by Sarah Bailey
I looked at our joined hands, feeling a little sick at the thought. My family were capable of that. They didn’t care about the lives of those girls. Aiden was right. We needed to find them and make sure they were safe first. I couldn’t live with their deaths on my hands. I had to make sure we rescued them.
“Speaking of girls, how are Sophie and Cora?”
“Tina says they’re doing well. She doesn’t think she can leave them there alone for too long though. They seem very attached to her. I think this is good for her, you know. Looking after people is what she’s done her whole life.”
“She doesn’t have to take care of you anymore now you have me.”
He snorted.
“As if I ever allowed her to really take care of me in the first place.”
I stroked the back of his hand with my thumb.
“You let me take care of you.”
His grin turned devious.
“You take care of me in ways no one else can.”
I gave him a wink, which made him laugh. Hell, I loved it when Aiden laughed. The deep, rich timbre of his voice always did things to me.
As much as I wanted to keep the conversation light and playful, today had brought about way too many problems for us to deal with.
“What are we going to do about my uncle?”
“Right now? Nothing. He needs to calm down. Besides, you heard what that detective said, Chuck is a person of interest. That means he’s got bigger problems than finding out we’re married.”
“I feel like we’re skating on very thin ice right now. Uncle Charlie, Rick and now the police, I mean… things were always going to come out sooner or later, but I don’t want us to get caught in the crossfire.”
He let go of my hand and cupped my face, running his thumb across my cheek.
“We’re going to be okay, princess. We’re in this together. You and me. We’ll make sure the right people are punished.”
I nodded. I hoped Aiden was right.
Because if he wasn’t...
I don’t think I could survive being separated from him again.
~~~
Walking into the Ritz on Aiden’s arm, I felt a sense of dread. Seeing Rick earlier today had terrified me. It brought back the memories of my kidnapping and him forcing me to watch those videos. Those reminders were very unwelcome, but they also made me even more determined to see this through.
Aiden looked over at me, his grey eyes hard as steel. He wasn’t happy about this dinner with Rick. Neither was I, but if we didn’t go, he’d just make our lives hell. I knew he was capable of it.
The maître d’ showed us to a table. Rick was already seated, his dark eyes glinting as he saw us. He stood, coming around and pulling out my chair for me.
“Hello, little darlin’,” he said.
My skin crawled. Aiden stiffened but said nothing. I sat, letting him push my chair in for me. Aiden sat next to me, taking my hand under the table. Rick sat across from us.
“Thank you for coming.”
Both of us stared at him. I wasn’t sure what the hell to say. He’d basically given us no option but to meet him here. I didn’t trust him. Not one bit.
I dropped Aiden’s hand and picked up the menu, not wanting to look at the man who’d given life to my husband. I noticed Aiden did the same. If Rick was put out by us basically blanking him, he didn’t show it. Minutes ticked by without us saying anything. The waiter came over and took our orders. Then we had no choice but to either talk or stay silent.
“Why did you ask us here?” Aiden said.
Rick steepled his hands, reminding me of my father. I stiffened, trying not to allow panic to set in. I’d already seen his face in my mind today. Another reminder would just send me over the edge.
“Is a man not allowed to want to meet his daughter in law?”
“Let me make something very clear, you’re not my father and she is not your daughter in law. We are not family. Tell me why you insisted on this.”
“I wish to help you.”
Aiden’s eyebrow curled upwards, incredulity in his expression. I couldn’t believe my ears myself. Why the fuck would Rick want to help us and with what?
“Help me?”
Rick nodded, his expression turning serious.
“If you do as I ask, I will tell you everything you want to know about your little darlin’s family… and Lizzie.”
Aiden’s expression darkened. I put my hand on his arm, reminding him I was there. That we couldn’t make a scene in a public place. No matter how much I wanted to tell Rick to get fucked.
“What do you want from us?” Aiden asked through gritted teeth.
