by Tia Louise
From somewhere deep inside, a fist of courage rises. “You can’t take anything from me. I’m completely safe here.”
Rage flashes across his features, and I’m sure if we were alone, he would have slapped me. “Not everyone is here. Not everyone is safe.”
Ice fills my stomach. “What does that mean?”
“So many children go missing every year. Island life is not as secure as a palace.”
Images of Zelda’s baby girl fill my mind, my sweet little niece Belle. She’s only two and living in the Virgin Islands with her parents.
“You’re lying. You can’t possibly get from here to Tortola that fast.”
He leans closer, filling the air around me with the scent of cigarettes and stale whiskey. “You must think I’m working alone.”
It’s an ominous statement, and he quickly glances up behind me before pushing into the growing lunch crowd. He’s gone, disappearing farther into the downtown area and out of sight. I can’t move. I’m paralyzed, holding the card while trying to hold myself together.
A voice calling snaps me from my haze of fear. “Your highness?”
Turning, I see the black towncar is behind me. Hajib is crossing the space to where I’m standing, and to my right a photographer is approaching just as fast.
Hajib takes my hand. “Please get in the car, your majesty. I’ll take you to the palace.”
The card is still in my hand. My heart is still beating erratically. I’m wondering how much he saw of what just happened.
“But… my Vespa,” I say softly.
“One of the men will retrieve it for you.”
Leaning back in the seat, my fear melts into anger the farther we get from the café. I’m not a little girl anymore. How dare he threaten my niece? Still, the threat is like frost on my skin. Digging in my bag, I pull out my phone. Two touches and my sister is on the other end.
“Zee?”
“Hey, Ava-bug!” She sighs like she’s lifting something. “I haven’t heard from you in a few days. What’s up?”
Baby chatter is in the background, and my chest clenches. “I need you to come here. Now. On the next flight.”
She laughs in my ear. “What?”
“Seriously, Zee, I need you to come to Monagasco for a little while. Please.”
“Did something happen between you and Rowan?”
Frowning, I look down at the card. “No… Why would you say that?”
“He just called Cal and said basically the same thing.”
My jaw drops. “He did? Why?”
“Something about diplomacy. What’s your excuse?”
Chewing my lip, I think about how much I want to say. At this point, only Rowan and I know what’s happening. If I tell Zelda Dwayne Vega threatened her daughter, the whole story will come tumbling out.
“I just miss you,” I say. “Does this mean you’re coming?”
“Cal’s ordering a jet. We should be there by Friday.”
The fist in my chest unclenches. I blink back tears and press my fingers over my mouth, fighting for control.
“You still there?” Zee’s voice turns warm.
Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I nod. “I’m here. I’ll be so glad to see you.”
“Hang in there, Ava-bug. I won’t be long.”
The towncar stops as I end the call. We’re inside the palace gates, and Hajib stands to hold the door open for me. I nod a thank you, slowly walking to the staircase leading to our wing of the palace. My head aches, and my insides feel strained and tired. I’ve never felt so exhausted in all my memory. Pushing through the door to our bedroom, I consider taking a nap. Instead I stop in place. Rowan is sitting in the red velvet armchair facing me, and his eyes glitter with anger.
“Rowan?” I release the door, letting it close softly behind me.
He stands and crosses the room, gripping my arms so hard I cry out in pain.
“Did you leave Occitan without telling anyone?”
“Rowan, stop!” I try to struggle out of his grip, but he gives me a firm shake.
“Answer me! Did you slip out and go into town alone?”
Exhaustion, fear, sadness, anger, all of it twists into a fist of defiance. “YES!” I shout at him. “I wanted to return the necklace.”
I try to twist away again, but his grip tightens. He jerks me forward, so my face is close to his. “You do NOT go anywhere without Hajib!”
My insides flash. “I’m not a child!”
“You could be carrying my child. I have to know you’re safe.”
