Page 56 of Striking
“Sorry, love.” He glares at Devon. “Get the fuck out.”
“Your Majesty.” Devon nods curtly. “I’m sorry, but?—”
My phone rings again, and Devon’s eyes grow wide as I reach for the nightstand. “Do not answer that, Your Highness.”
“What?” I whisper. Partially because I’m not used to being told what to do but also because he’s the first person to actually call me that casually.
“I’m afraid news of your marriage has been leaked.” Devon’s face stays stone cold as the color drains from mine. “The press is running with it... everywhere.”
“Leaked by who?” Rhys snarls as my phone continues to shriek next to us.
“We’re unsure at this time, sir.”
I silence my phone without looking at the screen. My only saving grace is if it’s barely sunrise here, it’s the middle of the night in Kroydon Hills.
“Find out how this was leaked if the only people who knew were the high council and my family.”
Devon nods, then lets himself out.
No sooner has the door closed than I’m off the bed, throwing my shirt back on. “I’ve got to call my family. They can’t find out this way.”
My mind races. Do I really want to wake my mother up in the middle of the night with this kind of news? Do I have much choice?
Rhys wraps a palm around the back of my head and pulls me against his chest. “I’m so sorry, Bellamy.”
His voice is heartbreakingly hoarse, like the idea of dealing with this is one more nightmare to add to the growing list.
The phone in my hand rings again, and I make the mistake of looking at the screen.
Shit.
My stomach bottoms out.
“Ares is FaceTiming me...” I whisper and drop my head against his chest, soaking in the steady beat of his heart before forcing myself to step out of his grasp. “At least it’s not Cross. I don’t think I can handle his disappointment before I’ve even had my coffee.”
“Do you want me to stay with you, love?”
I want to say yes.
I want to let Rhys protect me from the fallout.
But I can’t. That’s not fair to him or to my brother.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m pretty sure threatening to kill a king is against some Mornea law, and I don’t feel like being the reason Ares goes to jail.” I lift up onto my toes and press a kiss to his jaw. “Go. I’m sure Devon is waiting for you.”
He throws a pair of sweats on, presses a kiss to my temple, and leaves me alone in the room with my ringing phone. Time to pull up those big girl panties.Shit.
With a shaking finger, I answer the call, prepared to see Ares.
It hadn’t occurred to me that he and Cross would be together... in a hotel room?
“Where are you guys?” I ask before they get the chance to say anything.
“We could ask you the same thing, but the reporter who asked about you being the newQueen of Morneaduring the post-game conference already fed us the answer to that.”
Shit.
A muscle in his jaw tenses, and I cringe.
