#angelasscribbles | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cordonianroyalairlines · 5 months

Text

All I Want for Christmas Part 2

Series: Cordonian Royal Airlines

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings for series: Various

Pairing for this chapter: Riley x Drake, Liam x Max

Word Count: 2,848

Rating: General

Warnings for this chapter: none

Submissions: @choicesprompts rewrite challenge, holiday edition TRR x Untamed Heart (one of my all-time favorite movies). @choicesficwriterscreations holiday prompt: Stuck together in the snow; @choicesdecember2023 Christmas and @choicesholidays: This is the worst/best Christmas ever.

A/N: So the end of this is based very loosely on a scene from Untamed Heart. I looked for a clip of the scene in question but couldn't find one. You'll have to trust me that this is one of the most underrated movies of all time. If you've never seen it, you should look it up and watch it.

“Hey, you okay?”

“What?” Riley glanced up in surprise, wiping the wetness from her face with the palm of her hand, “I’m fine.”

“Hm.” Drake grunted as he pulled out a chair and sat down without waiting for an invitation. “You don’t look fine.”

She tried to laugh and cry at the same time and the sound came out as a little hiccup, “Sorry, it’s just Christmas Eve, you know?”

“Yeah….” He said carefully, reluctant to reveal that he didn’t know, not really. He had a mother and a sister, but he wasn’t close to either one. “So, you had plans, I take it?”

“Of course! Every year we all go to my parents’ house for Christmas. My brother Ryder and his wife and kids, my sister Amelia and her fiancé, and my brother Jory will be home from school, and this is Declan’s last year at home before he goes off to university…. I’ll be the only one not there this year….”

“So, you’re close to your siblings?” He set the bottle and glass on the table between them and gestured toward it. “Drink?”

She shook her head. “No thanks. And yes, I’m very close to my siblings and my parents.”

“Would you like something else? I’ll buy you a drink. You can tell me about your siblings.”

“I wouldn’t say no to an amaretto sour…”

An hour later, she looked up to find him smiling at her softly. She flushed as she realized she had been dominating the conversation. “I’m so sorry! I’m just rambling on and on about myself and my family! Tell me about yours!”

“Nah,” he waved her off, “There’s not much to tell. I’d rather hear about yours. Your brother Jory sounds hilarious. Declan should definitely dump that guy, and I agree with Max about your sister. It sounds like she takes your love and support for granted.”

“Max and Amelia have never gotten along,” Riley said with a sigh.

“You’ve known Max for a long time, huh?”

“Since we were teenagers. He’s the one that talked me into becoming a flight attendant and got me this job.”

“You didn’t want to be a flight attendant?”

She shrugged as she pulled her drink closer to her and toyed with the rim, “I was deep in my I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up phase.”

“And now?”

“I like it. I don’t know if it’s what I want to do forever, but it’s really fun for right now. I have no complaints.”

The tension that had set in his back and shoulders at the thought of her quitting eased out of him as he relaxed back into his chair. “As airline jobs go, this is about as good as it gets.”

“You’re not wrong.” Not only did the private airline pay better than commercial airlines, but there were many perks from more flexible schedules to stipends for living expenses while traveling and generous bonuses. But the biggest benefit was getting to work with her best friend. All in all, she really couldn’t complain. “Thanks, Drake.”

“For what?”

“Taking the time to sit here and cheer me up. You didn’t have to do that. I’m sure you have plenty of things you’d rather be doing than listening to me go on and on about my family.”

He scoffed as he looked away from her and lifted his glass to his mouth. “I really don’t.” He was estranged from his family, single, and his only real friend was Liam. All of which was usually fine with him. He preferred it that way honestly, seeing himself as a lone wolf. Community and togetherness were overrated. He needed very little to be happy.

Something about this girl made him want more, though, and the feeling unsettled him.

“Well, at any rate, thank you,” she yawned, “but I should probably get back up to my room.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” he glanced at his watch as he stumbled to his feet, “Me too. I’ll walk you up.”

The look she gave him sent butterflies exploding through his chest and he quickly clarified, “For safety, you know.”

“Right,” she nodded in agreement, but the smile that played across her lips said she understood exactly what was going on between them.

Good thing one of them did.

Entering the elevator, he reached out and pressed the button for the twelfth floor. He turned his head to find her giving him a measuring look. “What?”

“I didn’t tell you what floor I was on. How did you know?”

His eyes widened as he stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights. He had never felt so much panic surge through his body at one time and he had flown into combat zones before leaving the military for the private sector. His scotch-laden brain struggled to come up with a response that didn’t include telling her he had asked Liam what floor she was staying on. “Max must have mentioned it.” He mumbled.

“When did you talk to Max?”

He was saved from answering when her phone vibrated, and she quickly answered a text from one of her brothers. He heaved out a sigh of relief and changed the subject. “So, what do you like best about Christmas other than your family? The presents?”

“No,” she laughed, “The tree and decorations. There’s just something so peaceful about the lights and ornaments. Waking up to my mom’s ham and cheese omelets for Christmas breakfast. Oh, and I love the music!”

“Yeah? What’s your favorite Christmas song?”

“Jingle Bell Rock,” she replied without hesitation. “I know it’s not the most popular, or sentimental, but I love the beat and I love horses, so there you go. What’s yours?”

“Mine? Oh, no, I don’t have-“

“Come on, Drake, you have to have a favorite Christmas song!”

“Okay, okay, if you put a gun to my head then I guess I’d say it’s Do They Know It’s Christmas.”

Her mouth fell open. “Really?”

“Yeah, really, why is that surprising?”

“I don’t know. I figured you for a Rocking Around the Christmas Tree kind of guy. Why is Do They Know It’s Christmas your favorite?”

“I don’t know,” he jostled his body weight from foot to foot as he silently willed the elevator to hurry the fuck up, “I think it’s the juxtaposition of mindless consumerism with the destitution of impoverished peoples. It makes you think. Or it should.”

“Wow, Drake. You have hidden depths. I knew it!”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “You think about my depths?”

It was Riley’s turn to flush as she spun her body back to face the doors just as they dinged open. “Well, here we are!”

He saw her safely to her door in a silence that suddenly felt comfortable and right, as if him walking her to her door was a normal, everyday occurrence.

She opened the door and looked back over her shoulder, “Thank you again….for everything.”

“I should be thanking you for saving me from drinking alone. See you tomorrow, Riley.”

“See you tomorrow, Drake. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” he said as her door closed.

He stood outside her door for a long moment as he talked himself out of knocking on it and asking her to let him in.

Relationships with co-workers never ended well. He would know.

He turned and started trudging back down the hallway toward the elevator when he was seized by a sudden inspiration. Whipping his phone from his pocket, his fingers flew over the keyboard as his pace quickened and he hurried briskly back to his room, a smile of anticipation curving up his lips.

***

The next morning, Riely rolled out of bed and pulled the curtains open to see the area blanketed in freshly fallen snow, but it was all on the ground. Nothing fell from the clear blue sky.

With a squeal of joy, she bounced back to the bed to grab her phone from the nightstand, preparing to call Liam and ask if they had a takeoff time and then Max to find out how things had gone with Liam the night before, but before she could dial either number, it vibrated in her hand. She glanced down to see a text message in the group chat Liam had created yesterday when he invited everyone to dinner. It was from Drake.

Meet me in the Mountain Vista conference room.

That was odd, but okay. She quickly dressed and hurried out into the hallway, bumping into Max as she did so. “Were you waiting outside my door?”

“I was about to knock! I guess you got the text from Drake?”

“Yeah, but it’s weird, right? I mean, his entire contribution to the group chat yesterday was the word okay. And not even the whole word, just the two letters O.K.”

“I don’t know, but I hope it involves food! Come on, let’s go!”

When they arrived at the lower-level conference room, Max pulled the door open, and Riley walked into a stunning surprise.

Christmas finery draped the entire room. A six-foot tree adorned the center of the raised stage at the front of the room, fully decorated, complete with an angel on top. There were gift-wrapped packages under the tree. Christmas music spilled out of the speakers and a buffet table lined the far wall. She turned in circles, taking in the decorations everywhere, her mouth agape, “What is all this?”

“Uh…” Drake rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Nothing. I mean it is Christmas! Just thought you- um, just thought everyone could use a little Christmas cheer this morning.”

“You did all this?”

