A Player for A Princess: Dirty Players Duet #2

by Tia Louise

  “What happened?”

  “It was Juliana.”

  I almost drop the phone. “Nesbitt’s niece?” I think of the mousey girl who dropped out of school and moved in with our housekeeper last spring.

  “Ava noticed she was obsessed with Seth’s disappearance. She sneaked into her room and found several texts from Hines on the girl’s phone.”

  “Skip ahead,” I demand. “Where is Zelda?”

  “The coordinates are fifteen point seven thousand north, sixty-three point six three-three west. Hines must have known they were coming for him He told Juliana to give you those coordinates if anything happened to him.”

  My chest explodes with an insane mixture of relief and frustration. “What the fuck was she waiting for?” I shout in the phone.

  “She didn’t know he was dead. Ava says the news hit her pretty hard.”

  “Never mind—I’m hanging up. I’ll text you when we get there.”

  “Be careful, brother,” Rowan’s voice is grave.

  “I’ve got Logan and Reggie with me.” I’m jogging down the stairs, grabbing my keys off the counter. “Tell Ava good work. She found the answer we’ve been needing.”

  “I’ve already requested satellite images. I’ll forward them to you as soon as they’re in.”

  The small island is three hundred miles south of Tortola, which requires us to charter yet another jet and fly to Venezuela. I’m frustrated as more time slips through our fingers. We’re past our deadline, and while Rowan is working on his end to buy us more time, I don’t trust Wade Paxton not to hurt her. I can’t shake the images in that hotel room.

  It takes another day, but we’re on a boat, speeding toward the small island not far from Aruba. Using the satellite images, Freddie found an abandoned pier hidden in the curve of the island where a series of mineral baths are located. I’m at the bow, staring down the wind and wishing I could push the boat faster through sheer willpower, when I feel a text come through on my phone. It’s from Rowan.

  Proceed with extreme caution. A scout visually confirmed Zelda is in the camp. Sending exact location.

  An image appears on my phone, and I make my way carefully to the back of the boat, where Logan is driving, I show him the text. His jaw is set and he nods, taking us around to the location of the hidden pier.

  I’m keeping my eyes out for other boats or small planes. Reggie tries texting Wade Paxton. He’s determined to facilitate a meeting between the three of us. Personally, I think he relishes the idea of turning our oversized bodyguard loose on that slime.

  I make a signal, and I’m heading back for my seat when another text appears—this time from Rowan.

  Pax is making good on his threats.

  My stomach plunges. His threat was to hurt her. His threat was to send us a piece of her. With trembling fingers, I text a reply. What did he do?

  Rowan’s reply doesn’t answer my question. Whatever force is needed I authorize you to use.

  He’s telling me I have his permission to kill, to assassinate the prime minister of Totrington. I can’t take it anymore. What happened? I text. I’m two seconds from calling when he replies with an image.

  I drop to my knees when I see it. My head is in my hands, and I’m barely holding it together. The sound of the boat engine dies, and my head snaps up. “NO! Get us there NOW!” I’m practically shouting.

  Logan’s face is lined. “Sir! What happened?”

  “We have to get to her now, Logan. We can’t lose another hour.”

  * * *

  Reggie stays on the boat as we make our way through the dark jungle in the direction of the camp. Two camps are on opposite ends of the small island. The one holding Zelda is closest to our hidden dock. A long pier is in the center of the island, and we’ve learned cargo ships make occasional, overnight stops here leaving or returning to Venezuela. As far as we know, tonight we’re alone.

  “Perfect place to hide a criminal enterprise,” Logan says as we make our way up the dirt road in the direction of the first camp.

  We’re armed to the teeth and dressed in black. Our plan is to retrieve Zelda, but my additional plan, once she’s secure on the boat, is to return to this Blix Ratcliffe’s shelter and cut his fingers off one by one then shove them all in his mouth and tape it shut then tie him to a chair and set him on fire. Envisioning his intricately painful execution is the only thing keeping me together as we make our way quickly and quietly to where my love is being held prisoner.

