Royal Blood

by Victoria Renteria

  “You will do as you’re told, Ttal. You must.”

  “Tell me, Mother, why should I do anything you ask when you so willingly ignored every plea of mine?” The question dissipates as I step closer to the bed. Reaching her bedside, I not so carefully seat myself by her side, delighting in the pained wince she emits.

  “Was it not clear what I was asking when I begged for you to stop?” I imply, reaching for her hand. The coldness from her fingers practically burns my palms as I caress her fingers before squeezing them harshly.

  “Ttal,” she wheezes.

  “Yes, Mother?” I ask in a sickly sweet tone.

  “Please,” she begs, the pain in her voice growing.

  “Please what, Mother?” I prod, squeezing harder, relishing in her pain, and sending it deep down where I need it.

  “Please stop,” she whimpers.

  Staring deeply into her eyes, I watch as understanding dawns, her irises growing large as she recognizes the cold, hardness in mine. “Stop?” I laugh, a dangerous chuckle, one that’s dark and depraved, devoid of any humor.

  “You mean just like I begged you to do when you ordered that man to rip my own child from my womb? Tell me, why I should, Mother? Why do you deserve it?”

  Jutting her chin out, her eyes harden as she returns my cold stare with one of her own. “I won’t apologize for what I did. It made you who you are—who you needed to be to survive in this family. I will go into the next life knowing my legacy will carry on leading the largest crime syndicate in South Korea.” The weakness in her tone vanishes and is replaced with strength and a sense of pride.

  A sinister smile colors my lips as I dig my nails into her wrist. She hisses in pain as I press harder, warm blood coating my fingertips, slicking her skin. Dark thoughts enter my mind as I watch the woman who gave me life struggle unsuccessfully to break my hold. An undeniable urge to suffocate her where she lies grasps me, tugging me closer to her slender neckline. To put an end to her reign of terror on my life would be sheer bliss. Mentally, I give myself a little shake.

  Death, death is too good for her. No, it is better to let her suffer. My grin spreads, growing wider. I will relish every moment of her pain. Releasing my hold on her wrist, I sit back wiping her blood on the tan comforter, staining the fabric vermillion with her lifeblood.

  She pants, inhaling rapidly, desperately trying to catch a breath. Blue tinges her lips, and she shakily points to an oxygen mask resting on the corner of the bed. Shaking my head, I smile evilly. Why should I make it easy on her?

  “P-Please. I-I have t-to tell y-you a-about the f-family,” she wheezes.

  Rolling my eyes, I pick up the mask, tossing it at her. I watch with an amused expression as she struggles for several moments, trying unsuccessfully to lift the mask to her face.

  “Kylee,” Alex’s stern voice calls from by the door.

  Casting an inquisitive glance his way, I’m stunned to find him staring at me in disapproval. He nods in the direction of the bed. Swiveling, I frown, peering down at my mother. Is he really feeling sorry for her? He can’t be . . . Can he? Pushing the thoughts aside, I lean in, picking up the mask before settling it place.

  Inhaling deeply, her voice is rough as she quietly says, “Thank you.”

  Nodding, I retreat, sitting back on the bed a little less roughly this time, Alex’s tone still at the forefront of my mind. I must be reading too much into it. He really isn’t feeling anything toward the she-devil, right? Irritation and confusion war with each other for dominance in my overactive brain. A small pat on my hand brings me back to my current surroundings.

  “Are you ready?” my mother asks, sounding less winded. I nod, not ready to speak, unsure of what will come out if I do.

  “Good. I have much to tell you. It’s time you learn all about your royal blood.”

  Did she just say royal blood? Fuck me. I swear every time I think I have this woman figured out she changes the fucking game. I just hope it doesn’t alter it too much. Because one thing is for certain: I will have my revenge.

  * * *

  1 means daughter in Korean

  THE ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS in my brain fluctuates, continuously in motion as sleep eludes me. Glancing down at the woman nestled into my side, I begin worrying my lip. She’s so close, yet so far away. Blood courses wildly through my veins, the pressure compounding in my chest as my heart hurtles out of control. Each wild thump brings forth the imminent fear of a heart attack. This woman is going to be the death of me. I can feel it.

