Desire_Her Two Rivals

by Ally Miller

  I don’t why but I couldn’t bring myself to leave him. I know I should have bolted out of his apartment the first chance I got, but I didn’t. Instead I went with him to his house in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was a five-acre nature lover’s paradise overlooking a lake. We fished, canoed and kayaked; we sipped champagne, kissed, and chatted for hours in the outdoor hot tub. On the third night there he told me his plan, the diabolical scheme that would make us both rich: high-end art forgeries.

  “Just think,” he said. You won’t have to worry about money anymore. Ever”

  “I don’t think I could do something like that,” I said. “It seems so dishonest.”

  He snickered. “Stop being so damn naive.” Many famous paintings hanging in renowned museums are forgeries.”

  When I hesitated before agreeing, he assured me that he was getting out of the business. This would be the last forgery that he put on the market. It was an early century Thompkins—extremely rare. A buyer willing to pay millions was already lined up.

  “Who’s been painting these for you during the last three years?” I asked.

  He seemed annoyed by the question, looked away, and said something under his breath that I couldn’t make out.

  He told me that I could start tomorrow morning. He would walk me through the complicated and meticulous process. The painting had to be completed in three days time. There was no time to waste. He kissed me gently, squeezed in his arms and led me to an upstairs bedroom, a different bedroom from the one we had slept in the previous two nights. I was too exhausted and overwhelmed by his revelation to ask why he wanted me to sleep in there.

  When I woke up a few hours later it was still dark. My mouth was dry and I wanted to get something to drink from the kitchen. I turned the door, but it must have stuck or jammed. I jiggled it vigorously. Nothing. Maybe he locked it accidentally I thought. I started banging on the door and calling his name. I heard footsteps approaching.

  “Go back to sleep, he said from the other side of the door. “You’ll need to be rested in the morning.”

  “Thomas, let me out! Let me out!” I screamed. I heard his feet stomping away and the stairs.

  I panicked, started banging on the door, screaming hysterically. After a few minutes I fell to floor and began crying. He’s going to kill me, I thought, I know he is. I thought about how stupid and naive I had been in coming here; how stupid it was for me to trust him again after he had already lied to me about not having a wife. Why would I have ever trusted such a man? I tried to imagine all the horrible ways he would kill me or torture me or both. When that became too much to bear, I began walking around the room. I stopped at the window. It was pitch black outside so I couldn’t see how far down the drop was. I grabbed a book of the bed stand and let it drop out the window. From the sound the drop only seemed to be about ten feet. I had no other choice. But where would I go once I got down there? It was impossible to see anything through the darkness. There was no point in jumping out the window if I wasn’t going to be able to get away. A few minutes I heard the sound of what had to be a car approaching or driving past. Yes! I saw headlights coming from a road that was about fifty years away. This was my chance.

  I opened the window all the way, put one leg over the window, then the other. I let myself. I fell into a thicket of bushes. They scratched my skin but my adrenaline was pumping so fast that I hardly noticed. I took off for the main road. One of my shoes fell off but I kept running. Another set of car lights streamed down the main road. I ran as fast I could and managed to get the attention of the driver. I spoke hurriedly, breathlessly. He seemed to understand how desperate I was. He told me to get in and then drove me to the nearest police station where I spent the next several hours explaining to two detectives what exactly had happened to me. They told me that the NYPD had been investigating Thomas for the murder of the painter who had worked for him before he had chosen me as his mark: Amanda Lavreaux.

  When I got back into the city the next day, the story was front page news:

  Art Patron Charged with Murder of Brilliant Young Painter

  New York—A former investment banker turned art patron has been charged with the grisly murder of promising New York artist Amanda Lavreaux. The victim’s body was found in her West Village apartment. She appeared to have been strangled and suffocated. The suspect, Thomas Wilson, left Wall Street for the art world three years ago and has used his big money and wide-ranging connections to become a major player in the international art forgery market. Authorities believe Ms. Lavreaux, a star in New York City art circles, was both Mr. Wilson’s lover and the painter whom he called on to produce the high-priced forgeries. Police suspect that Ms. Lavreaux may have been killed because she threatened to expose both Wilson and his partners. Police are also investigating whether Wilson has been plotting to kill his wife to keep her from disclosing his criminal activities.

  I couldn’t read anymore. The paper was shaking in my hands. If I hadn’t jumped out that window and had refused to participate in his criminal activities, he would probably have killed me. I felt lucky to be alive and hungry to start on my next series of paintings.

  THE END

  Bonus 5 of 30

  The Peace Offering

  Description

  Linnea did not expect to become a peace offering, but the princess knows that desperate times call for desperate measures. An enemy faction from the north called the Family Hawke is taking her world one province at a time. Linnea comes from a peaceful kingdom that doesn’t want to see bloodshed. The solution is simple: Linnea will be given to the Family Hawke for them to do as they see fit.