  The clearing opens, and in the moonlight, I see a line of small, cinder-block huts. None of them have windows or doors, and in the dim night, they could be hiding anyone. We stand out against the white walls like rocks on the white sand, and I look around for security cameras.

  “No time,” Logan whispers. “Move fast.”

  I do as he says, not stopping for stealth. I charge up to the first shack, where our scout said he’d seen her taken. Pushing the curtain aside, I see a tiny room with a table in the center and three cots. In the far corner a woman and a girl sleep together, but to my right…

  Emotion hits me so hard. She’s wearing that same denim halter dress from the last day I saw her, only it’s slightly different, fuller. She’s lying on her side in the fetal position, but the light from the window touches her blonde hair and cheeks. Her hair is tied back in a braid, and her face is drawn and stressed. Even sleeping, she looks so tired.

  Going to her, I gently smooth her hair away. Her bandaged hand is near her face, and I lift it carefully, moving it against her chest. She exhales a noise, and I have to pause as it cuts into my heart. I want to hear her say my name, but I don’t want to scare her. As carefully as possible, I lift her into my arms. Her chest is against mine, her arm over my shoulders, and I slowly lift her.

  She presses her forehead against my neck, and I sit on the bed to hold her, hugging her tight, allowing the emotions to pulse through me and into her before we set out into the darkness, heading back to the boat.

  “Cal,” she whimpers, breaking my heart. I kiss her full lips gently, and her arms tighten around my neck.

  “I’ve got you, my love,” I say as I stand. “You’re safe now.”

  My eyes land on a pair of green ones watching me from across the room. The girl is awake, and she sees me. I’m frozen in place unsure if she’ll scream or wake her mother; if she’ll try to fight us, or if she’ll call Ratcliffe.

  The girl does none of those things. She simply nods and smiles. I don’t hesitate. We have no time to waste, and I’m out the door and back to where I left Logan.

  * * *

  Onboard the ship, I’m holding Zelda in my arms as we decide our next steps.

  “I wasn’t able to deal with Hines,” Logan says, his voice a low rumble. “You stay with her. I’ll finish Ratcliffe.”

  The anger in my chest surges to life. “His ass is mine.” Every time I see the finger Zee keeps trying to hide, red floods my vision. “He dared to touch her. I will make him suffer.”

  “I’ll make him suffer.” He nods to my fiancée. “She needs your strength now.”

  It’s the only thing keeping me here. Zelda is hugged close to my side, and she seems smaller somehow, broken. My arms tighten around her, and with a deep exhale, I give him the go-ahead. He’s off the boat, disappearing into the night.

  Reggie is at the stern, holding the wheel and waiting for our next steps. “Wade is in the area,” he says, slipping his phone into the coat pocket above his chest. “I’ll arrange a meeting with him, and the two of you can plan however you’d like to deal with him.”

  “That’s good,” I say, standing and lifting Zee in my arms again. “We’ll be below.” I take her down the steps of the cabin cruiser to where a small living area fills the space below deck. Bench seating surrounds a table, and through a sliding door in the back is a tiny bedroom.

  “I can’t believe you’re here,” she finally says, and I pull her close to me again.

  She cried almost the entire way fr
om the camp to the boat, and my heart broke over and over with her sobs. She’s been so quiet since we got onboard. I felt her recoil from Reggie, but when she heard us talking she relaxed. Her good hand is fisted in my shirt, and as much as she doesn’t want to let me go, I’m not in any hurry to let her out of my arms.

  “Would you like to sleep?” I ask gently.

  Her eyes close, and she melts into my chest. “I’ve missed the sound of your voice.”

  Both my arms tighten around her, and I carry her to the queen-sized bed with me. I’m sitting, propped up with pillows, and she’s curled with her head on my chest. We stay that way several long moments as her breathing slows and the hole her kidnapping exploded in my chest gradually heals.

  “My beautiful Zee,” I whisper, and her arms tighten on me. I stroke her forehead, then I kiss her brow. “I’ll kill them for hurting you. I’ll kill them all.”

  She doesn’t speak. She only hugs me again, and a little tremble moves through her. It’s almost more than I can stand. Rolling her onto her back, I raise up on my elbows so I can see her blue eyes. They’re red-rimmed and watery. I’m feeling every emotion I see reflected at me there.

