by Tia Louise
“I can’t go two more days. I don’t know this place.” He’s whiney and sniveling, and I hate his fucking face.
“Eight o’clock. Monagasco Yacht Club. It’s a private club, so you have to wear a dinner jacket. I’ll have your money, and we will discuss what you will and won’t do after I give it to you. Can you remember that or do you need me to text it to you?”
“Write it down.” His voice comes through his nose.
Cal and I exchange a glance. This guy is psychotic.
“I don’t have a pen,” Cal says.
Reaching out, I grab Vega by the collar and jerk him up close. He lets out another pig noise. “The email address you used to contact Ava? I’ll send the information to you on that account. Can you still access it?”
“Yes,” he says, and I shove him backwards.
“Two days.”
He staggers away, and I glance up at Cal. His brow is lowered, and he appears as perplexed as I am.
“I don’t like it,” he mutters. “He’s dangerous.”
We’re standing close, watching Vega pick his way through the sunbathers. “He’s a criminal, a pedophile, and a blackmailer.”
“I think it’s something more. We’ll have to be careful.” The words are just leaving his mouth when I spot the photographers coming over the hill.
“No time to waste.”
Hands in our pockets, we bow our heads and make our way up the beach in the direction of my car. Since Hajib is driving my wife around, I have the rare luxury of driving myself. Cal and I jog around the black Audi R8, and with two solid thumps, the doors close.
“I miss driving,” I mutter as the car purrs to life.
We pick our way slowly through the crowded streets, stopping every block for traffic signals or pedestrian crossings. We’ve settled our main concern for the day, and now we’re headed to Occitan.
My fists tighten on the steering wheel, and my brother laughs. “You’re dying to get this baby out on the open road.”
“It’s not often I’m behind the wheel of my own car. Off the track.”
“You haven’t raced in almost three years. Not since…”
“It was the last time,” I say. It hurts a little more than I’m willing to admit.
“That’s too bad. You were something to see out there.”
I exhale a bitter laugh. “Don’t rub it in.”
We’re quiet as the miles tick past. Our encounter on the beach is heavy on my mind. Vega is a loose cannon. He’s desperate, and that means he could try anything. I’ll have to increase the guard around the women.
Cal’s voice cuts through the silence. “Have you decided what you’re going to say to this asshole?”
“No.”
“You know, there are ways to get rid of someone if that’s what needs to happen.” The rich hum of the engine fills the space between us. “Judicial ways,” he adds.
Not quite as satisfying. I still haven’t found a way to shake my urge to murder Vega with my bare hands.
“Of course,” I say aloud. “André is helping me research. We’re gathering information to help us make a case that will stick.”
If we can’t manage that, I’m not letting legal concerns stop me.
“Just promise to let me know before you do anything drastic.” My brother’s tone is playful, but I know he’s being serious. “Something you know I would do.”
Our eyes meet, and I give him a nod.
* * *
The protective anger is still with me when we gather at Occitan, but I tamp it down. I don’t want Ava upset, and I’m not letting that Vega fucker dictate our personal time. With my brother and his family in town, it’s like the passing of the guard, and a glass or two of wine helps everyone relax.
“So the two of you are what?” Zee asks. “Two years apart?” She looks from Cal to me. “Belle is pretty active, but I can’t imagine having two teenage boys. Especially after living with this one.”
My brother starts to laugh. “What are you attempting to imply, my love?”
“What is the craziest thing the two of you have ever done?”
“You mean as in pranks or something dirtier?” Cal asks, slicing the steak in front of him and dipping it in the au jus before putting it in his mouth.
Dinner is medium-rare filet mignon and baked sweet potatoes, pearl couscous with brine shrimp, and beet salad with feta and walnuts. It’s delicious. An aged pinot noir goes with supper, and chocolate soufflé and espresso for dessert.
“Cal was more of a troublemaker than I ever was,” I say, taking a sip of my wine and relaxing in my chair.
