by Kells, India
Kingsley punched him hard in the kidneys, but the man was made of stone. Unable to evade the elbow to his temple, Kingsley saw stars for a second but pushed back as hard as he could and his attacker’s skull hit the ground with a sickening crack.
Rolling toward the wall, he shook his head, trying to clear his vision when someone rushed to his left side. His body reacted, his gun went up, but a familiar voice stopped him from pulling the trigger.
“You all right, King?”
He offered his hand to Mason who pulled him to his feet. One quick check confirmed that blood trickled from his scalp, but he wasn’t worried. He’d suffered worse wounds in his line of work, and once the room steadied, he was good to go. Mason had blood on his arm too, but it looked superficial.
They were on their way to Caitlin, when she found them. “I’m clear.”
Kingsley nodded and touched his ear. “Cain? Sit-rep.”
Cain answered immediately. “Nobody outside as far as I can see. Everyone just vanished.”
“We’re coming out.”
The three of them, all still on high alert, joined Cain as he patrolled outside.
“Nobody else is inside. Mason, check on James and Sydney. I want to make sure they got away.”
As Mason pulled out his phone, Kingsley held his breath. Had he made the right decision in sending them away? Or had he sent them straight into danger? His heart in his throat, he looked around pretending to scan the area while fighting his instinct to run to the forest where Sydney had disappeared.
Mason closed his phone. “James stumbled on one of their cars by the road and stole it. They’re on their way to the airport. I told James to take the plane and keep going until they were back in Miami and safe at Alliance. I said to tell Sydney that you were fine, we all were, and would make our way back as soon as we could.”
The tension flew out of him now he was reassured Sydney was safe. He would have preferred to be the one ensuring her protection, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
He made his way back to his smoking car and sighed. “Hell. I liked that car.”
Cain snorted, and Caitlin rounded the wreck as Killian danced around her heels. “Did they throw a grenade on it?”
With his experience with bombs, Kingsley knew it wasn’t a grenade. He dropped down to look underneath what was left of the car. “They put something underneath. That means they knew from the start where we were going.”
Mason crouched beside him. “It’s not surprising. If Rutherford was close to Sydney’s parents, then he knows about the farm and this mill. Especially as the mill is so close to the farm. I suspect he ordered men to come straight here and wait to see if we showed up but as we came straight from the airport, there is also the possibility they followed us from there. We would have stood out as we don’t exactly look like tourists, especially having Killian with us, and arriving on a private plane. Our only advantage was that we used a different entry point. Has Sydney figured out what the key is for?”
Kingsley brushed his pants from all dirt. “It unlocked a drawer in an old filing cabinet, and we found a file named ‘Princess Pea’. Apparently her father used to read her the story. They attacked before we could see what was in it. Whatever information it contains is bad enough Rutherford hired professional mercenaries to silence his niece. That bomb was not handmade, but the person who installed it probably wasn’t a professional. I would need to examine it properly, but a quick look tells me it was supposed to go off when I started the car. It’s a safety precaution that obviously didn’t work. As they were here before we arrived, I would check your own vehicles, they’re probably rigged as well.”
Caitlin nodded. “You plan to call the police?”
Kingsley shook his head. “I’ll have my car removed first. We’re a long way from the nearest house, so I doubt anybody heard anything. I don’t want anything here that will implicate the Agency or Sydney. So we clean up, and we fly home. I’ll make a call to Shane and get him to arrange another plane and pilot for us. I have a feeling that Rutherford will shift his focus when he learns his niece is still alive and has information that could possibly sink him like the Titanic.”
Chapter Seventeen
Sydney didn’t know how it happened, but after Kingsley disappeared and she screamed his name, part of her brain had shut down. The terror she had felt was so strong, so close to what she had experienced after her rape, it messed with her on a basic level.
Everything had felt like a thick fog had descended. As if she was watching an action movie on the television where James was the hero. He’d run with her into the forest, stolen a car and driven like a madman until they reached an airport and boarded a private plane, where he’d taken the pilot’s seat. She couldn’t remember which airport they had flown out of. Only once they’d boarded the plane had James relaxed enough to be concerned about her. Unable to respond or react, not knowing if Kingsley was all right, she remained in a fog-like state, where nothing could affect her, and emotions were locked away. She’d leaned against the window and closed her eyes, even if there was no way she could have slept.
The flight took a few hours and it seemed like an eternity to her, each minute dragging. It wasn’t until James steered her out of another airport, and the warm ocean air filled her nose, she realized where she was.
They were ushered into a car driven by Shane with Nick riding shot-gun. The owner of the Agency had taken a good look at them before driving away. It was the middle of the night, the darkness deep over the city, making every corner and building gloomy, filling them with menacing shadows.
Once more, James asked if she was all right, and she nodded. She wanted to be left alone, to find that small sliver of peace remaining in her soul and hang on to it as she hung onto her sanity and the unopened file against her chest. She realized it was Kingsley who’d held her together, gave her the strength to seek justice when there was nothing left.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice how far they had gone until the car turned into Alliance. They were greeted by several people waiting outside under the lights of the building, their guns drawn. Alex, Mercy, Emme, Malco, and another man. Warriors offering protection. Would that be her life from now on? Hidden away forever?
