by Hazel Grace
“I found a select group of prostitutes who have agreed to Lady Ava’s plan about obtaining information. I’ve sent them out to the neighboring town, to see if we get a bite.”
“Good,” I replied, exhaling a breath. I couldn’t keep all these people safe. These criminals would more than likely go to the next village and do the same exact thing.
“We already have information.” He took a seat in front of my desk.
“What?”
“Last night, one of the woman said a man with a scar across his stomach spoke about a plan. He called it ‘a reign of terror’ that was going to be released against the throne.”
I groaned. “So, what do we do? Ask all the men in town to take off their shirts, so I can look for a scar?”
John rolled his eyes. “She also said he was younger, blond hair, very handsome.”
“Still not enough.”
“Looked like Reddington.”
I froze. That son of a bitch.
“Reddington? Find out where he was last night. Tell George I want to see him—now.”
“I’ll do that right away.”
“Is Reddington’s mother still alive?” I inquired.
John rubbed his chin a moment. “I don’t believe so. She was murdered by a man she was living with.”
“How long ago?”
“Back when Reddington was a young lad. His mother hung around gambling halls and brought abusive men home.”
“And now he owns a gambling hall?”
John shrugged. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
“It’s fucked up,” I retorted. “I need more information on his past. I don’t trust the prick.”
John bowed his head. “Anything else?” I glanced back at the report and the words ‘two men gravely injured’ popped out at me.
“Send the second Elite group out. They’ve trained enough. I want them to send word across the villages that any man wandering around outside will be brought here for questioning. We need more men. Grab that list of assassins. I need to write some letters, recruit more men.”
“I’ll do that right away. When did you want to make a trip out to the village? It might do some good for them to see you.”
“Tomorrow.” John nodded again and turned to leave the room. “Wait!” I bellowed. “Have the blacksmith make more weapons. We are going to teach these people how to defend themselves.”
“Knives for the woman as well?”
I nodded. “All of it. If I can’t get a hold of one of these traitors, maybe one of them will.”
∞∞∞
“We will be leaving in about a week,” my mother concluded, as she poured me a glass of blackberry punch. I hadn’t been listening to a damn thing she said. I was fantasizing about a woman with stunning red hair and curves for acres, which, thanks to my mother, was just shattered with her news.
“Why now?” I asked, irritated. I wasn’t up to having this discussion again. I thought having a nice picnic in the gardens would be an enjoyable way to spend time with my family, not discussing how she wanted to take off without my protection.
Mama huffed. “Were you not listening to a word I said?”
Hara giggled. “No, Mama, he was too busy daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming?” she repeated, furrowing her brow.
“I wasn’t daydreaming,” I denied. I was planning my next visit with the seductive vixen. Hara hid her smile with her hand.
“Edward has confessed to your sister that he has a prince coming to meet her,” Mama sniffed, laying out the food the servants brought over moments ago. I shrugged. My father was still using me as his number one choice of landing more money, not Hara. Mama worried too much.
“How can you be so calm about this, Garr? He is going to marry her off,” she continued.
“I’m still his golden opportunity to obtaining more funds for his armies. We’ve discussed this.”
“Well he must be getting smarter because now he has two. Both of my children!” Mama shouted, her face turning red.
Hara shot me a glance, silently telling me to do something to calm her down. Attempting to keep my temper at bay, I placed a hand on Mama’s back and rubbed gently. “I’ll look into it, Mama,” I replied. “Everything is going to be fine.”
“You better do it quickly,” she retorted. “You might be used to gambling, but I’m not going to take a chance. Get your father under control, or we’ll be on the first carriage departing.”
“You should come with us,” Hara piped in. “I think it’s time to come home.”
I raised a brow. “You know I can’t do that until this is all finished.” I looked at both of them. They’d been talking about me again; guilt was plastered all over their faces.
“But if I leave,” Hara said, her expression turning sullen, “Garrett will be forced to marry Lady Chitwood. I couldn’t live with myself if he lost Ava. There is no way I can do that. I’ll stay with you, Garr.”
A pang of irritation tapped at my nerves. I was tired of hearing Chitwood’s name. “I’m not going to marry Chitwood. I’ve made that perfectly clear, a dozen times.”
“Then she will marry the next man that your father sees fit,” Mama stormed, pointing at Hara. “I know him, son. He loves all of you, but his head gets so involved with the kingdom that he will put it above all else.”
I didn’t want to agree with her, but she spoke the truth. My father slept, ate, and dreamed of Telliva.
“Then you will take my men with you when you leave,” I grumbled, knowing she wouldn’t change her mind. I’d never won a fight with my mother; today wouldn’t be any different.
“As you wish,” Mama conceded. She handed a plate of assorted sandwiches. “Now, onto our next subject. Ava.”
Fuck.
“What about her?”
“I’d consider letting her come with us.”
“No,” I barked. “She stays here with me, under my personal eye.”
“She is growing tired of this place. You are keeping a wild bird in a cage, and she will flee the first chance she gets.”
Flee?
