by Bex Dane
"You feel that? You feel me? This is where I belong." His voice was scratchy, his breaths short.
"Yes. Yes." He pumped into me hard and fast. I threw my head back, slamming it against the shower wall. His hand came up and cupped my head, protecting me.
The water coated us and hid us from the outside world. We were wet and alone in our slick bubble of ecstasy.
"God. So good. You drive me fucking insane. You're mine. You come for me. You live for me. No one else." I loved the rawness of his voice. It was primal the way he expressed his need to claim me.
"Yes." I could barely speak through my harsh breaths.
His abdomen smashed my clit relentlessly, and his cock massaged all my sensitive spots, sending tremors through my whole body. My climax welled deep, and my spine tingled. Pleasure surged through me as I spasmed around his dick, welcoming him home. He pressed his mouth to mine, and I gobbled him up as he grunted out his release. It felt like our orgasms went on forever. It was pure bliss connecting with Zook again. The way it should be. The emptiness in my heart disappeared. Only the fullness of Zook remained as we clung to each other.
Chapter 23
Zook
Holy shit. That was incredible. Totally worth the trip, the stress, everything was worth the price of making love to Princess Celiana. She sighed and collapsed in my arms. Wrapping her in a towel, I pressed my lips to her forehead and helped her out of the shower stall.
As I dried her face and shoulders, red marks on her arms caught my eye. I lowered the towel to see the rest of her. Damn. Imprints from my hands and fingers covered her ribs, her ass, her neck. "I was rough with you in there. You okay?"
"I'm more than okay. I'm delirious right now." She smiled her blissed-out grin.
Good then. Mine. My mark belonged on her, and I enjoyed seeing it on her skin.
"I like you like this." I ran the towel down to her feet. "No makeup, relaxed, naked." Then up again to her shoulders. Felt so good to have her again and give her that sated smile I loved so much.
She hummed her thank you and rested her hands on my shoulders. "How'd you get in?" She opened her eyes and looked around the bathroom, awareness of what we had done probably creeping in now.
"The rooms on this floor all have a second concealed entrance in the back wall. You can get in through the garage."
"You could've been seen." Yes, panic was setting in.
"No one saw me." Actually, Fasul had seen me sneak in after the party ended. I gave him a pleading nod. Shocked the hell outta me when he turned his back, allowing me to proceed without creating an issue. My plan to befriend him must have worked. "We're safe for now. Brave, remember?"
She nodded and chewed her trembling lip as she gripped her towel.
I dried off and pulled on my briefs. "When's Maksim coming back?"
"I don't know. He's out drinking with Pavel and Yegor. He could come back anytime."
I needed to get her out of here fast. Torrez' plan to wait for the right moment bit the dust when I saw her last night. No sitting around doing surveillance. No leaving her behind at his mercy. The time to strike was now while Maksim and his brothers were out drinking.
"How did you travel to the US? A student visa?"
"No. I have an American passport under the name Cecelia Boujani. I don't know if the passport is real or not, but I travel as an American."
"Where is it?"
"Maksim keeps it in a safe. We can't get to it. Why?"
"We're going back to Boston, and you need it to travel."
Shock and excitement passed through her face. "Really?"
"And the safe isn't a problem. I memorized the lock combinations when I installed them."
"Ooh, clever."
Always made me chuckle when my Ivy League tutor thought I was the clever one. "Pack a bag. Get dressed. We'll get the passport and sneak out the secret corridor."
She frowned as she peered into the bedroom. "This is an isolation chamber. I only have my sleep clothes and slippers. Or my dress and heels from last night?"
Isolation chamber? My fists clenched and twitched, aching to punch the wall. My hatred for Maksim grew stronger with each new bit of info she revealed.
I took a deep breath and focused on right here and now. "Wear your sleep clothes. We'll buy you whatever you need at the airport."
She nodded and raced out of the bathroom to dress.
My phone buzzed in my pocket as I slipped on my tuxedo shirt. Probably Torrez.
Nope. Not Torrez.
A text from Fasul.
Fasul: Maksim has returned to the property.