  Linnea finds herself in an odd situation. There are not monogamous relationships in this clan and she is shared by Brendan, the crown prince, and his younger brother, Carter. What should make Linnea scared and disgusted makes her feel strong and alive, and before long she can’t picture herself being anywhere else. Linnea becomes a stronger version of herself and falls in love with two very different men in the process.

  Chapter 1

  There was unrest. Linnea felt it. The air felt electric, the way the atmosphere feels before a storm.

  War was imminent. As princess of the Kingdom of Laurelasa, she was deeply involved in the proceedings and goings on in the world around her. Her family had ruled their kingdom and surrounding provinces in peace. Their world had been thriving until a threat to the north changed that.

  The kingdom ruled by the Family Hawke had long been looking to expand their empire. They conquered more and more southern provinces until they were practically on Laurelasa’s doorstep. Only a small band of neutral territory separated the two kingdoms. Linnea’s father and his advisors were convinced it was only a matter of time before they crossed the line and attempted to take over parts of Laurelasa.

  There was much debate about what they should do. Did they prepare for war? Did they make the first move? Laurelasa had always been a place of peace and forging an offensive was not their style. Despite this, they could not just sit there and wait to be destroyed. They had to find another solution.

  Linnea tried to keep herself busy during times like these. The nineteen-year-old would walk around the castle trying to appear happy and strong for her people who burned with apprehension. People were always on alert, looking to the sky for flying arrows, and no one ventured close to ‘no man's land’ for fear of being kidnapped or worse. On the outside Linnea was a picture of resolve, but on the inside, she was just as scared as they were.

  “My lady,” a voice called.

  Linnea turned around at the sound of one of her handmaidens racing up the path. During more peaceful times, she would have had the girl accompany her, but she wanted to keep her ladies safe from unnecessary harm. “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m fine my lady. It’s your father. He wishes to see you in his council room.”

  Linnea thank the girl before she changed her course and headed toward a part of the castle she didn’t often visit. She and h
er brother and sisters were always welcomed in her father’s study, and in his various quarters, but seldom invited to the council room. Her older twenty-one-year-old brother, Cavan, had just started sitting in on sessions. Whatever her father wanted to discuss must have been important if he wanted her meet with all of his advisors.

  When she arrived, her father embraced her warmly before she was ushered into the room. Linnea stood by Cavan’s chair as they began to talk about the Hawke Kingdom and how spies stationed on the edge of ‘no man’s land’ noticed activity as if they were planning on moving their camps. Linnea’s father was deciding how to proceed.

  “I am not ready to ride to war,” he admitted, “but something must be done. I want to ride out to meet this Richard Hawke and his family.” Just when Linnea wondered why she had been invited to the council room, her father added, “I will take Cavan and Linnea with me. It will look less threatening that way.”

  Both brother and sister exchanged glances as their father’s advisors agreed. It was settled then. They would send a raven to the Hawke Kingdom when the meeting adjourned and they would plan to head out a day later.

  ***

  The following day, Linnea, her father, brother, three advisors, a small group of knights and one of her handmaidens disembarked from the palace. It was late spring and even though the days were getting warmer, she still wore one of her warmer dresses underneath her cloak. She’d braided her reddish-hued hair back and rode on horseback like the rest of the men, wanting to impress the Family Hawke when they finally met them. The handmaiden rode in a carriage in the middle of the convoy with two advisors too old for riding.

  It was a two-day’s journey to ‘no man’s land’, but Linnea tried to be hopeful. Maybe the Family Hawke would want to work with her father. Maybe they could join forces so that if another threat ever reached them, they would be unstoppable. She didn’t voice her opinions because Cavan looked anxious. He would be king someday. What happened today would someday affect the future.

  When they arrived at ‘no man’s land’, the Family Hawke already had their encampment made. There were half a dozen tents set up with standards billowing in the breeze. This sight caused the group from Laurelasa to raise their guard. The other kingdom looked perfectly at home set up in ‘no man’s land’. How far behind was the rest of their armies and people?

  “You’ve finally arrived!” a young man said as he exited a tent. He had dark brown hair, a well-kept beard and deep blue eyes that seemed bright and excited. It was not at all what Linnea had been expecting. She’d expected savage brutes, not athletic looking bodies covered in leather armor and fur.

  The group from Laurelasa dismounted and let their horses graze as this man shook hands and introduce himself. “I give you my warmest welcome,” he introduced. “My name is Brendan. I am crown prince of the Family Hawke and our empire. My father wishes to speak with you.” His eyes stopped on Linnea and her light coppery hair. “I had heard there was a princess of Laurelasa, but I did not think she would be as fair as you.” Apparently, both sides had made assumptions about appearances. Beside her, Cavan cleared his throat uncomfortably, and Linnea found herself becoming red in the cheeks.

  Brendan guided the group into the largest tent where a man stood at a large table, while others sat around it and conversed quietly. It was almost an identical sized group to the one Linnea had come with. The only difference was that she and her handmaiden were the only women. Linnea knew the man was King Richard of the Family Hawke. He looked important and his son, Brenden, was a younger copy of him.