My heart raced at the thought. Hell, we just made love last night. I told her no one would make her feel the way I do. Shit, I’d never felt this way about anyone myself. She wouldn’t desert me after all that.
“She would never leave me,” I said confidently.
“Oh? And why is that?” Mama scanned me, looking for clues.
Because I just made her mine. And I would chase her down to the ends of the Universe.
“Because I’m going to ask her to marry me,” I babbled.
Wait…what?
I’d never thought of marriage before. I didn’t want to be bothered with a woman’s fretting and complaining for the rest of my life. I would just give my lands to Hara’s children and be a good uncle to them. But marrying Ava didn’t seem bad at all. It actually sounded amazing. I could take her travelling, something she always spoke about; introduce her to new cultures and foods. Shit, I really wouldn’t mind her in my bed every night. Her hair sprawled across white sheets, in a new country we’d just arrived in. Just me and her; everything else would be left behind.
Hara squealed with delight, scooting over the large blanket to hug me.
“Oh Garr!” Hara exclaimed. “I’m so happy!”
“That is wonderful news!” Mama praised. “But you don’t expect her to stay here, do you?”
“Uhh...no. Of course not,” I replied, taking a bite of my sandwich.
“Have John start looking for a home for you two,” Mama put in.
“But what about Father? He will never have it,” Hara said, her forehead puckered.
Mama nodded. “You’ll have to disappear for a little while. Edward will be furious.”
“And what about her father? She would never leave him behind,” Hara mused.
“She’ll have to,” Mama continued to my sister. “Only for a little while. You, my dear, we’ll need to hide you away too.”
They both
continued to talk about their grand plan, but my mind stuttered at the idea of marrying Avie. It would make sense. I’d thought of her dozens of times in the past. She was the only woman that had ever held my interest and without her life wouldn’t seem complete. I just didn’t know how she’d take it. She’d been arranged to marry twice already, to my lucky bastard of a brother, and I knew she craved her freedom. Marriage might seem like a prison sentence to her right now.
I needed to know where her head was at.
Ava
Chapter 31
“You scared me!” I chided, as Garrett wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He pressed his mouth against my neck, using his expert tongue to plant long, soft kisses along it.
“Let me make it up to you,” he rumbled, making his way up to my ear, causing me to shiver.
As I reached over to grab my red riding cloak off my bed, Garrett pulled me back against him.
“I have a ride scheduled with your brother this morning.”
“And I took it upon myself to send a note to George, delaying that for a little while. On your behalf, of course.”
I turned around to look at him. “How considerate of you.” The corners of my lips quirked as I shook my head. “Now you’re making my plans for me?”
He chuckled. “I know better than to order you around, Avie. That’s a suicide mission.”
I ran a finger down his shaved cheek. “Glad we’re on the same page.”
He lowered his mouth to mine, clearly ignoring any guff I had about him sending letters on my behalf. I didn’t mind the sneaking into my room, but I wouldn’t be disregarded when it came to what I wanted.
I broke away, furrowing my brows. “Are you always like this?”
He bit my lower lip. “Only when I’m around you.”
“Well, that’s all fine and—”
“Quit talking, Avie, and kiss your man already.” He took my lips again, advancing on me as I followed his lead to my bed.
My man?
While my body warmed up to his, warning bells alarmed in my head. I didn’t regret giving myself to Garrett; I’d enjoyed it immensely. But we were still figuring this…whatever this was, together. Giving your heart and soul to someone was an important and dangerous thing. While I was extremely attracted to him, was that all we’d ever have? He wanted to go back home to Aruna; I had a business to run with Papa. Then there were always those lovely assassins to think about.
We are on two separate pages.
Feeling the back of my knees hit the side of the bed, he gently pushed me onto it as he removed his shirt. My eyes scanned his tan skin, his chest hair, and the tight muscles making up the fetching man in front of me.
I looked up to find him watching me stare like an idiot, and a smile graced his lips.
“Garrett, I think we should talk about all this.”
He stepped closer. “I don’t feel like talking.”
I pushed myself further toward the middle of the bed, away from the distraction of wanting to touch his skin.
“I think we have two different views of this situation.”
Garrett leaned both arms on the edge of the bed, quirking a brow. “Oh?”
“While I enjoyed…what we did, I—”
“Shit, I hope so.” Bringing his knee up on the bed, he began to crawl toward me, his eyes devouring me. “Now I’m ready for round two.”
I held up a hand. “Now hold on, Garr. You can’t just start making decisions for me and sending out notes on when I will be somewhere.”
He halted. “Noted. Are you done, my darling?”
My nostrils flared. “No, I’m not done. I’m not your mistress. You just can’t waltz around—”
Garrett seized my arm and pulled me toward him, his eyes narrowed. “Mistress? Avie Barlow, I know damn well that no man on this green Earth would be able to boss you the hell around.”
I yanked at my arm, but he wouldn’t let go, his fingers squeezing me to stay put as he continued. “What makes you think I’m even stupid enough for that challenge?” I blew a piece of hair off my face in frustration, and he raised a brow. “I’m waiting.”
“You know how I feel about being controlled. I want my freedom, and I’ll be damned if some rich, entitled man comes along, takes my virginity, and thinks he can stroll around, making my decisions.”