Shit. When Fasul saw me last night, he must've figured out my plan to rescue her. The text meant she had told him who I was to her and he supported us together.
Me: Distract him for me?
Fasul: I try.
Me: Thank you. You love her too?
Fasul: Yes. Very much. Take care with her.
Of course he loved her. Everyone who met her loved her. I liked that she'd spoken so well of me to him that he would risk his job, and possibly his life, to help her escape.
Okay. Shit. So Maksim was here. I had to get her out unnoticed. My brain struggled to think rationally through all the adrenaline and fear. What if Maksim or the guards caught us? We'd both be dead or stuck here as prisoners. What if I had to shoot Maksim? I'd enjoy it, but I'd be no good to Cecelia from behind bars.
Stop. No fear. If I asked Cecelia to be brave, I needed to do the same. I had an unexpected ally in Fasul. And a Navy SEAL in my back pocket if I needed him. I could do this.
Cecelia returned to the bathroom wearing an off-white linen shirt that hung to her knees, cream-colored pants, and white satin slippers. She'd pulled her wet hair into a shining ponytail. She looked beautiful. Any other time, I'd make a point of letting her know, but not right now.
"Did you tell Fasul about me?"
She blinked then admitted, "Yes. I trust him."
"Good, because Maksim is here and we're making a run for it. Fasul's going to distract him for us."
I checked my gun chamber and held the Sig in my right hand.
She winced at the gun, but then squared her shoulders. "I'm ready."
I kissed her hard on the mouth. She laughed. "What was that for?"
"I'm so impressed with you right now."
Her lips quirked into a smirk. "I'm running away in my pajamas. Be impressed when we make it out safely."
Shoot. Right. "Okay. There are two safes. One in the master bedroom suite, one in the trophy room."
Maksim had built a museum-like hall with display cases for his royal crap, his elephant heads, whatever the hell he wanted to show off. The biggest safe in the palace hid in the wall of that room.
"He collects things," she said.
"Including people?" I asked her.
She grabbed my arm like I was on to something. "Yes."
"The trophy room." We both spoke at the same time.
"Let's go. Stay close behind me."
***
As we ran through the passageway, I gripped my phone in one hand, my gun in the other. Took forever for the call to Torrez to connect.
"What?" Fucker answered right before the call went to voicemail. He wouldn't want to hear the pissed-off message I'd leave if he didn't answer.
"Meet us at the airport. We need to get out of the country right now." My breathing became ragged as we rushed down the dark corridor toward the trophy room.
"The fuck?" I'd never heard Torrez sleepy and confused before. Always the man in control.
"First flight out to anywhere but here."
He grumbled and rustled around. "There a reason you can't stick to the plan?"
"I won't leave her here. I'll tell you more later. Right now I need a car. I'm going to steal one from the garage." I'd never stolen a car before, but hopefully Maksim kept some royal keys in there.
"Shit." More clothes rustling. "And is she ready to run?"
"Yes. She wants to be wi
th me." It felt good to say it to Torrez, knowing it was true. "She's brave."
"Good to hear. Makes all this bullshit worth it." Torrez had sacrificed a lot for this mission. Four months away from his kids. He made several million in profit—as did I—but still, he did this for me as a favor. Torrez was probably the only legit friend I had right now.
"Yep. Can we quit the chattin' like girls, so I can get her the hell out of here?"
"Sure." His voice wavered, and he dragged out the word. "Meet me in the parking garage in fifteen minutes. I'll have a car," he said with more confidence.
He'd have a car? Here? "Alright."
He ended the call before I could ask him how he'd get here so fast from the apartment we'd been staying at.
I pocketed my phone and tugged Cecelia's hand. "We have to hurry."
"What about Soraya?" She planted her feet, and I lost hold of her hand.
Shit. I didn't plan for Soraya. I didn't expect to find Cecelia at all, much less her roommate from Hale. Fasul could only hold Maksim for so long. We couldn't risk a side trip to get Soraya. I turned to face her in the dark passageway. "There's no time. We need to go now." We both sucked in quick breaths, trying to regulate our breathing.
