And we did.
Well, I did. Everything we went through never seemed to affect me as much as it did Willa. Willa retreated within herself, and as well-meaning as our father was, the isolation he placed us under didn’t do Willa any good at all. She spoke to me and Clara, but that was about it. She always needed more, and not more therapy, just more love.
Losing our mother was hard enough.
Losing our lives, our freedom, was just as hard.
And now, I’ve lost her.
No.
I mustn’t think that way.
I must stay positive and believe she’ll be back.
My eyes landed on my father again. I longed to throw myself into his arms, crying and shaking and letting go of all of the emotion raging through me like a dark storm and let him carry the weight of it for a while. But I knew I could never do that. He wasn’t that kind of father. He had his own burdens to carry and I had no choice but to remain stoic and positive.
Anything else would just be weakness.
Willa deserved more than weakness.
I’d never allow myself to fall apart until she was found safely. And I knew my father would stop at nothing to find her.
It was all going to be okay.
Willa was going to be okay.
She just had to.
Chapter 5
WILLA
“Where are we going?” I asked Dragon, wiping my palms on my dress. My stomach was quivering with nervousness and we’d been driving in circles around the island.
“It’s a surprise,” he said, reaching over and squeezing my knee. It felt so strange to be touched by someone other than my sister or Clara. I stared down at his hand, hot and heavy, the heat searing through the cotton of my dress. In an instant, he lifted it, but the feeling of his warm touch stayed. My stomach quivered again, and I struggled to breathe. “We’re almost there.”
“Where?” I asked again.
“You’ll see,” he smirked.
I stared out the window, watching all the life passing by. It had been so long since I’d been out of the castle, I recognized nothing. We’d been driving for a long while, and I was sure I’d seen some of the same landmarks a few times. The island isn’t that large — driving around it only takes a few hours.
“Why are we going in circles?” I asked.
“You are full of questions, aren’t you?” He quipped, winking at me.
I shrugged, wanting answers. The nervousness was only increasing the longer I was away from home. I knew my father must be losing his mind by now. I hoped he wasn’t yelling at Clara or Eva, or any of the staff. But I knew he’d blame them.
He’d never think that I would just take off on my own.
Neither would Clara or Eva.
They think I’m a kid. Or stupid. Or incapable of taking care of myself.
That’s part of the reason why I left. To prove them wrong.
To prove to them, and to myself, that I was nothing like the person that they believed me to be.
After Eva and I were abducted when we were six — and all the stuff happened — it was really hard for me to adjust at first. I’ll be the first to admit that. And maybe Eva dealt with it better than I did, but mainly she was just different. For a pair of twins, we’ve got a lot of differences between us. I just needed more time.
And once I started feeling better, stronger, they’d all convinced themselves that I was never getting better, and no matter what I did, they continued to treat me like a little child.
All I wanted was to live a normal life.
All I wanted was to escape the prison our father had put us in.
I looked over at Dragon, his tousled purple hair and torn jeans, and he was like a creature from another world. I’d never met anyone like him. His smile sparkled with life, with adventure, and I wanted to learn to smile like that.
I wanted to live.
Leaving the castle was just the first step to living.
My family would survive without me, but I knew I would never survive as long as I was locked away with them.
It wasn’t that I didn’t love them — I did. I just needed so much more.
Would Dragon be the one to give me that?
I was on my own now. I had no choice but to trust him.
He slowed the car down and turned down a dirt road leading into a thick forested property and stopped in front of a closed gate. Without a word, he jumped out and unlocked a padlock, then pushed open the gate. Running back to the car, he jumped back in and eased the car forward, then got out again and locked the gate back.
He jumped back in the car and smiled over at me.
“You’re gonna fucking love this,” he whispered, before leaning over and kissing me on the cheek, sending a jolt of electricity right through my heart.
He put the car in gear and pulled forward. My breath caught in my throat and I bit my lip with excitement.
We drove for a moment down a narrow winding road until breaking through the trees. The horizon opened up, revealing a landscape of frothy waves crashing onto a sandy white beach in the distance and an old red and white lighthouse towering over the azure ocean.
“It’s beautiful!” I cried, my eyes lighting up at the beauty in front of me.
“It’s home,” Dragon said, smiling proudly.
“You live here?” I asked, incredulously.
“We live here, Willa,” he said, grabbing my hand and squeezing hard.
Happiness surged through me.
This was it.
This was what living felt like.
I wanted more.
Chapter 6
SLADE
“I wonder if they have a moat,” I pondered, as we stepped off the plane and headed down the stairs to the tarmac. The heat hanging in the air hit me like a fist to the face. “Fuck, it’s so hot!”
“It’s summertime. On an island. In the middle of the fucking ocean, dumb ass,” Riot said.
“I’m just saying,” I snapped.
We’d left our leathers and cuts back home, and as much as I loved fucking Diana in my cut, I was secretly glad I didn’t have to wear it in this heat. That didn’t mean our crew didn’t strike an intimidating pose. We didn’t need our cuts for that.
