Page 66 of Royal Crush

“Um…” Aleric said. He sounded horrified.

“I’m in a room, and you’re invading it,” I told him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

Aleric laughed. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

When I was sure the call had ended, I went into Carlo’s log and deleted the record of the number before handing it back. He gave me an irritated look as he slipped it into his pocket and lay back.

“Do you seriously think I’d call him or something?”

“No, I think you’d text him,” I countered, and the guilty look on his face told me I was right. “I need to make sure this is something before I unleash you on him.”

Carlo laughed, but his face softened after that, and he leaned toward me again. “It won’t be like before, okay? I’m going to be better.”

“And you’re not going to be like Mom or Dad to your girls,” I told him. The flash in his eyes let me know he’d been waiting on edge to hear that. “They love you, and they always will. It can be different with you. It doesn’t have to follow tradition.”

“With any luck, they’ll both die in their one hundreds, and I’ll be so old Bea will take the throne.”

Reaching for his hand, I gave it a gentle squeeze. “Or you give all the power to Parliament and call it a day.”

He said nothing, but I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time he’d contemplated that option—and I didn’t hate it. Assuming I was still around, I’d stand by him whatever he wanted to do. By then, I knew I’d be happy anyway, so what the hell would it matter?

Eighteen

ALERIC

“Now,we don’t normally do random drug testing on set, but is there something you want to tell me?”

I stared at Christoph in shock, though I knew why he was making his quiet threat. I was entirely off my game, and I had been ever since speaking with Camillo. First, I was losing it because Camillo had been rushed off by paramedics, and I hadn’t heard from him in twenty-four hours.

Now, I was reeling because I had, and it turned out that we’d been lied to. Before Camillo collapsed, he hadn’t been on set, and it took me asking more than six times to get an answer out of anyone.

Christoph had been irritated and snapped that Camillo had requested some time off.

That wasn’t like him. At least, I didn’t think it was. We’d been fine when we talked over text, so it didn’t make sense. Now, I understood, and I had no idea if I should confront Christoph about it.

“I’m still sober. Just having an off day. If you want to cut me for the afternoon,” I wheedled, hoping to get out early. I wanted a long shower and to jerk off before I saw Camillo again.

Unfortunately, I must have given myself away because Christoph smirked. “Actually, I need you for reshoots, so this is probably going to go long today.”

Fuck.

“How long?”

Folding his arms, he lifted a brow. “Somewhere to be?”

I hadn’t wanted to punch someone in a while. Not since Camillo’s smarmy grin giving me shit about smoking, but even that was half-hearted, and I would have easily settled for a kiss. But Christoph made me want to show him what teeth looked like when they fell on the floor.

He was fucking with us.

“No.”

“Mm.” His smirk was insufferable.

“Speaking of, did you solve the issue with my upcoming scene with Otis?”

He looked annoyed at that, but then again, no one was expecting Otis to get injured and delay filming. “I have a bit of time to decide now, don’t I?”

“I suppose so.” I saw a PA to my left trying to get his attention, so I took that as a reprieve to escape. They were going to reset for the next scene between Camillo and his brother—something that now made my heart swoop because while I hadn’t actually talked to the crown prince, Camillo had been on his brother’s phone.

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