“Yeah…”

“Drake, it’s amazing! But why? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining at all, but there’s a Christmas tree in the lobby.”

“I know, but that’s just a generic hotel tree for everybody. I thought you deserved something a little more personal.”

She stared up at him with wide eyes. “You did all this for me?”

“I mean….for all of us,” he declared hurriedly, turning away so she wouldn’t see the red coloring his cheeks. “I even managed gifts.” He plucked a package out from under the tree and held it out to her. “Don’t get too excited, they’re just t-shirts from the hotel gift shop. I got one for each of us.”

Riley watched as Drake tossed one to Liam, who had entered the room just behind them, and then Max. He kept the last one for himself. “Hope they fit.”

“How the hell did you accomplish all this?” A tinge of awe colored Liam’s voice.

Drake lifted his shoulder. “I just made a few phone calls and had things delivered.”

“They delivered all this in a snowstorm?” Max gaped at him.

“Well, the blizzard is over,” Drake scoffed, gesturing out the plate-glass windows along the side of the room. “This is just a lot of snow.”

“Ah, you missed your family today, too!” Riley gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Yeah.” Drake agreed as he turned his head to avoid the sharp look Liam gave him. “We should eat while this is still hot.”

“Ohhhh,” Max rubbed his hands together, “Good idea! It smells delicious!”

Drake followed behind Riley and Max toward the food. Liam sidled up next to him and lowered his voice so no one else could hear, “You never spend Christmas with your family.”

“What? Yeah, no, that’s….. you like waffles, right? Because I ordered waffles.”

“Oh, my god!” Riley exclaimed, “Ham and cheese omelets!”

“And bacon,” Max pointed out. “Don’t forget the bacon. Oh! And crepes!”

Her gaze slid thoughtfully to Drake as Max loaded his plate. “Did you order this because of what I told you last night?”

“Order what?” Drake shook his head as he reached for a plate. “I just asked for food. Lucky coincidence.”

“Okay.” She gave him an appraising look. He avoided direct eye contact with her.

The group sat down at a table near the center of the room and enjoyed breakfast together. Riley bit into a forkful of fluffy eggs, melted cheese, savory ham, and crisp onions as she took in the comforting twinkle of Christmas lights reflecting off red and gold ornaments. Max was already wearing the shirt Drake had given him and a Santa hat that he had produced from seemingly nowhere. All of it was set against the backdrop of sheer whiteness that could be seen through the conference room windows. Every ice-covered tree, bush and light post sparkled in the bright morning sun. A sense of peace and contentment that she hadn’t expected to feel on this particular morning settled over her as the group ate and laughed together.

Her phone rang. “It’s my mom!” she answered and after several tearful exchanges of I love you, I miss you and Merry Christmas, she addressed the group, “My mom wants to say hi to everyone.” She placed the phone in the middle of the table and pushed the speaker button so Catherine Brooks could wish the entire flight crew a Merry Christmas. “And especially you, Drake!” she gushed. “Riley told me about the tree and decorations. Thank you for making the day special for her. You’re a good friend.”

“I’m glad she liked it. I just thought we could all use a pick me up since everyone is missing the day with their family,” he lied. The truth was, he couldn’t stand to see her sad. The smile that had washed over her face and stayed there since she had first walked into the conference room made every bit of effort and expense he had gone to more than worth it.

Not that he was interested in her. He didn’t get involved with co-workers.

“Well, nevertheless, thank you and if you’re ever in our neck of the woods, we would love to meet you!”

“Ah…sure, that would be…all right…”

Drake was rescued by Max, who leaned over the phone to yell “I love you!” and “Merry Christmas!” at Riley’s family.

When every member of the Brooks family had spoken to both Riley and Max and the call was finally over, Liam looked up from his own phone and announced, “Great news…we can fly out now!”

“I almost don’t want to.” Max blurted out and then flushed from the tip of his nose all the way down to his toes. “I mean….I just meant this is nice, and it’s warm in here….”

“It’s okay, Max,” Liam grinned at him, “This has been nice, but we do need to get back home. If we don’t make it back today, we’ll have to reschedule tomorrow’s flight, and then I’ll have to deal with Madeleine and her bullshit.”

Drake shuddered. “Why the fuck did Leo give her part ownership again?”

“He didn’t give it to her,” Liam shook his head as he returned his phone to his pocket, “the judge in their divorce did.”

“Still. She acts like her twenty-five percent is controlling interest or something.”

“Tell me about it.” Liam was not overly fond of his ex-sister-in-law, but he couldn’t deny that she was skilled with the parts of the business he disliked, such as accounting and marketing. He just wanted to fly; and Madeleine taking over those parts, had allowed him to do exactly that.

“Well, I guess we should all go pack then,” Max headed toward the door, “You coming, Riley?”

“In a minute. You go on. And you’re still coming home with me today, right?”

“Bert won’t be home until tomorrow, so yes.”

Liam hurried across the room. “Hold on, Max, I’ll walk up with you!”

Riley and Drake watched them leave, then turned to each other. They stood silent and unmoving for a long moment in the middle of the Christmas finery, eyes searching eyes, unspoken emotions playing across both faces.

She took a step forward, “Drake…”

He caught her hand in his as she reached out for him. “Riley…we can’t…”

“And yet you did all this.”

“I’m sorry. It’s not you. It’s me.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers, then quickly dropped it. “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Drake, and thank you. Really. It means a lot to me.” She leaned in, went up on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before whispering in his ear, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone that you’re a gooey, mushy marshmallow on the inside. Your reputation is safe.”

A short laugh escaped him as she stepped away. He watched her walk to the door with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that was at odds with the soaring feeling in his chest.

She liked him, right?

Not that it mattered. It was a bad idea to get involved with a co-worker.

As she slipped out the door, panic sliced through his being as he realized that he was involved.

He was very involved.

He heaved a sigh that was full of both resignation and wonder as he made his way back to his room to pack.

#trr #christmas #holidays 2023 #trr au #the royal romance #cordonianroyalairlines #choicesprompts #choicesholidays #choices fic writers creations #choices monthly challenge #cfwc fics of the week #cfwc holidays 2023 #cfwc lgbtqia #angelasscribbles

40 notes · View notes

angelasreblogs · 1 month

Text

Just for Fun

Tagging under the cut

@karahalloway, @harleybeaumont @alj4890 @aussiegurl1234 @nestledonthaveone

@walkerdrakewalker @kingliam2019 @bascmve01 @twinkleallnight

@lovingchoices14 @tinkie1973

@secretaryunpaid @irishgrl2022

@kristinamae093 @tessa-liam @gabesmommie1130 @queenmiarys

@differenttyphoonwerewolf @jared2612 @belencha77

@dcbbw @amandablink @indiacater

@bebepac @twinkle-320 @mattiematt1234

@queen-arabella-of-cordonia

@emersyn-in-cordonia @lunaseasblog

@hollygirl1269 @mainstreetreader

@ladyangel70 @ohmyeightpastlives @gardeningourmet

@sillydg @phoenixrising0308

@3pawandme @21-wishes @73geenalove @jennieausten

@princessleac1 @kachrisberry @tornbetween2loves

@fangirling12566 @pinklipsandmasonjars @savannahdix

#tumblr polls #trr fanfic #trr #the royal romance #trr au #the royal romance fanfic #trr poly #angelasreblogs #angelasscribbles

32 notes · View notes

lawsend · 10 months

Text

Murder at Vista Heights Chapter 3

Series: Law’s End

Episode 1: Murder at Vista Heights

Fandom: The Royal Romance (loosely, there’s not much canon in here).

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 2,521

Rating: MA

Warnings for series: adult themes, any given chapter may contain murder, violence, language, drinking, drug use, etc.

My other stuff can be found on my main blog @angelasscribbles here is the Master List.

“Well?” The chief of homicide demanded a glower on his face.

“I…this has to be some kind of mistake…” Liam’s face was ashen as he pulled the sketch from Bertrand’s hands.

Max gripped Riley gently but firmly by the shoulder and pulled her back and to the side, quietly shifting them out of anyone’s direct line of sight.

Riley allowed herself to be moved. If no one noticed her, they would speak more freely, and she might learn something.

“Are you questioning Ms. Nevrakis’s ability to render an accurate image from the witness’s verbal account?”

