Chapter 29

Nick

Three days later, Nick was ready to sleep, but he still had more to do. They'd received no more threats, nothing else to assume someone was after them again, but he was still on edge. As was Malachi. He would be forever grateful that Timothy had offered to speak with him as he had done countless others before. It was potentially a conflict of interest, but neither he nor Malachi cared about that. Malachi just needed to get it off his chest and understand where he was with his emotions and thoughts.

And while all that had been happening, Nick had been adding the finishing touches to George's party, and now it had finally arrived, he was worried it wasn't good enough. All his parties were made with love from him, but they weren't always suitable for everyone. And throwing a party for a prince was something he had never done before.

In the end, he went with his instincts, and when George entered the room, he threw his hands in the air with a shout and ran for the inflatable bouncy castle.

Timothy and Eddie laughed, the latter folded in two as tears slid down his cheeks.

"Oh, my god. You couldn't have picked anything more suited. Nice work," Timothy said.

Nick grinned. "You haven't seen room number two yet."

"I dread to think."

"It's amazing. I might do that for my own birthday."

"Eddie! Come in! Quick! It's awesome!"

Eddie laughed again and patted Nick on the shoulder. "Thank you." He ran off in search of his husband.

Nick loved that even though they weren't officially married—stupid laws that say more than one person couldn't get married—they still referred to each other as husbands after their ceremony the previous year. And he couldn't remember seeing them happier. That Nick had made George's day was the best thanks he could ever have had.

Arms slid around his waist, and he glanced to the side. "I honestly thought you were going to run out of time, but you pulled it off," Malachi said with a kiss on his cheek.

"I always keep my promises."

"That you do," Malachi murmured, and Nick shivered at the reminder of his words.

Over the past few days, they had spent many an hour reminding and reassuring each other that they were fine and they were still alive. There wasn't a patch of skin that didn't have Malachi's touch tattooed on it, and more than once, Nick had wondered about getting a new literal tattoo. Enough that when he'd woken that morning, he'd bitten the bullet and contacted Life in Ink, a tattoo business that dealt with celebrities and rich people. It wasn't that he wanted the fame of using them, but the knowledge they did adhere to their NDAs was a plus in their column—and the fact that other royals had used them. He'd happily pay whatever their rates were to ensure he didn't end up on the front page of the media and pull the royal family down with him. Plus, Malachi knew nothing about it. It would be a surprise.

He let George have his fun for an hour before he got his attention and brought him to a door leading off from the room they were in.

"One more surprise, Your Highness." Nick waved towards the door.

George frowned at him and then headed for the door. When he opened it, several balloons floated out, and he chuckled. "It's balloons," he said, glancing back, unsure.

Nick nodded. "Thousands of balloons, Your Highness."

"A balloon room?" George asked, eyes wide.

Nick nodded, and George whooped and raced into the room, fighting his way through the multi-coloured balloons. It had taken hundreds of volunteers hours of work to blow up enough balloons to fill the room from top to bottom, but it was worth it. The balls of air floated from the room the further George pushed his way in until they couldn't see him. They could hear him, though.

"I don't know how you do it, but you always seem to know what we truly want as a party," Kean said, stopping beside him.

Nick chuckled. "I base it on what you would've liked as a child and go from there. Being brought up in the royal family might've shown what you couldn't have, and I wanted to bring back the chance. Besides, everyone loves inflatables and balloons. What could I do wrong?"

Kean squeezed his shoulders. "Don't belittle the talent you have, Nick. Knowing people is what makes you excellent at your job. And I will never take that for granted. Enjoy yourself. You deserve it as much as my brother does." He nodded, leaving Nick a little emotional.

"He's not wrong," a voice said, and Nick turned. "You do deserve it. That and more," King Andrew said. "You've been through hell and back these past few weeks, and yet you've made sure you turned up for work and did your job, even when you were unsure if you would survive.You put your life on the line for me, and then go home and put your life on the line for yourself and Malachi. I can imagine the amount of stress you've been under, and I just want to acknowledge that you are one of the best men I know. And if you ever need anything, anything at all, you let me know."

Nick tried to talk, and it took a few swallows before he could. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Andrew winced. "Andrew, please?" He put his hands together in prayer.

Nick huffed a laugh. "Against my will, thank you, Andrew."

Andrew lifted his fists into the air. "Someone said it! Finally! Someone called me Andrew!"

Nick's cheeks heated as everyone started clapping and cheering. Andrew dragged him in for a hug and whispered, "You've made my day now, too. Thank you, Nick. For everything."

He pulled back, and Nick smiled. "You are very welcome…Your Majesty."

Andrew groaned and palmed his face. "Once is better than none." He stepped away and then back again, leaning close. "Malachi has clearance for Club Royal, just so you know. The details were included in the original NDA he signed." He winked and headed over to Kean, who was fangirling over Malachi again.

Darius and his boyfriend, Jason, sidled up. "He seems to have settled in with everyone well," Darius said, nodding towards Malachi.