I could feel the tension radiating off him. I desperately wanted to soothe him. Needed to take his discomfort and pain away. I knew the mention of his mother’s name, especially from Rick, would remind him of it all.
“I wish to know both of you. Spend time with me whilst I’m in England and the day I depart, I will tell you everything.”
It seemed like an innocuous request, but I knew better than to think that anything Rick said was innocent. He couldn’t just want that.
Aiden looked at me. I could see the disgust and hatred in his face, but I could also see the battle going on inside his head. He wanted to know who’d killed Lizzie. He wanted that desperately. I knew he’d never be at peace otherwise.
I leant towards him, brushing my lips against his ear as I squeezed his arm.
“I think we should consider it,” I whispered.
Before I could pull away, he cupped my face, turning it so he could whisper in my ear.
“We can’t trust him.”
I nodded. I wasn’t saying we could. Aiden needed closure and Rick was the only one who could give that to him. No matter how much he hated the man.
He turned back to Rick.
“How long are you here for?”
“Three weeks.”
Aiden tensed. Three weeks would be bearable. Just about.
“And how often do you expect to see us?”
“Have dinner with me twice a week.”
“Fine.”
Rick smiled. It was then that the waiters arrived with our starters. Wanting to save Aiden from having to talk to Rick further, I engaged him in conversation. He asked me about how the company was doing. The small talk continued into the main course. Aiden vibrated with tension next to me. I could see he was becoming more and more agitated by the minute being in Rick’s company. I wished I could soothe him, but there wasn’t much I could do in a crowded restaurant.
When the mains were cleared, I excused myself to the bathroom. I didn’t want to leave Aiden alone with Rick, but I also needed a minute. Thankfully it was empty. I looked at myself in the mirror, sighing heavily. Having to talk to a man my husband hated wasn’t an easy task. I wasn’t sure how we would survive the next three weeks having to spend more time with him.
I was so lost in my own thoughts, I didn’t entirely register the door opening. It was only when a hand wrapped around my arm and I was tugged into a cubicle that I realised I wasn’t alone. I looked up as Aiden locked the door behind us.
“What are you doing?” I hissed.
He spun me around and kicked the toilet seat closed. Shoving me against the wall, he tugged my hips back as he pulled my blue dress up.
“Aiden, what the fuck?”
“Shut up,” he said harshly in my ear.
Practically ripping my underwear down, he stroked me before plunging two fingers inside my pussy. I bucked, letting out a small sound of alarm. He slapped a hand over my mouth.
“You’re going to be quiet and let me fuck you,” he told me.
My traitorous body melted at his words, but my mind screamed at me that we were in a public place. What the hell had gotten into him? I knew he was rattled from being around Rick, but that didn’t give him the right to shove me into a toilet cubicle and demand I have sex with him.
Even if I tried to tell him no, my body was saying yes. His fingers guaranteed I was dripping for him. I heard him undo his belt and unzip his trousers. The next thing I knew, he’d pulled his fingers out of me and replaced them with his cock. He grunted as he thrust inside me.
“Fuck, princess,” he hissed.
I groaned against his hand. Shit, he felt so good. He pounded into me against the wall, his fingers on my clit. I wriggled against him, needing more. Fuck. All my arguments against this evaporated under the intense sensations he was eliciting from my body. I was still worried someone would come in and hear us, but not enough to stop. Hell, I needed to come so badly.
“Harder,” I moaned into his hand.
He must’ve heard my muffled noise because he tugged me closer and fucked me harder. His harsh breath against my ear drove me fucking crazy.
“That’s it,” he hissed. “You’re such a good girl. All mine. Fuck.”
I tried to hold back, but my climax erupted inside me. I bucked, moaning into his hand as my pussy clenched around his cock. Fuck. It felt deliciously wonderful. All the pent up tension inside me evaporated. Utter bliss radiated across my skin, making me want to feel like this every moment we were together. I was so fucking addicted to Aiden. And he was all mine. This fucked up tattooed god. My avenging angel. I didn’t think ‘No’ was in my vocabulary when it came to him.