  Gulping, I inhale greedily while shifting my eyes away from the other half of my soul. With each steady inhale and smooth exhale; I gain a small measure of control over my riotous emotions. I’ve seen a lot of things during my time in the military. Dark things . . . things that will bring a grown man to his knees and have him pleading for death in a matter of seconds—unimaginable things, unfathomable, even.

  But none of those are as disturbing to me as how fast Kylee was able to flip that emotional switch. In that brief moment, it was as if she had transformed, becoming her mother. A twinge of fear surges through my body, instinctively causing me to tighten my hold on Kylee, pulling her closer. Letting out a whimper of protest, she shoves, pushing against the stronghold of my arms in her sleep. Reluctantly slackening my hold, I bend down, placing a kiss on her forehead and breathe in her rich scent. The vice squeezing my heart loosens just a tiny bit more, and I relax back onto the pillow.

  Kylee releases a sigh of contentment, moving closer, pressing her face into my bare chest. Taking a breath, she inhales deeply before settling into a peaceful sleep. Absently, I begin stroking her hair, my mind wandering back to that brief time with her mother a few hours ago. My hands start to shake as images enter my mind’s eye. Blowing out a breath, I thread my fingers through the silky confines of her hair. Helpless to stop the onslaught of images, I close my eyes, allowing them to come.

  A shiver races down my spine as the first picture enters my mind. Kylee’s statuesque form is poised unflinchingly next to her mother on the bed—two generations of women, similar in appearance, yet different in every single way. Although, for a moment, for a split second, there were glimpses of her mother there, brief interludes where they were one and the same.

  The pressure in my chest begins to rise, building higher and higher as the image becomes clearer. Kylee’s delicate features change, her expression morphing from a mask of polite calmness to one of violent anger. The warmth that had once been present in her eyes had disappeared. Replaced by a coldness so fierce, I was afraid she’d be lost to me forever. I actually felt my heart skitter, skipping a beat in my chest when she turned her turbulent black eyes on me. It took every single ounce of willpower I could assemble not to march straight over to that bed, place my hands around the frail woman’s neck, and squeeze.

  A spike of adrenaline surges through my veins as the memory fades. The heavy weight in my stomach contracts, forcing me to breathe rapidly through my nose. What am I going to do? How am I supposed to protect her when she’s so full of darkness and rage? How in the hell do I prevent her from becoming her mother? She’s like a loose cannon, ready to go off at any moment.

  The panic returns, swelling and constricting my airway. Panting raggedly, my breaths are audible in the otherwise silent room. An uncontrollable urge to wrap myself around Kylee and shield her from the darkness becomes almost too much. What I wouldn’t give to be able to slow time, laying here with her in my arms for eternity. A loud buzzing sounds from the nightstand next to the bed, pulling me out of my panicked thoughts. Frowning, I snatch the phone from the table.

  Who the hell would be calling this number? It’s a burner phone. Quickly extracting myself from Kylee’s embrace, I answer.

  “Devereux,” I bark.

  With one glance at Kylee, I slip from the room, closing the door behind me.

  “Alex,” the Colonel’s smooth baritone comes over the line.

  “Anyone ever tell you that your tim
ing is impeccable?” I ask curiously.

  He chuckles broadly. “It may have been mentioned a time or two.”

  “Well, it’s worth mentioning again considering I was getting ready to call you.”

  “You have an update?” The Colonel’s tone changes abruptly.

  “You could say that.” I sigh heavily.

  “Well, don’t leave an old man hanging, son. Spill it already,” the Colonel goads.

  My voice drops to barely above a whisper, not willing to wake Kylee or chance any prying ears. “Now isn’t the time to go into details. I was resting next to my favorite person, though, so I’m sure you can put two and two together.”

  “Shit,” he mutters.

  “Yep,” I reply drily.

