The Dark Kingdom Anthology

by Krissy V et al.

  “... as a couple.” Dan looks at me, expecting a reaction. I clearly zoned out – what did he just say?”

  “Sorry, run that by me again. I could have sworn you just said something about being a couple.” I stare him down as his lip turns up in a smirk.

  “This is more of a long term contract, and so, to fit in with the community you need to pretend to be a couple. It’s the only way you’re going to be able to protect her at all times. Obviously, when you get back home, you don’t need to pretend.”

  Standing up and pushing my chair back, I almost stumble because my leg, or what’s left of it, is stiff. “I’m sorry, I’m not pretending to be anyone’s other half. I’ll protect her as a bodyguard only.”

  Jay slams his fist on the table. “Taylor, sit down. This is a great opportunity for you. The money is great, the job is easy, and in a few months you’ll be back to full strength and working. If you don’t do this, I’ll have to put you on a desk job.”

  Sitting back down, I stare at Jay. “That’s not fair, Jay. You know I want back in, but I don’t do babysitting.”

  “It’s a couple of months doing a job you love, for great money and a beautiful woman as company. I’ll arrange for you to get twice weekly physio wherever you are, then you’ll be back to the normal missions as soon as possible once the situation in Yugotan calms down and Gracie can go home. What do you say?”

  He holds his hand out to shake mine. I moan and hesitate then realize this is going to be a piece of cake. And I’ll get physio. I can cope for a couple of months, then I can get back to saving people from terrorist situations. I shake his hand. “I’m in!”

  Chapter Four

  Gracie

  I can’t believe the woman looking at me in the mirror is me. I’ve never been allowed to cut or color my hair before. But I love new Gracie. Bonnie has cut my hair, giving me a bob, and she has put lowlights in it so it’s almost brown. She painted my nails and put on natural make-up. I look beautiful. I wish Mom and Dad could see me now. I think about how I had made their life hell every time I slipped away from my bodyguard. They never once shouted at me, but I knew they were disappointed with me. I hate that I made them feel that way. I wonder when I’ll see them again.

  “Come on, beautiful,” Bonnie says, holding out her hand to help me up. “Let’s go find you some clothes to suit the new you. I’ll give you a case with a couple of outfits and then we will send the rest to your new house for you.”

  “My new house?”

  “Yeah. You’re going to live in a house in Hentonville. I think your new bodyguard has arrived. He’s going to be getting some new clothes too. Gio will tell you more about it before you meet him again.”

  This is really happening. This isn’t a spa day with my girlfriends where I can go home at the end of the day. I can’t go home for a long time. I don’t know how long, but I know it won’t be soon. I follow Bonnie into the next room and we start to look at clothes. This is going to be my new life for a while.

  I’m astounded by the number of clothes in the room. It’s like going into a big department store. Everything is stored on rails by clothes type. Smart casual. Evening. Black tie. Gym wear. It’s truly a girl’s dream come true.

  Bonnie doesn’t waste any time picking a whole wardrobe of clothes for me and she has me modelling most of them. We settle on the casual outfit for today. Looking in the mirror, I’m happy with my new look. Now, to meet my bodyguard.

  Bonnie takes me back through to the operations room and the first thing I notice is Gio shaking hands with a handsome man and an even bigger man next to him. Jesus Christ, how can that man get clothes to fit him? Mind you, I’d like to see him with no clothes. He’s gorgeous.

  Bonnie takes me over and hands me back to Gio.

  Gio smiles at me. “I almost didn’t recognise you, Gracie. That cut and color really suits you. I’d like to introduce you to Taylor, your new bodyguard.” Of course, he turns to the large man in the room.

  He holds out his hand to shake mine and I take it. But before I get a chance to shake it, he lifts it and kisses it, bowing his head as he says, “Your majesty, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  I laugh. “We’re not going to get anywhere if you call me that. It’s Gracie.”