I slumped against the wall when I came down from my high whilst he continued to pound me into submission. His grunts got louder until I felt him pulsate inside me, filling me with his cum.
“Fucking hell, princess,” he whispered.
Releasing my mouth, he held me to him with both hands wrapped around my stomach as he kissed my shoulder.
“Not that I didn’t enjoy it, but what was that about?”
“You take my pain away,” he told me. “Just like I take yours from you.”
My heart fractured at his words. I knew he was angry about being around Rick, but I didn’t realise how much it’d made him suffer.
“I needed in you, princess. To feel you. To love you. I can’t stand being around him.”
I nodded. I understood. And I couldn’t deny the release he’d just given me was amazing. I felt better equipped to get through the rest of the evening with Rick now.
Aiden pulled away, re-adjusting his clothing. I turned and looked at him. The tension which had lined his face all night was gone.
“Just warn me next time you want to fuck me in a toilet,” I said.
He grinned, leaning down to kiss me. I smiled back when he released me. I couldn’t be mad at him. Tonight was taxing for both of us. He checked to see if the coast was clear before leaving the room and letting me clean up.
I took a deep breath before I left the toilets when I was done.
This was only the beginning.
We had three more weeks of dinners with Rick.
And I wasn’t looking forward to any of them.
Chapter Sixteen
Aiden
Avery was still asleep when I woke up. She looked so fucking precious with her hair splayed out across the pillow. She’d been my fucking rock last night. Having to spend an evening with Rick, the man I despised with every inch of my fucking soul, was pure fucking hell. Avery had taken it in her stride. She’d answered his questions about the company and how she was faring since her parents died. I’d barely had to say anything to him at all.
I kissed her forehead, careful not to wake her as I slipped out of bed, picking my phone up on the way. It was before six. Her alarm wouldn’t go off for a while so I decided to get a run in. I pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, heading out for half an hour.
Covered in a sheen of sweat by the time I got back in the flat, I had a shower. When I went back into the bedroom, she was still sleeping. My raven haired princess. She’d clutched the covers in her sleep, looking so fucking adorable. I wanted to crawl over her and wake her up with sex. Worship every inch of her body. My wife. The most beautiful girl I’d ever known.
Looking down at my phone after I tugged my boxers on, my heart fucking stopped in my chest. An alert had come up. I’d set it up to go off when Avery’s name appeared on various tabloids and news sites. Just so we knew what was being said about her. I clicked on the article, clenching my fist as I read it.
Last night heiress and owner of Daniels Holdings, Avery Daniels, was photographed with an unknown male outside of the Ritz in London. The couple looked very close sparking a hot debate about the nature of their relationship. Only four weeks ago, Avery revealed she was engaged to Tristan Shaw, who was tragically murdered a mere five days after the announcement. Requests for a statement from Avery in the wake of his death were denied. It seems Avery has moved on very quickly judging by the photos which surfaced online at around midnight last night.
I scrolled down finding several photos of us. We were holding hands as we left the Ritz. One of them showed me kissing the top of her head as I helped her into the car. What the actual fuck? Who the hell had photographed us? Shit. What the fuck were we going to do?
I sat down on the bed, checking other articles and social media. It was everywhere. Fuck. I realised now just how much of an invasion of privacy it was to have our faces plastered over the internet. I’d known Avery hated it, but this was the first fucking time I was experiencing it myself. They didn’t know who I was, which I suppose was a saving grace, but it still didn’t make it better.
Avery stirred. I felt the bed shift as she moved and sat behind me, wrapping her hands around my stomach. She kissed my shoulder, leaning her head against my back.
“Morning,” she said with a voice still full of sleep.
I didn’t want to tell her about this, but I had to. I ran my hand over hers.
