Page 75 of Rogue Royal
“All right.” Mav drew in a long breath. “Tell me their names. It might jog my memory.”
“John, Philip, William, Louis, um…Albert, Patrick, Henry, Charles, Christ—”
“Charles! It was Charles. Douglas said Charles approached him at the club in the reception area, telling him in no uncertain terms he needed to stay away from Charles’s sub. Douglas pretended he and the sub had been talking about Charles’s birthday, but Charles didn’t believe him.”
Damon rubbed a hand over his jaw, the scratchiness audible in the silence. “We need to be careful if it’s him.” He stared at Freddie. “They’re not ones you need to cross, Freddie.”
“Why?” Mav asked. He felt like this little titbit of information was something he should’ve known about.
Freddie sighed. “Charles’s mother is Father’s sister. She has vocally opposed the LGBTQ+ community. She has been a thorn in all our sides for many, many years. Aunt Charlotte thinks only heterosexual male members of the family should reign.”
Mav stared at him with his mouth open wide. “What the actual fuck? What century is she living in?”
“She’s traditional in every sense of the word. If there is a loophole or anything, she will find it no matter what it’s about.” Damon gritted his teeth.
Mav thought through the new information. “Do you think Talon convinced Charles to set Douglas up?”
“It’s not outside of the realm of the possible. There’s no way of proving it, though. There’s also this other guy that had been involved with Kendal. Harvey someone. He seems to have disappeared.” Freddie turned back to the window, staring out of the glass.
“Could you speak to the server? Get their side of the story for the altercation. We can get statements from Kendal and Quinn, too. Anyone else who might help us out?”
“This is all stuff the police will do, Maverick.”
Mav pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand and rubbed his forehead with his other. “I know, but I have to do something. The police won’t investigate any of this until after they’ve spoken to Douglas. If we can get some of the information ready to go, we could give it to the lawyer and get him to use it or something. I don’t know, Your Highness, but I have to do something.”
Freddie snorted. “You can’t get rid of the tags even when you’re riled, can you?”
Mav smirked. “Nope.”
His phone rang, and he jogged to the coffee table to grab it, hoping it was some news on Douglas. His shoulders slumped a little when he saw it was Zara—not that he didn’t want to talk to her. He put her on speakerphone.
“Hey, you.”
“What the hell happened? I saw on the news sites that they arrested Douglas. What the fuck is going on?”
Mav dropped onto the sofa, resting his head against the back. “I have no idea, Z. We’re trying to figure it out. We think he’s been set up.”
“Who would do that to him?”
“He has enemies, the same as any other member of the royal family, I’m sure.” He glanced at Freddie, who frowned but nodded his agreement to Mav’s words.
“Well, we’re on our way. We should be with you in five or six hours.”
Mav sat upright. “You don’t have to—”
“I know, but we want to. You need someone by your side.”
Mav was close to tears but sniffed them back. “Thanks, Z. I have Prince Frederick and his best friend here.”
There was a pause, then Zara squealed. “Seriously? You’re in the same room as Prince Frederick?”
Mav rolled his eyes, his cheeks heating at the embarrassing noises his best friend was making through the phone. “Yes, and I have been several times. This is not an irregular occurrence.”
“But…he’s Prince Frederick!”
“And you are a lesbian. Keep reminding yourself of that. Or better yet, let your fiance remind you.”
“Shut your mouth, Mav. I know I’m a lesbian. It doesn’t stop me from appreciating what a fine work of art the man is.”