  “Well, that happened a lot faster than I was expecting but that’s not a bad thing. I don’t know if you’re in a spot with ears or not so just reply yes or no. Are you at Min’s?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you throw water on her and see if she melted?”

  “No.” I chuckle.

  “Damn.”

  “You’re not being very nice,” I taunt, the humor evident in my tone.

  “You don’t want to know what I was really thinking.”

  “I’m sure my thoughts were along the same lines.”

  “How’s my girl?”

  “That requires more than a simple yes or no answer.”

  “Just answer the damn question,” he huffs.

  “Different. You should have seen her,” I say quietly.

  “What do you mean?” he asks with an edge in his voice.

  “She wasn’t the Kylee we know when she was with her. I don’t know if I will actually be able to protect her.”

  “What in the hell are you talking about? Of course you can protect her. You better damn protect her!” he shouts into the phone.

  “How in the hell am I supposed to protect her from herself? I once was able to mend her broken heart and replace some of the darkness with love. That’s now been shattered and reconstructed with hate and bitter animosity.” My voice cracks with pain as I remember how her face contorted and filled with rage.

  “You do it by remembering who you are and why I sent you there in the first place. Are you telling me that I need to pull you out and send Sam instead?” the Colonel growls.

  “Fuck no,” I jeer.

  “Then do your goddamn job. Pull your bootstraps up and stop being a pussy. You sound like . . . What did Sam call it? Oh yeah, a princess in her ivory tower. A whiny bitch. Do you love her?”

  “What?” I ask, irritated and confused at the same time.

  “I said do you love her?” he repeats.

  “Of course I love her. More than life itself.”

  “Then find a way. She’s a grieving mother looking for retribution for what was stolen from her. You’re the only link she has to that child. You’re the only one that can bring her back from the darkness, and fuck if it doesn’t kill me to say that. So you better not screw this up. Do you understand me?”

  The Colonel’s words register, clearing the toxic haze that’s been polluting my mind since we’ve arrived at this awful house. He’s absolutely right. I have been acting like a whiny bitch. It’s time I lace up my boots, put the princess back in her cage, and take care of my goddess. How am I going to do it, though? Hell, that is one thing I don’t know, but I will figure it out or die trying.

  “Yes, sir. Understood,” I say with conviction.

  “Good, now I actually called because I have a task for you.” Perking up at his response, I seem to stand a little taller and shift closer to the phone.

  “More of the same? Or is this task going to actually require some effort?” I quip.

  “Funny, smart ass. I got a hit on your guy Sang-Hyun. He’s been putting his stamp all over things lately. There is a shipment of weapons being moved next week. My contact tells me that he and Black are meeting with our guy from North Korea. It has now become your job to get in and take over the shipment. Once you have it, I will take it over from there.”

  “Is your friend going to be present during the transaction?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m assuming they’ll have cleared the way for me to step in and take over so everything appears as if it’s normal?”

  “It will be handled.”

  “You do know you need to share the name of your contact with me, right?”

  Sighing, he replies, “You know how hard it is for an intelligence officer to give that up?”

  “About as difficult as walking into an operation blind. With a contact you don’t know anything about I might add.”

  “Touché.”

  “I don’t want to touch anything, but you’re going to have to give me something before I walk in there. Otherwise, this could blow up in both our faces. And if Back Door Black is present it most certainly will.”

  “Don’t you worry about Black. I’ll handle him when the time comes. Let me square away the details with my contact and make sure everything is in place, and I will get back to you with all of the information you need. For now, stay by her side. I anticipate you seeing Sang-Hyun before the meeting, anyway.”

  “As do I.”

  “How is she?” he asks quietly.

  “Kylee? I already told you,” I reply, confusion lacing my tone.

  “Not Kylee, her mother,” he says, his voice distant and filled with sadness.

  “Not well. It won’t be long now.”

  The line goes silent for several beats before the Colonel clears his throat. “Well, when she goes things will change fast. Be prepared because that family is one shit storm away from a tsunami of destruction.”

  “Please, don’t hold back. Tell me how you really feel,” I reply sarcastically.