  He slowly lifts his eyes until they stare into mine, and that’s when he smiles and my whole body lights on fire. “Gracie. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

  I’m used to taking compliments, but for some reason, when he says it, I blush. “Thank you, Taylor.”

  The third guy clears his throat and we both turn to look at him. He smiles at us. “Yeah, I definitely think this is going to work.”

  Taylor lets go of my hand and steps back out of my reach.

  “Right, now that’s out of the way, let's go into the meeting room. We need to tell you what’s going to happen over the next couple of months.” Gio leads the way.

  “Months?” I can feel the panic setting in. I’ve not been away from my parents for more than a couple of days before.

  “Gracie, we envisage this could take longer, but we have to plan for a couple of months. So, these are the files which tell you everything you need to know about Gracie and Taylor Morgan.” Gio hands a large file to all of us. We both open it and start reading through the files.

  Holy shit. How am I going to remember all of this?

  “Gracie, I know it’s been a long day for you, but we need to get you moved tonight under the cover of darkness.”

  “Do you think someone knows she’s here already?” Taylor asks, staring at me. “What’s the likelihood of our positions being compromised?”

  “She wasn’t followed when she came this morning, but we need to keep this building secure. We need you to drive to Hentonville and go straight to your new house. Taylor, keep an eye out just in case you do get followed.”

  “It’s my job to keep her safe. Damn right I’ll be watching out for her.” He looks at me and smiles, and my insides melt. This is going to be hard. I’ve never been so attracted to a man before. I’ve had a boyfriend. Well, only those my parents let me have dinner with a few times, and that only ended in them kissing my hand. I’ve never experienced these flutters, like butterflies in my stomach. What the hell?

  “I’ll be fine. I don’t need looking after.”

  “Now, Gracie,” Gio says, smiling at me. “You can’t run from Taylor. This is serious.”

  “What do you mean run?” Taylor asks, staring at me.

  “Grace has a tendency to lose her bodyguards. I don’t know how she does it, but every single bodyguard she has ever had has lost her.” I smile. “Gracie,” Gio says, looking at me.

  “Oh God, all right. I promise not to run away from Taylor. Is that what you want to hear?”

  Gio nods and Taylor mumbles something under his breath, but it sounds like, “Not on my watch.”

  Taylor doesn’t realize it, but he’s just laid down the gauntlet for a challenge. Game on.

  Chapter Five

  Taylor

  That’s all I need, to be babysitting a wayward princess. Who thought that with my military background, this is where I’d end up? I need this mission to be over. Quickly.

  “When do we get information on where we’re going to be staying? We need to get this show on the road before it gets too dark.”

  Gio smiles and then hands the file to me. Opening it, I smile and nod my head. The house we will be staying in is huge. I don’t suppose a princess can live in a small house.

  “There’s a car waiting for you outside. You’ll be protecting her on your own, so keep vigilant and keep an eye on her at all times.” Gio looks at me and then over to Gracie.

  “Don’t worry, I take my work seriously.” I stand and shake his hand. “It’s time to get going. We’ve got a few hours’ drive ahead of us.”

  Gracie stands and hugs Bonnie, the beautician.

  Jay comes with us as we leave out the back. Our bags are already in the car and the addr
ess has been put into the GPS. Gracie gets in the back of the car and I look at her. “You ride in the front now, Princess. I’m not your driver. I’m your husband.”

  “Sorry. I’m just used to sitting in the back. It will take a while to remember.” I help her climb out and then she moves around to the front of the car.

  After waving to Jay, Bonnie, and Gio, we go on our journey. We’re quiet for a while and then Gracie says, “So, Taylor, have you been doing this long?”

  “Most of my adult life. I protected my brother from bullies when we were at school and then I just wanted to help others. I was in the marines for a few years, but when my mom got sick, I left and went home to be closer to her.”

  “Wow. I guess I wasn’t expecting that.” She looks out of the window.

