“We’re not staying,” I said. “Time for us to leave, Rourke.”
McElroy stood, blocking our path. “Not until we settle this. You owe me seven shipments of weapons, Menshikov.”
“I don’t owe you shit,” I replied, keeping my voice as even as possible. I wanted to crush him beneath the heel of my boot like an insignificant insect, and I would, but not until Rourke was safely out of his reach.
“We both know that’s not how this works.” He continued to stare at me from beneath his lowered brows. “I give you the payment. You deliver the goods.”
“Then you’ll be waiting a very long time.” I wrapped an arm around Rourke’s waist. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
McElroy remained seated, but called out when we reached the door to the study. “Rourke, remember what I said. It could happen anywhere.”
“What did that mean?” I asked as we scrambled toward Spitz and the car.
“He threatened me—us.” A tremor wracked her body. I pulled her closer. “He basically said he was ordering a hit on our lives.”
“I’ll never let that happen.” The muscles in my jaw tensed.
“He’s too powerful. We’ll never be safe.” The terror in her eyes filled me with rage. “He was involved in your parents’ deaths, Roman. He killed Ivan.” She shivered again. “He’s pure evil.”
The last pieces of the puzzle snapped into place. Hot bile burned my throat. Don McElroy had been the mastermind behind the wars and skirmishes plaguing smaller countries in the Middle East and surrounding Kitzeh. He’d made a fortune by stirring up hatred and dissent among radical factions. My guns had facilitated his wars and made me rich in the process.
Rourke’s bare knee brushed mine as she crossed her legs and tugged down the hem of her dress. A surge of need traveled up my thigh and settled in my groin. Her nearness kickstarted my starving libido. Her fingers found mine on the car seat between us and curled around my hand, her touch tentative and warm. “Hey,” she said, softy. It was only one word, but it held unlimited implications. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” I tugged her closer into my side. Her heart beat steadily against my ribcage. It was the best feeling in the world.
“Roman, I’m scared.”
I mustered a smile. “Don’t be. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the war king, and you’re my queen. No one fucks with us and gets away with it.”
Chapter 25
Rourke
I wrapped my arms around Roman’s neck and held him tight. Waves of emotion wracked my body. Love. Warmth. Desire. I rained kisses on his face and neck. “I love you. I love you.” I murmured the words over and over.
“I love you, too.” He clutched me tighter against him. The buttons of his shirt pressed into my chest. “You crazy, stubborn, beautiful idiot. You could have been killed, you know that?” His lips brushed my hair.
“I had to do something.”
“You’re amazing.” The warm, softness of his lips dipped to my throat. “Kellie Laghari is the best of the best. How in hell did you pull that off?”
“I practically laid down in her office and threw a tantrum,” I said, biting back a smile of embarrassment. “And I offered her two invitations to the Masquerade de Marquis.”
“Ah, very nice, Mrs. Menshikov.” He sucked on the tip of my earlobe. Waves of pleasure skittered along my nerve endings, settling in my nipples and between my thighs. His tongue flicked over the shell of my ear. “All this talk of blackmail and payoffs is making me hard.”
I dropped a hand to his crotch and palmed the steely length of his erection. “Do we have time for a quickie?”
He wrapped my fingers around the outline of his cock and pushed into my hand. “We have all the time in the world.”
Spitz’s voice floated over the intercom from the front seat. “Hey, boss?”
“No,” Roman said tersely. His eyes darkened to midnight blue. “Whatever it is, it can wait.”
“I just received a text from Mr. Tarnovsky. He said there’s a media shit storm going on right now. You need to turn on your television.”
Roman sighed. “Fuck.” He released me and scrubbed both hands over his face with a male growl that sent a pulse of electricity into my core. “Alright.”
I handed the remote control to him, and he flicked on the TV to a local news station.