  Ignoring my sarcasm, the Colonel’s tone is grave as he responds, “Keep your eyes and ears open. Anything is possible with that family. I’ll be in touch soon. Memorize this number for now. When it changes, you’ll know. Did you get the codes I left you in case of an emergency?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Hopefully, they won’t be necessary. But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  “I agree.”

  “Take care, son. And look after my daughter will, ya?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And stop calling me sir.”

  “Yes, sir,” I reply with a smile in my voice.

  Grumbling, he replies. “Later, son.”

  “Later, pops.”

  Time seems to slow as I stand in the darkness soaking up the silence, my mind racing through the endless possibilities of the meeting next week. Each thought brings with it a new sense of unease at the less-than-ideal situation. Standard protocol would dictate that my team and I would scope out our intended targets—gathering intel, having as much information as possible, so that there was no doubt we’d be positioning ourselves in the best possible light. Instead, I’m being thrown to the wolves with nothing more than a name.

  Hell, at this point I don’t even have that. Rolling my neck from side to side, I let out an impatient huff. Standing in the dim room, I’m lost in my tangled web of thoughts, not paying attention to my surroundings. She’s so quiet as she leaves the bedroom; it never occurs to me that she’s woken until her slender arms sneak around my waist.

  Placing a kiss in the center of my exposed back, she mumbles, “It’s lonely in there all by myself. I miss you, Alex. Come back to bed.”

  “If you were in bed asleep like you are supposed to be then you wouldn’t be able to miss me.”

  “I always miss you when you’re gone, Alex. Especially in my sleep,” she expresses, pressing her cheek into my back.

  Inhaling sharply, my lips part, all of the stress draining away with the truth of her loving words. Without warning, I circle around in her arms, finding her face in the darkness. Burying my fingers in the long strands of her hair, I tug. Fighting for breath, she exhales, her mouth parting slightly. The sound is glori
ous, like music to my ears and an aphrodisiac to my now swollen cock. Groaning, I lean in, tracing a path across her bottom lip with my tongue.

  Pulling it into my mouth, I suck hard, relishing in the guttural groan rumbling deep within Kylee’s chest. Releasing her lip, I slide my tongue into her mouth, shuddering as her flavor explodes over my taste buds. Rising up on her toes, she presses closer, the hard tips of her nipples marking me with every advance. Twisting her hands in my hair, she thrusts forward, her tongue tangling with mine in a wicked duel for dominance. Kylee moans, her mouth opening wider as she lifts her leg, hitching it over my hip, hauling me toward her hot pussy.

  “Kylee,” I groan, breaking the kiss.

  “I need you, Alex,” she whispers, placing an open-mouthed kiss in the center of my chest. Warmth spreads through my body, the anticipation building as she lingers, her tongue brushing gently against my nipple.

  “Woman,” I grunt, grasping her ass and lifting her off the floor.

  Kylee squeals, wrapping her legs around my waist. Kneading her flesh between my fingers, I march over to the couch, tossing her onto the cushion. Her body bounces several times before settling into the plush leather. Laughing, she peers up at me from beneath her hooded lashes. Taking a step back, I allow my gaze to peruse her sensual body. Her tiny white shorts and camisole cling to her sweat slicked skin.

  Her long dark hair is mussed, hanging loosely in waves around her shoulders. Coming to her knees, she reaches forward in an attempt to grasp my cock.

  Smiling, I take a step backward. “Unh unh.”

  “Alex,” she pouts.

  “Not yet, doll.”

  “Please.” She pushes her lower lip out in an attempt to beg.

  My cock lengthens, growing thicker in my shorts. Fucking adorable. How is it that she can make me rock hard in a matter of seconds? Tracing her lower lip with my thumb, my lust grows, unfurling deep in my belly. Kylee’s body becomes pliable, her eyes becoming glazed with intense passion at the gruffness in my voice.

  “Not yet, baby. We’re going to take this slow. First, you’re going to strip. Then you’re going to suck my cock. And the night is going to get better from there.”