  It doesn’t take long before she falls asleep with her head resting against the window. I take a glance over to her; she’s beautiful. Graceful, elegant, but likes a challenge. This is going to make my life interesting.

  We’re on the road for about two hours when I notice there’s a car that joined the road behind us. He’s driving close to my tailgate and flashing his lights. Unless it’s a cop car, I’m not pulling over for anyone.

  I drive faster. The road is straight, with no turn-offs. I need to lose this guy however I can. Putting my foot down, I come up to a crossroads. Do I stay on the main road, or do I leave and chance getting lost in some traffic? All of a sudden, I feel a bump as he hits me from the rear. I do a bit of fancy driving and then slam on my brakes.

  Gracie wakes up. “What the hell is happening? Was that a bomb?” She looks around, her eyes wide open as she sees the car behind us smashing into our rear. “Taylor, what’s going on?”

  “We’re being followed. Looks like our quiet, sedentary life in the country is about to change. Hold tight, Princess. Things are going to get interesting.”

  She does as I say. Considering what Gio said earlier, I’m surprised she doesn’t argue. When I know the car behind us has stopped, I slam my foot down so hard on the gas pedal I think my foot is going to go through the floor. I can see on the GPS map that there are a few turns farther up the road. If I can just get to one of those and drive down until I can get out of his view.

  It only takes ten minutes before I can turn off the road. My tail isn’t in my rear view; his car must be more damaged than mine. It’s only when we find a barn in a field that we can drive behind it and sit and wait to see if they followed.

  After half an hour, they don’t show up. I take a deep breath and then finally look at Gracie. She’s looking at me, with tears in her eyes. I guess she’s not as tough as she makes herself out to be.

  “You okay, Princess?” I reach out and take her hand between mine, rubbing it to get some blood into it.

  “W… were they going kill us? Do you think they would kill us?” She’s getting hysterical.

  I let go of her hand, walk around to her side of the car, and then help her out. I grab her hand and bring her up to the barn wall. Leaning her against it, I stand next to her, bend over, and put my hands on my thighs. “Do the same as me,” I command.

  Surprisingly, she does.

  “Now, breathe. Take deep breaths in and push your air out then stand up again.”

  She does as I say. She has her eyes closed and I take my time to look her over. She looks so scared. I need to get her to the house so she can relax and start living her new life.

  “Come on. Let’s go find our new house. We seem to have lost them.”

  “Thank you so much for driving like a lunatic.” She smiles at me and then gets back in the car. I want to laugh; she looks so much younger and vulnerable.

  I climb into the driver’s side and we drive for another hour until we arrive at our new home. It’s a beautiful house, something I could never afford. When I open the door, Gracie walks in ahead of me and starts looking around. I grab our bags and bring them in, making sure I lock the door behind me. When I drop the bags, the first thing I do is check out the security and where our weaknesses are.

  Gracie is sitting on the couch when I finish my tour of the windows and doors. She’s asleep. There’s a blanket hanging over the arm, so I lift it and wrap it around her. She moans a little but stays asleep.

  While she’s asleep, I check out the bedrooms and put our bags in the right ones. I’ve given her the master bedroom as she is the client. I unpack my bags, hanging up all my clothes. You can take the man out of the military, but you can’t take the military out of the man.

  Walking into the kitchen, I check the fully-stocked fridge to see what I can cook for dinner. I’m guessing Princess Gracie doesn’t cook.

  This is going to be interesting. Bring it on.

  Chapter Six

  Gracie

  I groan and stretch, waking from my nap. Noticing a blanket on me, I smile. Mister Grumpy Pants obviously has a heart in there somewhere. Suddenly, a smell wafts toward me and my stomach grumbles. I follow the smell and find Taylor at the stove.

  I watch him for a while before he knows I’m there. He’s sexy, the way his body moves in time with him mixing the food on top of the stove. I wonder what he looks like under those clothes. I shake my head. What am I thinking?

