Page 2 of Trickster King

I sighed and considered begging some of the RPS agents to play father for a while so I could steal a nap. An hour would make a huge difference. Just one hour.

With an extra hour of sleep, I could pretend my back didn’t ache and I wasn’t battling off yet another fungal infection in my damned lungs, which did a fantastic job of barring me from riding or doing anything I enjoyed.

The instant the word ‘prescription’ came out of a doctor’s mouth, everyone in my life freaked out.

At current count, I was on three prescriptions, thus reducing my entire detail to a state of quiet panic.

My office phone rang, and without bothering to check the display to discern the nature of the emergency about to bar me from even a nap, I answered, “Patrick speaking.”

“How informal of you,” my wife said.

Jessica’s voice did a good job of reminding me why I put up with so much. I loved her dearly, but she deserved a taste of her own medicine. “I’ve found it keeps the snobbery to a minimum. What can I do for you?” I checked the phone, which revealed she called from the main office line at the ranch. “I see you’re on the official line. Should we start this call again so I can use my titles? I have a list of them here somewhere.”

Her husband remained my favorite of the bunch.

“Don’t you dare hang up on me, Patrick Laycal!”

I considered hanging up on her just to make her call me back. “I don’t have to hang up on you to regale you with my titles. If I hang up on you, will you come home sooner?”

“No.”

“You’re such a cruel queen. Why are you calling from an official line?”

“I dropped my phone.”

Lord alive, my wife would drive me insane before she made it back home. “Again?”

“It’s a talent. I’m being registered as a royal-ranked destroyer of cell phones.”

“I see. Did you help your phone break this time?” I could think of a few people who reduced my wife to screaming and flinging her cell after speaking with them. The New York monarchs took the top spot as those most likely to snap my wife’s temper, although several European royal families drove her to the brink of madness as well.

“A little. New York called me. The phone died within five minutes of that train wreck.” My wife snickered. “Expect a call tomorrow from them. I told them no.”

“What am I telling them no to tomorrow?”

“They want Adam for one of their children.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Little Rachel?”

“I would’ve considered it had they proposed her. She’s precious, and I’m still angry you won’t let me steal her.”

While Rachel was older than Adam, I would’ve considered such a betrothal to pluck the girl from New York and bring her into a happier, healthier environment. I’d wanted to bring her to Texas from even before Deidre had been born, but the asshole New Yorkers in charge hadn’t wanted to allow the girl out from under their harsh, unloving thumbs.

Years had gone by since then, and I still hadn’t figured out a way to bring her to Texas.

I sighed over the unfairness of it all.

Little Rachel deserved better.

“However sweet Rachel is, you cannot kidnap any children.” I really needed a vacation. I needed one before I snapped. Since no one would give me a vacation, I’d have to take one by force. As long as I recruited my children and convinced them their daddy needed to play a very elaborate game of hide and go seek with their mommy, I might be able to get away with it. “I will deal with them tomorrow, but I require suitable attention from my wife as compensation.”

“I’m pregnant, and it’s your fault. I’ve given you plenty of attention, you child making fiend!”

I raised a brow. “Please don’t tell me you just figured out you’re pregnant. I’ve known for well over a month, Jessica. It’s why I keep making you take your vitamins and giving you pickled peppers on demand. I don’t need to make you pickled peppers when you’re not pregnant because you hate them otherwise and may throw the jar at my head. I don’t make you take prenatal vitamins if it’s not obvious you have a little one to care for. I’m evil, but I’m not that evil.”

“How could you?” she wailed.

I laughed. “It’s because you’re beautiful, I love you, and you had stars in your eyes because I was bottle-feeding Laurette. She burped easy that night and slept well for Geoff, so you picked a fight and then cruelly seduced me in your old rooms.”

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