by Kenya Wright
I must get her to help me. That’s the only way we’ll win.
“What’s going through that head, Freddy?” Caden asked.
I continued to play along with his game. “How can I trust that you’ll leave Dawn and I alone after we get married tomorrow or whenever?”
“Have you ever read Sun Tzu’s Art of War?”
“No, but I damn sure plan to put that on my to-do list for this year.”
He laughed. “It’s a good read. Sun Tzu was a Chinese military strategist and philosopher. One of the popular concepts of his work was the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” He twisted the squares and pushed them up and down along the zig zag line, instead of from side to side like on a cube. “Do you understand what that is saying?”
“Yes. Whoever tried to kill Dawn is an enemy to Dawn, me, and you. Therefore, in this moment, we’re all cool in the gang.”
“Pretty much.” He toyed with the puzzle some more. “So, why would you want to mess up this great friendship we have? We’re frenemies.”
And that was how he thought he would get back into Dawn’s good graces. Save her life. Show how much he’s committed to her.
It was far-fetched. It was ridiculous and fucking crazy. Therefore, it was definitely a game.
I couldn’t get that thought out of my mind. This all had to be a game. Sure, the house had exploded. Sure, we could’ve been killed but we weren’t. Had it not been an explosion and something so dramatic, there would’ve been no doubt that Caden had been behind it.
The act of bombing one’s own home was so extreme. So out of the box insane. And that was exactly what Caden represented—pure insanity.
He fucking did it. I know he did. I can’t prove it, but this all makes more sense if he did.
Within twenty-four hours, Caden had gone from the villain to our hero. That couldn’t have been a coincidence.
Caden looked up from the puzzle. “You’re worrying me, Freddy.”
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
“Wow. You’re really nervous about marriage?”
“Of course.”
Caden’s mouth twitched again. This is what he’d been hoping for—my doubting a commitment to Dawn and her seeing the truth of it. Or maybe it was something else.
It doesn’t matter. I’m getting Dawn and me out of here as soon as I can.
“Don’t worry about any of this.” Caden put the puzzle away. I didn’t get a good look at it, but all the colors appeared to match on both sides.
Did he solve it that quickly?
Caden patted my back. “I would talk to her, but I doubt she wants to see my face right now. I’ve put Dawn through enough. I’m hoping she’ll be warmer towards me in a few days.”
I forced myself to not fist my hands. I couldn’t let him realize that I’d figured out what was going on. Additionally, I wasn’t sure if I was right or not. This was the problem with him—I never knew when he was playing me.
This shit must’ve been hard for Dawn to deal with. No wonder she ran from me in the beginning.
“So, what’s the plan?” I asked.
“We hit land in the morning and get some hotel rooms.”
“Dawn and I will have the same one,” I said.
“Of course.” He shrugged, probably thinking everything was going as planned. He’d probably picked the room and had monitoring equipment inside.
I turned to leave, paused, and returned my focus back to him. “You know what?”
“What?”
“Sun Tzu didn’t say that.”
“How would you know, if you never read him?”
“Because I know many of his quotes and that one about, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, comes from some ancient proverb.”
Caden’s confident expression cracked at the edges. “I doubt that.”
“I’m right. Look it up. My father used to say that all the time. It came from some Sanskrit treatise.” And then I turned back and stormed out of the room. What more could I do, besides showing him that he wasn’t as smart as he thought? He knew things. I knew things too. He was well-read, but I was a fast learner that never forgot shit.
Game fucking on, you piece of shit.
Rage. There was so much rage inside of me. But I couldn’t act now. I had to think things through, and most of all, I had to get Dawn in on this. She knew him better than me. I had the money and resources. She had the knowledge. I didn’t know what Sun Tzu would do with that, but her and I were going to win and end this game for good.
And Lotus would help, even if I had to get my father to contact her myself.
Chapter 34
Dawn
I woke up in Freddy’s arms. Maybe he’d awakened me from all the stirring and mumbling he was doing as he stared at the ceiling. Tension thickened in the air as the boat rocked back and forth. Outside of the window, a storm sounded and I didn’t even want to think about the additional morbid possibilities that could arrive.
What if it’s a storm that’s so bad, it turns over the boat or we’re lost at sea. Or—
“All of it,” Freddy whispered to himself. “It’s all a game.”
It’s all a game?
My thoughts shifted from anxiety with the boat and weather to Caden. What was Freddy talking about? What kept him up like this? Had something new happened?
Tensing, I raised my head from his chest. “What’s all a game?”
Please, Freddy. Be the one guy that continues to tell me the truth. Don’t let me down. I’m already so fucked up when it comes to trusting a man.
He turned to me and whispered, “Everything. It’s all a game.”
“Are you saying—”
“Don’t talk too loud. In fact, let’s go to take a shower. Maybe we can avoid being recorded in there.” Freddy released me, rose from the bed, and headed to the bathroom. I followed. Fear mixed with disgust.
Caden made this a game, too? Of course. Why would I expect him to be truthful for one fucking day of his life? He’s clearly addicted to lies and deceit. It probably feeds him more than food.