“Princess.”
“Mmm, you smell so good.”
I smiled. Fuck. My heart hammered against my chest. The urge to pin her down on the bed and tear her shorts off threatened to overcome my self-control. Instead, I handed her my phone wordlessly. She took it. I felt her pull back from me followed by the sharp intake of her breath.
“What the fuck?” she said.
“Yeah… another shitstorm for us to deal with.”
“Are they for real right now? Fuck. Do people not have anything better to do than gossip about who I’m with?”
“Apparently not.”
She handed the phone back to me and rested her forehead between my shoulder blades. I heard her let out a long sigh. I popped the phone on the bed next to me.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“No. We haven’t even had a chance to talk to my uncle since he found out and now this. No doubt they’ll be fucking camped outside the office when I get there. Fuck. Just what we fucking needed.”
“Come here.”
She shifted around and crawled into my lap. I held her to my chest, stroking her hair.
“I’m so fed up, Aiden. It’s like a never ending carousel. One problem gets solved and another turns up. When the hell is all of this going to end?”
I tipped her chin up towards me, staring down into her doe eyes.
“Soon. It’ll be over soon. We’re not letting this go on forever. Trust me, princess, I want it to be over just as much as you. I want to wake up and not worry about whether we’re going to survive this war or not.”
She reached up, cupping my face with her small hand. Fuck. She looked so tiny and fragile. The past weeks since her birthday had left her exhausted and worn down. I could see it in her eyes.
“I want that too. Is a quiet life together too much to ask for?”
I shook my head.
“No. I promise we’ll have that. Just you and I. Don’t forget we vowed to be there for each other for the rest of our days.”
She smiled. So fucking radiant.
“Shit, you’re so fucking soppy when you want to be.”
I pulled her face towards me and devoured her mouth. I n
ibbled her bottom lip causing her to squirm in my lap. My cock stood to attention immediately. Fuck. My hand disappeared under her t-shirt, finding one of her perfect tits. I rolled her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. She moaned in my mouth.
I pulled away, whipping her t-shirt off her and replacing my mouth with my fingers. I bit down on her nipple. My hand trailed down her stomach, dipping below her shorts and finding her sweet spot.
“Aiden,” she groaned, her fingers curling into my hair.
It didn’t take long for her to buck against my fingers, her arousal coating them. I pulled my hand from her shorts and picked her up. Placing her on the bed with her legs dangling down, I pulled off her shorts and underwear, leaving her naked before me. I knelt on the floor and buried my face in her sweet pussy, holding her legs open wide for me.
She bucked and writhed on the bed, moaning and calling out my name as my tongue lashed against her clit. I watched her, loving the way she lost all control when I plunged my fingers inside her, hooking them upwards and pressing on just the right spot.
“Fuck, Aiden, please don’t stop. Please, oh fuck.”
She tasted so fucking sweet. Hell, I loved tasting her. I loved this girl so fucking much. My desire for her was fucking relentless. She utterly consumed every waking moment. When I wasn’t with her, I thought about her. Desired her. Craved her. Needed her.
She cried out, her body convulsing as her climax washed over her. Fuck. So beautiful. So fucking perfect. She’d barely come down from her high when I released her. I stood up, flipped her over onto her front and pulled off my boxers. Gripping her hips, I thrust inside her. Fuck. She felt so fucking good. So deliciously wet after she’d come all over my tongue.
Her moans spurred me on as I fucked her harder. Her fingers curled around the sheets as she looked back at me. Doe eyes wide with heat and lust burning in their depths. Fuck. Such a beautiful sight.
Her phone started beeping, signalling her alarm going off but we both ignored it. I slammed into her over and over until she cried out again, her second orgasm rushing through her. I cursed, feeling her clenching around my cock like a fucking vice. I put a hand on her back, keeping her pinned to the bed. I was so close. I couldn’t fucking stop even though the fucking beeping from her phone was doing my head in.