“Nice,” my brother grumbles. “Sell me out like that. Good one.”
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing. I’m only warning in case the two of you decide to try for a son. Karma’s a bitch.”
Belle has finished her mashed sweet potatoes and couscous, and she squirms in her chair, straining for my brother. Without hesitation, he takes her from the chair and puts her on his shoulder.
“The worst thing Ro ever did was break into Clive Westingroot’s stables and let his prize stallion get loose.”
Zelda and Ava both turn wide eyes on me. “It wasn’t on purpose,” I argue. “I didn’t realize the gate didn’t latch behind me. Someone’s prized stallion wasn’t exactly on my mind at the time.”
“Lara Westingroot was the only thing on your mind at the time. You were chasing down a hummer while her father’s twenty thousand dollar Arabian was running up and down the coastline.”
Ava’s eyes go to her lap, and I give Cal a menacing glare. “I was fifteen,” I say quietly, reaching for my wife’s hand. “I found out later Miss Westingroot was not the person I thought she was.”
“Lara Westingroot?” Zelda looks around as if trying to remember. “Wasn’t she the one who had her panties in a twist because you took Ava to the Rose Gala instead of her?”
“She had entitlement issues,” I say, and Zee laughs.
“Sounds like she might have had a reason to feel entitled,” Ava says, and I don’t miss the edge in her tone.
“Okay, that was a bad example,” Cal interrupts, I suppose attempting to save his ass. I’m ready to kick it. “Zee wanted to know what it was like to have two boys so close in age. The answer is… not that bad, I think. We weren’t a lot of trouble around the house, were we, Ro?”
“We’ll have to get mother back from the spa for that one,” I say. “We didn’t damage the houses, but you were pretty good at getting caught with your pants down.”
“It was more a timing problem,” my brother laments. “I would get distracted by some pretty skirt and forget I was supposed to watch out for the damn paparazzi.”
“That’s two dollars,” Zelda scolds him.
His baby girl snuggles closer into her daddy’s neck, and he kisses her head. All at once, I see Zelda melt, and all is forgiven.
Food gone, desserts eaten, Belle is sleeping soundly on Cal’s shoulder when at last we call it a night. The sisters hug each other, and Cal and Zee take off for their end of the estate. I take Ava ‘s hand and walk slowly with her toward our side of the large house.
“Those old stories are just that,” I say in the hopes of reassuring her. “Old stories.”
She looks up and gives me a real smile. “I don’t mind. It sounds like you had a fun childhood.”
We pause, and I turn so my back is to the wall. Ava faces me, and she’s wearing a long silk dress with short sleeves. Her dark hair is wavy down her back, and I pull her to me, gathering her in my arms against my chest.
“I don’t want you to worry about anything,” I say in the side of her hair, kissing her neck. “Nothing that went before matters to me now. You’ve replaced everyone I knew or thought I found interesting.”
Her elbows are bent, and her palms rest against my chest. “I remember how it went before. I remember Lara making a play for you as if I didn’t exist.”
My head lifts, and our eyes meet. “I’m glad I wasn�
��t aware she treated you that way. You are the sexiest woman I have ever known. I can’t see anyone but you.”
Ava’s eyes glow, and she shakes her head. “Before tonight, I thought I only wanted to have little girls. Now I think it might be fun to have a few boys around the house.”
That makes me smile. “What changed your mind?”
“You and Cal are so close. You take care of each other… And I think I might like a baby Rowan to spoil.”
Her eyes glow, and I can’t resist. Leaning down, I touch my lips lightly to hers. My hands move to her lower back, and I pull her flush against my growing erection. I want to devour her, taste her, give her everything she dreams of having.
“We haven’t practiced making an heir today,” I say against her temple.
She shivers and holds my cheeks. Leaning down, I kiss her again, hungrily this time. Her mouth keeps pace with mine. Our tongues touch and curl together. Our heads move as our bodies melt closer to each other’s. We taste and pull, nip and chase. She sighs, and the noise registers straight to my cock. I want to bend her over the couch.
