The Camp (Chateau Book 2)

by Penelope Sky

  I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it on the floor. My shoes and jeans were left in the same spot on the floor. “Why are you still awake?” She was usually up early, going for a walk and getting a coffee and muffin.

  “It’s just too hard to sleep without you now.” She set the book on the nightstand then turned off the lamp.

  I got into bed beside her and turned on my side to look at her.

  She scooted right up next to me, so our bodies were close, her face just inches from mine. One hand slid under the sheets and moved to my chest so her fingers could feel the warm skin over my abs. “How’d it go?”

  I didn’t want to tell her what Fender had said, but I wanted her to know that her sister had her back when she wasn’t even there. “Melanie asked about you.”

  “How is she?”

  “Living the life, frankly.”

  She smiled slightly. “Yeah…I picked up on that.”

  “She asked why you left the party early. I told her the real reason.”

  Her fingers stopped moving against me.

  “Fender made an asshole comment about it. Melanie told him off and slapped him across the face.”

  Raven’s eyes immediately widened in surprise. “What?”

  “And she slapped him hard.”

  “Melanie?” She was incredulous at first but then started to laugh. “Oh my god, I cannot picture that.”

  “Well, she did.” I smiled, loving the fact that she focused on the good part of the story instead of the bad.

  “What did he do?”

  “Just sat there. Said he liked it.”

  “Damn, she’s got him wrapped around her finger.”

  “Big-time.”

  She chuckled again as she looked into my face. “You never smile…”

  My lips slowly started to sink. “Not much to smile about.”

  “But you look so handsome when you do it.” Her fingers moved to the corner of my mouth, and she gently brushed her thumb along my bottom lip. “I wish I could see you smile every day.”

  “I wish I could see you laugh every day.”

  Her eyes softened in a way I’d never seen before. “Maybe one day…we will.”

  Twenty-Five

  Always Be This Way

  Overnight, everything changed.

  She was different.

  Cold. Distant. Quiet.

  When we passed coffee shops, she didn’t have the same excitement she used to. There wasn’t affection in her eyes when she looked at me, if she looked at me at all. I hadn’t done anything to warrant her indifference, so I assumed it was a mood that would pass on its own.

  The only time she was the woman I knew was when we made love.

  When I woke up that morning, she had already gotten her morning coffee and muffins, and my cup of coffee was sitting on the counter. I grabbed it and took a drink, noticing she wasn’t reading in the living room.

  I set the cup on the counter then walked into her old bedroom.

  She sat in the armchair and read her book, her back angled slightly, earrings hanging down.

  I leaned against the doorframe and stared at her.

  She didn’t acknowledge me.

  “What did I do?”

  She stilled at the sound of my voice, her eyes lifting up to the window.

  I waited for an explanation that never came. “You’ve been different for days. I thought your mood would pass, and it hasn’t. I don’t want to spend our remaining time this way.” My arms crossed over my chest, and I continued to watch her.

  After a long pause, she closed her book and looked out the window.

  “Tell me.”

  She set the book on the table and got to her feet, finally looking at me for the first time in days, really looking at me. Her eyes took in my features, having that hint of emotion that had been absent for a while. She walked toward me then moved past me into the living room.

  My heart started to ache. Our foundation was still there, rock-solid, but she was different…and I couldn’t figure out why. Not knowing something about her scared me because I always knew every thought that came across her complex mind.

  I dropped my arms and turned around.

  She stood in the middle of the living room, her arms crossed.

  The longer she stayed quiet, the more uncomfortable I became. “What did I do?”

  She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  She lifted her gaze and looked into mine.

  I waited, holding my breath.

  “We can’t do this for the rest of our lives.” One hand slid up and down her arm, lightly touching her soft skin. “Can you do this for the rest of your life?”

  I gave her a blank stare.

  She stepped closer to me. “Because I can’t.”

  I looked for further explanation in her eyes because I didn’t understand her words. “I don’t understand your meaning, ma petite amie.”

  Her eyes softened. “Look, if you want us to be together, things have to change. If you want to be with me, really be with me, then our lives have to be different.”

  My eyes shifted back and forth as I focused on her face. “If I want to be with you? What the fuck does that mean? What the fuck have I been doing since the moment we met? I’ve been with you, even when we were apart, even when I was with another woman, because my heart has always been with you.”

  She raised her voice when I raised mine. “And this will just be our lives forever?” she asked incredulously. “Going back and forth between here and the camp? Years will pass and we’ll age, but we’ll never really live? What about spending our lives together and having a family? How the fuck are we supposed to do that like this?”

  “I’ve never spoken of marriage and kids to you.”

  “No. But it’s a requirement to be with me, so you’ll do it.”

  My eyes narrowed. “We’re getting way ahead of ourselves here—”

  “Shut the fuck up, Magnus. We’ve only known each other for months, but we’ve experienced more than couples together for a lifetime. The scar on my stomach will never go away, a reminder that I was willing to give up my life for yours. How many people can say that? We’ve suffered through unspeakable shit, and we’re still together. If that hasn’t pulled us apart, then what will?”