“What? No, of course not!” his eyes jumped to Lilith and the woman he had questioned earlier. Lilith’s sketches had helped catch plenty of perpetrators. She was very good at what she did. Still.

He stalked across the room and thrust the sketch under the older woman’s nose, “Mrs. Haltom, this is the man you saw arguing with the victim?”

Riley strained to hear, holding her breath as she leaned in their direction.

“That’s the man I saw leaving his apartment after hearing the argument.”

“Did he say anything as he was leaving? Anything you can positively attribute to him?”

“Yes, he said ‘If you don’t back off, I’ll personally fucking kill you!’”

“I…thank you,” Liam’s shoulders slumped in defeat, “You can go now.”

“Max!” Riley hissed as she drug Max toward the door the woman was headed for, “We have to follow her and see if she’ll tell us-“

“You’re not going anywhere!” Liam’s voice thundered out, freezing her in place, “Stay right there! I’m going to need a word with you!”

“Fuck!” Riley muttered as she watched Liam and Bertrand disappear into the chief’s office, “She’s getting away!”

“I’ll go!” Max offered, hesitating as he waited for her response.

“Yes!” Riley made a shooing motion with her hands, “Go! Get her full name and phone number so I can question her later!”

“On it!” Max scrambled out the door and down the hall after the witness.

Riley sauntered closer to Liam’s desk, her eyes scanning the top of it for any files or notes that might be left lying around in plain sight. Her eyes flicked over to the glass window of Bertrand’s office.

She’d give a lot to be a fly on the wall in there right now.

Her gaze fell back on the paperwork scattering Liam’s desk. There was a manilla file folder labeled, “Hayes”. She glanced quickly around the room. No one was paying any attention to her.

Her fingers tugged the folder out from under the two others and slid it to the edge of the desk. Flipping it open, her eyes scanned the first page quickly. Before she could turn to the next page, she was startled by a voice from behind her, “Can I help you with something?”

Shit!

She jumped guilty and spun around to find an unfamiliar man standing behind her. He had shaggy shoulder-length brown hair, hazel green eyes, and a deadly serious expression on his face. Her eyes dipped to take in the badge clipped on his belt and the gun holstered on his hip.

“I was waiting for Liam- I mean detective Rys, he told me to wait here.” She hoped he couldn’t hear her heart thundering guiltily in her chest.

The detective’s gaze stayed stern as he asked, “Did he tell you to go through his confidential police files?”

“Ah…n-no…I wasn’t…I mean, I didn’t mean to, I just…I was looking for a pen and some paper so I could jot down a few notes.”

“Right.” His eyes narrowed.

“It’s okay, Flynn, Liam did tell her to wait here.” Lilith came to her rescue, handing her a pen and notepad, “Here you go. Why don’t you have a seat right over there.” She pointed to a couch near the wall.

“Thank you,” Riley gave Lilith a grateful smile and slunk away quickly before she got herself arrested.

The hardened homicide detective’s face softened as he turned his attention to the redhead, “I wasn’t trying to be an ass, but she was digging through confidential files!”

“I’m sure she didn’t realize it.”

Flynn threw a dark glance at Riley as he harrumphed before remembering the two cups of coffee in his hands. He thrust one toward Lilith, “Here. I…uh, thought you might like some coffee.”

“Oh! I…”

“Cream with two sugars, right?”

“That’s right! How’d you know?”

Flynn shrugged as he moved to the desk next to Liam’s and busied himself scooting folders around randomly. “That’s how you always take it. I’m a detective. I notice things.”

“Oh, well, thank you.” Lilith dropped her eyes to the cup in her hand as her cheeks flushed.

Riley clocked the interaction with interest and filed it away for future reference. Information was power and you never knew what secrets might come in handy down the road.

Liam shook his head as he faced off with his superior officer, “No. No! There’s no way Leo did this!”

“Liam….I know he’s your brother, but-“

“Look, sir. I know that his background is problematic but-“

“Problematic?” Bertrand snorted, “That’s the understatement of the year!”

“Like I said, I’m aware of his issues but-“

“I just don’t think you can be objective about this case. I’m transferring it to-“

“Sir, with all due respect, I’ve already investigated the scene, deposed the witnesses, coordinated with-“

“Yes, but if your brother is the perpetrator-“

“He’s not!”

“Even if he’s not, he’s at least a suspect and I need someone on this case that will give full and equal consideration to all leads!”

“Okay. How about this? You leave me on the case until and unless Leo becomes the prime suspect! Please, sir! Give me a chance to exonerate him!”

Bertrand pinched his bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger as he regarded the earnest detective sitting across from him. He knew that Liam struggled against the same obstacles that he himself struggled against. Namely, a family legacy of corruption.

Liam was assigned to the seventh precinct because Bertrand had been the only chief willing to take a chance on him. Liam was the son of Constantine Rys, the not-quite-disgraced former Sheriff of Lantano County, and younger brother of Leo Rys, a fully disgraced former vice detective in the CCPD.

Bertrand had seen himself in the younger man when he’d agreed to hire him. In contrast to his father and brother, Liam was by the book, conscientious and honorable. Leo though… he lived on the other side of the law now and gave two shits less who knew it.

“Liam,” Bertrand said gently, “I don’t think you see your brother clearly-“

“I do, sir. You don’t know him the way I do!”

“Maybe not, but we both know what he’s capable of, Detective.”

Liam shook his head vehemently, “That was different! He wouldn’t just-“

“And what if he did?” Bertrand snapped, “What if all the evidence points to him?”

Liam glared at his boss for a minute before wilting, “Then I’ll arrest himself, sir. No one is above the law.”

“Right now, everything points to him. We have an eyewitness that puts him at the scene, and multiple witnesses that overheard the very loud, very heated argument just hours before the murder!”

“I have another suspect!” Liam protested, “I was just about to interview the informant!”

Bertrand nodded his head, “Tell you what. I’ll leave you on the case for now, but O’Malley takes the lead. You’ll assist him and I expect hourly updates! Is that understood?”

“Yes! Thank you, sir!”

“And Liam…if it turns out Leo did this, you’ll have to step away.”

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

Max slid himself onto the black faux leather couch next to Riley.

“Did you get the information?” She whispered.

“Oh yeah,” his grin lit up his whole face, “Her name, her number, her life story, the fact that she has a granddaughter my age who’s single and a dinner date for six o’clock tonight!”

“Six o’clock?”

“She’s old, Riley.”

“Fine. Six it is. I’m impressed, Max! How’d you get her to agree to dinner?”

He shifted uncomfortably, “I agreed to meet her granddaughter. She’s coming to dinner too.”

Riley clapped both hands over her mouth as she tried to repress the giggle that threatened to bubble out of her.

“Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. The shit I do for you…”

“Ah, Max, you love this as much as I do! And who knows? Maybe she’ll be a hottie and you’ll hit it off!”

His shoulders slumped as his eyes tracked across her face, “That’s not very likely.”

“Why not?”

Before he could answer, the door to Bertrand’s office opened and Liam stepped out.

“O’Malley!” Bertrand barked.

Flynn pulled himself away from Lilith and jogged across the room as Liam made his way back to his desk and motioned for Riley and Max to take the chairs across from him.

Liam drew in a deep breath to steady himself before lifting his eyes to Riley, “You said you have a suspect with motive. Who?”

“William Sloan.”

Liam blinked slowly, “William Sloan? The CEO of Sloan Enterprises?”

“That’s the one!” Riley smiled brightly at him.

“What’s the motive?”

Riley glanced around the office then leaned over the desk, “His wife, Katie Sloan might have been sleeping with the victim!”

“Might have been? Based on what evidence?”

“Well, he was concerned enough to hire a private detective to have her followed and she was followed right to a meeting with the murder victim.”

Liam sat up in interest, “When was this meeting? Where did it take place? Who was the private detective?”

“Oh…um…” she slid her eyes sidewise to Max.

Max straighten in his chair as he counted backward in his head, “Five nights ago, at the bar in the lobby of the Savoy Hotel.”

Liam’s gaze swung from Riley to Max in surprise, “Now I know you’re not a private investigator, are you?”

“No, officer, I’m a photographer.”

“So how do you know this and who-“

Riley placed a hand on Max’s chest to forestall any further comments from him, “Max just happened to see them there and he’s reporting it to you, as a good citizen.”

“Uh huh,” Liam leaned back in his chair as he returned his attention to Riley, “And how do you know about William Sloan hiring a PI?”

