Kingdom Fall: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (Kingdom Come Book 2)

by Terri E. Laine

  Hours later, I woke alone. I faintly remember Striker drying me off and putting me to bed with a kiss to the top of my head. I felt happy. Like, really happy. Nothing could possibly go wrong. What’s more, I had dirty ideas about how we could use the lap pool.

  My quest to find him came up empty. He wasn’t anywhere in the small house or outside. The views of both left no places to hide. I took the tunnel down the slippery rocks, rope in hand, and found him asleep on the boat. Striker was slumped on the sofa, looking ridiculously handsome.

  I was about to give him a Lizzy special wakeup call when I noticed the odd-looking phone with a short antenna on the table before him. Before I could think it through, I snagged it. When he didn’t stir, I backtracked to the pier.

  It could have been a walkie-talkie or a satellite phone. I prayed for the latter, though I didn’t expect it to work. When there was no request for a password, I dialed a number. The call went through, and I closed my eyes in relief.

  “Hello.” The word was spoken in an almost whisper. I didn’t need more to recognize my brother’s voice.

  “Matty.”

  The pause was so long, I actually removed the phone from my ear to look at the display. The call was still active. When I put it back, my brother didn’t sound excited to hear from me.

  “What have you done?”

  “Mat—”

  “I warned you to leave me be. Stay with your husband. I’m not interested.”

  The line went dead. For a second, I didn’t recognize the object in my hand. I was smart enough to guess that I’d fucked things up.

  Worse, when I glanced up, Striker was awake, and he didn’t look happy either. He walked over and took the phone. With a single motion, he broke the thing in half. I didn’t have time to wonder about his strength after seeing that. Then he tossed the broken pieces in the water and said, “We have to go.”

  He moved quickly, and I had to chase him up the perilous walkway.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, panic making the hairs rise on my arms.

  “You’ve compromised us.”

  Gone was the tenderness from earlier. His face was blank.

  Out of fear came rage. “I know I messed up, but is leaving really necessary?”

  He stopped and faced me, the door of the kitchen shutting behind us. “Your brother wasn’t happy to hear from you, was he?”

  How did he know that was who I’d called? “How would you know?”

  “We’ve spoken before.”

  Surprise had my eyebrows shooting up. “When?”

  “At the dress shop.”

  Did he mean the day we got married? “Why?”

  “It’s customary for the groom to ask the father to marry his daughter.” He spoke as if he’d been following a guide called What to Do When You Want to Get Married. “You didn’t want your father to know. I chose your brother instead.”

  “You asked my brother to fake marry me?”

  “Fake or not, I wanted to do it right.”

  “He didn’t tell me,” I said, more to myself. Then again, my brother was the secretive type and would probably take most of his to his grave. The backs of my eyes burned with brimming emotions. “Asking my brother to marry me… the rings…”

  How I’d misjudged Striker on every level.

  “We don’t have time to talk about this now. Get your things.”

  I scrambled away because I didn’t want Striker to see me cry again. I hadn’t cried this much over a guy since high school. My hormones had gone crazy.

  There wasn’t a rush. I didn’t have much to pack as I hadn’t unpacked yet. When I got back to the main area, he was filling bags with food.

  “Do you need some help?” I offered.

  “Yes. Grab as much food as you can.”

  I stopped myself from asking why. The man didn’t do things for no reason. Everything he did had purpose.

  A whirring sound caught both of our attention.

  He stood straight and commanded, “Stay here.”

  I thought about apologizing again—because clearly this was my fault. With horror, I watched as Striker went to the door and pulled a gun that had been tucked in his waistband at his back. I hadn’t noticed it. Then a freaking drone dropped from the sky six feet in front of him. He aimed and fired and that was the end of that.

  He didn’t waste time when he came back in. “Let’s go.”

  He took all of the bags and hustled out of the house. I followed, feeling useless, a product of my guilt. He waited until I was on board the yacht before he undid the knots. Once done, he came aboard. He didn’t go to the top level. He sat in the right of the two captain’s seats in the front lounge.

  “You can pilot from here?” I asked.

  “Here or upstairs.”

  For once, I didn’t ask any more questions or put up a fight. The cove wasn’t that big, and the rocks were plentiful. One false move and we’d be shipwrecked. He used the key chain thing to open the gate. Water rushed in, and I heard him throttle the engine to work against the incoming tide. Then the wave rushed out, us with it.

  Striker proved he was skilled by navigating us out with only one light bump against the rock wall. Then we were in open sea.

  “So what was that all about? How could someone get to us so quickly?” I asked.

  “It’s likely not about us but the safe house. Some have been searching for its location for a long time.”

  “Whose safe house?”

  “That’s classified,” he said.

  “What? Do you work for the government?”

  “I know people.”

  I didn’t fight him on that. He wouldn’t tell me. “If that phone was so important, why was it so easy to make a call?”

  “Dual purpose. It belongs to the house. If someone finds the place, they might use it and without keying the passcode. Then that call could be traced.”