  “They said you’re pregnant?” It’s a question that has haunted me for days. “You’re having my baby?”

  “Oh, Cal,” she rolls forward, hiding her face in my chest. “I think I am.”

  A hollow ache twists in my stomach. “I don’t understand.”

  Her hand is over her mouth a moment, and she hiccups a breath. “I was bleeding.” A little tremor before she’s able to speak again. “I’m so afraid, Cal. I’m afraid something happened…”

  Pulling her against my chest again, I look up at the ceiling and breathe slowly. Heat is in my own eyes this time, and I can’t believe how quickly I’ve become attached to the idea of Zelda and me as a family.

  “We’ll take you to a doctor as soon as we get back. We’re leaving this place tonight. I’ll message Logan and tell him to return.”

  Her body jerks, and she clutches my shirt in her fist. “Cal! We can’t leave them behind. You have to get them!”

  My brow lines. “Get who, darling?”

  “Ximena and Selena. The woman and her daughter who took care of me. We can’t leave them behind, Cal. They’re in danger here. If he comes and finds me gone, he’ll hurt them!”

  She’s talking so fast and pulling on my shirt. I run my hands over her hair and try to calm her. “I’ll tell Logan to get them. Will they go with him? They might be afraid.”

  “Selena speaks English. Have him tell her I said for them to come. Tell them my husband is here, and we need them to come with us.”

  That makes me smile. I cup her beautiful face in my hands and kiss her wet cheeks. She makes a little noise, and turns her face to find my mouth. Our lips part and her tongue curls with mine. She tastes like salt and tears, and with every beat of my heart emotion rolls through my veins. I pull her to me again, holding her so close.

  “My Zelda,” I whisper. “I’m going to make up for everything that happened to you here, I promise. No one will ever hurt you again.”

  23

  Princess

  Zelda

  Cal is above deck talking to Reggie, and I strip out of my transformed denim dress into the most amazing shower of my life. It’s a tiny, cramped boat shower, but I have soap and shampoo and hot water. I stand and luxuriate under the spray with my eyes closed until I hear Cal back in the room.

  “I don’t want to be a tyrant, but we have a limited supply of water onboard.” A smile is in his voice, and fresh tears flood my eyes.

  Reaching forward, I shut off the water and rest my forehead against the white wall a moment as I let the realization I’ve been rescued wash over me. Taking a deep breath, I open the frosted-glass door, and he’s waiting there looking like the most amazing dream come true, holding a fluffy, white towel for me.

  “A towel,” I sigh, as he wraps it around me and pulls me to his chest.

  Warm lips are on my temple. My arms are pinned against my chest, and he’s holding me in those strong arms so safe and warm. My stomach is tight, my insides vibrating with pure joy.

  Lifting my chin, I catch his gaze. “Was Logan able to get them?”

  “They’re right outside at the table,” he says softly. “I gave them food, and they seem a bit overwhelmed.”

  “We’re probably all going to need time to adjust to being free.”

  “Take as much time as you need. I’m eternally grateful to them for taking care of you.”

  “You have no idea how much they did for me.”

  Our eyes meet again, and he cups my cheeks. His are so warm, I feel like I’ll be lost gazing into them. It’s like a dream.

  “More good news,” he says, and my brows quirk in a question. “Ximena said the bleeding stopped. She said you were asleep for a long time after… your finger,” his lips tighten, “but she thinks the baby is okay.”

  I’m relieved but still worried. “I’ll be glad when I’m able to see a doctor. I’ve been so afraid ever since we found out.”

  Another simmering kiss, and his strong arms return to hold me. “I’m so relieved we found you. I feel certain you’re going to be okay.”

  “Only…” my chin drops, and I look down at my bandaged hand.

  Cal follows my eyes, and I see the muscle in his jaw move. I remember not so long ago when it was directed at me. “I’m going to find that animal. Wade Paxton is next.”

  Terror hits me like a medicine ball. “You know where he is?”