  I clenched my jaw because I was furious and I didn’t know why. “You’re talking about a dream that I can’t give you. You know that. So yes, this will be our lives indefinitely.”

  She shook her head, her eyes watery. “How can you watch your girlfriend go back and forth, almost be raped twice, be tortured—and you just allow it to happen?”

  “I don’t allow it. I’ve tried—”

  “We’ll never really be together until you change it.”

  I shook my head, my teeth clenched. “I will get Fender to release you eventually—”

  “That doesn’t solve the problem, Magnus. Even if he excused both of us, we’d never be happy. How could we ever forget what’s happening at that camp every single day we’re free? I could never forget it, so I could never really live. We could never have the life together that we want.”

  “What the fuck do you expect me to do about that?” If I could give her the world, I would. Tears had fallen from my eyes when I was pinned to the floor and listening to her scream my name. I hated that she had to be in that camp when I wanted her to have the freedom I’d already busted my ass to give her.

  She turned quiet, breathing hard. “I expect you to stop it.”

  “Stop it, how?”

  “Whatever way you can.”

  I shook my head. “We talked about this. I won’t kill my brother—”

  “Then convince him to do it in a different way.”

  “You know I’ve already tried. He won’t change his mind.”

  “Then you make him change it,” she snapped. “How can I spend my life with the man who’s been part of such a horrible
place?”

  She’d just stabbed me with a knife.

  “I need you to redeem yourself…fully.”

  “You said I’m not like them.”

  “And I stand by that. But for us to be together and move on, you need to make this right. You need to free those girls and not let new ones replace them—”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, there is terrible shit going on all over the world.” I was pissed she was holding all this over my head, using my feelings for her as leverage. “You expect me to stop that too?”

  “No, because you aren’t a part of that.”

  I dragged my hands down my face, calming myself before I said something I regretted. “I do this, or you leave me?”

  “No…I said nothing about leaving. I’m not going anywhere—ever.” Her eyes filled with wetness. “But I’ll never let you in further. We’ll always be as we are…but never more. And you have no idea how much I want more. I don’t just want my freedom, but I want to spend that freedom with you.”

  My hands moved to my hips, my eyes down.

  She stared at me.

  I ignored her look.

  “Magnus.”

  I kept my gaze on the floor in defiance for minutes before I raised my chin and looked at her.

  “I know you. I know your soul. And I know that you want to do the right thing anyway…” The emotion in her eyes changed into a look of longing, like I was the hero of her heart, I was the man who wouldn’t just keep her safe, but everyone. She gave me a cape with only her eyes. “I know that’s what you want, even if I didn’t ask you to.”

  We walked together down the sidewalk, the cafes and bistros lit up with couples, friends, and family enjoying the summer evening in the most glorious city in the world. People passed us on the sidewalk as we made our way to the restaurant she’d chosen. We’d never gone out to dinner together, usually cooking in the apartment and having a quiet evening at the dining table. But she’d asked me to take her out—and I said yes.

  She was in a black cocktail dress and heels with a small purse hanging off her shoulder even though she didn’t have keys or a wallet. She only had a few bills inside, money I had given her and forced her to take.

  She suddenly moved her hand to mine and interlocked our fingers.

  I looked down at her beside me, still shorter than my height in her heels, and then I looked forward again. My hand gave her a gentle squeeze.

  A soft smile moved into her lips, and she looked up at me.

  I stared at her, seeing the way her eyes lit up in affection once more, brighter than the Eiffel Tower nearby, brighter than the Christmas trees in the windows during the holidays. She was the only woman who ever looked at me that way, who could make me feel special without saying a word.

  We arrived at the restaurant and were given a table inside.

  She sat across from me and looked at her menu, her makeup making her eyes stand out, her dress tight and sexy on her nice figure. Her brown hair was pulled to one side, and without realizing it, she bit her bottom lip as she tried to decipher the menu.

  I stared at her instead of the selections.

  She didn’t notice. “Normally, I use Google translate for this, but I don’t have a phone.” She raised her chin and looked at me. “Any recommendations?”

  “What are you in the mood for? There’s beef cannelloni, citrus avocado with salmon, seafood pasta, roasted lamb, margherita pizza, steak and fries…”

  “Ooh…that’s a good list.” She looked at the menu again even though she couldn’t read it. “What are you getting?”

  “Cannelloni.” I set the menu at the edge of the table.

  “I don’t know if I want the pizza or the steak…”

  “What if you get the steak and take the pizza home?”

  “Can I do that?” She looked over her menu again, her eyebrows raised.

  “Yes.” A smile fought through my restraints and came on to my lips.

  Her eyes softened when she saw it, like that was one of the things in the world that made her happy…when I was happy. “You’re gonna get a blow job when we get back to the apartment.” She set the menu at the edge of the table.

  My smile widened. “We should go out to dinner more often.”