  “By using the phone, I not only compromised the CIA or whoever, but my brother and us too.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What now?”

  “We have to leave. Without a phone, we’ll have to radio in, which isn’t secure. We’ll need a way to send a coded message to Griffin.”

  “I speak Griffin,” I said, finally feeling useful.

  “Good. We’ll figure that out once I see if we have enough gas to get us to Florida.”

  “Why can’t we go back to the airport here?”

  “A hurricane is heading our way.”

  Twelve

  Connor

  Her eyes popped. “A hurricane? Why hadn’t I heard about this until now?”

  “There was no reason to. That house,” I said, pointing in the direction of the island we’d left, “could withstand a category five hurricane. We would have been fine.”

  “And now?”

  “Now we have less than a day and a half to get to Florida before the hurricane hits, given its current speed and heading.”

  “How long will it take to get there in this?”

  “At top speed, thirty-three hours. We’ll be cutting it close.” I stood. “Take the wheel.”

  “What?”

  “It’s almost like driving. I need to check our fuel reserves.”

  “I can’t drive a boat.”

  “We’re in open water. You should be good.”

  I left and went to the lower deck. According to the gauge, we had a little more than half a tank, which should get us to Florida. I’d been told there was more fuel in the hold, and my contact was right. With the customizations to the boat, there should be an access panel on the inside of the boat to replace the reserve tank. I breathed a little easier and went back upstairs. Lizzy was holding the wheel in a white-knuckle grip.

  “You can let go,” I said.

  She did, and when the steering remained steady, she glared at me. “I didn’t have to hold the wheel.”

  I took the seat before speaking. “Technically no. This boat has an upgraded autopilot. But I wanted eyes on the ocean
to be sure.”

  She nodded.

  When I was satisfied she wasn’t about to launch into another argument, I said, “Now we need to radio Griff with a message. I need you to tell him we’ll be in the Keys and will need a flight—not to New York—without saying as much.”

  “What was the pilot’s name who flew us here?”

  “Grant.”

  “Okay. I’ve got it.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  I dialed up the frequency Griffin and I had agreed on. It wasn’t secure. Anyone who happened to be dialed in at the same time would be able to hear us. I let silence play out for a minute before I handed the mic to Lizzy.

  “Papa bear,” Lizzy said.

  Seconds felt like minutes before Griffin’s voice came on. “Baby bear.”

  “Aye,” she said. “I’m ready to go home. I’m going to need my keys.”

  Clever girl, I thought.

  “Yeah, how soon?”

  She glanced at me. “If I had it my way, I’d be there before tomorrow morning, but night is fine.”

  “Have you checked the weather for storms?” he asked. “Moving in rain can be a bitch.”

  “That’s why I said tomorrow night. I’m hoping to beat any bad weather. Do you think Grant can help me?”

  “Grant?”

  “Yeah, he helped me move in what feels like a few days ago. God, I miss that place.”

  “Weren’t you planning a vacation in the next few weeks?”

  She looked at me and mouthed, “Where?”

  I shrugged and pointed at her before making the universal hand gesture for being on the phone. I hoped she got the message that it was her call.

  “I had to cancel. I was really looking forward to spending time at that place my bestie recommended. She really loved the solitude.”

  “Aye,” he said. “Be safe, baby bear.”

  “You too.”

  The channel went quiet, but I didn’t turn it off because Griffin would have figured out that was our only way of communicating.

  “You think that worked?” she asked.

  “It was brilliant.”

  The boat unexpectantly rocked and she tumbled into my lap. Talk about instant erection. I saw the moment she felt it—her eyes widened—and I cupped her cheek. I leaned in and kissed her. When she shifted, I assumed she wanted off of my lap. But she didn’t. She yanked at my shorts, so I lifted up and she pulled my cock free. With a flick of my wrist, her bikini was shifted to the side as she straddled my lap and sank down my shaft.

  There was nothing rushed this time. We had over thirty hours to sate ourselves. I undid her top and filled my mouth with her breast. How could I have ever thought hers had been anything short of perfect? She was perfect. Too bad I couldn’t let the stain of my past mark her.

  Marrying her had been an ideal. Something I never thought I could obtain. Though it was nothing short of a fairytale, I’d wanted it to be real even if only for a short time.

  Enjoying the way her hips moved as she ground on me, I let her control the pace. Too soon she was coming, but I was far from done. I pulled out as I urged her to her feet.

  “Hold on to this,” I said, indicating the top of the console.

  I positioned her between the captain’s chairs, and I got behind her. We were both close enough to the wheel to reach it if necessary. Sliding back inside her tight sheath wasn’t the problem. Not coming when I did was. I leaned over and cupped her breast with one hand, pushing her hair to the side with the other.

  “Do you like it like this?” I asked.

  She murmured yes, licking her lips. I had to taste her, so I turned her head enough we could swallow each other’s tongue if we wanted to.

  “I’m going to fuck you until you’re dry.”

  A moan left her delectable throat. “I don’t think that’s possible. Every time you’re near, I get wet.”