“Let me GO!” I twist my arms, bending my elbows and pounding my forearms against his. It’s no use, he’s too strong, but I do manage to beat my fists against his chest. “You’re hurting me!”
At those words, his grip relaxes, and something in me snaps. My arms break free, and I pull back and slap him hard. Immediately, my wrists are shackled in his fists again. His nostrils flare, and the place where my hand hit his cheek is turning red.
“Do NOT hit me.” His teeth grind, and his brow lowers.
I’m humiliated and furious, and I don’t want to fight with Rowan. Blinking back tears, I try to get my hands loose. We’re both breathing hard. My chest rises and falls rapidly. Blood pulses fire in my veins, and I only know one thing to do.
I lunge forward and kiss him. His mouth opens, and he pulls me firmly against his chest as he consumes me. His tongue invades my mouth, curling with mine, and in two steps, I’m jammed against the door. My nipples harden. Noises of desire come from my throat. I’m furious with him, but I want him.
He groans, lifting my hands over my head and grasping them both in one fist. The other hand goes down to my leg, catching the edge of my short black dress and jerking it to my waist. I gasp into his mouth as shudders follow in the wake of his hand.
I’m not wearing underwear. I’m so wet, and when he sinks his fingers into me, he exhales a moan against my skin. Two fingers plunge in and out. My hips follow his movements until he takes his hand away, and I hear the noise of his belt buckle, the slide of his zipper.
His mouth is on my jaw, biting the side of my neck. I’m gasping and panting, writhing under his touch. Every bite is fire under my skin. Every kiss shoots electricity through my veins. My entire body vibrates in anticipation.
“Rowan,” I whimper as he grasps my thigh, lifting my leg just before he lowers and drives up, impaling me on his rigid cock.
We both groan loudly. His knees are bent, and he’s thrusting up, sending me higher against the door with every angry push. I whimper, chasing his mouth. I want this so much. I can’t resist this man.
He releases my wrists, and my hands go into his hair, threading and pulling him closer to me. Rough lips are against my jaw, the scruff of beard as he bites my skin, sucking and leaving a mark.
Anger melts into pleasure. The tension twists violently below my waist with every push. His fingers grip my ass, squeezing so hard, I know I’ll bruise. His hands are a vice, hammering me against his pelvis.
I cry out in pain mingled with pleasure. The fluttering starts in the arches of my feet and shoots up my legs, centering in my core. My head drops back, and I moan. My thighs shudder, and he holds me against the door, not moving as he pulses into me. He groans in my ear as he comes, and I feel his heart pounding fast against mine.
At last, his head rests beside my shoulder against the door. I’m in his arms, and we’re both breathing heavily. We’re naked and joined from the waist down. With a deep breath, he raises his head and holds my eyes—blue and green, fire and ice, passionate preference.
Stepping back, he reaches for his pants and pulls them over his hips. My skirt falls, and I don’t move as he restores his clothing.
Residual sparks of anger and passion simmer between us, and his mouth is a straight line. “You are not to go anywhere without Hajib. Or me.”
My eyes flash, and I push away from the door. “I’m going back to Occitan right now. Without you. I’ll stay there u
ntil you come to your senses!”
Spinning, I grasp the doorknob and pull it open. Again, his strong hand closes over my upper arm in a death grip. I’m jerked back into the room and the door slams shut. Turning me around, he pushes my back against it, holding me by both my shoulders.
“Stop acting like a child or I’ll fuck you again.” He’s still not smiling, but the light in his eyes now looks suspiciously like humor.
“Clearly that’s not a deterrent,” I mutter. Still, I’m not ready to concede. “So now that I’m having your baby, I’m to be treated like a baby?”
He exhales, releasing my shoulders and placing his palms against the door, caging me with his arms.
“Yes,” he says simply.
I want to scream, and he starts to laugh, leaning down to lift me in his arms and carry me farther into the suite.
“Put me down!” I shout, but he keeps walking until we’re in the bedroom and he dumps me on the bed.