The camera panned to a reporter stationed in front of McElroy’s gated community. “––photographs showing former Vice President Don McElroy in intimate proximity to murder victim Lavender Cunningham. A source close to the Vice President has confirmed that the decorated war veteran was in a long-term relationship with Ms. Cunningham at the time of her death. Mr. McElroy has not responded to our attempts to obtain a statement.”
“Who do think is the source?” Roman asked, weaving his fingers through mine.
“Everly.” I dug my phone out of my purse, remembering my promise to text her, and typed in a message. She didn’t reply. “She heard almost everything Mr. McElroy said.”
“If she comes forward with information against her father, her life will be as much at risk as ours.” His grave tone sent a shiver down my back. “He might not hurt her, but he’ll find a way to shut her up.”
“We can’t let that happen.” I cupped his cheek in my hand, enjoying the scratch of his five o’clock shadow on my palm.
He pressed a kiss to the center. “Anything you want, my queen. Like I said before, all you have to do is ask.” Heat illuminated his eyes. I loved it when he looked at me that way, like he couldn’t get enough of me.
I grinned and pressed the driver call button. “Drive us around the park once before we go home.”
“What have you got in mind?” Roman asked, his voice growing deeper, edged with just enough roughness to make my panties dampen.
“You’ll see.” I eased his zipper down before straddling his hips. His cock jumped forward. I nudged the panel of my panties aside and dragged his crown through my wetness.
The breath hissed out of him. “I’m scandalized. You realize it’s the middle of the day?” He cocked an eyebrow, a smile twitching his mouth.
“You said I could have anything I want. Well, I want you. Now.” To emphasize my point, I eased onto his erection, taking him in halfway before stopping.
“Jesus.” The strangled tightness of his exclamation rewarded my efforts. “You’re so wet.”
The smooth leather of the seats warmed beneath my bare legs. I lowered myself completely and rocked backward, making us groan in tandem. We knew each other’s bodies well by now, but every time we had sex felt like the first time. I’d never grow tired of tasting him, of having him inside me, of making him hard.
The broad expanse of his chest flattened my breasts. His left hand took a good grip of my bottom and wedged my pelvis against his. When his lips dipped to my ear, my body molded to his. “This is why you’re here, Rourke. Because you belong with me. We belong together.”
His mouth crushed mine, bruising, claiming, and relentless. When I pretended to protest, he cupped my jaw in his right hand to hold me captive. Force wasn’t necessary. I’d been starving for his touch, more than I’d realized. I moaned and gave over to the strength in his arms and his male scent. At my surrender, he nipped along my lips with the edge of his teeth, sending tiny explosions of pleasure to the tips of my toes. It took all of my self-control to keep from ripping his shirt off, throwing him onto the floor, and riding him until we both came.
“Enough?” He lifted his head to pose the question.
“No, damn it.” With a small sigh, I nestled my nose into the familiar notch of his collarbone. “It’ll never be enough.”
His wide shoulders shadowed the light from above. An earthy chuckle rumbled through his ribcage. We fit together too well. And maybe, just maybe, I enjoyed the drama of this life.
I curled my fingers into the fabric of his shirt. “Don’t let go.”
“Never. Not now. Not ever.”
His promise rang
in my ears. This man—this complicated, arrogant, stubborn man—had captured my heart, and I would never let him go.
Chapter 26
Rourke
We spent the evening wrapped in each other’s arms, watching movies, and pretending we were normal people. Afterward, Roman made love to me with a slow intensity that curled my toes. Every brush of his fingertips, every press of his lips, branded me as his.
In the darkness of our bedroom, he stroked a hand along my belly. “I’ve been thinking about the Masquerade de Marquis. Do you mind if we skip it this year?”
“Why?” I lifted to an elbow, eager to see his expression. His eyes remained dark.
