Page 70 of Rogue Royal
Chapter 24
Douglas
If nothing else had proven how much Mav was coming to mean to Douglas, it was the fact he’d been so proud of Mav slowing things down the previous evening. It never annoyed him when anyone said words to slow or stop the activities, but the warmth that had seeped through him at Mav’s words had shown Douglas that he was in over his head.
“Douglas?”
Freddie’s voice brought him back to the room, and he glanced across at his brother, who was sharing a grin with his best friend. Damon had been a part of their lives since Freddie had attended pre-school at age three, and they’d been inseparable since. The man was laid back as fuck and went with the flow of things. Nothing ever seemed to faze him, which was probably why they all got on so well. How he and Freddie had become friends was a mystery to Douglas with how uptight Freddie could be at times.
“What?”
“Did you hear anything I said?”
Douglas raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Of course not.” He shook his head. “Sorry. Got things on my mind.”
“How is Maverick?” Freddie tilted his head from his seat in the corner of the sofa, appearing as relaxed as he ever got with a knee up on the cushion and his arm laid along the back, almost touching Damon.
“He’s all right.” He hesitated. “I think I messed up a little.”
“Just a little?” Damon smirked.
“Shut up.” Douglas threw a cushion his way. “I mean, I got pissed at how his boss was treating him, and I paid him a visit.”
When he didn’t continue, Freddie prompted him. “What happened?”
“His boss was fine. Cowed in a good way, but Mav doesn’t work for him any longer.”
“You got him fired?” Freddie sat forward.
“No!” Douglas frowned. “Not in so many words. After speaking with his boss, I made him give Mav three months’ pay because he hadn’t taken any holidays in ages. It ended up with Mav no longer working for him—which is a fantastic thing, by the way—but now he doesn’t have a job and can’t work with me because his boss has the contract with the royals.”
Freddie rubbed his hand over his mouth, staring at the floor. “I wouldn’t worry about the contract. I’ll speak with Father about it. The company can always stay on for other members of the family, but as for us, they can forget it. If he wasn’t treating Maverick fairly, I’m out.”
“Why was Maverick putting up with it?” Damon asked, slouching further down the sofa and resting his feet on the coffee table.
“He couldn’t see another way out of it. His father is his boss’s best friend and works for his boss’s brother. He was worried his father would lose his job before he could retire in a few years.”
Douglas could feel his anger building again, but he’d stepped over the line already. He wasn’t going to mess up any more than he already had.
“Is Maverick upset?”
Douglas shook his head. “He doesn’t seem bothered about it, but he knows he needs to find another job. He offered to keep working for me for free.”
Freddie’s forehead creased. “Why can’t he?”
Douglas dragged his bottom lip through his teeth. “I want him to, but we’re…” He wasn’t sure how to explain what he felt for Mav. He knew he was in love with the man, but how could he get around what his father had stipulated? Would Douglas have to leave his family behind if he wanted Mav? Could he do it?
As much as it pained him to think about, he knew he couldn’t give up Mav. Not even for his family.
“I’m in love with him.”
Freddie and Damon burst out laughing, and Douglas waited for them to recover, which took longer than he liked.
“Jesus,” Damon said, wiping his eyes. “I haven’t laughed like that in months.”
“It’s because you’re not funny,” Freddie deadpanned.
“Fuck you.” Damon backhanded him, and they dissolved into a tussle, which Douglas then had to wait for them to finish.