“I can’t reveal my sources,” She returned his gaze levelly.

“Riley, I’m going to need a little more to go on than your word.”

“Well, I would imagine you can pull security footage from the bar on the night in question.”

“We can and we will. It would be really helpful if you would just tell me the name of this PI.”

With a coy grin, she placed her elbow on his desk and leaned her chin in her hand, “And what do I get out of that deal?”

His mouth went dry as he properly identified the teasing lilt in her tone and the flirty flutter of her eyelashes. This woman was infuriating. She had no right to be so frustrating and alluring at the same damn time. She did things to him that he didn’t like to admit. But she was a reporter and had already proven that he couldn’t trust her. He hated that he knew exactly what it sounded like when she came and that he desperately wanted to hear it again.

Pushing his sudden arousal to the side, he shook his head, “Helping solve a murder? Isn’t that enough?”

“If I go around throwing my sources under the bus, they’ll stop telling me things.”

“Fine,” Liam blew out a frustrated sigh, “Is there anything you can tell me? Do you know the nature of Katie and Trent’s relationship? Was she cheating on her husband with him?”

“I don’t know if she was sleeping with him or not, but Trent and Katie used to be engaged!”

“Did they?”

“Yes, you can look that up. It’s a matter of public record.”

“Oh, I will,” he pushed away from his desk, walked around it, and motioned toward the exit, “Now, unless you have anything else useful to tell me-“

Riley and Max stood, but while Max headed for the exit, Riley turned back to Liam, laying a hand on his arm she lowered her voice, “I hope this is enough to take the suspicion off your brother.”

His face paled, “You heard all that?”

“Enough,” she shrugged, “For what it’s worth, if you say he didn’t do it, that’s good enough for me. I believe you.”

He stared at her hand on his arm for a long moment before lifting his eyes to her. He found nothing but sincerity there as he whispered, “Thanks.”

“Anytime,” she smiled as she dropped her hand away from his arm and turned to go.

“Riley, wait!” He reached for her and spun her back toward him, “Please…don’t print my brother’s name.”

“Liam….I have a duty as an investigative journalist-“

“Please!”

She hesitated. The vulnerability in his eyes and the pleading in his tone conspired to weaken her resolve. “Fine. I won’t print his name for now but once you narrow down a suspect, you tell me first!”

“Riley, you know I can’t-“

She placed her palm flat on his chest, “I’m not asking you to give me confidential information. All I’m asking is that once the information is cleared for release to the press, you slip it to me first!” Because fuck that smug bastard Neville. This was her story and she intended to scoop him on every detail. “Deal?”

Liam’s jaw clenched as he considered her offer. “As long as the information has been cleared through official channels, then fine, I’ll call you before I send it to public relations.”

She gave him that smile again. The one that made him feel like he could climb a mountain for her if she wanted him to. She leaned forward and went up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on his cheek, “I think this is going to be a very mutually beneficial arrangement, Detective.”

He watched her walk toward the exit, and Max, who was waiting with his hands shoved in his pockets, giving Liam an appraising look.

Max placed his hand on the small of her back as they exited, shooting a glance back at Liam as he did so.

Interesting. Liam was suddenly curious about the nature of her relationship with her photographer. But there was no time to worry about it now. Right now, he had much bigger problems.

Liam’s head was spinning with the information he had just obtained. Far from exonerating his brother, this new piece of evidence could bury him further. Katie Sloan nee Vanderhilt wasn’t just Trenton Haye’s ex-fiancée, she was also his brother’s ex-girlfriend. If Katie Sloan was rekindling old flames, could she have fallen back into Leo’s bed? Pitted one lover against another?

With a sigh of trepidation, he pulled his phone out and dialed, “Leo, it’s Liam. I’m going to need you to come down to the station and answer some questions.”

#trr au #trr au fanfic #writeblr #crime drama #angelasscribbles #Law's End #laws end #cordonia city #maxwell beaumont #liam rys #drake walker #riley brooks #trr fandom #trr fanfic #the royal romance #no canon #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week

45 notes · View notes

trrvisuals · 8 months

Text

Riley and Liam Wedding

I wanted to share this awesome edit done by @aussiegurl1234. My FC for Riley got married and I got a present 😆🥰👏🏻

#trr fandom #the royal romance #angelasscribbles #trr visuals #liam x riley #liam x mc #liam rys #riley brooks

23 notes · View notes

choicesficwriterscreations · 2 years

Text

CFWC Writer of the Month: Angelasscribbles

Each month CFWC highlights one of our talented fanfic writers, and this month’s writer of the month is @angelasscribbles ! We hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her work below! Writer is selected at random. More info can be found on the navigation page.

Tumblr Blog: angelasscribbles

Quick Links:

WordPress Blog: Angela Harrison

And my much neglected unschooling blog: Raising Wild Things

Tumblr Masterlist

How do you want to be known on Tumblr? Angela

1- When did you start playing Choices? What's the first book you played?

Back in 2017ish, I played The Freshman series, all of it, without spending a single diamond! (I looked up the diamond scenes on youtube, shhh). I started multiple games trying to diamond mine but kept wanting to actually play them, so I ended up deleting the app and forgetting about it. Fast forward to 2020, the pandemic was in full swing, we were stuck at home, and I was bored. I reinstalled the app and played Rules of Engagement. I spend diamonds. I married Leo. I moved on to TRR because I read that the prince in question was Leo’s brother.

2- When and why did you join Choices fandom?

I went to Reddit to feed my choices addiction, so does that count? I was on there end of 2020, I’d guess. Everyone was discussing how PB hinted at a polyamorous ending for TRR but didn’t deliver. Then someone said there was poly fanfic out there, and I was like, where? I hit google and ended up on Tumblr sometime in 2021.

3- How did you pick your url name?

So this is a funny story! When my kids were little, a town we live near, Mckinney, used to have a huge weekend-long extravaganza downtown the weekend after Thanksgiving called A Dickens of a Christmas. One of the big attractions was the train that ran around the square. It was hosted by the local magic shop, but the line, and the wait, was always very long. To keep everyone entertained, they had performers. There was a man on stilts who somehow ended up in some weird rivalry with my then eight-year-old son. I can’t remember how it started, but when one would see the other, they’d point and scream, “BAH HUMBUG!” There were people hula hooping with glow-in-the-dark hoops, and there was a magician. So one night, we are standing in line, and the magician comes over to us and is doing card tricks. He asked my then eight-year-old son (same kid, yeah, he makes friends wherever we go lol) to pull a card. He did. Then he handed him a pen and told him to write his name on it. Now my son is extremely dyslexic and struggled a lot with reading and writing. He tried to decline and hand it back, but the magician insisted. Finally, Todd takes the pen and scribbles on the card, and hands it back. The magician looks at it and says, “This is your name?” My son says, “My name is Todd.” The man replies, “Your name is Todd Scribbles?” Which sent him and me and the rest of my kids into a fit of giggles. He called him Todd Scribbles for the rest of the night. He did the magic trick of shuffling the cards and still pulling Todd’s card, then he gave it to him, and he brought it home and hung it up. His siblings called him Todd Scribbles forever. When I made my WordPress blog, I wanted something cute and memorable for the title. I remembered Todd Scribbles. And I thought scribbles are writing. I’m writing. These are my scribbles. Angela’s Scribbles. I stole his name. He was fine with it. When I came to Tumblr, I just stuck with the blog name I was already using on WordPress.

4- Go back to your archive and tell us about the first post on your Choices blog.

It was a one-shot called First Date. It’s TRR book one, the night before the Beaumont bash when Liam asks MC on his first real date. After the date, he walks her back to her room, and they are making out in the hallway when they hear a noise and pull apart. Who was it? They had no servants, and Bertrand and Max knew Liam was there. I always HC it was Drake, inadvertently stumbling upon them. So I wrote that night from his POV.

5- How long have you been writing fanfiction?

Since February of 2021 technically. I posted First Date, another one shot titled Confrontation, and the four chapters of The Proposal between February and March 2021, as well as some Ride or Die chapters, to the sound of crickets. I left and ignored Tumblr until August 2021. I really am not sure why I came back, but I decided to try again. My original idea was to write what happened at Ramsford during those three weeks between book 1 and book 2. I posted the first chapter of Three Weeks in Ramsford on August 1st, 2021, and never looked back.