  Fucking hell, I couldn’t hold off any longer. I slipped a hand around her throat as I pounded into her. Just a little squeeze and she’d have the orgasm of her life.

  If she’d fought against my hold, I would have let go. But she didn’t. When her walls spasmed around my dick, I let go of her throat and my release. Once I was spent, I fell into the seat, taking her with me. I cradled her in my arms as though I’d never let go. The woman continued to surprise me.

  “Best fuck ever,” she said.

  “I’m up for the challenge,” I said, flashing her a wicked grin.

  “I bet you are.” Then she got serious. “This is probably not the time, but I may not have the courage to say it later.”

  “What?”

  “What happened to you?” I stiffened and she quickly said, “It’s none of my business and you don’t have to tell me, but I’m here if you want to talk about it.”

  I didn’t have to guess at what she’d figured out. I hadn’t been able to control my reaction when she’d told her story. Having someone take choice away was something I was all too familiar with.

  “It happened at boarding school. The first time, I was six.”

  “Oh my God.” She covered her mouth in horror.

  Shame tried to creep in, but I’d already begun. “I told my parents. They didn’t exactly believe me like yours did. I don’t blame them though. Well, not my father. The man who ran the fight club was a convincing liar. And at that age, I really didn’t have the vocabulary to explain. My nanny was fond of using cutesy words for genitals.” I looked away. “You can guess the rest.”

  “A man at your school did this to you?” she asked slowly, as if she didn’t want to spook me.

  “Not exactly. He ran an underground fighting ring of the boys. Winner takes all. And when a pedophile is the organizer, the prize should be obvious.”

  “How long?”

  “Years, though not every night. The nights I couldn’t stay awake. If I fell asleep, they’d take me from my bed and to the fighting ring as if they had waited for that moment.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Not your fault.”

  She circled her arms around me, and we held each other.

  “I haven’t told a soul outside of that first time with my parents,” I admitted.

  “Thank you,” she said. “For trusting me.”

  “You did first.”

  She wiped moisture from her eyes. “We were dealt a shitty hand. There’s no judgment, but is this why you own the sex club? I mean, this shit can fuck with your head and everyone deals with it their own way. And there’s no right and wrong. I didn’t exact become a born-again virgin after what Beau did. For me, owning my sexuality and taking control over who I fucked was empowering.”

  I’d met one girl from our sister school and tried to have a normal relationship with her. It hadn’t worked. It would be years before I tried again. “It took a while for me. I met someone in college. She too had a story, and she showed me another way where I could be normal.”

  “What way is that?”

  The door was open. Might as well open it all the way.

  “I need control. Full control,” I said.

  “I can see that.”

  “There are people who want the opposite.”

  “To give away their control?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re a dom?”

  “A dominant. Yes.”

  “But we—”

  “You are the first…” I started to say relationship, but could I put a label on what we were? “The first woman, outside of a girl in high school, I’ve done the vanilla thing with.”

  “It didn’t go well? In high school,” she clarified.

  “No, and I stayed away from girls until college.”

  “And now? Can you be in a relationship outside of the dom-sub thing?”

  “It’s not a thing. It’s a lifestyle.”

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to diminish it. I guess I don’t have all the right words for this situation.”

  I nodded.<
br />
  She said, “I guess I wonder if things can work between us?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “What happened to the woman who showed you this lifestyle?”

  “She’s around.”

  Lizzy sat up. “What does that mean?”

  “Don’t get jealous. There’s nothing between us.”

  “Ever?”

  “Once. I wasn’t successful in my first couple of attempts at a D/s relationship. She suggested I try on her.”

  Lizzy laughed. “Oh, she wanted in your pants.”

  “No, it wasn’t like that.”

  “Are you sure? Has she suggested you two should try again?” When I didn’t respond, Lizzy nodded. “Ah, I see. She does still want you. I can’t blame her.”

  “It’s not going to happen, trust me.”

  “How can you be certain?”

  “There have been plenty of opportunities. I’m not stupid enough to think it would work.”

  “Good. I don’t have competition. The question is do you want to try? With me, I mean.”

  I wasn’t certain what she was suggesting. “What are you saying, princess? I thought we were done with our fake marriage as soon as one of us can get the paperwork started?”

  “Maybe we could start at girlfriend-boyfriend.”

  “I wouldn’t know how,” I said.

  “And I don’t know what it’s like to be a submissive—and I’m not sure I can. But you know how to be a boyfriend. It can’t be far from what you do now, except now we take care of each other.”

  I blinked at her. “Now my wife is my girlfriend?”

  “Exactly.”

  “You know that sounds ridiculous, right?”

  “Maybe.”

  “And if I need more?” I had no idea if my appetites in that area would rise.

  “One step at a time.”

  I thought about the first one. “Will you tell me what you expect of your boyfriends?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve only had two.”

  “The asshole,” who still needed to be taken care of but I didn’t mention that. I had already added him to the list of assholes that were due a reckoning. “And Hans?”

  She nodded. “You know that trust thing I guess.”