Freddy opened a bottom cabinet.
“What are you doing?”
“Grabbing this.” He pulled out two candles and a lighter. “I checked the supply closet and found a couple of scented candles. The necessities.”
“Yes, the necessities.” I gave him a weak smile and pulled off my gown.
Instead of lighting the candles he’d placed next to the sink, he gazed at me. “Only you.”
The gown slipped down my body. “Only me?”
“Only you I would do this for. Deal with this sort of filth.” He drank me in. “Max and my gaming was pathetic after you showed me the way.”
I stepped out of the garment as it lay on the floor and walked over to him. “What’s going on, Freddy?”
“Shh.” He guided me into the shower and turned it on. Warm water sprayed against my naked body. The sensation heated my flesh and soothed my nerves.
As water streamed down his face and dripped onto his muscular chest, he turned my way and kissed me. “Caden is not pathetic and he’s not a game master.”
My bottom lip quivered. “Okay.”
“He’s a monster. A monster addicted to playing games who never knows when to count his losses and move on.”
“He doesn’t like to lose.”
“Too bad.”
I embraced him, needing his hard body pressed against mine. “What’s going on?”
He tightened his hold around me. “You were right. Caden is playing a game. He bombed his house. He rushed to get us on this boat. Had I not refused to let him carry you. . .”
“What?”
“He probably would’ve gotten rid of me. He would’ve been on this boat, selling a story about how you two were on the run from some enemies. He’d probably even tell you that I was dead. He might’ve even killed me. Who knows?”
“No, don’t say that.”
And then the Miami attack hit my head and I swallowed down the
bitter truth. Caden might’ve murdered Freddy if he had the chance. But then Caden understood that Freddy was worth a lot and many people would be looking for him. People that apparently ran in his bosses’ circle.
I tightened my grip on him. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. That’s why I tried to stay away after we made love in Monte Carlo. I—”
“I’m never going to stay away from you.” He left my arms and placed his hand on my chin, bringing my focus to him. “He will stop at nothing to be with you.”
“I know.”
“But he’s met his match because I’ll stop at nothing to be with you either.”
I ran my fingers along his chiseled face as if seeing him for the first time. We’d only had small moments together and each one impacted my life. They changed me. He transformed me. And I was done with Caden and his games. I was done with him blocking my destiny, getting in the fucking way of a life with this wonderful man.
Freddy raced around the globe to be with me, and even this psycho Caden doesn’t scare him. Good. I won’t be scared either. I won’t run away.
“Caden and I were always in a game to win your heart,” Freddy said. “I just didn’t know he was an opponent, but the game is over—”
“And I choose you.”
“Yes, you do.” His breath was light and warm as it rushed over my lips. And then the gentle pressure of his mouth came next as his lush scent taunted me—designer and earthy and most definitely masculine. He swamped my senses. “Don’t worry about anything. It’s all going to be okay.”
I believed him, but I couldn’t explain why. The truth of his words seeped into my pores and sank deep down in my bones. “Okay.”
“I’ve called in some help that will end his plays before he even starts them. I’d been trying to get in contact with her ever since you went missing.”
“Her?”
“Lotus.”
I let him go. “Who’s that?”
He grinned. “Are you jealous?”
“I don’t know yet.” I twisted my lips.
“Don’t be.” He ran his gaze along my body. “You have my heart, attention. . .Dawn, you have my soul all to yourself, gripped tightly in your hands. I would be broken if you let me go.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.”
“But who’s Lotus?”
Steam rose around us.
“I don’t want to say too much,” he said, “but she used to be my bodyguard.”
“That’s it?”
“She liked me.”
“Of course.” She rolled her eyes. “After Caden, you’re definitely permitted to have a crazy ex.”
“I never did anything with her.”
“Never?” I widened my eyes.
“Never.” He cleared his throat. “She may have watched me do things with other women. . . under the pretense that she was guarding me but nothing more.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Nothing more, Dawn. I promise you that.” He pulled me to him. “I’m not Caden. I don’t need to lie to you or fog my past. With me, you won’t be crawling around in a maze. You’ll be in a beautiful castle surrounded by anything your heart desires.”
“And you’ll be with me?”
“Naked and hard as a rock.”
“You are Prince Charming.”
“Maybe.” Smiling, he grabbed a bottle of shampoo, put it in his hand, and then smeared some on my wet hair. “What’s a weakness of Caden? We need something.”
“I’ve been trying to figure that out for a long time.”
He massaged bubbles into my scalp. “You can’t think of anything?”
“God, this feels so good.” Succulent shivers ran down my body.
“Focus, my love.”
“He doesn’t like taking elevators, but he will if it doesn’t go higher than the third floor. I think he’s claustrophobic. He pretends that he isn’t. If the building is higher than four floors, he’ll take the stairs.”
“Anything else.”
“I can’t think of anything besides the fact that he hates taking elevators.”
“Maybe that’ll be good enough.” He ran his fingers through my soapy hair and then guided me to the shower-head, directing warm water to rinse out my hair. “I’ll let Lotus know. She can beat him at his own game. I finally figured it out, he uncovers your secrets, your fears, your flaws—and he uses them against you.”
