King’s Ransom

by Ashenden, Jackie

  Of course, within moments of the messages being sent, both Xander and Leon tried to call me. I ignored them. I didn’t want to talk to them. Once Imogen and her father were gone, then I’d tell them, but not before.

  It wasn’t till the late afternoon that I realised I hadn’t seen Imogen.

  I went upstairs to check if she was still in my office and she was, sitting in the same position I’d left her in that morning, staring hard at the computer screen. Some official-looking document was open on it and she was frowning at it.

  There was something different about her and it took me a moment to figure out what it was. She was sitting still. Her foot wasn’t jiggling and she wasn’t humming. She wasn’t shifting around or doing any of the other things I’d watched her do over the past couple of days.

  Her attention was focused so fiercely on the screen it was as if she was trying to see inside to the electronics themselves.

  I leaned against the doorframe. ‘Little one.’

  She didn’t even look at me.

  ‘Little one.’

  She twitched, but didn’t look away from the screen.

  ‘Imogen,’ I finally said, amused.

  She glanced at me, blinked, then grinned. ‘Oh. Sorry. Did you want something?’

  ‘You’ve been sitting there all day. Did you even have lunch?’

  ‘No,’ she said slowly. ‘I don’t think I did. But I had a good look at your building and a whole lot of social housing stuff, what’s available in New South Wales and the rules and regulations—that kind of thing.’ Her eyes were shining. ‘It’s quite complicated. Lots of things to figure out. I mean, I guess you’ve done all that?’

  I couldn’t help smiling. ‘I’ve done some things. Haven’t had a chance to investigate others.’

  ‘Do you want me to tell you what I discovered?’ She turned back to the computer, hit a button and the printer whirred into life. There was already quite a stack of paper beside it.

  Clearly, she’d been busy.

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘But you can tell me tonight over dinner.’

  ‘Okay. Let me know if you want me to do anything, because I might just stay here and—’

  ‘No,’ I interrupted. ‘I’m taking you out.’

  ‘Out? As in out of the house out?’

  ‘Yes, out of the house out.’

  She smiled the most beautiful smile. ‘Seriously?’

  There was an unfamiliar warmth in my chest that hadn’t been there before, somehow called into life by her smile.

  It had been a long time since I’d done anything to make anyone happy. The big picture didn’t include individuals.

  Certainly not individuals like this one, who smiled at me as if I’d handed her the fucking moon on a plate.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she went on. ‘To a restaurant? Like, Asian food? I love Japanese. Or Indian—I love Indian too. Thai is pretty cool. But I don’t really mind. If we have steak, though, it must have fries with it, because you can’t have steak without chips, right?’

  Adorable. Delightful. Exuberant. Full of interest and questions and excitement. And, despite how she’d been trapped in the prison her father had created for her, there was an optimism to her that I didn’t have and probably never would.

  She was everything I wasn’t. Everything that was missing from my life.

  Everything you need.

  The thought sat there for one long moment and, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, the damn thing wouldn’t go away.

  And the warmth in my chest just sat there too, getting bigger and bigger the more she smiled at me.

  It was so easy to make her happy.

  That’s what you want. You want to make her happy.

  ‘Ajax?’ She was giving me a slightly concerned look now. ‘Everything okay?’

  Christ, how long had I been standing there staring at her?

  ‘Be ready in an hour,’ I said, my voice sounding a lot rougher than I’d intended.

  ‘Yay.’ She frowned. ‘But where are we going?’

  ‘It’s a surprise.’

  ‘Omigod, I love surprises! Do I wear a dress? I mean, there is a dress in those clothes you got me, right? What about shoes? Heels or flats? Do I need a jacket?’

  I couldn’t stand it.

  Pushing myself away from the doorframe, I strode into the room and over to the chair, bending to take her flushed face in my hands. Then I kissed her hard, stopping her stream of questions.

  Instantly her mouth opened under mine, warm and generous, and hungry. If I wasn’t careful I was going to have her right here in this chair and, since I had a few things to do before we went out, that probably wasn’t the best idea.