She resisted another tug on her hand. "She's my sister."
"Listen, let's get you to safety first. Then we'll make a plan for Soraya." We'd have to come back for her. Torrez would help me come up with a plan.
"Let's sneak in her room and get her," she whispered in a conspiratorial tone.
Okay, Cecelia was taking this whole being brave idea to extremes. "I love that you wanna fight for her too, but first save yourself. For once, fight for you."
She gave me a reluctant nod, and we continued running through the corridor. The house staff hadn't woken up yet. We exited the corridor and ran down the hall to the trophy room.
I guided her to the wall safe and entered the combination. The door clicked open and she smiled. The safe held rolls of cash in all different currencies. Handguns. And passports. Lots of passports. I found hers and stashed it in my jacket pocket. Bingo.
Male voices reached my ears from the hallway. It sounded like they were arguing in Russian.
"It's Maksim and Fasul," Cecelia whispered.
Shit. Fuck. We were cornered. Okay, maybe Torrez knew what he was talking about with his waiting to strike crap. With nowhere to hide, I pushed her behind me, holding the gun at my back.
Maksim walked in and glared at us. Fasul was on his heels, his hands fussing. Maksim's hair was messed up, his shirt untucked, a shadow of a beard appearing on his normally smooth skin.
"What the hell?" His speech dragged and his eyes moved slowly from her to me. Good. Drunk Maksim would be easier to subvert. "Celiana? Why are you in here with him?"
"I know him. From Hale. He's..."
"I love her and she's leaving with me." I made it clear with my tone he should talk to me and not her.
"You love her? Leaving? With you?" His brows drew together in one long caterpillar. He laughed then barked out a string of Russian directed at Cecelia. I felt her recoil behind me. I didn't need to know what he was saying, I could guess he was spewing the words he used to control her. Damn him for making her feel that way.
Cecelia swallowed loudly before she stepped out from behind me and faced him. She answered him in Russian, using her stern teacher voice.
"Fasul, translate for me." I wanted to hear every word of Cecelia finally standing up to him.
"Maksim asked her if it was true and she declared, yes, she loves you." Fasul grinned and nodded at Cecelia, encouraging her and clearly as proud of her as I was.
Maksim grimaced and spoke more harsh words in Russian, directly to Cecelia again, pissing me off more.
Fasul translated for me. "He says you are a felon."
Cecelia snapped back in English. "I don't care. I love him and I'm leaving with him."
Maksim narrowed his eyes and spoke more softly, again in Russian.
Fasul hesitated.
"Tell me, Fasul," I said.
Cecelia translated. "Maksim said Fasul told him you read like a child."
Oh did he? I spoke directly to Maksim. "Cecelia tells me you have the penis of a child."
Fasul gasped and covered his mouth to hide his amusement. Maksim's jaw set and his eyes flared. It was just a guess, but it looked like I was right.
"She's my property." Finally, Maksim spoke to me in English. His voice became high-pitched as he struggled to control his temper. "I've invested a lot of time and money in her. You can't take her. She belongs to me." His fists shook. Not fun losing, is it, Prince Maksim?
"She's not property. She's a human being and she has a right to be free." My words hung in the air between us. He couldn't deny he'd stolen her freedom.
"She's a whore and a traitor. You shame the whole family if you do this, Celiana. I'll kill you and him." Maksim pressed his lips together and puffed out his chest. "Fasul, call Oleg."
I dropped Cecelia's hand, preparing to reveal my weapon. "No, Fasul. Don't call Oleg."
Fasul didn't move.
"Fasul, call Oleg!" Maksim spit when he talked. Fasul pulled his phone but I could bet he wasn't waking up Oleg. He was on our side. I pulled my gun and aimed it at Maksim. "Go ahead, make a move. I'd love to shoot you right now."
A flash of brown hair brushed in front of me. What the hell? Cecelia screamed and ran forward, raising an old-fashioned dagger above her head. Holy shit. Where the hell did she get that thing? She must've pulled it off the wall.