  “Hey.” His deep voice rumbles through me. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t realize I was so tired. Can I do anything?” I sit at the breakfast table and watch him moving around. He definitely knows his way around a kitchen.

  “No, you just sit there, Princess. I’ll be done in a few minutes. Do you have any food allergies or anything I need to know about?”

  “No. I eat everything.”

  “Good. So, how do you feel about all of this then?”

  I think about it for a few minutes. “I don’t know why I had to leave home. Well, I do, but at the same time, I don’t. I could help Mom and Dad, and I was safe.”

  “Well, obviously from the journey this afternoon, you’re not safe. That wasn’t some random car chase. Whoever they were, they knew you were at PINC and they wanted to scare you. It just means we have to be more vigilant from now on. We can’t take any risks.”

  “Why do they want me though? I just don’t get it.”

  He turns around to face me, resting his hands on the counter and leaning forward. “Look, I don’t know much about your country, but I do know that General Stocker has waged a war on you all. I believe he’s captured your parents and he’s looking for you. I don’t think he’s going to harm you all, but he does intend to take over your country.”

  “He can have it as long as my parents are safe. Maybe I should just let them take me and then this can be over and I can be with my parents.”

  “No. That’s not going to happen on my watch. I’m here to protect you and I take my job seriously. I’ll be here for you whenever you need me. Now, do you want to help and get some plates and cutlery so we can eat?” He smiles and turns back around and finishes making dinner.

  When it’s ready, he plates up two plates and sits next to me at the counter. We eat in silence, and when we’re finished, he fills up my glass of wine, takes the plates away, and puts them in the dishwasher. “Let’s move into the lounge area and get to know each other better. We’re going to be in each other’s company a lot over the next couple of months.”

  “Months? No. That’s not right.”

  “Look, this is going to take as long as it takes. You’ll be safe, I promise. Tell me about the life of a princess. What do you do all day?”

  “God, you make it sound like I don’t do anything except walk around while people bow in front of me. I… well, I do lots of things. I help out at the local orphanage.”

  “What do you do?” He sits up, interested.

  “I teach some of the younger children nursery rhymes and we sing, and draw, and color. They love it.”

  “Wow, you do that? That’s really nice.”

  “Yeah. That’s when I tend to lose my bodyguards.” I laugh.

  “Yeah,
I can imagine they find it a bit boring listening to you and kids singing.” He laughs. “Just before you go any further, don’t try and run from me, Gracie. I’m serious. I’m the only way you’re going to stay safe.”

  “I know. I can’t make you a promise I might not be able to keep.” I smile at him, but he doesn’t smile back. Maybe he’s too serious for me.

  “Well, just remember, if you run, I’ll catch you and drag you back kicking and screaming.” He stands and reaches out to take my glass. “Do you want a refill?”

  “Yeah, then I think I’ll go to bed. But first you can tell me your story. Taylor, I don’t know anything about you.”

  When he returns, he hands me my glass and I take a sip, watching him as he sits down. I had noticed that he sometimes had a little limp, and when he sits down, it’s not as fluid as normal.

  “I was a marine for years then, when I decided to come home, I met up with Jay and started working with him.”

  “Do you enjoy your work? Does it get really dangerous?”

  “Yeah. It’s great to protect people and stop them from getting hurt. But it can be dangerous and I get a thrill from that.”

  “You do? How can you put yourself in danger all the time?”

  “Are you worried about me, Princess? I’m a lot tougher than I look.” He stands. “I’m going to make sure everything’s locked up then I’m going to turn in. I suggest you do the same.”

  Is he telling me to go to bed? Even my parents didn’t do that. “Yeah, in a little while. I just want to have a bit of time to think.”

  “Okay, but don’t leave the house.” He turns and goes to his room.

  Once again, he’s laid down a challenge. You know what I’m going to do, right?

  Chapter Seven

  Taylor