  Releasing her, I stepped back. ‘Wear whatever you feel beautiful in. I’ll take care of everything else.’

  ‘Can I bring those printouts? I promise I won’t talk at you too long.’

  ‘Yes. Bring them all. And you can talk at me as long as you want.’ I didn’t think I could say no to her. Not now.

  What I did need to do was get out of this room and figure out where the fuck I’d put my distance.

  Because one thing was for sure; I was going to need it if I was ever going to give her back to her father.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Imogen

  I WAS RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED.

  Ajax still hadn’t told me where we were going but, sitting next to him in the plain black car as it slid easily through the Sydney streets, I knew that, wherever it was, it was going to be fantastic.

  I was out of his house. Outside. And sure, it wasn’t like I was completely alone and able to do what I wanted, but I didn’t mind that. In fact, having him beside me, all tall, dark, muscular and hot, made it even better somehow.

  Knowing he’d organised this for me made it better too.

  I’d tried to make an effort with my clothes since he’d obviously made an effort to organise this and, even though I didn’t know where we were going, I thought I’d wear something sexy that we’d both enjoy.

  A pretty green silk shift dress with spaghetti straps that felt nice against my skin. The look he’d given me when I’d come out wearing it had thrilled me.

  He liked it. A lot.

  Well, the feeling was mutual.

  He was in his usual jeans—he never seemed to wear the suits hanging up in his closet—along with a black T-shirt and battered black leather jacket. Casual clothing that fitted him like a second skin, highlighting his height and powerful muscularity, making him look deliciously dark and broody.

  I could hardly drag my gaze away.

  His mouth curved as he caught me staring. ‘Feel free to stare at me, little one,’ he murmured. ‘I don’t mind.’

  I flushed. ‘I was wondering why you never wear all those suits in your closet.’

  ‘Because I don’t like suits.’

  ‘So why did you buy them?’

  Dark humour glittered in his gaze. ‘Leon thought they would make me more...accessible.’

  I grinned. ‘He’s right. You were very accessible the night you kidnapped me and you were wearing a suit then.’

  ‘I’m not sure kidnapping you was me being accessible.’

  ‘Well, I didn’t mind it.’

  ‘I’m glad.’ There was a blue flame burning in his eyes now. ‘Because I’m pretty fucking happy I kidnapped you.’

  My cheeks heated, something inside me glowing at how blatantly appreciative the look he gave me was. ‘I hope I won’t be too overdressed,’ I said breathlessly. ‘Or underdressed. Or whatever.’

  ‘You’re perfect.’ His smile was hungry and a touch feral. ‘Completely perfect.’

  It made me shiver in the best way.

  I hoped we’d be somewhere private, where we could maybe indulge our mutual hunger, but then the ca
r pulled up and Ajax looked out the window.

  ‘We’re here,’ he said.

  Here turned out to be a marina with a lot of expensive sleek boats moored on long jetties that stretched out across the dark water. The place was brightly lit and there were a number of people moving among the boats, either unmooring or tying them up.

  I peered curiously out the window. ‘What are we doing here?’

  Ajax’s smile turned enigmatic. ‘You’ll see.’

  My surprise turned out to be one of those sleek yachts that sat low in the water. It had a covered deck and an interior like a five-star hotel. Low, soft couches, gleaming wooden floors and windows on all sides. A table was set up on the deck outside, complete with silverware, crystal glasses, candles and a spray of roses. A wine bottle stood waiting to be opened.

  I stared around in wonder. ‘It’s a boat,’ I said after Ajax returned from talking with the yacht’s captain, coming around the table to pull out my chair. ‘A bloody boat.’ I sounded ridiculous but I couldn’t help it. ‘I’ve never been on a boat before. Is it yours? Where are we going? Are we really going to have dinner here?’

  ‘Sit down and I’ll tell you,’ Ajax said, amused.