He sank his body closer to mine, forcing me to lie down.
“Entitled?” he repeated with a growl. “My entitled ass has worked for everything I have. I worked for those lands and made my own army to protect your small, perfect ass.”
“Don’t chastise me, then compliment me, you daft idiot.”
Releasing my arm, he hovered over me, placing both arms on either side of my body. “This idiot is going to make you feel daft in about two minutes, when I lick every inch of your pussy with my mouth.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t believe me, sweetheart?”
He reached down and began untying my riding pants.
“You can’t just—”
“I’ll do whatever I want until you tell me ‘no’,” he muttered, as I gasped, hearing a rip.
He bent over my ear, and his tongue licked my lobe before he took it between his teeth. His calloused hands slid down my thighs, bringing my pants to my knees. My breathing hitched, my body melting against his. Suddenly wanting to be rid of my trousers, I pulled each leg out of them. His hot breath tickled a sensitive part of my neck.
As he trailed his lips down my stomach, I laced my hands in his hair, pulling at it lightly. Shards of pleasure rippled through my body as his lips brushed my inner thigh. I didn’t know how sensitive that part of me was until now, especially as he inched closer to my pussy.
I didn’t know how much I craved sex until last night. With this man. And it was scary as hell how my body surrendered with just the proximity of him. Moving away my undergarments, he licked, as I crumpled the sheets around me, the friction of his mouth both wicked and sexy.
A moan escaped me, which made him intensify his actions. As he kissed my clit, sucking the sensitive nub into his mouth, his name fell off my dry lips. While the thought of him being inside me was amazing, this was a close second.
Feeling the pleasure beginning to build in my body, I ground myself against him. A fog of ecstasy hit me, and I squeezed my legs together, pinning Garrett’s head. Breathing heavily, I came back down to Earth. He peered up, smiling—that wolfish smile that gave me butterflies.
“You are perfect,” Garrett confessed, his eyes glossy.
Heat covered my cheeks. Coming up my body, Garrett leveled himself with my face and kissed me, and I tasted myself on his lips. He rested his forehead against mine.
“Marry me, Avie. I need you with me always.”
I froze.
Did he just…
My breathing became ragged, as sweat beaded on my forehead. The new orgasm must have made me senseless because I never imagined hearing those words. Ever. Especially out of his mouth.
“Don’t say you have to think about it,” he continued. “We were meant for each other, you and I.” He studied my face, his eyes soft. “Is this all just me?”
“No,” I replied.
He watched me; his face eased, but just a little. “Why are you hesitating then?”
I opened my mouth, wanting to speak the words I had been feeling. The fear. The uncertainty. The freedom within my grasp.
I looked at his chest. “I just…I don’t want to be tied down right now, to anything.”
He clutched my shoulder. “I was afraid of that myself,” he admitted. “But being with you wouldn’t be a burden at all.” He rubbed his nose against mine. “Especially if I get you like this every night.”
I chuckled. “I can’t argue with that.”
“Then I think we’ve made our decisions.” He moved off me and lay on his side, draping his arm around my waist.
“No, you made your decision,” I tittered, shaking my head.
He pulled me closer to him. “Woman, I
just proposed to you.”
“And so kindly mentioned sex every night, for your benefit.”
“My Lady, I will benefit you like I just did, every night, if you just say ‘yes’ to me.”
I peered up at him, his blue eyes soft and relaxed. “You’ve never spoken about marriage, Garr,” I pointed out. “Why now?”
“Because I want to get you out of here,” he said. “I want to be the one who shows you the world.” He raked his hand through his hand and paused. “And most importantly, I want to be the one who saves you from this world.”
His eyes darkened. “You’ve possessed me, body and soul, and I find myself not wanting to be free from you.” He sighed. “And it scares the shit out of me.”
I closed my gaping jaw. Not recognizing the man lying next to me, I couldn’t think of anything to say. Garrett was an effective, intense man, and knowing it must have taken every ounce of courage to let me into his thoughts made me care for him more.
“I have John looking for homes; something for you to pick out, close to your father and not too far from George,” he continued, playing with strands of my hair.
“But you wanted to leave Telliva. I can’t make you stay here. It’s too much.”
“You make me want to stay. If I have you, I don’t need anything else. I don’t want anything else but this.” He laid his hand over my heart. “I want to possess you like you’ve done me.”
I swallowed. I’d never had someone openly tell me how much they needed me before.
Glancing up at him, I said, “But your father…”
He shook his head. “We’ll travel for a year; you’ve been dreaming about it your whole life.”
“He will hunt us down, catch us, and hang us by our toes,” I warn.
Garrett chuckled. “I’m a predator, not prey, my love. I can keep his men at bay. We’d travel for a year straight. But after that”—he kissed my neck—“I get my year of you being in our bed.” Another kiss. “Begging you to give me a child.”
“I’m impressed.” I breathed, lacing my hand through his thick hair, as he used his tongue against my skin.
“I want to hear you say yes. I want you to be my wife.”
“I haven’t gotten to thin—”
