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I t was a fucking disaster waiting to happen.

And Ian Blackstone had no idea how the rest of the security team didn’t see it.

Surely, they had to see what a fucking mess this would be.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” Wolfe said.

Finally. The voice of reason.

And yeah, he never thought he’d think that about Wolfe. The other man was . . . well, it was hard to describe what exactly Wolfe was. Wolfe didn’t always think and feel the same way as other people. And he never saw a reason to pretend that he did.

He was what he was.

Ian admired that. But it did mean working with Wolfe wasn’t always easy. Thankfully, Ian and Jack were usually assigned together and had little to do with Wolfe.

Except for during meetings about the upcoming royal wedding in four weeks.

“I agree,” he said.

Jack gave him a surprised look, which he understood. Not only was this the best job they’d ever had, but Escana was one of the few places in the world where the kind of relationship he and Jack wanted would be accepted.

Here, reverse harem relationships were normal. All the men in this room were part of a harem. They were also all Daddy Doms.

Like him.

Like Jameson. Although he was in denial about ever wanting that sort of relationship again.

And Jack, well . . . Jack was Jack. Sometimes it was hard to label him.

As much as he wanted to stay here, if something was important, he had to speak out.

Ian didn’t believe that Caleb, the head of Alpha team, wanted ‘yes men.’ If he did, then why the hell would he share a house and a woman with Wolfe?

When they’d first arrived, Ian had planned to do his job and keep his mouth shut. He and Jack had been working mindless, boring fucking jobs back in London when Jameson had called. He’d asked them if they wanted a temporary bodyguard job for the princes of Escana and they’d jumped at the opportunity.

Not only in the hopes it would lead to something more permanent but also because Jameson had asked them. And they missed him.

Their lives hadn’t quite been right without him.

Even if the asshole was determined to keep a distance between them.

Jack nudged him. Everyone was staring at him now. That might make a lesser man sweat.

Not Ian Blackstone.

He stared back at Alpha team. Caleb, Aleki, and Wolfe. Then over at Beta Team. Judd, Hux, Beck, and Owen.

All strong, intelligent, deadly men.

Who were making a mistake.

“You’re agreeing with Wolfe?” Aleki studied him for a long moment. Then he grinned. “Well, that’s something I’ve never seen.”

Judd scowled at Ian. “What the hell is your problem?”

Ian fought hard not to frown back at the irritating man.

He didn’t know how the other members of Beta Team tolerated him. Or how Chloe loved him.

“My problem is that not that long ago, a guest tried to kill Princess Pippa.”

She wasn’t quite a princess yet since there was still a month until the big day. However, preparations were already underway. It seemed like everyone had caught wedding fever.

All it did was give Ian a headache. And he was pretty sure that most of the palace security felt the same. The princes were very protective of their future wife. However, they were also under pressure from the current queen, as well as most of Escana and the rest of the world, to make this wedding huge and dazzling.

“This wedding is a security nightmare. We have guests flying in from all around the world. As if that wasn’t enough, the wedding photographer has suddenly changed. And why do they need to come in early for a pre-wedding photoshoot? Whoever heard of that? You get photos on the day and even then that seems like a waste of time to me. Who the fuck sits around looking at wedding photos ten years down the track?” he asked.

Everyone gaped at him except for Jack. He was grinning.

Caleb cleared his throat, looking like he had no clue what to say.

“Not trying to be an asshole,” Ian explained. “I’m just saying what we’re all thinking, right? It’s our job to keep the royal family safe. And letting people into the country has been shown to be quite risky. This is all a security nightmare. We’re putting the princess at risk, and for what? A few pretty photos that will soon be shoved away in a drawer collecting dust? Seems ridiculous.”

“Finally!” Wolfe started clapping as he stared at Ian. “Someone with more common sense than a fly.”

Caleb looked heavenward while Aleki quietly laughed.

“Hey! Are you saying the rest of us don’t have more common sense than a fly?” Hux asked.

Wolfe just stared at him.

“While I applaud that you have my fiancée’s safety at the forefront of your thoughts, unfortunately, I don’t think the queen or Pippa will agree that those photos are little more than dust collectors.”

Well. Fuck.

Ian turned as Prince Kassim strode into the conference room, commanding attention.

“You’ve done it now,” Jack whispered next to him. “We are dead fucking meat.” Jack didn’t sound all that worried. But Ian started wondering why the fuck he’d piped up. This was the most stability they’d had since they’d left the armed forces.

Was Prince Kassim really going to take offense at what he’d just said? The man put up with Wolfe and Judd.

Kassim stood at the head of the conference table next to Caleb, staring calmly at Ian.

Few people could unnerve him. Wolfe was one of them. And Kassim was another. But for entirely different reasons. The prince was powerful, wealthy, and intelligent, yet he never tried to use his power to influence or belittle them. Ian admired him. And that wasn’t something he’d ever expected to feel toward a man with such wealth and privilege.

“I didn’t mean any offense,” Ian said gruffly.

Judd snorted and Ian shot him a glare. Judd held up his hands. “I actually agree. Weddings seem kind of a waste of time.”

“I wouldn’t advise you to tell Chloe that,” Kassim said dryly. “She might have a different view.”

Judd actually winced. “I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t mean that getting married to Chloe is a waste of time. Just all the shit that comes with a wedding.”

“Monkey suits, photographers, having to talk to people you don’t even like, dancing, wedding cake.” Wolfe ticked each thing off on his fingers. “All pointless.”

“Hey!” Aleki protested. “Cake is never pointless.”

Caleb sighed. “I think we’ve gotten off track.”

“You honestly thought we’d stay on track?” Hux asked with a grin.

“This is serious,” Caleb said, looking around at them all. “We need to guarantee the safety of the royal family while managing outside guests and visitors.”

“Unfortunately, we cannot entirely shut out the rest of the world.” Kassim frowned. “Believe me, I have done my best to ensure that as few outsiders as possible have been invited. My mother wanted to invite fifty overseas guests, but I have reduced them to twenty-two. They are all staying off-site. I am all too aware of the threat of Pinky. But the local photographer had to cancel and we were lucky enough that William agreed to step in at the last minute.”

Still sounded like a fucking disaster to him.

“Security will be extremely tight from now until after the wedding,” Caleb said. “Especially for anyone around the royal family. William Stonehurst and his assistant, Maggie Albany, will be arriving in ten days. They won’t be staying at the palace. We’ve put them into guest accommodations.”

“William has dual citizenship between Escana and the UK,” Kassim explained. “He lived here for several years as his wife was Escanaian and a friend of my mother’s. And his assistant is his niece. They aren’t a security risk.”

Ian thought those sounded like famous last words to him.