Ruled by her Daddies

by Roberts, Laylah

  “Tell us. Now,” Wolfe demanded. His eyes were glistening with anger behind his glasses as he glared down at her.

  “I raced upstairs and pulled on my running clothes. I needed to clear my head, figure out what I was going to do. I knew I wasn’t marrying William. That asshole thought he just got me like some prize? Not happening. This black van pulled up next to me. A large man jumped out and grabbed me, throwing me inside before I could even scream. I didn’t even have time to fight back before my hands were tied behind my back and a gag was in my mouth. Then a hood was placed over my face. I’ve never been claustrophobic. But right then, I was so scared. I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life.

  “We drove for a while. I don’t know how long, but it felt like forever. I could barely breathe under the hood. I thought I was going to suffocate. Finally, the van stopped and I was hauled out. Someone took off the hood. I was relieved until I realized that was probably a bad sign. I mean, I thought it was some sort of kidnapping for ransom, but if they were gonna let me see their faces . . . I figured I was dead.”

  “What happened next?” Wolfe asked in a quiet whisper.

  She blanched at the look of pure fury on his face. Sometimes, she forgot what a scary man Wolfe could be. She looked over at Caleb and Aleki. They didn’t look any better.

  “We were in this big warehouse. I was surrounded by four guys. They all had guns. I stood there, wondering what the fuck was going on when this man stepped forward. He was dressed in a suit with dark, neat hair. He looked respectable, like he’d just come from the boardroom or dinner. When he spoke, though, a shiver went through me. He was cold. Warned me not to scream. That no one would hear me and it would just annoy him.”

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “What did he want?” Caleb asked.

  “To warn me not to run. He told me that he knew that would be my first instinct. To leave, but that wouldn’t be wise as there was a lot riding on my marriage.”

  “What the fuck?” Aleki asked. “How’d he know about that? Who was this asshole?”

  “I’m not sure. I asked him and all he said was that he had a vested interest in my upcoming nuptials.”

  “Why would he care whether you married that dick?” Aleki asked.

  “I don’t know.” She shook her head. “All he told me was that I would marry William or he’d make my life hell. He told me that he wouldn’t just kill me, he’d torture me slowly by hurting every person I ever loved. So I wasn’t going to run. I wasn’t going to rebel. I was going to be a good little girl and do everything I was told. I agreed. What choice did I have? Marry William or have everyone I loved or cared about harmed? And I could tell he wasn’t making idle threats.”

  She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm her roiling tummy.

  “The gag and hood went back on. I was tossed into the van and driven back to where they’d picked me up. They threw me on the pavement and told me they’d be watching. So I did it. I married William. My father’s PR company spun this bullshit story and everyone fell for it. They won by a landslide. I pretended on the outside that everything was fine. And on the inside, I was screaming for help.”

  “You didn’t tell your father about this asshole?” Caleb asked.

  “I tried. As soon as I got back, I burst into his study to tell him what happened. He told me that all of my decisions had consequences. And it would be best if I made the right decisions if I wanted everyone to remain safe. I had no choice. Life with William, it was, well a bit like Groundhog Day, the same thing. Over and over.”

  She sighed. “Outside the house, we were the picture of marital happiness. But inside that house, we were two strangers who barely acknowledged each other. He had mistresses, but he was discreet. I was thankful for them as it meant he didn’t want me. I put deadlocks on my bedroom door because sometimes he’d come home drunk and horny.”

  “Did he rape you?” Aleki asked darkly.

  She shook her head, unable to look at him. “No. I slept with him. Once. It was a huge mistake I never repeated.”

  “Thank God,” Aleki said quietly.

  “Did you ever see the dark-haired guy again?” Caleb asked.

  “No,” she whispered. “Never. I don’t know who he is. I asked William, but he said he hadn’t met him. I spent most of my time alone. I cut myself off from everyone to keep them all safe, so they couldn’t be used against me.”

  “You should have left and damned the consequences!” Aleki snapped.

  “And have had your deaths on my conscience as well?” she snapped. “How would that have helped? Anyway, I did try to leave once.”

  “What happened?” Caleb asked her gently.

  “My father sent men to track me down. And two days later my best friend from college died in a car accident. They said she’d been drinking. But she never drank when she was driving. Ever. It was a message for me. So no, Aleki, leaving wasn’t an option.” Tears dripped down her face.

  “Oh, fuck,” Aleki said. “I’m so sorry. I’m just so mad that you were living like that and I had no idea.”

  She nodded against his shoulder as he hugged her gently.

  “That explains why you want nothing to do with your father,” Wolfe said once Aleki moved back. “But what happened after William’s death? Who shot you? How did you end up in that alleyway?”

  This was the tricky part. How much to tell them? Her gaze flicked around. They should know her reasons for staying away from them. But did she want them to know what she’d done?

  She let out a breath. “About six weeks ago, William found out he had terminal cancer. I came home to find him sitting at the dining table, drinking scotch. He tried to be at home as little as possible, so it was a shock to find him there. He . . . he told me that he was dying. He had less than a year to live and he wanted to make amends for everything he’d done. To help free me before he died.”

  “And you believed him?” Caleb asked.