“I called Cal. He and Zelda are coming for a visit. They’re bringing Belle, so you need to get yourself together.”
“Me!” I can’t believe what a pig my husband is being.
“And stop stealing from the business owners of Monagasco. I won’t have the queen regent branded a thief.”
My mouth drops open, and for a second, I don’t have a comeback.
That makes him smile. “At least we agree on one thing.”
“Everyone knows I’m a thief. They knew it before we got married.”
“Before we were married, you stole because you needed food. The people can forgive that.” He’s pacing the room, and I’m watching him from where I sit on the bed.
“I can’t help it,” I confess. “Sometimes I need to steal.”
His movement stops, and he steps forward, reaching out to cup my jaw in his hand as he studies my eyes for a moment. His touch is so gently now, and again, he captures my heart with the way he takes every word I say so seriously.
“Why?” His voice is earnest, his need to understand sincere. “I will give you anything you desire.”
Diverting my eyes, my voice is quiet, full of shame. “I don’t know. It helps me feel calm. Like I’m in control somehow.” His thumb moves across my cheek, and I blink up at him, trying to justify. “At least if it’s a business, it’s easier to return what I’ve stolen. When it’s a person, it’s more complicated.”
“Like Vega. Like where we are today.”
My cheeks flame with embarrassment, and my face drops. “That was an accident.”
“I know.”
I study my hands, my light fingers. “The situation has gotten more complicated.”
“And more dangerous.”
Glancing up, I catch his gaze, and I know somehow he knows what’s going on. Somehow he’s found out. “I don’t know what to do, Rowan.”
“I will handle it. You will do what I say and stay with Hajib.”
“He threatened Bella.”
Anger flashes in my husband’s eyes. “He contacted you?”
After the way Rowan acted when I walked in the room just now, I’m a little afraid to tell him the whole truth. “He emailed the account I set up for the orphans. He said if I don’t return the money, he’ll take something from me.”
This time my husband’s strong hands are a soothing caress. “He isn’t taking anything from you. Trust me. I will handle this man. Now, will you do what I ask?”
Exhaling a deep breath, I nod. “I won’t go anywhere without Hajib.” After a pause, I add, “until this situation is resolved.”
He smiles, and his fingers go behind my neck. Leaning down he kisses me gently. “My beautiful wife. I do love your fire.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter 13
Rowan
Cal paces the war room, considering everything I’ve just told him. “So Ava stole money from this criminal low life, and now he’s threatening her?”
“It’s quite a lot of money,” Freddie adds.
“She claims it was an accident,” I say, watching my brother from where I sit at the large table. “Either way, she wants to give it to the victims. The other girls he sexually assaulted.”
My younger brother’s jaw moves, and I see the anger on his face. It’s similar to the anger I felt when Ava first trusted me with this information. Only, Ava is my wife, and Dwayne Vega is soon to be a dead man.
Freddie’s eyes fly to me. “You never told us she was assaulted.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, glancing down. “I wasn’t sure Ava wanted anyone knowing. I’m still not sure she does, but the situation is more critical. He contacted her.”
“What?” Cal snaps. “How?”
Pressing my lips together, I debate whether to proceed with caution or put all the cards on the table. I decide to throw caution to the wind. They need to know how dangerous this has become.
“He emailed a special Gmail account she created to help find homes for the orphans. Apparently, the bastard heard about it and used it to get to her.”
Freddie’s fingers fly over the keys, and I know he’s hacking into the account. Soon he’s reading aloud. “He said she had to meet him, or he would hurt someone she loved.”
It’s my turn to flash with anger. “That won’t be happening.”
“Looks like it already did,” he says quietly. “This message was sent two days ago. Didn’t she slip away from Hajib yesterday?”
I feel my fists closing. I hate being mad at Ava, but dammit. How can I protect her if she keeps secrets? “Monitor that account, Freddie. If anything new comes through, I want to know about it.”
