Page 56 of Rogue Royal
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Douglas hadn’t wanted to leave Kendal, but his father assured him he would take care of Kendal himself, and they would be protected. He and Uncle William would deal with Talon as well, and it left Douglas with nothing to do.
After aiming the car for the royal household, images of what happened flitted through his mind, and he clenched his hands on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. Talon had crossed the line between the pain intended for BDSM and the pain for the sake of hurting someone. When it had happened, Douglas didn’t know, but it was before the initial incident with Eddie.
When he parked the car, he stared around him, surprised to find himself somewhere other than his intended destination. He tried to decide whether to leave or continue where his head wanted him to go. Sighing, he climbed out of the car, received a nod from Eric and headed for the entrance. As he stood in front of the door, he spun his keys around on his finger, catching them in his palm each time while he tried to figure out if this was a good idea or not.
He knocked, the keys jangling.
The door opened, and Douglas stared at Mav. Something must’ve shown on his face because Mav ushered him inside and closed the door behind them. Mav rested a hand at Douglas’s lower back and led him to the sofa. Douglas dropped into the cushions and lay his head back, staring at the ceiling. Images bombarded him once more, and he rested his hand over his eyes, trying to push them away.
“Here.”
Douglas lifted his head and found Mav standing beside him with a glass of orange juice. He gave a small smile and drank, finding he was more thirsty than he realised. When he finished, Mav removed the glass from his hands and placed it on the table, sitting beside him with one leg bent to face Douglas.
“What happened?”
Douglas shook his head and stared at the blank TV. “A sub—” he croaked, then cleared his throat and started again, “A sub was hurt. Intentionally. It’s my fault.”
“I doubt that.”
Douglas scoffed at the conviction in Mav’s voice. “I threw a Dom out of the club a few weeks ago for hurting a sub. He turned on another sub tonight. Hurt them badly. I can’t help but think if I hadn’t turned him out as I had, this never would’ve happened.”
“You don’t know that. Have you investigated the guy’s background? How do you know he hasn’t been doing it before you threw him out?”
Douglas’s breath caught against the unintentional pain those words caused in him. He hadn’t checked into anything regarding Talon, and he didn’t know if Freddie had. He’d dropped the ball on this one. If he’d checked, he would’ve been able to figure out how likely it was of Talon doing it again. Instead, he was more focused on himself. And Mav.
Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, Douglas dropped his head into his hands. What was the point in him being the spare heir if he couldn’t take care of the people he needed to? He’d have a lot more to look after in the future, and if he ever became king—which was highly unlikely—he’d have more to do. If he couldn’t manage his responsibilities now, what was the point?
The sofa dipped, and Mav’s hand rested on his shoulder. “You’re not to blame. You can’t be everywhere. You can’t expect to know everyone’s intentions. You’re one person.”
Douglas stood, Mav’s hand sliding off him, and he missed it immediately. “I might not know people’s intentions, but I know what my eyes tell me. They have taught me to read body language, for fuck’s sake. How could I have it so wrong?” He stared out of the window, watching the lights of the city.
Mav’s reflection appeared beside his in the window. “People are good at hiding. It’s not your fault.”
“But Kendal is—”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It—”
“It’s not your fault.”
Douglas lowered his gaze, feeling a tear overflow and roll down his cheek. He wiped it away and sniffed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have come. I’ll leave you alone.” He pivoted towards the door, stopping with his hand on the handle when Mav called his name.
“Stay.”
Douglas bowed his head and closed his eyes when hands smoothed up his back and around to his chest. Mav’s body warmed his back, and his arms gripped him. Douglas released a long breath and gripped Mav’s hands.
“Let’s get some sleep.”
Douglas nodded and held tight as Mav tried to release him. They stayed in the position for several minutes. When he found his equilibrium, he let go of Mav, though Mav kept hold of his hand and dragged him towards the bedroom.
He wasn’t used to being taken care of, and he found himself at a loss of what to do. Usually, he was the one caring for his subs, but he found he liked not having to think for a while. He wouldn’t be able to do it all the time, he knew, but for tonight, he would take whatever Mav gave him.
When Mav tugged him into the bathroom and washed him clean, Douglas felt his heart expand. He understood where his father was coming from when he’d said they couldn’t have a public relationship, but he also knew his father was abiding by the rules of his ancestors. It was the twenty-first century, and rules changed.
His mind settled further while Mav dried him with a huge fluffy towel, and he finally felt some measure of relief. Mav led him to the bed, pulling the covers back and indicating for Douglas to climb in. He did, lying on his back and expecting Mav to climb on top of him. When he slid in next to him and dragged the covers over them both, situating himself against Douglas’s side with their legs entangled, Douglas finally realised Mav had been serious about sleeping.
