But he won’t tell unless I ask. Clearly he wants me to. “What?”
His head snaps my way. “What?”
“Why do you look like that?”
Kingsley shrugs. “I’m thinking about earlier. You know, how you were rude to that woman like you had a personal grudge against her.”
“I don’t, but it’s the fourth time I’ve had to watch someone rub their hands all over you today. If she hadn’t taken so long, I could be stuffing my face with food right now,” I fuss.
King’s arm brushes against mine, sending a shiver of electricity through me. “I told you it’d be like this. I’m just glad it’s only the excited fans and not the rude ones.”
People know him for his money, not because he's an actor in a hated role or some controversial celebrity. How can he have rude fans? They’re probably jealous fucks who have nowhere else to take out their anger.
“I don’t think you would like the way I would’ve dealt with the rude ones.”
He stuffs his hands in his pockets, smiling smugly. “What would you do?”
I’d probably end up with blood on my knuckles before the night is over, and we’d maybe even end up with another Victor Plaster situation. I can’t even explain why.
“You’d be surprised at how quickly people change their attitude when you scare them a little.”
Kingsley presses his palm to his chest, feigning awe. “All for me?”
“More so we can move shit along,” I tell him. “I’m tired of stopping every five steps. And if no one else is willing to deal with dimwit fans, I’m not afraid to.”
He nods. “Ah, alright.”
If I’m not mistaken, there's a hint of disappointment in his tone. Was he hoping I was behaving this way because of him?
Why am I thinking so hard about this? I don’t care what Kingsley wants.
Still…
“And I couldn’t stand watching her all over you,” I quickly state, keeping my gaze ahead of me. “Don’t ask me why.”
I’m shocked by my own words. That wasn’t a lie—I’ve been irritated all day by all the people amazed to see Kingsley—but I didn’t think my brain even knew how to vocalize it. Damn.
A sudden, firm squeeze on my arse cheek makes me gasp in surprise. It was so swift nobody would catch on unless they were already watching, and even then, we could lie our way out of it. My eyes went wide when I met the prince's gaze, but he looked at me with a neutral stare, as if he had done nothing.
“We should catch up with the others, shouldn’t we?” he asks casually. He’s catching up with the others before I can formulate a response.
What the hell am I doing?
18
Kingsley
I’m lurking in the hallway outside my father’s office like a stalker.
On the other side of the door, Rip and Thomas are talking business with my dad. Once every couple of months, Dad likes to sit down with certain staff for a more personal business chat. Sometimes he’ll pass the job off to my uncle, or if they’re both busy, to one of the managers under them. But Dad has this weird obsession with the Wright boys, even more so after I’ve told him my suspicions about them, so he’s doing it himself.
Their extensive background check came up clean again, and it’s looking more and more like I’ve been wasting energy looking for the mole in the wrong places. This meeting will probably be his last attempt at vetting them as intruders.
God, I’m doing a pathetic job at this leader shit.
I’m aggressively chewing my nails by the door when my sister brushes by. Odette doesn’t spare a glance at me, and her chest is raised proudly as she walks.
It’s probably time for me to apologize…