She was thankful, although she felt like a zombie, her focus sketchy. A violet lightning bolt in the form of Cleo came from inside producing an unexpected feeling of warmth in a sea of fear. The small woman didn’t waste time with empty words and after quickly introducing her to the new man, Wolf, pushed her into the showers. Emme and Mercy followed, forming a circle around her, knowing she wanted to be alone, but remaining close, nonetheless.
Sydney thought she would come apart in the shower but didn’t. Afterward, she followed Cleo into the guest bedroom where she sat on the bed feeling lost.
Emme followed soon after, holding a steaming cup of tea and Mercy was behind her, a box of chocolate doughnuts in her hand. “I heard that chocolate is the perfect treatment for almost anything.”
Emme scoffed, her British accent strong with an insult. “Tea is the only universal medicine.”
Sydney sat on the bed and relinquished the file, placing it on the bed beside her before accepting the cup Emme held out. She didn’t know if she would be able to swallow, but it felt good to have it in her hands. The comfy hoodie and track pants she was wearing, along with the hot shower started to warm her body.
Cleo sat cross-legged beside her as Emme and Mercy took the small cushioned bench facing them.
Mercy bit into a doughnut and sighed. “Oh, sugary heaven, how I have missed you.”
Emme took the box away. “Hey, don’t eat them all,” she said before taking one herself.
The violet-haired storm quickly hopped off the bed and snatched the box from her boss before sitting on the bed again. “I brought them for all of us, not only for you to scarf down. And Sydney is the one that needs a massive dose of chocolate, not you, Merc.”
Emme shook her head but smiled at
their banter before turning her attention to Sydney. “Take a sip. I made it strong. It will help you, I promise. Just one sip, please.”
Looking down at the dark liquid, Sydney forced herself to bring the cup to her lips and take a sip. She held the warm liquid in her mouth for several seconds before her body seemed to remember what to do and she forced herself to swallow.
The warmth spread to her belly, relaxing her, and making her stomach grumble for more. The more she sipped, the easier it became, and she even risked taking a bite out of a chocolate doughnut. And then surprised herself by taking another.
The women, the teasing, the laughter, and the camaraderie was soothing and most of all, grounding. It reassured her that she was emerging from the fog and finding herself once more. Not the her that had been captured by her uncle, but the woman who had found her strength alongside Kingsley. The realization made her smile. She had just suffered one of the most violent episodes of panic and anxiety since her initial trauma. And she’d survived it.
“And the lady smiles!”
Mercy’s voice held laugher but wasn’t mocking. Sydney could see the relief on the three woman’s faces. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
“And the lady talks! You scared us, but only because we care about you. Don’t be sorry. You were a civilian caught in the middle of a firefight, had enemies surrounding you. Nobody is immune to fear, not even the guys on our team. We women are the only ones mature enough to acknowledge that certain emotions don’t make you weak.”
Emme nodded. “Oh yeah. And that’s a lesson that some of the men should listen to, instead of turning all cavemen on us.”
“Kingsley is not a caveman.”
The three women lost themselves in laughter, making Sydney smile. “Did I say something funny?”
Cleo winked. “Kingsley might come across as tall, dark, handsome, and sophisticated, but that’s only been since you arrived. Before that, he was a complete caveman, and almost as bad as the others. Must be his British roots that he can play the gentleman so well, but I suspect it’s more you. You’re the one keeping the caveman at bay.”
As he was the one keeping her own demons in check, Sydney suspected that his caveman tendencies also hid his own nightmares.
A while later Emme’s phone buzzed with an incoming message. “The rest of the team are a couple of minutes away.”
Sydney was on the move before any of the women had time to blink as she headed for the front door. The others were on high alert as they went outside to greet their friends. Sydney was ordered to remain inside.
On a logical level, she knew Kingsley and the others were safe and mostly unharmed, but it hadn’t stopped her from worrying. The man she’d known for such a short time mattered. He mattered more to her than what she’d believed possible.
When they entered the building she could see they had managed to clean themselves up a bit, but hadn’t changed clothes. They were obviously tired, and Sydney saw her caveman immediately searching for her. The lines on his face disappeared as he opened his arms to her.
Unable to resist, she went to him and buried her face in his shirt. He smelled of gasoline, sweat, and blood, but hearing the steady beat of his heart was all that she longed for. For the longest moment in her life, when he’d stayed in the mill, she’d thought he was lost to her forever.
Tears started to choke her, but she swallowed them away, tightening her arms around him.
“Hey, Syd. Easy. I’m fine. We’re both safe now.”
She snuggled closer as he kissed the top of her head, his use of her shortened name reminding her of their time together and the closeness they had shared. Eventually she pulled back and got a look at the marks and bruises on his face. “You’re hurt.”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”
The more she looked, the more blood she saw on him. It was dried, but it was a clear sign of how dangerous it had been. How close he had been to death. The way Kingsley looked at her told her it wasn’t something he wanted to discuss anymore. The caveman was close to the surface it seemed.