6- What is your favorite Choices book to write about?

The Royal Romance

7- Share the first fanfic you wrote with us. Do you still like it or would you change anything about it?

My first series was Three Weeks at Ramsford. I definitely think I’d write it better now, I’ve grown as a writer. Also, I now wish I’d gone with my original idea of having Drake show up in person, not just smuggle a letter and a cell phone to her.

8- What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Bad Romance, hands down.

9- Do you have a fic that you didn’t expect to be well received, but it was? What about one you expected to be but could use a little more love?

Bad Romance. I expected people to lose their minds, and they did, just not in the way I expected. It was supposed to be a one-shot and was a direct pushback against the notion that some of my characters were toxic. Basically, I was like, you wanna see toxic? Here, hold my beer! Everyone begged for more, and the first several chapters were really just me trying to see how toxic and messed up I could make everything/everyone. Then somewhere along the way, these characters started whispering motivations and desires to me, and everything changed. I ended up with a still lil toxic but pretty cool, fully functioning, open, honest, and loving polycule.

For the second part of the question, maybe Leo and Liv. I put Leo and Liv together in a one-shot randomly but then loved them together and started a series just for them. But to be fair, I haven’t gotten very far with it. It keeps getting pushed to the side for other projects.

10- If you could write only angst, fluff, or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Why would you ask me that? Aaagghh, what a difficult choice! If I’m forced to choose, I guess it would have to be angst. I can’t live without emotion. Emotion drives everything, including the fluff and the smut, right? Angst is where you get to showcase the emotion.

11- Do you ever recognize yourself in any of your MCs or in your writing?

Of course. I think we all do this. I have said frequently, too many people, that while no version of MC is me, there are pieces of me in every version of her.

12- What element of writing do you struggle with most?

This keeps changing. When I first started writing fanfiction, I was like, “Write smut? Oh no! I could never! It would be too awkward!” Now I’m like, “You want a threesome? BDSM? Just another Tuesday, ho hum.” Then it was humour. I remember the first time I sat down to write something to purposely make people laugh. It was a lot of work, but it paid off. Then I wrote an entire one-shot that was humour. It was still a lot of work. Then I wrote an entire miniseries that was humour and it became easier and easier the more I did it. Practice makes perfect. I never thought I could do tragedy either. I could not bear to hurt my characters like that. Now I think I’ve killed off almost everyone at some point or another. My biggest struggle is neglecting current projects when new ideas occur to me.

13- Do you have any neglected work you really want to finish?

Yes. Heir Apparent and Leo and Liv. Also, my original novel that has been woefully neglected, even though it’s only a few chapters away from completion.

14- If someone you know in real life (who isn’t involved in fandoms) asked to read your work, would you let them? If yes, what would you recommend they read first? Yes. And I already have. Two of my friends have read most of my stuff. I recommended they start with Bad Romance because it’s my favorite, and they did.

15 - Are there any writers (published authors and/or fanfic writers) who influenced your writing? So many. I was a huge Stephen King fan as a teenager/young adult, and I devoured his books. Consequently, my first few short stories were horror. Anne Rice likewise fed my love of the supernatural, and not just Interview with a Vampire (though it was great), but the rest of her vampire books, as well as Taltos and the rest of the Witches of Mayfair series. Deborah Harkness and her Discovery of Witches are partially to blame for my obsession with witches. I also read copious amounts of fantasy and sci-fi. Marion Zimmer Bradley stands out for turning a well-known story on its head. Changing literally none of the major details we all know and love about the King Arthur story (Mists of Avalon) and somehow, at the same time, making it into a completely different story! (helped with my love of a good plot twist). Also notable are Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Seventh Son), Robert Heinlein (Stranger in a Strange Land), Ben Bova (Endless Universe), and Issac Asimov (I, Robot. Robots of Dawn). As a child, Marguerite Henry wrote books about horses that were achingly beautiful to me, particularly Misty of Chincoteague. Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) and Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) for epic, heart-wrenching storytelling. Sheri S. Tepper captured my attention as a teen with Maven Manyshaped and again as an adult with The Gate to Women’s Country, fostering my fixation of addressing issues of inequality and ingrained sexism in my work. I love a good mystery, and Sharyn McCrumb writes them with all the majestic beauty of Appalachia as a backdrop and liberal amounts of supernatural suspense. The Dark Part of the Forest by Holly Black delighted me for flipping the script, putting the prince in a magical sleep in a glass coffin in the woods, and having the girl hero run around with a sword. At some point, I moved on to paranormal romance. I had never been a romance reader, but these books took me by storm. My favorite authors in that genre are Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and Laurell K. Hamilton. I have read everything all three of them have ever written. If you want polyamory on steroids, you can’t go wrong with Laurell K. Hamilton; she makes my Bad Romance gang look positively sweet, innocent, and vanilla. Let’s not forget the master of poetry and horror alike (according to me anyway), Edgar Allan Poe. He’s the reason I started writing poetry. My favorite poem is by him; it’s called Alone. And of course, The Raven and The TellTale Heart. I am beyond positive I’m leaving some out.

As far as other fanfic writers go, I strive to be as funny as @harleybeaumont, as angsty @burnsoslow as tragically beautiful as @dcbbw as evocative as @txemrn for my Drake to have as much swagger and sex appeal as @karahalloway and for my Leo to be as funny and endearing as @queenrileyrose.

16- Which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series?

I think Savage Love would make a good action movie. I think Bad Romance would make a good series, like a modern-day Game of Thrones meets Bridgerton.

17- Do you write original stories?

Yes. My WordPress blog is full of flash fiction, poetry, essays, and one of my original short stories. The rest of my short stories are waiting for me to either submit them to online fiction publications or publish them myself as a collection of short stories. I have three original novels in progress, one is almost complete. My original work is mostly horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance.

18 - What other hobbies do you have?

Reading. Photography. Camping/Hiking. Live music/sports. Collecting books (related to, but different from reading). Acting.

19 - What’s your favorite emoji?

20: BONUS - tell us anything you’d like (if you want to).

I guess if you’re interested in my personal life, I can tell you that I have seven children I can claim by birth or adoption and five more that I have partially raised for some amount of time spanning from six months to seven years, making a total of 12 children that have come through my home over the years. My husband and I have been married for twenty years; we live on a small farm in Texas, where we raise chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and goats currently (we used to raise hogs as well). We have four dogs, two cats, a couple of bearded dragons, two snakes, and run a turtle rehab. We have a couple of box turtles and many aquatic turtles of different types. My 17-year-old (Todd Scribbles lol) is a fierce advocate for them and is the reason all our friends and family now stop to help turtles cross roads (safely and correctly, of course!). Three of my kids play volleyball competitively and are stupid good at it, they did not get that athletic ability from me. I love playing sports but am generally uncoordinated. My favorite sport is baseball, my favorite team is, of course, the Texas Rangers, and the greatest pitcher of all time was Nolan Ryan, and this is the reason my Drake’s middle name is Nolan.

I sometimes process grief through my writing. When I wrote Maximum Damage, I didn’t plan it, but when I got to that part, Maxwell received the same injuries and recovery time as my oldest son did when he had his car accident. I have also lost loved ones to suicide, so writing that scene was hard as well. I wrote Betrayal after coming home from a memorial service and watching my nephew grieve for his wife. When I wrote Almost, again, it wasn’t planned, but when I got to the end, some of my own emotions about fear of losing a child came into play. Our youngest child is not biologically ours, and we have had to fight for her. We lost. She was ripped away and then given back. It’s why TRH 3 was so hard for me to get through and why I will never write MC losing custody of her child for even two minutes.

Just because I don’t want to end on a sad note, I need to tell ya’ll more stuff, lol. I was in the Army, I went to Texas A&M for undergrad and got my master's at Texas Woman’s University. When I lived in Laredo, we used to walk across the Rio Grande into Mexico on the weekends to go shopping. I have lived in Texas most of my life, but I did live in Arizona in a hippie commune when I was four. Yes, my mother was a flower child. She had a white mustang covered in those flowers you stick to the bottom of the tub. The car’s name was flower. After my mom remarried, we lived in Oklahoma at Fort Sill (I was an Army brat). I ran off to Ohio briefly at some point, and I spent ten days in New York City with a theatre group. I love musical theatre though I cannot sing. I was a theatre kid in high school and have done community theatre as an adult. I worked for over twenty years as a child development expert and only recently quit. I’m still figuring out what I want to do next. I worked for Half Price Books for two years in college, and it was a really fun job. My coworkers were all writers, artists, and musicians. I developed my love for live music by going to my manager's gigs on the weekends. Now I’m boring and never go anywhere but volleyball with my kids. I’m a raging night owl and have moderate to severe ADHD, which explains how I write so much. It’s a current hyper fixation. It’s also the reason I tend to overshare. Sorry.