  “Reggie is trying to lure him out of hiding. He has reason to believe he’s in the area.”

  “He’s a monster, Cal. Don’t go near him.”

  Fury flashes in his eyes. “I’m going near him. I intend to be very near him, and when I’m done, he’ll regret the day he was born.”

  Turning away, I use the towel to finish drying my body. I can’t think about Cal confronting Wade Paxton right now. My head is aching again, and I need to speak to Ximena and Selena. I need to explain what’s happening to them. Pausing at the door, I hesitate a moment. Cal’s body is warm at my back, and his face moves to my bare shoulder and soft lips close over the skin of my neck.

  “Oh,” I gasp.

  Electric tingles snake through my limbs and I reach back to hold his head, the back of his neck as he devours the skin of my shoulder, moving up into my hairline.

  “I’ve wanted to taste your skin, smell your hair, feel you in my arms for so long. I thought I would go mad from wanting you.”

  “Cal,” I whisper, unable to move.

  My back is to his chest, and he holds me. His face is against my ear, and my hand clutches his neck. “When you’re strong enough,” his voice is low. “I want to make love to you again.”

  “I want that, too,” I say, holding the wall for support. “How long before we’re in Tortola?”

  “We’ll be there by morning.”

  * * *

  Cal gives Ximena and Selena their own private room on the first floor of the villa, and we’re in the second-floor suite we shared before my nightmare began. We’re relieved and cautious after visiting the recommended doctor as soon as we arrived in Tortola.

  Several blood tests, examinations, and one ultrasound later, we’d been told our baby girl is healthy and thriving. I’m twelve weeks along, which means, as Cal noted, I’ve been pregnant since Monagasco.

  “I can probably say which night it happened,” he says with a grin, holding me against his chest on the enormous, incredibly soft bed.

  “The first night you decided condoms took too long?” I tease, watching the two ceiling fans spin in time.

  He scoots down and pushes the light cotton blouse I’m wearing open. “I don’t regret a thing,” he murmurs against my stomach, holding my sides and kissing my navel.

  Threading my fingers in his hair, I think about the other news we were given. The doctor said my concussion symptoms could last a year. I have to eat a spec
ial, vitamin-enriched diet for the next few weeks while I’m recovering, and holding up my hand, I can’t decide if I want to have reconstructive surgery on my finger.

  “I think I’d like one of those wooden fingers,” I say, considering my damaged digit.

  Cal props his head on his hand and studies my expression. “Are you sure? We can have the finest doctors work on it. Remember that prince thing I’m always reminding you about?”

  I place my palm against his scruffy cheek. “I think it makes me look like a pirate. Or maybe a Tenenbaum?”

  That gets me a sexy MacCallam grin. “I had a feeling there would be a movie tie-in somehow.”

  “Do you hate the idea?”

  He returns to pressing burning kisses against my slightly rounded stomach. “I love everything about the idea.” Strong hands slide under my skirt, moving up the back of my thighs. My insides clench as he gets closer to… “Yes,” he hisses, flipping my short skirt over my hips. “I love it when you go commando.”

  “Cal!” I gasp, but he’s distracted, dipping his luscious tongue inside and teasing my clit with slow, gentle circles.

  My hips jump with every pass, and he kisses away, moving his mouth to my inner thigh. “Not so fast, beautiful. I want to make this last.”

  “Oh, god.” My voice is a strangled groan. Now that I’m better, I realize how much I’ve missed him—and how much a healthy pregnancy makes me horny. “I’m going to combust if you go slow.”

  He only grins and traces his tongue along the line of my hip. Everywhere he touches me sends fire simmering beneath my skin. He traces a path slowly to the center, settling in and covering my lower lips with his. His arms are wrapped around my thighs, and his tongue sweeps faster, circling, making my eyes flutter shut as my hips move in time with his mouth.

  Heat spirals up my thighs and down, fluttering like waves in the arches of my feet. My toes curl as my orgasm builds so fast, and when I feel his thumb slide into me, I can’t help crying out.

  My insides tighten in an irresistible fist of pleasure and with one more teasing pass of his tongue, I break, bucking my hips and begging for his cock.