  Obediently I did, biting down on my questions, looking around at the marina. There were yachts with graceful sails and huge super-yachts—basically a rich man’s playground.

  Ajax had said he’d wanted to sail away over the horizon as a kid, so this boat had to be his, right? And now he was inviting me out on it. So cool.

  His gaze was full of warmth as he sat down opposite me and it made my heart beat faster.

  ‘It’s not my boat,’ he said, reaching for the wine bottle and opening it, pouring white wine into both our glasses. ‘But I’m considering buying it. This is a test drive.’ His blue gaze caught mine. ‘And, as to where we’re going, we’re going on a tour of the harbour while we have dinner.’

  Oh, I was up for that. So up. I’d been to the harbour, of course, but never without guards. Never on my own with someone I liked for company.

  And I did like Ajax. Sure, he was uncompromising, not to mention arrogant and bossy. But his heart was in the right place. And he made me feel good. And he was really interesting. I liked the way his mind worked. He saw the whole, while I tended to focus on the different parts.

  Such as him, for example. I was seeing different parts of him, but I had the sense he was only showing me the parts that he wanted me to see.

  Not the whole of him.

  And I wanted to see that very much.

  Maybe I would tonight.

  Ten minutes later we were cruising over the water, the bright crescent of the harbour bridge and the neon of the city skyline in front of us.

  I couldn’t stop staring. The city was beautiful and the scent of salt, the openness of the water around us and the warmth of the night pressing in made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t before. As if there were possibilities in the air. Possibilities I hadn’t thought about before because they were things I couldn’t have.

  Correction, things I thought I didn’t deserve, such as a normal life. A job. A place that was mine. Friends. A man I loved.

  The thought sent a hot pulse of emotion through me.

  A man I loved...

  Such as the man sitting opposite?

  The man who’d kidnapped me, saved me. Who’d not only shown me pleasure, but shown me that I was worthy of it. Who’d allowed me to be myself and liked me despite it.

  Or maybe because of it.

  The man who’d told me that my mother’s sacrifice had been worth it if it had allowed me to exist.

  You’re in love with him. You have been since the moment you met him.

  My eyes filled with the stupidest tears.

  ‘You look sad.’ His deep voice wound around me, encompassing me in its rough warmth. ‘What’s wrong? I thought you’d like the yacht.’

  I blinked furiously. God, I did not want to cry. I didn’t even know why I was crying.

  Sure, you do.

  Yes. I was in love with Ajax King and I couldn’t have him. Because if he didn’t release me back to Dad, then Dad would stay, continuing to threaten Ajax and his family. Continuing to threaten the city Ajax had sworn to protect.

  And I couldn’t ask him to keep me. I couldn’t ask to be put before everyone he cared about. That would be selfish.

  I forced myself to smile, my heart aching. ‘Oh, I’m just...happy to be outside and here,’ I lied. Then, because I couldn’t help myself, I added, ‘With you.’

  Something in his gaze shifted, his smile fading. ‘I have to tell you something, Imogen.’

  I swallowed. I knew what he was going to say; don’t ask me how, but I did. Maybe it was simply the timing of me discovering I was in love and realising I could never have it.

  ‘You’re going to tell me that you’ve spoken to Dad and that I have to meet him,’ I said. ‘And then you’re going to give me back to him.’

  He was silent, staring at me.

  Of course he was going to give me back to Dad. And that shouldn’t have disappointed me in the slightest. I’d told him I didn’t want him to care about me, after all.

  ‘No,’ Ajax murmured slowly. ‘I’m not going to give you back to him.’

  The shock was a hard jolt, like I’d curled my fingers around a bare electrical wire. ‘W-what?’

  ‘I changed my mind.’ The intensity in his eyes burned. ‘I’m keeping you.’

  I’m keeping you...

  A hot ball of emotion pushed against my ribs, constricting my lungs, making breathing hard.

  I had not been expecting this.