  “I hope your journey was easy,” Richard said as chairs were brought in and everyone was made comfortable.

  “My good man,” Linnea’s father began, “You speak as if this land is already your own.”

  Richard Hawke smiled at him. “It will be, my friend. It’s the Family Hawke’s destiny.”

  Linnea stared at the man dumbfounded as he told her father that there were ancient texts describing the Family Hawk’s ascent to greatness and if he didn’t follow it, he would be ignoring God’s plan for him. Linnea and the people of Laurelasa were god-fearing people but this was madness.

  “You seem like kind people,” Richard Hawke continue. “We’ve learned that your kingdom is one built on peace. We do not want to see any harm come to you. However, we have a mission to fulfill and we will not stop. We will destroy you if we must.”

  “We do not wish to fight you,” Linnea’s father admitted. “We do not wish to have our freedom taken from us either.”

  Linnea tried to hide the fear that was trying to take control of her. Her eyes bounced from the king, his son, to each of his advisors, before she noticed a young man standing in the corner of the room with his arms crossed over his chest. His chin-length hair was jet black and his dark eyes studied her like he felt sorry for her. She didn’t know if it scared her or made her angry to see him looking at her that way.

  “We have a proposition for you,” Richard Hawke offered. “If you are willing to hear it.”

  Everyone from Laurelasa exchanged glances and quickly admitted that they had no other option. “We are willing to hear what you have to say.”

  “We would like to annex your empire with ours. There will be no bloodshed, and you will be able to rule over your provinces just as you always have. You will just have to answer to us from time to time.”

  “What is the catch?”

  Richard Hawke and his son Brendan turned their gaze to Linnea and she felt her pulse race. “In order to continue our family’s golden age, we will need heirs. If you daughter became part of the Family Hawke, that would make that a reality. That, and it would strengthen both of our kingdoms if we were a united force against any other enemy.

  Linnea had a feeling that was part of the reason why her father had brought her along but she still found herself shaking at the thought of being a literal peace offering.

  The fate of the kingdom rests on my shoulders, Linnea thought to herself. What am I going to do?

  Chapter 2

  Cavan jumped out of his chair. “Father! You can’t put Linnea through that! I’ve heard about these men from the north! They share a woman, they don’t have actual wives!”

  Linnea winced at her brother’s words. She was still a virgin and thoughts of sex with a man often made her anxious. Two men at the same time made her feel like she was going to faint.

  “It is true,” Richard Hawke explained. “My sons were both conceived by a woman that my brother and I shared. Our ways are not conventional, but it is what the Family Hawke has done since ancient times. We believe that relationships don’t need to have boundaries or titles.”

  “Then will you be putting your hands on my sister as well?” Cavan demanded.

  Linnea’s father urged her brother to calm down, reminding him someday he would be much happier to have an ally than to have made an enemy. She grasped onto Cavan’s hand tightly when he dropped roughly into his chair. The Hawkes’ might have looked like people from Laurelasa, but they were barbarians on the inside.

  “Please do not worry, young prince. I am perfectly happy with my companion and queen. I am too old to sire another son anyhow.” Then he turned back to Linnea’s father. “She will be well taken care of. I can assure that any traditional marriage would not provide her with the power or happiness that she will find with Brendan and Carter. Plus, I will remind you of the benefits that it has for you and your people.”

  Linnea noticed the dark-haired man look at her again when his name was mentioned. So he was a prince too. She bounced her eyes between the brothers and noticed that they had similar features, but were incredibly different in how they held themselves. The crown prince was right in the thick of things, while the other stood back and took everything in.

  She always knew that she was going to be married off to someone of her father’s choosing, but she still felt the shock course through her when her father agreed so easily. She knew he had his reasons— that making this deal wo
uld be easier than going to war. The people would be at ease now that their lives wouldn’t really change. There would be a king in charge of their king, but they would otherwise be free. Everyone won but Linnea.

  “A wise choice, my friend,” Richard Hawke answered. “We will begin the changes shortly. We would like to have the princess come back with us immediately. We can send for her things and other maidens once we return home.”

  Linnea couldn’t believe how fast things were moving. Typically, there were wedding plans made and a large ceremony before the girl was sent off to her new kingdom. Seeing as how members of the Family Hawke didn’t marry and fraternized with one another, there was no need for all of those preparations.

  “I suppose that would be best,” her father agreed and once more, her older brother was outraged.

  “You’re just going to give her over to them. What about mother? What about Lyra!?” Lyra was their thirteen-year-old sister who had remained behind.

  Linnea’s father looked sad, but knew there was no other choice. “I do what I must, my children.

  The meeting of clans began to disband, and the people from Laurelasa began to collect what few things that belonged to Linnea and move them into the Hawke Family tents. Her handmaiden, Penina, looked just as shocked as Linnea as she was escorted away too. All that was left were the goodbyes.