Nick smiled, and he was aware how sappy he probably looked. "He has. Like he was born for it." Malachi glanced over at him at that moment, and Nick waved him over. When Malachi had made his excuses, he slipped beneath Nick's arm and kissed his cheek.

"Hey, you." He glanced at Darius. "Hey, Darius."

Darius nodded. "Malachi, this is Jason, my boyfriend. I told you far too much about us all, so it's only fair I introduce you."

Malachi chuckled. "That's what happens when you get talking to my grandmother." He held out his hand to Jason. "Nice to meet you."

They spent an enjoyable day filling up on food, drink, music and company, and Nick had several requests for birthday parties, but he couldn't fit them all in, so he decided to keep them to close family and friends, which naturally included the royal family. Unfortunately, that meant he had to start planning the next one, Patrick's, which was in two weeks' time.

When he finally made it back home with a sleepy Malachi, he had a fully booked party calendar, and Malachi, Felix and Jason had a coffee date-that-wasn't-a-date. Nick would admit to being worried about that trio.

As sleepy as Malachi seemed when they entered his house, he soon perked up as they climbed the stairs for bed. They had yet to make it back to Nick's apartment. Well, Nick had, but Malachi couldn't yet face it, which he could completely understand. Sometime soon, he would broach the subject of selling the apartment and buying a new one to make the memories easier for him. But they weren't at that stage yet.

Malachi slid his arms around Nick's neck, fusing their lips the moment they closed the bedroom door. "I feel like I haven't touched you in days."

Nick chuckled. "Definitely not days. More like hours."

"Don't care. I need you. Get naked and on the bed. Now."

Nick paused, the king's voice coming back to him. "Actually, I have something you might want to see. Do you fancy a quick trip out again? It won't take long."

Malachi narrowed his eyes. "Sure?"

Nick smiled. "I promise, you'll like it."

Malachi lifted his fingernails to his mouth but hesitated, a reminder they were trying to break him from the habit of biting them. He nodded, and Nick took his hands and led him back down the stairs and into the car. Malachi asked where they were going several times during the journey, but Nick wouldn't tell him. He wanted him to see it first.

When he parked in the underground parking and took Malachi's hand, leading him to the lift, he kissed the back of his hand. "Calm down. It's all good."

"Where are we, Nick?" But the knowledge was in his eyes.

Nick smiled. "You know where we are, Kai."

Malachi's breath caught as the doors opened to the tastefully decorated foyer of Club Royal. Malachi gripped him tighter.

"Should I be here?" he squeaked, belying his excitement.

Nick nodded. "You have clearance. You already signed the NDA, that included this place."

"Oh, my god. I can't believe this is real. I can't believe I was right. That so many people are right, but can find no one to corroborate it." He glanced at Nick. "Not that I would now, but wow."

Nick chuckled. "You definitely can't write about it. But you may find what you're looking for here." And that was the main reason he wanted to bring him. Malachi still hadn't broached the subject again with him, and if this made it easier for him to figure out what he needed, then Nick would bring him back as often as he had to.

Malachi tightened his hold again as they headed for the reception desk.

"Good evening, Clarice."

The fabulous receptionist and all-round amazing person who could do and get anything and everything they could possibly need smiled at them. "Good evening, Nick. I'm glad to see you. I was wondering when I would meet your beau."

Chuckling, Nick gestured to Malachi. "This is Kai. Kai, this is Clarice. If you are ever in any need, Clarice is the person to go to. She's fantastic."

Clarice waved him away, though he saw the praise pleased her. "Would you like to put your thumb on the sensor, Kai? I need to add your print to our database so it can open the doors for you." He did. "Thank you. I see you've already signed the NDA, that's great. Now, we just need a lock of hair and a drop of blood, and we'll be done." Malachi gaped at her, and she chuckled. "I'm kidding, Kai. You're all done."

Malachi huffed a laugh, some of the tension leaving him. "I wouldn't have put it past this place to need those things."

"It's something I keep campaigning for," Clarice said with a wink. "Go on through whenever you're ready."

"Who is on duty tonight?" Nick asked.

"Princes Christian, Patrick and Albert, and Princex Alice."

Nick chuckled at Malachi's expression. "Thank you, Clarice. Have a wonderful evening."

"You, too."

He led Malachi to the double doors behind the reception desk but paused. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. No. Yes. Maybe."

Nick cupped his cheeks, something that seemed to calm Malachi. "Breathe."

Malachi did and then nodded. "I'm ready."

"Press your thumb to the sensor to make sure it works." Malachi did, and the door clicked. "Let's go."

He pushed through the door and into the main bar. Leading Malachi over to the bar, he explained a few things about drinking and how, if someone had any amount of alcohol, they weren't allowed to play. He also introduced him to Oliver, the resident bartender who spent most of his hours here or in the club with his husband, Griffin, and their partner, Xan.

"Are you ready for reveal number two? The club itself?" Nick asked.

Malachi inhaled and let it out slowly. "Yes."

Nick led him to the door. "It's louder in here."

He wasn't underestimating the noise volume either. The music blared through the speakers, but even that wasn't enough to stop the sounds of pleasure from ricocheting around the room.