We’re a bunch of gnarly, huge, tattooed dudes, with the exception of my beautiful love, Diana. She just looks like an angel, no matter what she does.
We’re gonna get looks anywhere we go. Our mission here is to not stand out too much, but with Wreck’s scars, Stryker’s sheer size, and the dozens of tattoos etched into our collective skin, I’m not sure we’re going to blend into the townsfolk so well.
At the end of the stairs, our chariot awaited — in the form of a nondescript shiny black Escalade. Standing near the door was a somber-looking old dude in a suit. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, he nodded and pulled open the back door of the Escalade.
“Welcome to Lilivania. My name is Harold, I am His Majesty’s driver. I will escort you to the palace.”
“What’s up?” I replied. He lifted his chin, looking down his nose at me before stepping to the side. We piled into the back of the SUV silently. The door slammed behind us, cocooning us inside.
“Pretty fucking formal,” I muttered. Diana nudged me and shot me a disapproving glance. “What?” I asked.
“Language,” she said. “Royalty is very proper. Remember the information I gave you? You did read it, didn’t you, babe? It’s very important you follow the proper protocol.”
“Yeah, of course I read it,” I lied. Don’t judge me for lying to her. It’s a little white lie. And besides, I’ve seen lots of movies. I know I’m supposed to curtsy or some shit to the queen, but since there isn’t a queen involved here, I’ll just give the ol’ king a big hearty handshake, man-o to man-o.
Firm handshakes are like a universal language between men. I didn’t need any instruction on that. I’d be just fine.
The driver whisked us out of the airport and we headed into the heart of the city, and I
was surprised to see how vibrant it was. People of all shapes, sizes and colors filled the streets, going about their daily lives, most wearing smiles. The energy was happy and bustling, yet it had a peaceful small town feel at the same time and I liked it immediately.
Large swaying trees lined the streets, creating a beautiful canopy of shade as we drove under them. Within moments, we entered a beautiful park that surrounded a massive stone wall with an ornate iron gate that opened as we approached and closed with a heavy clang once we passed through.
“Wow,” Diana whispered, reaching over and intertwining her fingers with mine. “It’s beautiful.”
“Sure is,” I said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. She rarely accompanied me when I was working, and it was a delight knowing we were in this together. Usually, I was just stuck with the other Gods for unknown periods of time and left missing her. “I don’t think I’ve ever been inside a castle before.”
“Me, either,” she said, squeezing my hand. I leaned over and smiled at her, whispering in her ear.
“You know what I’m thinking?” I asked, thinking that I couldn’t wait to make love to her inside a real-life castle.
“Probably,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Be good!”
“Never,” I hissed, kissing her ear. She moved away and flashed a warning look my way, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She knew better than to expect too much from me. A man can only hold out so long. If she thought we weren’t going to find a few minutes to steal away and cross one off the bucket list, she was wrong.
A hush fell over the car as we pulled up to the massive stone structure. It was as big as a university and to think that just one family lived here was insane.
Turrets and towers bookmarked the corners of the castle. Gardens bursting with blooms surrounded it, and shooting vines of bright red flowers crawled up the walls. A wide stone staircase led up to two massive, carved wooden doors in the center. At the bottom of the staircase, a small gathering of people stood waiting to receive us.
We climbed out of the car one at a time, and the eyes of our hosts widened with the appearance of each of us. By the time we all stood in front of each other, the king was almost gaping with disbelief.
Clara, standing to his side, broke the ice, rushing over to Diana and gathering her in her arms.
“Thank you for coming,” Clara said, hugging her tightly.
“Of course,” Diana said. She turned and gestured to the gang of us behind her. “These are my friends. Riot, Slade, Wreck and Stryker.”
Clara nodded to each of us, “It’s very nice to meet you, thank you for coming.”
The king stood behind Clara, stoic and unmoving, his chin raised high as he stared down his nose at us, just as his driver had. I suppressed the urge to make a joke to relieve the tension and kept my mouth shut, as hard as it was, letting Clara and Diana take the lead.
Clara moved to the side and bowed slightly.
“Allow me to introduce you to His Majesty, King Joseph of Lilivania.”
Diana curtsied in front of him and I had to bite my lip not to laugh. She’d been practicing in the mirror since she found out she was going to get the interview with him and I thought it was adorable. Now, she was taking each step so seriously and it just made me love her more.
“Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty,” she said to him.
“Enough with the formalities, call me Joe!” He barked, shaking his head. “Time is of the essence and we don’t need to waste it with bullshit!”
My admiration for him soared. I liked him.
I stepped forward, knowing he’d appreciate my own assertiveness and no-bullshit attitude, just like his.
“Sir, er, uh — King — I mean, Joe — my name is Slade, I’m Diana’s old man,” I reached out my hand to shake his, but he just stared down at my hand with disgust. “Um…okay,” I mumbled, taking my hand back. “Well, that’s fine. Rest assured, Sir, we’re going to find your girl, your Princess, uh…daughter.”