  “Not at first. But he showed me some of the correspondence from the oncologist. He also told me that he’d had a steady girlfriend for the last year. That he wanted to be with her for the last few months of his life. Not me.”

  “Fucker,” Aleki muttered.

  She shrugged. “I actually appreciated his honesty. It wasn’t like we cared about each other. When he was drunk, he could be a real asshole. Anyway, I asked him why he’d never just left and he told me my father had things on him that could land him in a lot of trouble. And that he was closely watched. He figured that if he created enough trouble for my father, it would give him enough cover to sneak away.”

  “He wanted your help, right?” Caleb asked.

  “Yeah, he wanted me to gather information about my father. He said he had a friend who was a reporter who would release everything. My father would get what he was owed and William and I would be free.”

  “What happened next?” Aleki asked.

  “I helped gather up information for him. I knew it was risky . . . if I was caught, he could hurt you guys.”

  Aleki started swearing.

  “The day that William died, he gave me a copy of the flash drive and the number of his contact. We finally had enough material. He said he was going to set things up. He told me to hide the flash drive and if something happened to him to use that number to get in contact with his friend and that I should take him the flash drive.”

  “Sounds like he was worried your father was onto him,” Caleb said.

  “I thought so too.”

  “Do you think William could have been murdered?” Caleb looked at Wolfe.

  “It’s possible to create a heart attack,” Wolfe confirmed.

  “So you do think it’s possible my father had him killed.” She placed a hand over her stomach. William hadn’t been a good man but at the end, he’d been trying to do the right thing.

  “Any idea who William’s contact was?” Wolfe asked

  “No. William never told me.” She lick
ed her lips. “After the police told me he was dead, I texted the number and packed a bag. I panicked. I wasn’t sure if it was really a heart attack or if my father knew what we’d done. His contact texted back and told me to meet him in the basement level of the Triton building. I called a taxi to pick me up a few blocks away from the house and snuck out.”

  “Do you think you were followed?” Caleb asked.

  “I don’t think so, but I don’t know. I was mainly trying to avoid the press.”

  “Did you meet with the contact?” Aleki asked.

  “No. While I was waiting for the contact, this car . . . this car came squealing around the corner and this person got out. They had a ski mask on. And they were holding a gun. I panicked. I left my handbag and ran. In it were the flash drive and my phone, along with all my money. I heard this other man call out, I’m not sure but maybe he was William’s contact. He yelled out something about a gun. I don’t know what happened to him. I couldn’t stop and find out.”

  And the guilt was eating her up inside.

  “If you’d stopped you would have died too,” Caleb said softly.

  She nodded. She knew that. Still didn’t make her feel much better.

  “I was racing towards the exit when I felt something sting my arm. Then my ankle turned as I made my way up the stairs. Thankfully, I slipped into the crowd and got away. I didn’t know what to do. I had nothing but a change of clothes and Piggles. I thought about calling my Uncle Ben, but I didn’t want to endanger him, and I was worried he’d tell my father.”

  Caleb stood and lifted her from the bed, sitting back down with her on his lap. He rocked her gently. Silent tears raced down her cheeks. Aleki looked stricken. He was so pale, she thought he might faint.

  And Wolfe . . . he looked so cold and still. He could have been carved from marble.

  “We need to find this mystery man,” Wolfe stated. “Could be that either he or your father found out what William was up to. And they discovered your role. Maybe they had someone follow you to the meeting place. Or maybe this contact of William’s sold you out. Any one of them could have shot at you.”

  “You can’t get involved,” she told them. “It’s too dangerous.”

  Wolfe turned those dark eyes on her. “I think you’re underestimating how deadly I am.”

  “We’re not helpless, jelly bean,” Caleb told her. “We need to find out who shot you.”

  “And then we take care of them,” Aleki said grimly.

  “No. No!” She shook her head and tried to push herself out of Caleb’s hold, even though it hurt to jostle her arm. “That’s not what’s going to happen. All of you are going home. You need to stay far away from me.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ!” Aleki burst out. “Do you really think we’d fucking leave you?”

  She flinched.

  “Aleki, calm down,” Caleb said firmly, sending him a quelling look. “What are you saying, Vivi? That you want us to leave and forget this happened? Forget you told us this shit? Forget the way we feel about you?”

  A tear dripped down her face. “Yeah. That would be best.”

  He set her down on the bed and tucked her in. It was then that she knew she’d won.

  And her heart broke all over again.

  14

  She woke up when she was shifted. She gasped as she found herself in the air. She was laid down and something was wrapped around her firmly. Her arms were trapped. She let out a whimper of fear.

  “Easy, Vivi, it’s just me. You’re safe.”

  Aleki. She breathed out a sigh of relief.

  “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

  He picked her up, blanket and all. She felt like a giant burrito. He carried her out of the room, whistling under his breath.

  “Aleki? What the hell?”

  She tried to wiggle her way free, wincing as she bumped her arm.

  “Don’t move like that, you’ll just hurt yourself.”

  Great advice. She rolled her eyes at him. “Put me down and I won’t wiggle.”