“Yes, sir,” he says.
“The moment it happens,” I add.
“Of course.”
Cal is watching me, and I know he senses this is news to me. “Zelda is with her. She won’t let Ava slip away again.”
“If she doesn’t slip away with her.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll talk to her. After her last ordeal, Zee’s been a lot more cooperative when it comes to her safety. Of course, Belle helps with that as well.”
“I will not have anything happening to Ava.” I don’t add the part about us trying to have our own little heir.
Cal claps his hands and pulls out a chair. “So where do we start?”
André takes the lead. “I’ve reviewed the research his majesty has done on the legalities of what’s happening. Since Vega is an American citizen, we want to be respectful of their laws.”
“Up to a point,” I add. “I won’t respect their laws over Ava’s safety.”
“He’s not staying in Monagasco,” the guard continues. “He’s actually at Les Plages.”
“Still,” Cal cuts in. “It’s close enough.”
As much as I hate to say it, I repeat the plan André and I’ve agreed to try first. “I’m going to contact him. I’ll propose a time for us to meet and offer to pay him off.”
My brother leans back in his chair. Hazel eyes study me, and I feel like I can read his mind. He knows me too well. “You want to kill him. I should go with you.”
Studying the ancient wood table in front of me, I speak the unsatisfactory words aloud. “I’m the king, the leader of Monagasco. If this lowlife will agree to go and leave her alone, I have to accept that solution.”
Cal’s eyes never leave my face. I hold my expression steady. “I’m still going with you,” he says. “When are we meeting?”
“Freddie located a telephone number for him, but at this point, he hasn’t responded to the message.”
Freddie jumps in. “Now that I have this email address, I will send the message again and see if he replies.”
“So it sounds like we’re in a holding pattern.”
“But we’re not taking our eyes off him,” I add.
“Good to know. Now, moving along to this matter of diplomacy.”
The next hour is spent catching my brother up on the conflict surrounding the refugees. The growing fear of terrorist attacks, and
our uncle’s suggestion of sanctions against several of our allies. We ultimately land on the same page, which is encouraging. Cal can do the talking with Fayed and the leaders of the other countries. I’ll handle drawing up the papers and presenting it to the parliament and the people.
It’s evening by the time we’re walking from the far west wing back to the center of our large palace. He and Zelda have taken the rooms on the third floor, which will put them above us in the massive structure. We’re just entering the grand atrium when I hear the shrill noise of a baby laughing. Cal’s entire face lights up.
“You haven’t seen Belle since she started walking.” Speaking of walking, his pace quickens. “She’s picked up a few words.”
We enter the open area in the center of the square structure. It’s a brilliant night, and the lights shining on the walls light the bricks an undersea coral. “Forgot how much I miss the pink palace,” he says.
Directly across from us on the western side of the courtyard are massive curved staircases leading up to the second floor where Ava and I stay.
We spot the women sitting on the steps in what appears to be an animated conversation. Ava is beautiful in a thin blue dress with spaghetti straps. Her long hair is down her back, and she’s holding a squirming toddler. Belle leans forward as if diving out of her aunt’s arms, and I chuckle as Ava puts her down, and she wobbles off across the grey flagstone pavement.
Her older sister hops up from where she’s sitting and takes off after the golden-haired baby, catching her and returning to where they haven’t even broken the conversation. Belle is now caged between her mother’s legs. Zelda pushes her blonde ponytail behind her shoulder. She’s casual in cargo capris and an olive tank top.
“Zelda hasn’t changed a bit,” I say, remembering my sister-in-law’s distaste for the formalities of the palace.
“She would much rather be at Occitan, spending every day in a bikini,” my brother says.
“I’m sure you would much rather that arrangement as well.” I give him a glance, and he only grins.
“You know me too well.”
I consider the next few days. “They should go to Occitan. The estate is heavily guarded, and perhaps it will take Ava’s mind off what’s happening here.”