“I’d rather spend the time alone with you.” He smoothed my skin from my sternum to my navel. Goosebumps erupted in the wake of his fingertips. “We haven’t had a real honeymoon yet. Once the mess about Lavender is over, why don’t we go on a trip? Somewhere hot and secluded while it’s just the two of us.” He pressed a kiss to my stomach. “Before the baby comes.”
I dragged my fingers through his thick, black hair. Would our child be fair like me, or dark like him? A thrill of anticipation ran through me. “I don’t care where we go as long as we’re together.”
“Agreed.” The mattress shifted as he turned onto his side and faced me. He propped his head on an elbow. “And when we get back, I’m going to build us a fortress.”
“A kingdom for a prince?” I asked.
His hand continued drawing lazy circles over my skin, making the ache grow in the space between my legs. “It was going to be a surprise for you, but yes. I’ve got a house on a thousand acres upstate. The renovations began the day I asked you to marry me.”
“And when were you planning on telling me this?”
“When I was ready.” His blue eyes sparkled, catching the flickering light from the nearby fireplace.
“Spoken like a true dictator,” I murmured, smiling at his confidence.
“Eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, stables, tennis court, two swimming pools, a guesthouse, and more than enough room to roam.” He shifted his weight over me, pressing me into the bed. I opened my thighs for him. “And a wall of security to keep us all safe.”
“I can’t wait to see it. I’d like to meet with the interior designer, though. Can you make that happen?”
“Of course.” Leaning forward, he brushed a kiss over my lips. “Spoken like my queen.”
I lifted my knees, bracketing his hips. It felt right to be here like this: quiet, peaceful, and alone in the night. I drew my hands down his back, admiring the curve of his spine and the strong columns of muscle on either side. Only one thing tempered my happiness. “Are you worried about Mr. McElroy’s threat?”
He balanced his upper body on his elbows, shifting some of his weight away from me and captured my gaze with his. “We’ll be fine. You have to believe me when I say everything is under control.”
“Alright. I trust you.” I kissed him on the mouth. His tongue swept over mine, making me squirm, and sending tingles of pleasure through my body.
“Well,” he said, nudging my legs farther apart, “it’s about damn time.”
We stayed in bed until afternoon the next day and would have remained there if Nicky hadn’t shown up. Roman slapped my bottom before rolling out of the bed. I watched him stalk across the room, admiring the flex of muscles in his bare ass. He grabbed a pair of jeans from the closet and stepped into them.
“What do you think he wants?” I asked.
“Who knows? Money, the keys to the yacht—it’s anyone’s guess.” His phone buzzed from the nightstand. He frowned at the caller ID. “I need to take this. Do you mind entertaining him until I’m finished?”
“Sure.” Our bed was warm and cozy; I hated to leave it. I hadn’t spoken to Nicky since his apology to Everly. It seemed like a very long time ago. I slipped into a pair of sweats and one of Roman’s oversized sweaters. Roman answered the phone and tapped a finger to his cheek for a kiss before I left.
As I descended the stairs, Nicky came into view. He paced across the living room. When he reached the opposite side, he retraced his steps. I cleared my throat. He looked up from the floor. Irritation flashed across his face. “Do you have any idea what I’ve done for you?” he asked, his voice raw and broken.
“I know exactly what you’ve done—nothing.” Blood sang in my ears. After my perfect morning, a fight with Nicky was the last thing on my mind. I shifted into defensive mode, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I’ve lied and cheated and risked my life to keep you safe, and this is the thanks I get?”
“The only thing you’ve done is complicate the situation.” I reeled back at the amount of anguish in his voice.
“You know nothing, princess.” He flew to my side, his long legs eating up the distance between us in two strides. With his nose inches from mine, I could see the flecks of gold and blue in his gray eyes.
“As far as I can tell, you’re part of the problem. What, exactly, were you doing with Prince Henry and McElroy? Negotiating a piece of the action for yourself?”
“Everything I did was for you. I cozied up to Everly to get to her father because I suspected he had a hand in Ivan’s death. I wined and dined the prince to keep him happy and out of Roman’s hair. I risked my life to help you.”