Ok, that’s probably way more than anyone wanted or needed to know! Let me end by saying how much I love this fandom. I have met some really amazing people here!

#choices fic writers creations #writer of the month #cfwc writer of the month #angelasscribbles #the royal romance

113 notes · View notes

choicesfandomappreciation · 1 month

Note

This is an appreciation post for @angelasscribbles ,her Drake/trr fics are AAAAAMAZINGG and what I needed 💞

@angelasscribbles

#3rdstreetfrank #angelasscribbles #cfa

4 notes · View notes

choicespride · 10 months

Text

Choices Pride 2023 Week 2 Masterlist

✏️ = fic; 🖌️ = art; 📌 = edit

Laws of Attraction

Happy Pride from Ricci & Associates - Gabe Ricci x Sav Zarza x Aislinn Tanaka - submitted by @peonyblossom; drawn by @weetlebeetle 🖌️

Open Heart

A Family Affair - Tobias Carrick x f!MC (Casey MacTavish) - @jerzwriter ✏️

The Royal Romance

In Your Room Extra: Dreo - Drake Walker x Leo Rys - submitted by @angelasscribbles; commissioned by @harleybeaumont; drawn by @rosefuckinggenius 🖌️

Crossovers

It Lives Anthology/Immortal Desires

Répondez, S'il Vous Plaît ! 2 - Cassius Harlow x NB!MC (Saini Rusanen); NB!OC (Skylar Barnett-Lyons); Dan Pierce x ILITW F!MC (Riikka Yläkorpi); M!OC (Ash Clark); Connor Green x ILITW F!MC (Siiri Karvola); Parker Shaw x ILB F!MC (Pilvi Vance); Lincoln McQuoid Aquino x ILW NB!MC (Kanerva Leinola); Abel Flint x ILW F!MC (Hilkka "Puna" Noronen) - @aallotarenunelma ✏️

#choices pride 2023 #masterlist #open heart #the royal romance #laws of attraction #immortal desires #it lives anthology #jerzwriter #angelasscribbles #harleybeaumont #rosefuckinggenius #peonyblossom #aallotarenunelma #weetlebeetle

11 notes · View notes

lizzybeth1986 · 8 months

Note

If you get this, answer w three random facts about yourself and send it to the last seven blogs in your notifs! Anon or not, doesn’t matter !

Thanks for the ask @angelasscribbles!

1. When I'm eating something, I like reading or listening to descriptions of the food item as well. Eg. If I'm having Reese's Cups (which is rare coz not many places sell them here), I'm going to listen to the "Candy is Dandy" podcast episode on it 😂 I love food descriptions!

2. I love spoilers. I will read the last chapter of a book just to know what the ending is, after reading the first chapter. If I feel daring enough I will even read an entire book backwards. @noesapphic has taken to calling me Madame Spoiler for this 😂😂

3. As most of this fandom knows by now, I can only say things in the most long-winded way possible. I am very bad at getting to the point 😂

#ask me #ask lizzy #angelasscribbles #not choices

11 notes · View notes

jerzwriter · 1 year

Note

Happy birthday! I'm probably not the first one to send these but here you go!

GIRL....

I...

🥵

How did you know just about EVERY ONE of my favorite GIFs? lol Ah, this man. This man, this man, this man. I'm so glad getting to see/talk to him quenched my thirst and I'm over him now. 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 You didn't believe that, did you! lol

Thanks so much for the Birthday Wishes and the 🥵🥵🥵. You're the best! ❤❤❤

#birthday things #jesse williams #🥵🥵🥵#keep this #angelasscribbles #thank you! 💕💕💕#long post

20 notes · View notes

angelasscribbles · 8 months

Text

More Writing Humor

#Writeblr #Writing community #Writing humor #Writers corner #Writers life #Writers #Writerscommunity #Writing #Writer #Creative writing #Fiction writing #Female writers #Tumblr writers #angelasscribbles

2K notes · View notes

harleybeaumont · 1 year

Note

Ok, first of all....

As you know, I've been working on a couple of fics for you. One is ready and will be posted soon but I wanted to give you a small preview. First of all, the moodboard:

Here's a snippet:

“We’re here!” Riley called out as Maxwell threw open the front doors and they strode into the foyer.

Four members of the Queen’s Guard followed behind them, arms filled with unassembled packing boxes.

“Riley!” A short, heavy-set woman with greying black hair that was piled on top of her head in a bun threw herself at the young queen.

Riley laughed as she returned the hug, “Matilda! How have you been?”

“Bored without you and Lord-I mean Max,” She beamed at the younger Beaumont brother, “to keep things interesting!”

It had taken Riley months to convince the head of Ramsfords housekeeping staff to dispense with formalities and call them by their first names. Years of Bertrand’s insistence on following protocol and using proper titles had been hard to overcome. She still only did it when the duke wasn’t present to hear. At some point, Matilda had decided that a queen outranked a duke, but he was still her boss.

Max hugged her next, “You were always my favorite, you know that right?”

Matilda laughed, “Only because I let you sneak cookies before dinner! What are you doing here?”

Ever since Max had taken the position of first assistant and top advisor to the queen, he had been largely absent from the estate. She had missed his shenanigans.

“Bert said I had to come clean out my room.”

Matilda looked at him in puzzlement, “All of the bedrooms are kept clean, especially yours and Riley’s!”

The staff pretended not to notice that Max spent the night in Riley’s room when she was there, with or without the king present.

“Not that room. The other one.”

Matilda glanced at Riley, taking in her very unqueenly attire of short cropped denim pants, a t-shirt tied in a knot at the waist, and a colorful bandana tied in her hair, “Are you here to help him clean out his junk room?”

“Treasure room, Matilda! Room of wonderous treasure!” Max corrected her.

“Mm.” Matilda looked at him skeptically, “Duke Beaumont calls it a junk room.”

Max rolled his eyes, “Which is why we are here to clean it out! I have to rescue my stuff!”

“Is it in danger?” Matilda asked.

“Yes! Bert said he’s going to donate it all if I don’t come do something with it!”

“All right. To the treasure room then!” Riley exclaimed, waving bye to Matilda as she pushed Max toward the staircase.

The guards deposited the boxes in the hallway outside the door Max pointed at and retreated as Riley waved them away, “We’ll call you when it’s time to carry things!”

Max had been clear that he didn’t want the guards going through his things. Riley was the only person he was allowing to help him sort through his treasured possessions.

“Why do you have a separate room for all this stuff, Max?” Riley asked as she pushed the door open. Her eyes swept over the room, taking in the flotsam and jetsam of Max’s childhood and young adult years.

The other story will be late, but hopefully worth the wait. A reminder of the pic you sent me for inspiration

A small sneak peek:

Riley walked the secretary of finance to the door of her office, “Thank you, Lord Herron,” she ushered him out as he nodded and tried to continue the conversation.

She pushed the door closed and leaned on it, breathing out a sigh of relief. Lord Archibald Herron was a lot. Like, really a lot. He was at least ninety years old, and would not retire. He talked a lot, had outdated ideas, and took forever to tell a story.

She was exhausted from the encounter and stressed the fuck out. She glanced up at the ornate Lewisburg wall clock on her wall. She had time to kill before her next appointment.

She knew exactly how to relieve her stress.

She pulled the door open to peer into the outer office. Her eyes landed on Max, who was rifling through a file cabinet for something.

“Max!” She called out, “Come in here, now! I have something to dictate to you!”

Max looked up from his filing, “Oh, um, yes, okay, coming!” He swiftly grabbed a steno pad and pencil from his desk as he walked past it.

“Hold all my calls,” Riley told the receptionist as she stood back and let Max through then she pushed the door shut and turned the lock.

Max took a seat in the chair in front of the desk and flipped the steno pad open, “Okay, what are you dictating?”

