Page 98 of Ready For His Rule

“A what? With who?”

He damn near groaned.

Holding him back? The look on Luke Rhodes’ face.

Blasting awareness through him like a nuclear detonation.

This kid, so bright and perceptive and good-looking, would soon be the first son of the country. He’d already been the vice president’s son for a year. He was surrounded by a small army of guys who’d take a bullet for him, and another small army of his mom’s staffers, advisors, and keepers.

But the look on his face right now only spoke one truth, loud and strong and strident.

He was beyond lonely.

“Never mind.” The words rumbled out of him, awkward with the blast of emotion in his chest, as he shifted his hold to Luke’s nape. “Not important.”

Luke looked up—not fighting his hold one bit. The kid’s mouth, broader and plusher than Tracy’s elegant curves, quirked up at one end. “If it has anything to do with all that Broadway shit you and Mom are always talking about, you’re right.”

Franzen mock-growled. “That’s close to sacrilege, man.”

“You’re from Hawaii. Your native religion promotes polytheism. Deal with it.”

Had he been admiring the kid’s intellect? “You been checking up on me, Lucas Levane?”

The teen leaned an elbow to the island. “Why yes, Keoni John, I have.” He let only a few beats go by before blurting, “No offense, dude—but I’m performing due diligence. My mom’s really into you.”

And he’d thought shit like hostage extraction and dodging land mines was tricky. “That so?” Was that casual enough? Humble enough? Did he sound like a dick? Worse, like a douche? Did a kid like him know the difference? “So…uhhh…how’d you come by that intel? Did she tell you?”

Luke dropped his head. Slowly shook it. “Dude, she’s my mom. I can tell when she’s happier.”

“Happier?” Forget dick and douche. He was certain the trophy for goofy idiot had his name fucking engraved on it. “You, uhhh, think so? She’s happier?”

“Oh my God.”

Or at least that was what the kid’s moan sounded like. His face was fully enveloped by his cupped hands, muffling the syllables, meaning Franz had to pick from Oh my God or Ah my crotch. Obviously, the lesser of two evils got the high sign.

Luke himself wasn’t about any clarification either. With a heavy huff, the kid jacked his posture straight back up. Reached to emulate John’s move by reaching out and clapping his shoulder. John chuckled, though quick and painlessly. The teen earned himself instant bonus points by maintaining the hold despite noticing how his hand looked like a puppy pawing a Mastiff.

“Just don’t make her cry, and you’ll be cool. You make my mom cry, I don’t care how big you are. I’ll come after you, and I’ll hurt you. Feeling that, Dragon?”

Franz held up a fist, offering it for a bump with Luke’s free hand. “Affirmative, Mr. Rhodes.”

The teen nodded, apparently satisfied, before they sealed shit up with a solid bump. Immediately after, Luke shoved both hands into his pockets and kicked the floor again. “So, I heard you’re taking her out tonight? Like, on a…date?”

Franz emulated the stance, sans the floor jabs. “Something like that, yeah.” He deliberately kept things general. It was best not to let on, even to his own mind, what the itinerary for the evening really was. No point in believing everything was going to go exactly as he hoped, anyhow.

Generalizations or not, Luke opened up a new scowl. “So how’s that going to happen?”

That, he did expect. “Easy, kaikana.” And answered with a soothing tone, paired with raised hands. “We’re not even leaving the building. Just thought it’d be nice to get your mom out of the condo for a little bit. She hasn’t even gotten to have walks, like you and Mia.”

The kid had the grace to look a chastised. “You’re right.” He jerked his chin up, diffident respect edging the action. “Probably took a lot of planning just to take her downstairs.”

You have no idea, kid.

And he never would.

“Zeke’s going to be with us.” He could give up that much, at least. “My friend Max Brickham too. Don’t worry; he’s as bad-ass as Z. We’re not going to let a damn thing happen to your mom.”

Well. Nothing she didn’t beg him for first.

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