I ran after her but couldn't stop her. She was already half the distance to Maksim. All I could do was move closer. I got within ten feet and stared in horror as she reached him.
In one swift move, he grabbed her wrists and ripped the dagger from her grip, catching her around the neck and turning her to face me. His eyes darkened, and he held her in a way I could tell he was accustomed to subduing women this way. For the first time, I saw Maksim's true evil side. All his royal composure fled and the controller appeared. He handled many women this way. Bastard.
She struggled and grunted, trying to break his hold. He pulled the dagger up under her neck with one hand, his other braced across her chest. The terror in her eyes burned inside me. He had my girl at his mercy and I couldn't shoot. Damn. Fuck. I couldn't fucking shoot. He knew it. Her body was in front of his and their heads were inches apart.
"Stop," Maksim said to me as I stalked closer. I made it within five feet, my gun still aimed at his head. If she could just break free and get clear I could shoot the asshole and we'd be out of here.
"Let her go, Maksim. It's time. Let her go."
She kept fighting even with the blade at her neck. "Shut up, bitch." He growled and struck her temple with the butt of the dagger. She went limp in his arms. He propped her up in front of him like a shield. With his eyes on me, he raised the dagger and…
God, no!
Plunged it into her stomach.
"No." I jumped and landed on them, pushing her unconscious body out from under his arm.
My gun slipped from my grasp and skid on the tile. Maksim moved to get it but I was quicker. I got hold of it and, with shaking hands, pulled the trigger. The shots echoed loudly through the halls of the palace. I hit Maksim once in the chest. Once in the forehead. He fell to the ground, his eyes wide, his mouth open. His body jolted a few times and I watched his eyes roll up and blood spill from his chest.
I'd never killed a man before, but I was surprisingly calm. Maybe because I'd imagined shooting him just like this with every shot at the driving range. All the practice made the real thing easy. He would never touch her again. Maksim's tyranny ended today at my hands.
"Go!" Fasul pointed down the hallway. "Oleg would hear the gunshot. You must run!"
I scooped up Cecelia's motionless body and nodded at him. "If anyone asks what happened…"
"I will tell them there was an intruder who escaped. I will cover for you. Just go."
&
nbsp; "Thank you."
I bolted down the hall to the door to the garage.
Chapter 24
We burst through the side door and ran between the rows of luxury cars. The main garage door opened and, in the driveway, Torrez hunkered down behind the trunk of the Mercedes we'd rented for the party.
I ran to far side of the car and stopped, trying to catch my breath so I could speak. "She's hurt. He hit her and stabbed her."
He looked us over quickly. "Put her in the back. You drive. I'll help her." Torrez tipped his head to the front of the car. "Keys in the ignition. It's running."
Thank God and all that was holy for Torrez. I positioned Cecelia's limp body in the rear passenger seat, trying to be gentle but also rushing to get the fuck out of here. Her neck twisted at an awkward angle, her face was pale. Blood seeped into her nightshirt at her waist. "Hold on, baby. Don't leave me."
I closed her door and hopped into the driver's seat. "Get in, Torrez."
"One second." He stayed crouched behind the car, his gun still trained on the garage side entrance.
"What are we waiting for?"
The door opened and a big bald dude carrying a gun ran out. Torrez fired one shot and the guard hit the ground. "That. There's only one guard on duty right now, and we just neutralized him." He popped the trunk and grabbed something before he slid into the back seat. We tore down the drive and flew through the front gate of the palace.
"Is she okay?" My voice was wild, my breath ragged and forced. "There's a lot of blood."
"I can see that. How many times was she hit?"
"Once. A knife to her stomach. A blow to her head with the handle of the dagger."
Torrez lifted her shirt and found the spot. "He hit bone. Just tore a lot of skin. I can see her hip bone."
"You can see her bones? Fucker. I killed him, Torrez. I shot him in the chest and the forehead like we practiced."
"Good. If he did this to her, he deserved it. She's unconscious but breathing steady. Pulse slow, but strong. Let me see if I can stop the bleeding." He opened a plastic case he had pulled from the trunk.