Riley sauntered across the room and pulled herself up onto the edge of the desk, crossing her legs as she did so. One hand slid up her thigh, sliding her skirt up, revealing thigh-high stockings, “To whom it may concern, the queen needs to be…handled.”

Max glanced up at her, then back down at the steno pad clutched in his hand. He blinked then his head jerked back up as he realized what she was saying.

When his eyes found her again, she was sitting on edge of her desk, dangling a pair of handcuffs from her fingertips.

His eyes dipped down to trace up her legs, taking in the top of the stocking and the attached garter belt before making their way up her curves to lock on her face. He swallowed thickly, “How may I be of service, Your Majesty?”

Just for good measure....

But most of all, thank you for being an amazing friend, mother, writer, and person! You are truly a genuine, nice human and I hope you had the spectacular birthday that you deserve!!!! (And so does Max!!)

The way i screamed when i read this!!!!! OMG!

first of all- the moodboard!! i love it!! creepy and hilarious!

I love the whole interaction between Riley, Max, and Matilda. I already love Matilda- she sounds like a joy! Maxwell and his treasure room- hes so freaking cute! I cannot wait to read more!

Lord Herron sounds like a few people I've met before in real life! Hilarious! I love how you always make situations in your writing so relatable.

And WHEW!! I can't wait to see what plans she has for Max and those handcuffs.. IM DROOLING OVER HERE! And you had to post those Max gifs 🥵

Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so thankful that I have you as a friend and the fact that you're writing those fics for me is amazing 🥰🥰🥰 @maxwell-beaumont-appreciation

#angelasscribbles #maxwell beaumont #trr maxwell #mbaw

15 notes · View notes

angelasreblogs · 8 months

Text

New Blogs

@angelasscribbles here. It's been over a month and Tumblr seems to be doing fuck all about fixing my blog issues. Every time I log in the first thing I see is the Tumblr-supported porn on the Tumblr live icons, yet my blog continues to be marked as explicit. Makes so much sense.

I have read horror stories from others that took months or years to get unblocked. Some never have. I really did consider just leaving. But honestly, I don't want to. If I'm done posting fanfiction for the friends and supporters I've met here, then I'm just done posting fanfiction. I do have my original work to get back to. Some day. But probably not this day lol.

The thought of moving two years worth of content is daunting. And likely the moment I finish such a huge project, they'll fix it. So I'm not sure I'm ready to give up all hope just yet. However, I did decide to go ahead and move some of my smaller series and most of my newer ones over.

At the very least I can post the new stuff from the new blogs without it being blocked. And I had fun creating them and reorganizing my stuff.

There's not a lot on them yet, but I will be posting from these blogs moving forward:

Tagging my permas under the cut.

@karahalloway @harleybeaumont @nestledonthaveone @alj4890 @aussiegurl1234 @walkerdrakewalker @kingliam2019 @twinkleallnight @lovingchoices14 @tinkie1973 @secretaryunpaid

@queen-arabella-of-cordonia @kristinamae093 @tessa-liam

@differenttyphoonwerewolf @queenmiarys @emersyn-in-cordonia

@bascmve01 @twinkle-320 @mattiematt1234

@dcbbw @amandablink @indiacater @bebepac

@lunaseasblog @belencha77 @gabesmommie1130

@jared2612 @hollygirl1269 @mainstreetreader

@ladyangel70 @ohmyeightpastlives @gardeningourmet

@sillydg @phoenixrising0308

@3pawandme @21-wishes @73geenalove @jennieausten

@princessleac1 @kachrisberry @tornbetween2loves

@fangirling12566 @pinklipsandmasonjars @savannahdix

#angelasscribbles #the royal romance #trr au #trr #trr fanfic #the royal romance fanfic

36 notes · View notes

lawsend · 11 months

Text

Murder at Vista Heights Chapter 1

Series: Law’s End

Episode 1: Murder at Vista Heights

Fandom: The Royal Romance (loosely, there’s not much canon in here. I've just borrowed the names).

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 2,524

Rating: MA

Warnings for series: adult themes, any given chapter may contain murder, violence, language, drinking, drug use, etc.

A/N: Thanks to @harleybeaumont and @karahalloway for prereading and bouncing ideas with me.

“Riley! Riley! Come here!”

Riley Brook’s head jerked up from the keyboard she’d been furiously typing on, her lush auburn brown curls bouncing freely, her deep emerald eyes wide. Her gaze darted from the source of the interruption, who was standing on the other side of the room waving his arms at her, to the coworker sitting at the desk across from her who looked completely disinterested as he lifted a shoulder and brought a sandwich to his mouth, lettuce and mayonnaise falling onto his desk.

Gross. That’s what the break room was for.

She carefully closed the lid of her laptop before walking across the newsroom. Goddamn if she was going to let any of these vultures scoop her story or copy her work.

“What’s up, Max?” she asked as she approached the over-exuberant freelance photographer who often hung around the office.

His cobalt blue eyes sparkled with excitement as he ran a hand through his short, russet brown waves and practically danced in place, “You told me to tell you if anything interesting came across the police scanner!”

Riley grabbed his arm, her fingers sinking in almost painfully as she glanced around the newsroom in panic. Dragging him into the empty breakroom, she glared at him, “Keep it down! It’s not a scoop if everyone knows!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” He lowered his voice and leaned closer to her, “The seventh precinct was just called out to investigate a homicide!”

“The seventh precinct?” Her eyes widened, “That’s Liam’s beat! Did you get the address?”

“Of course!” He dangled the keys to his midnight blue Chevy Tahoe in front of her, “We can take my car!”

She deftly swiped the keys right out of his hand, “Fine. But I’m driving!”

“But-“ he tried to protest but she was already striding for the door. He quickly gathered his equipment bag and stumbled after her.

Sliding into the passenger seat of his own vehicle, he glanced over at the woman in the driver’s seat, “It’s my car, Riley…”

“Don’t be a baby,” she admonished him as she put the car in gear and flew out of the parking garage, “Besides, I like to be in control.”

“Yeah….” His eyes tracked across her face then dipped down her body, a flush creeping across his cheeks before he turned toward the window, “Just try not to sideswipe anyone this time.”

“That wasn’t my fault!”

“Which time?”

“Any of them!”

Max wrapped his hand around the grab handle above the window and held on for dear life as the Tahoe careened around a corner, “You know the murder victim isn’t going anywhere, right?”

“I want to get there before that asshole Neville! He’s not scooping me again!”

“Okay….” Max squeezed his eyes shut and said a quick prayer as his vehicle jolted over a curb.

The Tahoe skidded to a stop in front of the Vista Heights apartment complex. Riley hopped out and made a beeline for the crime scene.

��Are we really going to just leave her in the middle of the street like that?” Max yelled after her.

Riley answered him over her shoulder without slowing down, “No one’s going to tow it right now. The cops have bigger fish to fry. Come on!”

He hesitated only briefly before grabbing his camera and scurrying after her. He glanced back at the SUV doubtfully, but the sight of Riley’s retreating back spurred him on. He could always bail out a towed vehicle. Riley never waited for anyone or anything.

He kind of liked that about her.

By the time he caught up to her, she was leaning over the caution tape as she tried to get anyone’s attention, “Excuse me? Excuse me?”

“Stay behind the tape!” a uniformed officer yelled at her.

“I know that…” she muttered as her eyes scanned the area until she spotted a familiar face, “Liam! Liam!”

Detective Liam Rys turned his gaze toward the crowd as a voice he knew all too well screamed his name. Shaking his head, he strode over to the caution tape with his lips pressed firmly together, “I’m at work, Miss Brooks. How can I help you?”

“Sorry, detective,” she gave him a look that was half repentant and half teasing, “I was wondering if I could get a comment, or at least the name of the victim.”

“You know better than that, Riley. This is an active crime scene.” There was a slight edge in his voice as his eyes flicked over her shoulder to take in Max as well, “You both need to get out of here. Wait for the press release, like everyone else.”

Riley tipped her head back to look up into his face. At five foot seven, she was tall for a woman, but he had a couple of inches on her. The tailored suit he was wearing fit him perfectly and gave away his family background of wealth and privilege. He wasn’t buying Armani suits on a detective’s salary. His raven hair was cut short, not quite military short, but close. His onyx eyes held several emotions, the primary of which was annoyance.

“Are you still mad?”

“I was never mad, Riley,” he glanced at Max then leaned forward so only she could hear him. His breath tickled her ear, “But fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I’m not falling for your tricks a second time.”