"Holy crap," Malachi muttered, and the only reason he heard it was because of how close they were standing.

"This is just the beginning."

He led him around slowly, telling him about the different things they saw or heard. Malachi had some experience with BDSM, which was something he had wondered about, but Malachi had never confirmed. Hopefully, Malachi would trust him enough one day to let him know what it was he was unsure about.

Malachi pulled him to a stop when Prince Christian came towards them. "Good evening. How are you doing?"

"We're good, thanks. Is everything going okay here?" Nick asked.

Christian nodded. "All quiet on the club front." He glanced at Malachi. "Enjoying your first visit?"

"Yes," he squeaked, and Nick smiled. He was so cute.

"I'm looking for Kieren. I wasn't sure if he was going to be here with Patrick working, but if not him, then someone else with similar needs."

Christian didn't change his expression at all, which Nick was grateful for. He thought it would take a while for Malachi to be comfortable talking about BDSM in hearing range of others, and though he'd been open with Nick to a degree, he didn't think he would be willing to openly discuss it with anyone.

"Actually, Kieren is here. He's in the pet play room, talking with Robert.

Nick smiled. "Thanks. We'll go take a look."

Christian nodded. "See you later." He strode off.

Malachi gaped and stared at Nick. "I have no idea what's going on here."

"Let me tell a little story…" he said, repeating the words Malachi had used when he told Nick his story. He knew from previous experience that the royals didn't mind their BDSM choices being explained to others in the lifestyle, and so Nick went through the royals and what they enjoyed. Freddie and Damon with their medical play, Douglas and Mav with their sensation play, and George, Timothy and Eddie with their bondage and impact. Henry and Robert with their pet play, Patrick and Kieren with their impact play, and Christian and Oscar with their Daddy and little. He could've gone further, but he'd made his point. Everyone liked different things, and that was okay.

"Why Kieren?"

Nick frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you think Kieren can help me?"

He waved towards the room they were coming up to. "He's into impact play, which is not whipping as such, but it's still impact. He might be able to help you understand something, especially as he's not long found his own way here. If he can't, we'll find someone who can. There are plenty of choices here."

They entered the large room, decorated with every pet play piece of equipment anyone could want. He located Kieren and Robert and pulled Malachi onto a sofa next to them.

"Hey, you two," Robert said. "How're things?"

"Good, thanks," Nick said. "When you have a moment, Kieren, can we have a word? No rush, though." Malachi buried his face in Nick's chest, and Nick's mouth twitched.

"Sure. We were just chatting anyway. Is this something for here or somewhere else?"

Nick was glad Kieren understood the undertones of his words. They'd been friends for a long time, especially as Kieren had been a bodyguard for Patrick before becoming his husband the previous month. He still was a bodyguard in some ways, but he had his own guards now as well.

"Somewhere we can chat without being overheard?"

Kieren nodded. "Follow me." They left the pet play area and headed down the corridor, entering the medical play room. "This isn't booked out, so we can use it for now." He closed the curtains and made sure no one could see inside.

Nick turned to Malachi. "I'll leave you to talk. I'll be close by, though, okay?"

Malachi shook his head. "Stay."

"I think this first conversation needs to be you and Kieren. You need to feel free to say whatever you want without thinking about what I might think about it. Once you've had this initial conversation, you can talk it through with me or ask Kieren to help. Whatever works. But this is for you. Okay?" He cupped Malachi's cheeks again.

Malachi smiled. "I love you so damn much."

Nick kissed the smile off his face and then let him go. "Talk. I'll be in the pet play area with Robert if you need me."

"I'll always need you."

Nick grinned. "And that is damn good to hear." He kissed him again and left, closing the door behind him and hearing the lock engage.

Feeling like he'd left Malachi to deal with it alone but knowing it was the right thing, he strode for Robert, hoping he was still there. He was.

"Everything okay?"

Nick nodded. "They need to talk."

Robert clasped his shoulder. "You did a good thing. Leaving him alone."

"I know." He exhaled. "I kinda feel like I threw him to the lions, though."

Robert snorted. "I'll tell Kieren you called him a lion."

"I've called him worse to his face."

They laughed, and it eased some of the tension in him. They chatted about nothing in particular, interacting with the puppies, kittens, cubs and more when they approached them, throwing the balls for them and whatever else they wanted. Nick had been told it was a relaxing experience in the pet area, but he'd never experienced it for himself until then. They were right. How anyone could get mad at such cute animals was beyond him.

Arms slid around his shoulders, and he startled, making Malachi laugh in his ear. "It's me."

Nick covered his hands with his own. "You okay?"

"Absolutely perfect. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome. What do you want to do now?"

Malachi nipped his ear. "I want to go home and fuck you."

Nick swallowed. "That can be arranged," he croaked. He stood, dislodging Malachi's arms. "We're going! See you later!"

Laughter followed their retreat, but he didn't care. What Malachi wanted, Malachi got, and if he needed him, who was he to disagree with the boss?

****