AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Creed
I shouldn’t have followed them. I should have found Anderson and forgotten all about what just transpired.
But I can’t.
Esme asked me to sleep with her.
And not just sleep with her, but to take her virginity.
I tell myself I did the right thing. She’s the bloody Princess Royal. Anderson would murder me. He’s always been protective of his sister, even from miles away. Not to mention, my brother’s her goddamn chief protection officer. He knows everywhere she goes. Everything she does.
I wouldn’t be able to keep this from him for long, if at all.
But all those reasons don’t make my decision any easier to swallow.
I’ve spent the better part of the past decade serving my country. Passed special teams training at the top of my class. Was airdropped into some of the most dangerous war zones out there and managed to make it out with my life.
But turning down Princess Esme Louisa Victoria Grace Wellingston of Belmont’s proposal is the hardest thing I’ve ever done.
And when I watch Jameson lean in and press his lips to hers, all I see is red, teeth clenched, hands fisted. The idea that he gets to touch her, kiss her, makes me wild with jealousy.
Makes me wish things were different.
But as I’ve learned time and again. I can wish all I want. Nothing will change who we are to each other.
“Looks like they’re hitting it off.”
My best mate’s voice snaps me back to reality, and I take a minute to school my expression and pretend I’m not planning a certain billionaire’s murder, even if it’s simply a fantasy.
“What’s that?” I glance toward Anderson.
His features are similar to his sister’s, albeit much more masculine. His hair is the same shade of blond, transitioning into various shades of copper and brown toward the ends. He has the same charming smile. Same tanned complexion. Same tall stature. But where Esme’s sleek and slender, Anderson’s more built. Not as muscular as me, but his dedication to working out hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially from the girls he meets at bars.
It irritates me that he’s allowed to go to bars, clubs, parties, and the royal household doesn’t bat an eye. If Esme were to do the same thing, they’d lose their minds.
The double standards must be exhausting.
Especially for her.
“Jameson Gates and Ezzy.” Anderson nods toward them as they meander through the gardens, hand-in-hand.
At least they’re no longer kissing.
“So you’re okay with this?”
He adjusts the duffle bag slung over his shoulder, starting in the opposite direction from where Esme and Jameson are walking. At least we won’t risk running into them. I doubt I’d be able to watch them kiss so close to me. I better wrap my head around it, though. I have a feeling I’ll have no choice but to witness that quite a bit this summer. Hell, the rest of my life.
“It could have been much worse. Jameson’s a good guy. He has many of the same interests as Esme. Have you seen all the charities he’s involved with? And the NGO’s he founded? Compared to the two of us, the man’s a bloody saint.”
“But does she want to be with him?” I ask, not sure how much he knows. Or how much I’m supposed to know. Then again, we’ve both been around this life long enough to understand how these things work.
“It doesn’t matter what she wants. Only what the royal household wants. She’s almost twenty-five. I’m twenty-six. In their minds, these are prime breeding years. We need to work on the next generation of prisoners — I mean, royals.”
In typical Anderson fashion, he flashes a sarcastic smile, making light of the situation. In reality, he’s as frustrated as Esme about their lack of choice. He just masks his contempt with sarcasm and humor where Esme… I guess Esme takes matters into her own hands. Attempts to exercise her own free will wherever possible.
“If I weren’t about to get shipped off for one last deployment—”
“Which you volunteered for,” I remind him.