Goose bumps cascaded down her spine at the memory, “It wasn’t a trick, Liam.”

“Hm,” he pulled back with a smirk, “Right. That’s why my case ended up on the front page of the Cordonia City Ledger the next day.”

“Coincidence.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences so move along.”

“But-“ she watched his retreating back with a frustrated exhale.

Max’s gaze swung from Riley to Liam then back again, “Whatever happened between the two of you anyway?”

Riley shrugged, “Nothing that wasn’t mutually beneficial.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning none of your business!”

“I was just-“

“Max, look!” she punched him in the arm as the body was wheeled out and loaded into the back of an ambulance.

Max brought the Canon EOS Rebel up and started clicking furiously.

Riley’s eyes swept around the crime scene, looking for anything that would help her identify the victim.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here? If it isn’t the scruffy underdog and her mangy sidekick.” The voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Riley turned with disdain toward the biggest pain in her ass. Neville VanCoeur, the highest-ranking journalist at their rival publication, The Cordonia City Herald. He had curly, dirty blonde hair that he kept gelled so thickly to his head a hurricane wouldn’t move it an inch. His face was fixed in a permanent sneer unless he was on camera, and he’d had it out for her since day one.

Probably because she’d turned down both his sexual advances and his job offer. “Scruffy underdog isn’t the insult you think it is, Johnny Bravo.”

Max erupted into gales of laughter as Neville stiffened, “Who is Johny Bravo?” he sneered, making Max laugh even harder.

“Your long-lost twin, ass wipe,” Riley smirked at him before turning her back to scan the crowd, looking for a neighbor that might talk.

Neville’s response was lost as Riley made her way through the throng of onlookers, hoping for anyone that knew which apartment the murder had occurred in. No one knew anything.

She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration as her eyes fell on the spot the ambulance had been. “Hey, Max, I have an idea!”

Max listened and a mischievous grin spread across his face, “I’m on it!”

He quickly found Neville’s photographer and sidled up to him, “Dude! There’s a delivery entrance open around back! I got some amazing shots!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

The man’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, “Why would you tell me this?”

“Oh, am I not supposed to?” Max acted startled, “I’m new at this. I thought we all helped each other out like that! Isn’t that how it works?”

“Sure, kid. That’s how we do it,” the guy gloated, “Thanks for the tip!”

Max watched the photographer whisper to Neville who looked gleefully around before sneaking around the parking lot to the back of the building. He gave Riley a thumbs up.

Riley waited for Max’s signal, then found a uniformed police officer, “I’m sorry to interrupt but I just saw that reporter go around back. Aren’t they supposed to stay on this side of the caution tape?”

“Yes,” the man was obviously annoyed, “Thank you ma’am, we’ll take care of it.”

“Any time, officer,” she smiled disarmingly at him.

Riley and Max ran back to the Tahoe, giggling the whole way.

“That should keep him busy for a while!” She laughed as she climbed back into the driver’s seat.

“So, we can get to the coroner’s office first, I presume?”

“Of course!” She started the car and threw it in reverse.

“Be careful with Estelle!” Max yelled at her as the car went up onto the sidewalk.

“Sorry, sorry!” She put it in drive and made her way carefully away from the crime scene. Curbs were one thing, she didn’t want to hit a pedestrian, and the street was now full of onlookers.

They drove in silence until they were clear of the crowd. Max relaxed into his seat with relief, but it was short lived as Riley gunned it the moment they were back on open road.

“Jesus, Riley! I want to get to the coroner’s office as a photographer, not a body!”

“Have I ever killed you before?”

“No…but there’s a first time for everything!”

Riley was quiet for a moment, then her tone turned serious, “Can I ask you something?”

Max’s face lit up at what he thought was a change of subject, “Sure Riley, you can ask me anything!”

“So, I’ve been wondering….Why did you name your car Estelle? That’s an old lady’s name, isn’t it?” She took her eyes briefly from the road as he answered.

Max gave her a flirty wink, “I like older women.”

Riley rolled her eyes as she returned them to the road, “Grandma old?”

Max’s face fell, “No…no, that’s not what I meant!”

“How old are you, Max? Twenty? Twenty-one?”

“I’m twenty-three, Riley. I’m a grown ass man.”

“Sure you are.”

“I’m only five years younger than you, you know.”

“Only,” she snorted, “Five years is an entire college career and then some.”

Max let out a frustrated exhale as he shifted in his seat, “Whatever.”

They pulled up in front of a small, nondescript building situated behind a UPS hub and across from a warehouse in the industrial district. It was a squat, one story structure made of faded brown brick with a row of tiny windows stretched across the front and a red windowless door in the middle. Actually, the door was just off center, a detail made her want to knock it down with a wrecking ball.

“This building is depressing,” Max muttered as he climbed out of the Tahoe.

“You always say that.”

“It’s always true!”

“Considering what it is, that seems appropriate,” Riley responded as she made her way into the building and down the hall to the morgue, bypassing the reception desk which was thankfully empty.

“Come in!” a voice called in response to her knock.

“Hey, Dr. Lee!” Riley greeted the woman with the lab coat.

“I told you to call me Hana,” the doctor was shorter than Riley, with warm caramel colored hair falling to her shoulders, deep brown eyes and an upturned nose.

“Sorry…Hana…I was wondering if you knew anything about the murder at the Vista Heights apartment complex earlier today.”

“Just brought him in,” Hana swept her hand toward the body on the table, “the cause of death seems obvious, but you never know. All homicide victims are autopsied, as you know.”

“Who is he?” Riley craned her neck trying to get a better look. The man on the table looked to be in his mid to late forties with jet-black hair and sharp features.

Max hung back near the door. He had no desire to see the dead body.

“You know I can’t tell you that,” Hana admonished.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Riley shot Max a meaningful look, her eyes darting from his to a manila folder laying on Hana’s desk, before stepping closer to the other woman. With a slight pout, she reached out and rubbed a hand down her upper arm, “Forgive me?”

Hana flushed slightly as a shy smile spread across her face, “It’s fine, I know you’re just doing your job.”

“And you’re just doing yours. I respect that.” Riley’s eyes flicked over Hana’s shoulder as Max closed the folder and gave her a thumbs up. “You said the cause of death was obvious?”

Hana hesitated, “I really shouldn’t say…”

“I promise to keep your name out of it.”

“I mean…it’s going to be out there soon enough anyway. I don’t think it’s a huge secret that gunshots were fired just prior to 911 being called. That’s all I can really say.”

“Thank you!!” Riley knew about the gunshots because Max had heard that much on the police scanner. It was nice to have confirmation though. “We’ll let you get back to work!”

“Riley?”

She paused on her way to the door, “Yeah?”

“Are you going to be at the bar later?”

“The Beat?”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Of course!” she grinned, “There’s been a murder! Where else would I be but the bar all the cops hang out at?”

“Okay, maybe I’ll see you there.”

“That would be awesome!” Riley gave her a wave then exited the room. The moment they were back in the car, Riley turned to Max and demanded, “Well?”

“Well, the victim’s name was Trenton Hayes, he was shot dead in his apartment.”

“Trenton Hayes…Trenton Hayes…” she searched her memory, “Isn’t he some kind of wall street tycoon?”

“Yeah, I don’t really keep up with that type of stuff.”

“Really?” Surprise pulled through her, “You’re a Beaumont.”

“Not a very good one,” he laughed humorlessly, “My contribution to the family empire consists of spending the money…”

“Okay….” She didn’t know what to say to that. She smacked him on the shoulder as she drove, “Well, look the guy up!”

“I am!” He swatted her hand away as he typed into his phone, “Oh, shit! I’ve seen this guy before!”

“Really? Where?”

“I took pictures of him for this PI I work with sometimes.”

“What? Why?”

Max shrugged, “I don’t know. He pays me to take photos sometimes, or hack into shit. I wasn’t following the guy; I was following the woman he met with!”

“Who was the woman?”

“Katie Sloan.”

“Wait! The wife of William Sloan? As in, the head of Sloan Enterprises?”

“Yeah, that’s the one!”

“Holy fucking shit! Who is this PI? We’re going to talk to him right now!”

“Walker and Son Investigations, it’s on Canal Street.”

“Hold on!” She yelled as she yanked the wheel and skidded into a U-turn, “Canal Street, here we come!”