Cleo, however, didn’t seem like she was going to be deterred as she approached the other members of the team, Mason in particular. “What in the hell happened to you!”
At the vehemence in her tone, the man took a step back. “What are you talking about?”
Cleo took his arm where blood stained his shirt. Before Mason could react, she ripped his sleeve open exposing a nasty gash that still oozed blood. “You didn’t think it was a good idea to at least bandage it?”
Mason frowned, clearly unsure how to react to the whirlwind before him.
Cain walked over to stand beside Mason, offering his most pitiful face to Cleo. “I was hurt too, gorgeous. Will you take care of me?”
Cleo sneered at him. “If you’re still talking, it means you weren’t hurt enough. Want help with that?”
Cain lifted his hands in surrender as Shane joined the circle. “We’ll take care of our wounds and sleep, but we can only have a few hours. We have another problem to take care of.” Shane turned to Sydney, and from the look in his eyes, it was more bad news. “It’s something I heard thanks to one of my contacts at the police station. Rutherford is trying to file a kidnapping charge against Alliance. He’s accusing us of keeping you hostage, and is requesting you be returned to his care.”
Sydney felt the news like a punch in the gut. “He’s crazy! He’s the one who kidnapped me. It was his hired hands who came after us in Indiana. The police aren’t taking him seriously, surely?”
Kingsley came beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Breath, Sydney. I’m not going to let him get his hands on you.”
Shane nodded. “I agree, but we must be clever with how we play our cards here. Don’t forget, all we have right now is circumstantial evidence against the man. I’ve called an attorney for advice, and she’s on standby until we have more details, but that won’t be till the morning. In the meantime, we’re on lockdown. Go get some rest, Sydney.”
Cleo pulled Mason to the infirmary, and the others slipped away either to rest or secure the premises.
This new slap from her uncle made Sydney so mad. The people from the Alliance Agency were the first in a long time to be on her side and thinking they would be seen as criminals only fueled her anger.
Kingsley touched her shoulder. “Let’s go rest a couple of hours, Syd.”
“How can you be so calm about it? Not only is Raymond trying to kill me, but now he’s trying to get to you. I’m putting you all in danger. I can’t…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Kingsley took her mouth in a sweet kiss that turned heated. Sydney’s head was spinning when he finally released her.
“Are you insinuating I should walk away from you because of some creep I can’t wait to put behind bars? I’m not going anywhere, so get used to it. I’ll do anything to keep you safe. I need to hear that you believe me, Syd.”
The beaten warrior before her made her heart swell like no other. “I believe you, Kingsley, but I want you safe too. Do you understand?”
When he took her in his arms for another searing kiss, Sydney knew it was a tactic to distract her. For now, she would indulge his need, as well as hers, to be in each other’s embrace, but she was aware enough to know that the war had taken a dangerous turn. Now, more than her life was on the line and she realized that she had fallen in love with Kingsley Knight and was determined to keep him safe too.
Chapter Eighteen
Despite his exhaustion, Kingsley couldn’t sleep, his brain going over everything that had happened in the last few days. The woman lying in his arms, her breathing deep and even was an enigma, but one he was determined to understand. Her bravery and fortitude were evident in every step she took.
The fear her uncle caused would paralyze most people, but Sydney kept moving and fighting, and she had done it mostly alone. But not anymore. She was his now, and he protected what was his. He wasn’t
sure when or how it had happened, but he loved her, and he thought that maybe she could love him. Their chemistry was off the charts, he couldn’t be in the same room with her without wanting to touch her in some small way.
The tilt of her head or the way she flicked her hair away from her face made his fingers itch to caress her soft skin. The trust she placed in him to help her, to keep her safe and the relief he had seen in her eyes when she saw him walk through the door told the story of how she felt about him even if her words hadn’t.
His mind drifted to Rutherford as Sydney burrowed closer to his body. Her legs tangled with his as he pulled her closer, breathing in the scent of shampoo and body wash that had his dick hardening. He pushed the erotic thoughts away as he tried to figure out how they could stop Rutherford before he ruined the fledgling agency that Shane and Emme had built.
That he would keep Sydney safe was a given. He would whisk her back to the UK if he had to, make sure that Rutherford never found her, but he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want their future to include a lifetime of running. No, he wanted a life of adventure and love and maybe even kids down the line. On that thought, he felt his eyelids grow heavy as the image of a blond-haired blue-eyed little girl flitted through his mind making him smile softly.
Kingsley woke to the warmth of Sydney’s body wrapped around him like a blanket. She was lying on her front with her leg thrown over his hips, her body pinning him to the bed. Her head was on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around her. Kingsley felt his body stir at the soft, lithe body touching his.
Running a hand gently from her shoulder, down over her arm, over the tiny waist, and the curve of her delectable ass, Kingsley caressed the silky skin of her thigh. He felt the exact moment she came into wakefulness. Her body stilled for just a fraction of a second before relaxing back into him.