His eyes landed on mine, piercing and blue and sharp as lasers. My smile faded and I nodded in understanding. He was not a man of a lot of words, I could respect that, too.
Riot stepped forward and I could feel the frustration rolling off him. This shit was awkward, but most of our jobs were uncomfortable in some form or another, so I knew we’d get through this one, too.
“Sir, my name is Riot. I’m ready to get to work immediately finding Princess Willa.”
“Thank you for coming,” the king replied, though his tone was skeptical. “I’m still not convinced you can help, but I’m willing to let you try.”
“We won’t let you down,” I said, my smile creeping across my face again. I’m just a natural smiler so making it stop wasn’t easy. My lips just wanted to curl up at the corners. Diana nudged me and I flashed her a sheepish look.
“Elizabeth, our House Mistress, will show you to your rooms. I will meet you in my library in half an hour.” With that, Joe turned on his heel and ascended the stairs behind him, leaving us all standing there looking at each other.
A matronly woman with her hair pulled back in a tight bun stepped forward. “I’m Elizabeth, pleased to meet you. Harold will collect your luggage. If you’ll follow me, please, I will show you to your rooms.”
Despite Joe declaring an end to the formalities, everything sure felt as fucking formal as could be.
I couldn’t wait to shake shit up.
I can’t help it. It’s in my blood.
Chapter 7
CLARA
I motioned for the others to climb the stairs as I followed.
Mostly, I just wanted a good look.
The Gods had ditched the cuts I’d seen Slade wear that time at dinner, and yet it did nothing to take away their edge.
Tall, broad and rugged, the four guys presented the most imposing group I’d ever come face to face with. Riot was the clear leader, stoic and broad shouldered and serious. Slade was obviously the clown of the group and I was very afraid he was going to clash with Joe, who rarely laughed or smiled in the first place. Wreck was intriguing with his myriad of scary looking scars contrasting with his friendly smile.
But it was Stryker I found my gaze returning to. He hadn’t said a word yet, but it was his eyes that caught me off guard. A shimmering blue that reminded me of the bluest waters off the northern California coast.
He was somber himself. He wasn’t laughing.
And yet, the energy that rolled off his massive frame was peaceful and gentle, and without one word coming from him, I could feel his kindness.
Maybe I was just desperately needing that right now.
Maybe I was making it all up.
I was sleep deprived and terrified and frustrated and stricken with overwhelming guilt and worry for Willa — of course I was seeking kindness and comfort.
Stop it, Clara!
As I watched these wild looking men I’d summoned walk into the opulence of the palace, I shook off my own needs and reminded myself to focus on finding Willa.
She was the only thing that mattered.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a huge mistake inviting them. Of course, men like this would clash with Joe. Of course, they’d look completely out of place. It was crazy, I finally decided, and panic began to set into my gut.
“I’ll meet you in Joe’s study after Elizabeth shows you to your rooms,” I mumbled to them, trying to shake off my doubts. What’s done is done. They were here now.
Diana turned to me and hugged me quickly, before following Elizabeth. I stood watching them go up the winding marble staircase that led to the east wing of the castle, trying to calm my racing heart.
Stryker looked down at me and a slow smile spread across his face. He nodded briefly and looked away, leaving the vision of his smile etched into my brain.
Stop it, Clara, stop it, I thought, as I attempted to erase my own smile from my face.
This was no time for smiles or comfort.
I squa
red my shoulders and went to find Eva.
Chapter 8
STRYKER
Silently, I was freaking out.
For a poor farm boy, this place was like something out of a fairytale.
The island, the grounds, the angry king, the palace itself — I half expected Cinderella to come floating down the marble staircase with a couple of chirping birds buzzing around her head.
I’d never seen such fancy shit in real life. I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell they walked on these slippery floors without falling all the time. And where was the dust? The clutter?
Did the castle have a fucking junk drawer?
I’m not saying I’m a slob or anything, but regular people don’t live like this. It was like walking through a museum. The gleaming floors, the priceless art on the walls, the gold trim embedded in the elaborately carved wooden banisters — all of it.
When Elizabeth, who Joe had called the ‘House Mistress’ for fuck’s sake, showed me to my room, I gasped out loud. This one room was bigger than any apartment I’d ever been in. It even had its own balcony and one of those fancy canopy things over the bed.
The bed itself was draped in luxurious velvet blankets in a deep maroon. The pillows had shiny gold tassels attached to the corners and the edges of white silk sheets peeked out from under the covers.
I’m supposed to sleep here? I wondered to myself.
I immediately thought of dragging my naked butt across those sheets and cringed. My routine of sleeping without clothes wasn’t going to fly here.
It’s not that I’m a slob or dirty, don’t get me wrong — but all this shit must have cost thousands, and people just put their bare feet — and other bare bits — on it?
It was all foreign to me.
And extremely uncomfortable.
I was here to do a job, though, and I was going to do whatever I had to do to be professional.
If I was forced to sleep encased in fancy silk to do that, so be it.
BLOOD PRINCESS: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK 17) Page 3