Clearing my throat, I take her hand in mine and quickly lead her through the house to our bedroom. We move fast until I’m pushing through the door, pulling her behind me and turning to capture her in my arms. I cup her cheek again in my palm, kissing her long and slow once more.
Our teeth click together when she smiles. I spin her around and lean her forward on the chair, gathering up her skirt until I find… yes, no panties.
“We might have to make this rule permanent,” I say against the side of her neck, pulling her ear between my lips and biting it gently.
She shivers, and I quickly unfasten my pants, lowering them so my cock is able to spring free. Shoving a knee between her legs, I’m inside her in one quick thrust.
“Oh!” she gasps. “Rowan!” I rock faster.
Her insides are slick, pulling and clenching around me. It fuels my movements, and I thrust faster. I’m feverish with need, chasing my release, momentarily forgetting everything else.
She arches her back, lifting her ass and pushing backwards against me, meeting me stroke for stroke. My eyes close, and I grip her hips, holding on to the only thing anchoring me to this planet. Pleasure floods my pelvis. My ass tightens, and I can’t stop.
With a loud groan, my orgasm explodes through me. I shudder, my legs tremble, and I’m poured into her. I want to hold her close, as close as I can possibly get. Ava isn’t the only woman I’ve ever had sex with, but she’s the only woman who draws this level of intensity from my soul.
Through the haze of afterglow, I drift back to reality. Her hands are clasped in mine around her waist, and she kisses the side of my jaw. I pull out and lift her, carrying her to the bed.
Settling in beside her, our arms wrap around each other. Our breathing returns to normal, and we’re quiet, thinking. I wonder how soon we can find out if she’s pregnant. I imagine her body growing round under the filmy dresses she likes to wear. I see her on the beach, her hair rippling in the breeze.
“We never talked about what happened today,” she says softly.
My stomach tightens, and I don’t want to let any of that into our time.
I kiss her cheek. “We can talk about it tomorrow. Tonight is only for us.”
Chapter 16
Ava
Sometime in the night, I’m awakened by Rowan moving behind me. His hand is on my waist, moving higher until it cups my breast. He rolls my nipple in his fingers, making it lengthen and harden in response. My pussy grows wet for him, and even though I’m barely awake, my legs slide open.
His erection nudges at my thigh, and I move to help him slide inside me. It’s dreamy and erotic and my lower stomach tingles with pleasure. He pumps quickly and repeatedly, holding my hips until he finishes with a moan, filling me to overflowing. We both return to the haze of sleep, and it isn’t until later the next day that the sexy memory drifts through my mind.
I’m watching my husband working at the laptop, typing in a message, and I study his profile, wondering how soon I can tell if I’m pregnant. His eyes blink up to mine, and when he catches my gaze, they grow warm.
“What’s on your mind, beautiful?”
“Happier things,” I say.
Rowan is sending a message to Dwayne about their meeting, and my fleeting, blissful memory of last night is immediately replaced with the heaviness of what’s looming ahead.
He covers my hand with his. “I’m taking care of it.”
I press my lips together. I have to get the slate clean. “One last thing I never had a chance to tell you,” I start.
His brow lines, and he scoots the chair back from the desk. “Go ahead.”
“You know what happened to Ramona, the first girl?”
His brow furrows, but he nods. “The police guessed she caught an intruder and whoever it was panicked into murdering her.”
“That’s right,” I say slowly. Inhaling a shaky breath, I tell him my deepest fear. “I think Dwayne did it.”
Rowan is quiet, evaluating my words. “Why do you think that?”
My chin drops, and heaviness invades our personal space. I hate this burden I’ve brought into our lives, but I’m committed to finishing it, getting rid of it. I want it behind us before we move into what’s next for us. I want my past dead and buried before we start our family.
“I was watching all of them. Remember?”
“Yes…”
“The second one, Grace… the one who lived in London… she suffered the same fate.”