  “No can do.” He continued walking as he moved towards the elevators. A sliver of alarm filled her but she pushed it down. This was Aleki. Her fun-loving jokester.

  “Is this some sort of prank?” she asked him suspiciously.

  The man was known for his pranks.

  “Hmm. A prank? Not exactly.”

  The elevator arrived and he stepped inside.

  “Wait! What are you doing? You can’t walk around with me like this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Someone will see us!”

  “Don’t worry, when I get downstairs, I’ll pull the blanket up over your face. And it’s the early hours of the morning, so there won’t be many people.”

  “Okay, Aleki, this prank isn’t that funny. It feels like you’re kidnapping me.”

  The elevator opened and he drew the blanket up over her head. “Of course I’m not kidnapping you.”

  Relief flooded her.

  “I’m stealing you.”

  Right.

  She wished she could pinch herself. Because she really needed for this to be a dream.

  “Aleki! Put me down! You can’t just steal me. Where’s Caleb?”

  He would talk some sense into the crazy man. Caleb was always the voice of reason.

  A sharp smack landed on her ass. “Stay still. I don’t want to accidentally drop you.”

  “Did you seriously just smack my ass?” she growled at him.

  “Yep. What was your question? Oh yeah, where’s Caleb.”

  “Yes. Where is Caleb? I want to see him.” Caleb would tell Aleki that he was being a dickhead.

  “You can talk to him in a minute. He’s bringing around the car. Oh yeah, here he is.”

  Suddenly, Aleki ducked and sat with her on his lap. The blanket was removed from her face and she looked around the dark car. What the hell?

  “What is going on?” she screeched.

  Caleb turned around in the front seat. He raised an eyebrow at Aleki. “You didn’t tell her?”

  “No, he didn’t! He made some joke about stealing me.”

  “Jelly bean, that wasn’t a joke. Put her on her seat and make sure she’s belted in,” Caleb commanded.

  “On it.” Aleki set her down next to him, then reaching across her, drew the seatbelt over her.

  Were they kidding her right now? He didn’t undo the blanket, so she was still trapped with no way of getting free. “What is going on? This has to be a joke, right?”

  She moved her gaze frantically from Aleki to Caleb. They couldn’t just steal her. And where the hell was Wolfe? Okay, things were bad if she was waiting for Wolfe to be the voice of reason.

  Aleki shook his head. “Afraid not. We’re stealing you. We’re taking you home to Escana with us.”

  “But . . . but I told you why I couldn’t come with you.” And they hadn’t really argued. That had hurt her, truth be told. It felt like they gave in far too easily.

  “No, you told us that your father and this mystery asshole are a threat to you,” Caleb growled at her. “Did you seriously think we would leave after that? That we could just walk away?”

  She was taken aback by the vehemence in his voice. That note of steel. This wasn’t the gentle dominance she was used to. This was pure Alpha.

  “You’re in danger and we can’t just walk away,” Aleki told her. “If you think that’s the case then you don’t know us at all.”

  They weren’t boys anymore. These were battle-hardened warriors.

  And aren’t warriors what you need? You can’t do this on your own. Without protection, you’re dead.

  But what if I cause their deaths? What if they’re hurt because of me?

  Isn’t it selfish to bring them into this?

  “We know that you will sacrifice yourself to keep us safe. Well, you’ve done that once and we lost you for eight years. So this time, you’re not getting a choice,” Caleb told her. “You’re coming to Escana with us.”


  “You can’t just kidnap me! Someone will notice. They’re going to wonder why you’re carrying me around like a giant burrito. What if I tell your bosses that you kidnapped me?”

  “Well, burritos are my favorite food,” Aleki told her. “We’ll just tell them it’s a fetish I have. Burrito kink. Could become a new thing.”

  “Aleki, can you be serious! This isn’t the time for jokes.”

  He stiffened and turned to her. The car’s internal lights had gone off, so she only had the light from the streetlamps outside to try to make out his features.

  “No, you’re right. This isn’t a joke. It wasn’t a joke eight years ago when you fucking walked away to protect us. It’s not a joke now when you’re trying to do the same thing.”

  A tear dripped down her face. “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you guys because of me.”

  He wiped the tear gently away. “Don’t you think we feel the same? We want you with us. Where we can protect you. Take care of you.”

  “But won’t they find out where I am once I try to leave? I don’t even have a passport.”

  “Wolfe is taking care of all that, as well as picking up some things for you,” Caleb told her. “You’re going to travel on a different passport. We’re flying on a private plane.”

  “You have a fake passport for me?” How’d they do that so quickly?

  “Baby, not our first rodeo,” Aleki told her gently. “You need to start trusting us to take care of you.”

  “What about the princes? Will they be all right with you bringing me back to Escana? What if I put them in danger?”

  Aleki burst into laughter. “First of all, the security of the palace is run by us. And we have shit locked down tight. Second of all, the princes are both well-trained and extremely protective of women. They would hang us by our balls if we left you here. Thirdly, they won’t interfere even if you tell them we kidnapped you.”

  “What?”

  “There’s something we haven’t told you about Escana,” Caleb told her. “Actually, several things. But they have some traditions that are closely guarded and sacred.”

  “Like kidnapping?” she squealed.