  ‘You can’t,’ I forced out. ‘You can’t keep me. Dad will—’

  ‘I’ll deal with your father.’ For a second the warmth in his eyes was replaced with something cold. ‘But you’re not going back to him, end of story.’

  ‘B-but where will I go?’ I stammered. ‘What will I do? How can I—’

  ‘Did you miss the part where I said I’m keeping you?’

  ‘No,’ I managed. ‘I just...thought you might be joking.’

  ‘I’m not. I’m deadly serious.’

  The hot ball of emotion got bigger, wider. ‘But why?’

  ‘Because he’s a prick and he hurt you. And I want to make sure he never hurts you again. Plus...’ a familiar flame leapt in his gaze ‘... I haven’t finished with you yet.’

  ‘What will happen to me when you do?’ My brain was already leaping to the next thing. Because of course he wouldn’t want to keep me for ever. ‘When you finish with me, I mean. Dad’s not going to go away just like that.’

  ‘Leave him to me.’

  ‘But I thought you said nothing was going to get in the way of you protecting your city? Not even me.’

  He pinned me with that relentlessly blue gaze. ‘I’ve never been able to have what I want. At least, I never thought I’d be able to. You were the first thing I allowed myself. And I want more. I want both. To protect my city and have you, and fuck, I don’t see why I can’t.’

  The emotion in my chest was crushing. Like hunger magnified a thousand times, multiplied by need, turning into something so intense I couldn’t breathe.

  I loved him. But to ask for it in return was too much to ask of a man like Ajax. He was too driven, too focused on his goals, and he’d told me himself how important they were to him. Far more important than I’d ever be.

  Dad never loved you. Why would Ajax King?

  He wouldn’t. And that was the truth.

  ‘Why?’ I asked, unable to help myself. ‘If it’s just about the sex—’

  ‘It’s not just about the sex. I want to keep you because you wanted me. Because I haven’t had a woman look at me the way you do for years, if ever. Because you’re the first person I’ve met who wasn’t instantly
afraid of me. Because you’re beautiful. Because I’m fascinated by the way your mind works.’ The blue flame in his eyes leapt higher. ‘Because you’re challenging as hell and because your optimism is so fucking bright it’s blinding.’

  My throat closed up. He’d told me similar things that day in the kitchen, when I’d burned the bacon. But I hadn’t taken them in, not until now. Not until I saw the truth burning in his gaze.

  I tried to swallow. Failed.

  ‘I couldn’t have what I wanted,’ he went on, ‘because anything I claim will be a target. But I can protect you. I will protect you.’ The look on his face was naked with need. ‘I want you, Imogen. Do you want me?’

  Emotion burned behind my ribs, a bonfire of it.

  How long will he want you for? And what will you do when it’s over?

  But the future had never been something I wanted to think about and I wanted to think about it even less now.

  Now was all that mattered.

  Now was all I had.

  ‘Yes.’ I couldn’t lie, not even to protect myself. ‘I want you so much.’

  His eyes were a deep, endless blue, like that horizon he’d told me he wanted to sail over to see what was on the other side.

  I wanted to sail over it too. With him. Because, whatever was on the other side, I knew it would be endlessly fascinating. Endlessly challenging. I would never lose interest. Never.

  ‘Stay.’ Ajax looked at me as if the rest of the world didn’t exist. ‘Stay with me, Imogen.’

  How could I resist?

  ‘Okay.’ My voice cracked. ‘I’ll stay.’

  A look of intense satisfaction crossed his face. ‘I told your father he could see you next week. Instead, I’ll take the opportunity to tell him you’ll be remaining with me.’

  I wanted to ask him how he’d keep Dad off my back and protect his city as well, but I didn’t. That was another thing I didn’t want to think about.

  ‘Okay,’ I repeated shakily.

  ‘Be sure, little one.’ He looked so fierce. ‘I’m very similar to your father in a lot of ways.’

  No, he wasn’t. Sure, he was a man who’d been brought up with a monster. And in order to take down the monster he’d had to become one. And that had been a heavy price.