  I sat against the headboard and watched her move up and down slowly, taking my dick completely before she used her powerful thighs to raise herself once again. Her tits were in front of me, firm and sexy, and I just sat there and watched this incredible woman enjoy me like I was the only man in the world she wanted to be with.

  My hands moved to her tits, and I squeezed them, listening to her breathe hard from both pleasure and exertion. She would close her eyes and let her lips part, releasing a gasp when my dick hit her in the perfect spot. I watched her with fascination, deep in the moment but also outside of it, watching this gorgeous woman make love to me in the sexiest way. She rolled her hips slowly, dragged her hands down my hard chest, cupped my face and kissed me with trembling lips. “Magnus.” With her lips pressed to mine, she said my name.

  My hands went to her ass and guided her up and down, knowing she was close. So was I. “Ma petite amie…” My face moved into her neck, and I felt my dick harden even more, knowing she was right at the edge.

  She clawed my shoulders as she came, releasing a loud gasp followed by several more. “Yes…”

  My arms wrapped around her waist, and I finished with her, both of us moaning and writhing as we hit ecstasy at the same time. My arms squeezed her harder than I should, but she never protested against the tightness, like she could handle a man’s crushing embrace, even liked it.

  As the crescendo of our passion faded, my hold slackened and my arms slid across her back as I pulled away, looking into her watery eyes and seeing the passion burn her all the way through. Just like always.

  She moved into me and placed a final kiss on my lips before she got off me and lay in the spot beside me, her naked body coated in sweat, her hair in disarray. She closed her eyes and lay on top of the sheets.

  I held my position and looked at her, watched her recover from the exertion because she was the one who’d done all the work for the last forty-five minutes. My hand went to her arm, and I gently grazed my fingers across it, feeling the dampness of her sticky skin.

  Then she got out of bed, pulled on my t-shirt, and walked out of the room.

  My head turned as my eyes followed her.

  Her footsteps sounded on the stairs and then disappeared.

  I grabbed my glass of water and took a drink.

  When she came back, the pizza box was in her hand.

  My eyebrows rose, and a gentle smile moved on to my lips.

  She got back into the bed beside me and opened the top to grab a slice.

  I just watched her.

  “What?” She chewed a bite as she held the pizza box in her lap, her eyes on the contents of the box.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You’ve never seen a woman eat pizza after sex?”

  “No.”

  She opened the lid and turned the box toward me. “Want some?”

  I shook my head.

  “Come on, it’s amazing.”

  I ate three meals a day and never snacked in between. I also avoided desserts because I didn’t have a sweet tooth. In general, I wasn’t much of an eater. I preferred to drink copious amounts of wine and scotch instead.

  She took another bite and leaned against the headboard, her sexy legs poking out from underneath her shirt. “I want to eat as much of this good stuff as I can before we go back.” She took another bite and ate closer to the crust.

  When we stayed in Paris, it was easy to fall into this dreamlike reality, enjoying the city and each other. Sometimes I forgot about the camp altogether…until the departure date drew near. The feud with Alix had been resolved, or at least it seemed, so Raven wouldn’t be in danger. But bringing her to that miserable place was getting more and more difficult.

  She bit the
crust in half as she watched me. “What?”

  I shifted my gaze to hers, unsure what she referred to.

  “You disappeared.”

  My eyes looked away again, staring at my dark bedroom and the shadows in the corners. “Nothing.”

  Twenty-Six

  Back to the Beginning

  I drove down the street lined with apartments in one of the upscale neighborhoods of Paris. People walked down the sidewalk with their dogs on leashes, their hands holding mugs of coffee. Shopping bags were in their hands, baguettes sticking out alongside the necks of wine bottles. It was still the quiet neighborhood I remembered.

  When I recognized the house, I pulled over and parked in front of it.

  Raven turned to look out my window, knowing we’d stopped for an important reason. We were on our way back to the camp, but I’d decided to take a detour. She held her silence and watched me look out the window.

  I’d only come back to that house once. The city had repossessed it and sold it to pay off some of my father’s debts. I’d watched the new family move inside—they’d gotten it at a cheap price because of the murders that had taken place.

  There was a new coat of paint on the outside, but it otherwise looked the same.

  Raven didn’t ask any questions, picking up on my mood and my stare. “That’s where you grew up.”

  I kept my gaze on the entrance, seeing the front door open and a teenage boy take the steps to the bottom. He turned right and continued on his way, oblivious to the two of us staring at him intently.

  “Does it look different?”

  I shook my head. “There’s a new coat of paint on the exterior, but…” I remembered the Christmas tree that used to be in the front window every year. We would decorate it with ornaments we’d kept since childhood. The house would be filled with the roast turkey my mom would cook for hours, starting right in the morning. I remembered our family vacations to Italy and Switzerland. My childhood had been wonderful, with two loving parents and siblings I’d never forgotten. Money had ruined us, not because we’d lost it, but because my father thought it was more important than the most priceless thing he had—us. My brother seemed to have fallen victim to the same illness, chasing wealth like it was the answer to all his problems, like it would somehow prove something to our dead father, who’d been dumped in the ocean.