He’s out of his seat and coming to me. I hadn’t intended to cry, but a hot tear rolls down my cheek. He’s holding me, rubbing my back.
“It was the exact same scenario,” I hiccup. “A robbery gone wrong. Her flat was ransacked, and they think she startled the intruder.” Swallowing the knot of fear in my throat, I say it. “She was strangled to death.”
“Ava,” my husband whispers. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“I was going to. So many things came up and Cal and Zelda arrived and I never seemed to have the chance to speak to you alone.”
“I have a confession.” He hugs me briefly before stepping back and meeting my eyes. “I had a feeling he was behind what happened to the first girl. Now that it’s happened again, we need to alert the authorities, INTERPOL, let them know the crimes are possibly related. We could be the only ones able to establish a link between the victims.”
“You’re meeting him. You can ask him if he did it. Wear a wire or a recording device. Then you’ll have a way to arrest him and put him behind bars forever.”
He shakes his head, pacing the carpet. “Such things are not always admissible in court.”
An urgent knock on the door interrupts our discussion. “Come in,” Rowan calls, and the door opens slowly.
André peeks into the small office. “I’m sorry to intrude. I thought you needed to know this, sir.”
Rowan and I exchange a glance. “Go ahead?”
“Monagasco police are investigating a rape and murder in the Avenue Varavilla.”
“What?” We both step forward.
“It was outside an apartment building. The alley is practically hidden by overgrown palms, and the lighting is poor. They’re still establishing time of death and attempting to be sure the body wasn’t dumped. It’s under the highway.”
“Do they have any leads?” Rowan’s low voice has a tone as if he already knows the answer.
“They think a transient is responsible… or it could be an act of terrorism.”
“No,” I say. “It’s not an act of terror…” My hand clutches over Rowan’s. All I can think about is my orphanage. Any suggestion of terrorism is a direct threat to them.
“The council is urging you to make a statement,” André says. “It’s been years since we’ve had this type of violent crime in Monagasco.”
Rowan nods quietly. “We’ll monitor the situation. They have to establish
a time of death before we can do anything. In the meantime, I need to discuss another matter with them.”
Pulling me into a hug, Rowan kisses my head before following his tall guard out of our quarters and into the main part of the house. I stay behind, staring at the computer screen.
The email Rowan had been composing is sitting in the sent folder. I open it and read the location of where he plans to meet to Dwayne. The yacht club. He’s meeting Dwayne at the private club. It means he wants to talk where they won’t be overheard and the paparazzi can’t take their picture. They’ll essentially be left alone. Only, Rowan has never told me what he intends to do with Dwayne.
The thought simmers in my mind when my phone lights up with a text from Zelda. Out of bed yet? Still trying to make a baby?
I shake my head. Baby making over. Rowan is handling a problem.
Sucks to be the wife of a world leader, she teases. I want to see your orphans. Show Belle and me how Auntie Ava is changing the world.
I smile, thinking it’s exactly what I want to do. Be ready in a half hour.
* * *
Clare is waiting at the door when Zelda and I arrive. Her face is lined, and I can only guess what it might be about.
“I’m so glad you’re here, majesté,” she says with a little bow.
“I hope everything is okay?” I touch her arm, doing my best to infuse my voice with encouragement. “This is my sister Zelda and her little girl Belle.”
Clare’s eyebrows rise, and she bows toward Zee. “So nice to meet you. What a lovely little girl.”
“You don’t have to bow.” Zee holds out her hand. “I’m not a royal.”
Clare smiles, and we close the small gate behind us. The children are out on the playground, and Belle is instantly a squirmy toddler.
“Is it okay if I let her run around?” my sister asks.
“Of course!” Clare holds out her hand. “There are toys for little ones her age.”
Zee puts her daughter down and follows her to the slide, where several larger children are playing. I glance around and see my favorite little girl with the dark hair and green eyes. She watches my niece approach the group.