“And you think she can help?”
“I know she can. I sent her a task asking for her help and she finally responded.”
“What did she say?”
“Yes.” He appeared pleased.
“That was it?”
“That’s all it takes.” He continued to rinse my hair out, massaging my scalp more. “Besides, for the past few weeks, she hadn’t been responding at all.”
I stepped away from the stream of water and wiped stray strands away from my face. “But you didn’t even explain to her what’s going on or where we are at. Freddy, we don’t even know where we are at.”
“Lotus will.” He grabbed the shampoo again and began washing his own hair. “And she knows me enough. She’ll figure out the problem just by looking at you.”
“Basically, you have no idea what she will do?”
“No, idea.” Forgetting the bubbles lathering his strands, he seized me round the waist and before I could respond, he lifted me up.
I straddled him, holding on to this wet, sexy man of mine. “But, Freddy, we’ll need to do more than—”
“We’ll beat him together. Trust me. Trust her.”
“Okay.”
“We’re together in this.”
“Together.”
“And we’ll win.”
“This last game.”
“Yes, this last game.” He passed a hand between my thighs and guided his huge cock to the lips of my pussy. “We’ll beat him because we’re better.”
He filled me with his cock—hard and thick. I moaned in pleasure.
“We’ll beat him because you’re mine, no matter who’s playing the game, no matter what’s at stake. You’re fucking mine now.” And then he thrust his cock into me roughly as if my pussy had pissed him off and needed to learn a lesson.
“Damn you, Freddy,” I groaned. All I could do was hold on and take it, take him, pumping me with a rhythm that I couldn’t match or decipher. In and out, round and round, side to side, and back and forth. Dear God. It was like I’d never had sex with him before. I gripped him. Moans fled my parted lips. My eyes closed because my brain couldn’t focus on anything else but the pleasure pumping between my thighs.
“You’re fucking mine.” He lifted me higher, still pumped with that rhythm, and lapped at my nipples, shredding me. And then he kissed me again. His tongue matched every thrust from his cock, every stroke. I lost all control, surrendering every cell to him. He released my mouth and a delicious shudder rushed through my body. Every nerve drowned in desire.
“All mine.” At this angle, he didn’t fill my pussy all the way. Instead, his thick mushroomed tip slipped wet rubbing against my g-spot, driving me crazy. The whole time his tongue savoring my nipples as his hands squeezed my ass.
“Oh, Freddy, I can’t take anymore.” Liquid heat pooled between my thighs. Slowly he gave me more fat inches, spreading me open and reshaping my flesh. We were one and finally, I could join his rhythm. I could meet his pace. I could think of nothing more but our bodies locked together, humping and sliding.
“Freddy!” I didn’t care if Caden and his whole crew heard me. Let the fish in the ocean know what we’re doing. Let the whales and sharks and the damn moon listen to our fucking. Finally, I could let go and not keep my feelings to myself, not love a man too much. Finally, I could stop fearing Caden’s phone calls and games, his stalking and twisted love.
“Mine,” Freddy murmured.
“Yes,” I moaned back.
There was no denying it. I’d hidden my heart away long enough. There was no need to
protect it anymore. It was clear that Freddy would never hurt me like Caden. And where other men would’ve given up and run away, he met my insane life head on. Just like he declared, I would never let him go.
“We’re going to win,” Freddy grunted probably as close to I was with his orgasm.
The stakes had changed. My sanity was no longer the issue. We were fighting for the right to love each other without any barriers or obstacles from Caden. It was finally time for the game monster to meet his match.
And I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.
We must’ve stayed in that shower for hours. Freddy made love to me like we had no more days left to live. Like we were dying that night. Like there was nothing else but him and me on this planet. And we came together. Our moans rose with the steam and the sounds of the water spraying against the shower’s walls.
We’re going to win and end Caden’s games for good.
Chapter 35
Caden
Moonlight bathed the night sky as we arrived at the island. It was the perfect time to come. This area was slow living where villagers tucked themselves in bed by eight to rise with the sun. Not many would be out and about tonight taking note of who was coming and going.
Let the game continue.
São Tomé Island was off the western coast of Central Africa and straddling the Equator. Most of the inhabitants spoke Portuguese and few tourists came. Here, the inhabitants moved at their own leisurely pace among emerald forest vegetation full of wildlife and surrounded by soaring volcanic peaks. Only the hard-core divers journeyed to this gem and explored these uncharted waters. Only the truly broken-hearted drunkenly wandered around the islands’ sleepy fishermen’s villages. The last time I was here, I fit both types.
When Dawn left me, I found refuge here. The long ending sandy beaches gave off a relaxing vibe. I’d gained weight, stuffing my mouth with exotic dishes drenched in creole flavor. I couldn’t get her face out of my mind. And her scent followed me to those islands, so I dove in their clear waters filled with all kinds of fish species and abandoned vessels covered in a coral reef. I swam among squids and green sea turtles and still, she stayed in my mind.
