Page 7 of Royally Bad

Half a second later, she was beaming. “Gawd, I can’t wait. Let’s go inside so I can see.”

I’d never been inside of a mansion before. It was like seeing the ocean for the first time. It made you feel small, and scared, and itchy with curiosity.

The ceiling stretched so high they surely could have ridden a giraffe inside. Maybe several. My heels tapped on smooth-as-glass tiles, black with smoky gray weaving through it all. Two staircases curled upward, the white walls decorated with modern art and paintings of—probably—members of the family.

As we passed a large portrait of several faces, I realized it had to be of the Badd family. I could spot Kain’s glittering grin from a mile away. There was Francesca standing beside him, and nearby, a large, hulking man I assumed was their father. And unless I was seeing things ... was that two other brothers?

It must have been a recent portrait; Kain looked similar to how he did now. I didn’t have time to study the painting closer because Fran was yanking me over the steps with increasing excitement. At the top of the stairs, she pulled me down a hall and threw a door open. “Here we are!” The bedroom inside was some horrific dream of golden glitter and pink crystal. A unicorn wouldn’t have been comfortable in there. “Isn’t it to die for? Now, let’s see that dress!”

I unfurled it from the plastic dramatically. Clasping her cheeks, she squealed appropriately. Before I could ask her to undress, she was stripping down to her underwear. Francesca wasn’t the shy sort.

On her ribs, just under her right arm, there was a small tattoo of a black-and-red crown. It was the only ink on her body. Resisting my urge to ask her about it, I guided the dress up her hips. “Once I have you in,” I said, “I’ll have to fix any spots that seem loose. I did my best to use the measurements I took from you at the store, but ...”

To my sincere amazement and delight, the dress clasped around her, snug.

She stepped back, posing in front of her giant floor-length mirror. “Oh. Em. Gee. Sammy, it fits perfectly!”

I couldn’t control my smile. “I mean, I’d have liked to adjust the length a bit more, and the hem isn’t as even as I prefer ...”

Her pursed lips shut me up. She lifted her hair off of her neck and admired the low-cut back. “I love it. I can’t wait till Midas sees me in it.”

“Midas?”

Francesca was oblivious to my reaction. “Midas Tengelico, the sexiest man in the world.”

A funny thought wriggled through my brain. I couldn’t catch the tail of it before it got too far.I bet Kain is sexier.Sitting up straighter, I fidgeted.Where the hell did that come from?

I knew the source; barely fifteen minutes ago, he’d spun himself around me like silk. His smell, his heat, his firm muscles ... everything about him had sunk into my memory.Think about something else!But what could possibly take my focus away from Kain?Actually ... I do have one nagging thought.

Taking a look at Fran in her dress with a pair of new eyes, I asked the question that had been chewing at me. “Hey, sorry if this is too forward, but how do you earn your money?”

“Why?” she asked, looking awfully offended. “What have you heard? Did some stupid girl say something about what I’ll do for the right amount, because Iswear,it was just a rumor and—”

“No, no.” Laughing, I pointed around her bedroom. “This place is a mansion. How does your family afford it?”

Understanding flashed through her eyes, replaced by sharp suspicion. “Oh, that.” Gathering herself, she spoke with flat, indifferent ease—like she’d had to say this a million times. “My family runs a super successful maid service company, Badd Maids. It’s where all of our money comes from. All of it.”

“Badd Maids,” I said.

She stared me down. “Yup.”

There was no way I believed her. But on some level, I wanted to. I liked Francesca; I didn’t want to slow down enough to consider that she might be involved in something less savory than the obvious lie she’d spit at me. But really, a cleaning service? That’s what had paid for all of this?

As if talking would erase my nervous thoughts, I focused on Francesca. “All right, I get it. If you don’t want any tweaks to the dress, I guess I’m done here.”

“What, you’re leaving?” Pouting, she grabbed her hips. “Stay for the dinner party! The food will be great, the music ... the drinks! You can’t go yet, Sammy!”

“I didn’t get much sleep.”An understatement.“And I don’t know your family well. I should go.”

Could she poutmore?How was she doing that? “Fine,” she sighed. Eyeing her reflection, she twisted, rubbing the corset. “Can you get me out of this?”

With agile precision, I unstrung the ribbons and set her free. Then, with some pointless chit-chat and good-byes, I hurried out into the hallway. The soft rugs chewed at my flats as I power walked. Francesca was sweet to invite me to the party, but I had other priorities.

Things like ... getting as far away from Kain Badd as possible.

I couldn’t pin down why he made me so nervous. Something about his energy threw me off; it made my mouth tingle and my tongue buttery.The sooner I get to my car, the sooner I don’t have to worry about him.

That was all well and good.

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