulder.
“This is why you’re my favorite cousin.”
“I’m your only cousin,” she giggled back.
“I’m really okay, Jules. There’s just—” I signed. “My being here is maybe a tiny bit more complicated than you being here.”
“Wanna bet?”
Yup.
“Yes.”
Julia had only been working for a prince for a few days. I’d been working for the White family my entire life. I knew how bad this could be if it got ugly, or got out.
“Anya, if you’re in trouble, we’re getting out of here right now.”
“If I need an escape, I’ll find you.” I smiled. “I’m okay, Jules.”
She finally nodded.
“I’d ask how you managed to find yourself in this place, but...” I winked, shaking my head at her. I thought of what my guys had told me about this place and it’s members all being royalty. The thought of how she found her way here suddenly felt even more scandalous if what I was thinking was right — especially since Prince Snow was her boss.
“I’m betting it has something to do with your new job at a certain Prince’s offices?”
I was about to crack a joke when she moved, and suddenly the low light of the room caught her wrist. I glanced down, my body tensing as I saw it.
A bracelet.
The exact same bracelet.
Julia was taken.
“Taken, I see?” I said quietly
She blushed before noticing the cold look on my face.
“Anya are you sure everything's okay?”
I nodded. “You?”
“Yeah, I’m just…” She laughed nervously. “This place is overwhelming.”
If you’d only seen me 15 minutes ago…
“Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve heard about this before — you know, just whispers and rumors around Berne, but being here…” I whistled. “It’s a little crazy isn’t it?”
Julia nodded, her eyes wide.
“Should we maybe get back out there instead of hanging out in the ladies room all night?”
“Probably.” She gave me a final look. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“I will be,” I said quietly
As soon as I got back to my three princes.
The ones who made me feel safe. And whole. The ones I couldn’t stop thinking about. The ones I wanted more of.
We both put our masks on and headed back downstairs to the party.
“I’ve got someone I need to find,” I whispered, nudging her and glancing at her wrist. “Go find your dates.”
“Can we talk later?”
“Maybe.” I grinned. “Have fun.”
I waited until she was out of sight to quickly dart up the stairs again and slip the wig back on in the bathroom mirror. Then it was time to find my men and figure out how the hell to tell them I was feeling probably more than I should for them.
Chapter 11
Anya
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I grinned, biting my lip as I sank back onto the couch, this time laying on Jace’s lap with my legs over Killian and Dean.
I thought about telling them about the guys I’d seen, but I held back. I guess it was because I didn’t want to cause drama, especially since drama at this place was apparently a real no-no.
Jace’s hand cupped my chin, and he pulled me around to kiss me slowly. I melted into it, my whole body tingling as he pulled away.
“What was that for?” I said quietly.
“I missed you.”
Something fluttered through me. God what was I doing, falling for princes who were taking me to a sex club?
All three of them?
I shook my head, but he didn’t. Killian didn’t either as he moved in to kiss me slowly.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
Jace pulled me close, tilting my chin up and kissing me again, and I felt Dean’s hands moving up my calves. I pulled away from Jace, looking over at him.
“Want to get out of here?”
I frowned. I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t want this insane night to end, actually.
“Oh, I—”
“No,” Dean smiled, shaking his head as if reading my thoughts. “I meant do you want to get out of here and come with us.”
Oh.
I blushed, biting my lip.
“Nothing you don’t want to do, beautiful,” Jace murmured in my ear. “But if you want to see where this—”
“Yes,” I whispered, nodding my head eagerly. “Yes, I do.”
Outside a few minutes later, we were waiting for their car to pull around in the balmy summer night air.
“There’s something about you, you know,” Dean said quietly, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.
I smiled, the heat creeping through me.