“I don’t believe you.” I lifted my chin stubbornly. “You’ve never done anything for anyone but yourself.”
He heaved a sigh and gripped his forehead with his hand. “I did it because I love you.”
I stared at him, disbelieving. “What do you mean?”
“Come on, Rourke. Don’t be obtuse. I’ve been in love with you from the very first time we met at the Masquerade de Marquis.”
“You don’t love me.” Laughter bubbled out of my mouth before I could stop it, but when I caught sight of the sadness in his eyes, I bit my lower lip. I reached out to stroke his shoulder, but he jerked his arm away and retreated to the window. “I love Roman. You know that. There will never be anyone else for me.”
He stalked toward the bar and pulled the stopper from a crystal decanter of whiskey. The amber liquid glugged into a short glass. “Want one? Oh, wait, sorry. I forgot you’ve got Satan’s baby baking inside you.” He brandished the glass in the air between us. “You don’t mind if I do then?”
“Why are you acting like this?”
“I should have known better.” His bitter laughter echoed around the empty room. “Well, you won’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m out of here.”
“Wait. Please don’t go. Let’s talk about this.” The dangerous glint in his eyes frightened me.
He strode toward the door. “There’s nothing to talk about.” He paused, his back to me. “Have a nice life, Cinderella. I hope you get your happy ending.”
By the time my brain wrapped around his words, he was gone. I snapped into action and trotted after him as fast as my bare feet would allow.
Roman appeared on the landing and caught my arm. “Let him go.”
“He’s upset. He might do something stupid.” My heart squeezed at the memory of his expression. Even though we were at odds, a part of me cared for him.
“He’ll be fine. He loves himself too much to do anything harmful.” Roman pulled me into his embrace. His lips brushed my hair. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll check on him later. He’ll probably get rip-roaring drunk, pick up a lovely girl, and break her heart before morning. Everything will go back to the way it was. You’ll see.”
Chapter 27
Rourke
The next day, Everly arrived at the penthouse after lunch. The moment the elevator doors opened into our foyer, she ran across the living room and threw her arms around my neck. I grunted at the impact. “Thank goodness. You’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Except you’re squashing me.” I wriggled to loosen her grasp.
“Are you sure?” She relinquished her hold and held me at arm’s length. Her discerning gaze scanned my body f
rom head to toe. Finally, satisfied, her shoulders lowered. “I was so worried. I feel terrible about Daddy. You were right about him.” Her voice caught. “He wants to hurt you.”
“Don’t worry about us. Roman and Spitz have us on lockdown. No one gets in or out of the building without their consent.”
“I know. They practically strip-searched me at the door.” A faint smile twisted her mouth. “That’s the most action I’ve gotten in a while.”
“How are you doing?” I drew her deeper into the living room, where we could talk. We sat on the loveseat in the corner. Despite the bright sunshine streaming through the windows and the sparkling Manhattan skyline, a sense of gloom hung over the penthouse.
“I’m going to be okay.” She sounded like she was convincing herself more than me. “I told the investigators everything I knew about Lavender and Daddy, but I don’t think they’re going to do anything about it. He has the officials in this city in his hip pocket.”
I took her hand, wishing I could ease some of her anguish. “You did a brave thing, Everly. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.”
“I hope it helps.” With her usual spark, she summoned an easy shrug. “I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were good before I left.”
“Where are you going?” Roman sauntered into the room, barefoot and relaxed in a pair of tan drawstring pants and a soft white sweater. He paused to give me a kiss before shaking Everly’s hand.
“Androvia. Prince Henry has asked me to join him over there for the summer, and I’ve accepted the invitation.” A wall of secrecy shuttered her gaze. “The paparazzi have surrounded my house. They’re following me everywhere. I need to get away.”
“You’re welcome to stay here,” I said, glancing up at Roman for reassurance.
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