It just wasn’t fair for one person to go through this much.
I needed to push my own feelings aside and be there for him. So why was I hesitating outside of his door?
Because I knew what was waiting on the other side.
The king may have gone on with his life after surviving all those tragedies, but that didn’t mean he’d done so in a healthy manner. He’d come out of it filled with anger. Seething beneath the surface of this distinguished and intelligent man was a fury that raged with the strength of a wildfire.
It was hard to witness.
It was even harder to bear the heat.
But here I am. In the crosshairs.
And there was nothing I wanted more than to remove myself from the situation. Fight or flight? Give me flight, anytime.
But this wasn’t the time. If Willa was in danger, then I had to suck it up and put one foot in front of the other and move forward — not run away — no matter how much I wanted to.
I was exhausted. Scared. Confused as hell.
But none of this was about me, no matter where the blame was thrown. If the king wanted to blame me, I’d just have to take it. Because none of that mattered right now.
All that mattered was finding Willa, above all else.
I steeled my shoulders and wrapped my fingers around the antique brass doorknob, its elaborately carved pattern leaving an imprint on my palm from gripping it so strongly. I turned it slowly, swallowing hard as I pushed the door open.
The king wasn’t alone.
He stood in front of the roaring flames of the fireplace — always kept burning, no matter the weather outside — and sternly stared his staff down as they peered up at him.
Harold, Sullivan and Andrew looked as confused as I felt.
None of us had any inkling where Willa may have gone.
Harold, the king’s driver, had been asleep at his own home in town and hadn’t seen a thing. Sullivan and Andrew, the two sole guards of the castle grounds, looked like they’d just run an unexpected marathon. They’d spent the last few hours searching the massive property — no easy feat in itself. Doing it under the pressure of being responsible for finding the king’s missing daughter was a massive physical drain.
The four of them snapped their heads my way as soon as I walked in.
“I don’t have any news,” I said quickly, holding up my empty palms.
Anger flickered in Joe’s eyes and I ignored it.
He looked away, shaking his head. He was silent, which only made his rage more palpable. I used the opportunity to flash a sympathetic look towards the other men. They knew Joe even better than I did — the three of them having served him proudly for most of their lives. They knew just as well as I did what he was going through, what he’d already gone through.
We all respected him immensely, with a healthy side of fear attached.
Which is why I knew we were all racking our brains trying to figure out how to fix this. We’d searched the grounds. I’d searched Willa’s room. We’d opened every door in the castle. I’d implored Eva to tell me anything she knew at all, but she seemed equally confused and surprised to find her twin sister had just disappeared. Nothing pointed to any signs of a break-in to the castle itself, or even that anyone had breached the grounds at all.
The only thing that made sense is that Willa left of her own free will, and that didn’t make a lick of sense for many reasons.
Willa wasn’t that kind of girl.
Eva, maybe. Eva was sharp and sophisticated and curious. But ever since the girls had been taken when they were children, well — Eva came back stronger and Willa never really came back at all. She’d gone inward and rarely ventured out, to put it bluntly. She withdrew into herself. She never really grew up after that and while Eva blossomed and matured, Willa was broken. She never recovered, no matter how much time passed.
We all learned to just accept Willa the way she was and that was that.
She was protected. She was loved. She was taken care of. But once it was obvious that she was emotionally scared, there wasn’t much anyone could do to draw her out of it and help her heal.
The king had employed dozens of therapists over the years, but nothing ever worked.
She was sweet and kind and polite, but seeing Willa grow up into a mature woman didn’t seem to be in the cards. Slowly, the king turned his attention to grooming Eva, knowing she’d be the true ruler of the kingdom once he passed, even if she and Willa would legally be equals.
So the fact that Willa would just go off on her own didn’t seem possible.
And yet here we were — looking for a missing teenager instead of getting ready for Joe’s interview with Diana.
I’d heard the disappointment in Diana’s voice and hated it. As usual, she was gracious and kind, only expressing concern for me and Willa. And her offer to send her husband, Slade, and his friends, to help was so generous.
I’d met Slade once, a few years ago on a quick trip back home. We’d gone to dinner in Portland and I’d been struck by Slade’s obvious devotion to Diana. He was nothing at all like I’d imagined he’d be — but he quickly won me over with his infectious smile and disarming charm. I was thrilled to see Diana so happy. We’d spent many years partying our way through college together, supporting each other through hangovers and final exams and those initial intense relationships. I was so grateful we’d remained close, even after I’d moved to Lilivania.
Ending up in a place like this, as a nanny to two princesses, of all things, was never where that partying college girl thought she’d ever end up. I had dreams of being a child psychologist.
Now, I gazed over to the king, remembering the first time I’d met him and the twins.
I was just finishing up my master’s, working as a nanny to make ends meet before I graduated. My father was friendly with a European ambassador and he’d asked me to come along with him and his family on their yacht for a few weeks. It was all very highbrow and luxurious and the kids were a dream, so I jumped at the chance. It was a working trip for him. He’d invited several other diplomats, including the king.
It was only a year after the girl’s had been abducted and quickly returned to him, but enough time had passed that the world had noticed the absence of the once publicly active princesses. Rumors were flying, of course, about the state of the girls. Nobody had seen them in a year, and the king hadn’t released any statements or updates on their health or well-being, outside of one statement upon their initial return. Media outlets around the globe speculated relentlessly, but nobody really knew the truth. And any time the king had to go out in public, he’d do so alone, without his constantly smiling companions that were previously by his side.
So, Joe was on the boat alone, and if you didn’t know who he was, you might think he was just a normal man. Well, as normal as he can be. Joe was a massive, commanding presence and for those few weeks, he held court.
He reviled the passengers with stories of his life as an only child growing up in the royal family he’d been born into. He loved to recount how he’d defied his family and married the love of his life, a commoner named Poppy. He’d married her in a small private ceremony on top of a cliff on the edge of the island, literally shouting his love for her from the tallest mountain — without telling his family ahead of time and completely against his father’s wishes. They’d already picked out a proper and acceptable woman for him, and falling in love with a commoner was not permitted.
His family had kicked him out of the castle, never allowing his wife to set foot on the grounds. Undeterred, they rented a small house in town and vowed to never look back. They were deliriously happy and Poppy quickly became pregnant. For the next nine months, they anxiously awaited the birth of their child. When they discovered she was having twins, they couldn’t believe how blessed they were.
All of their dreams were coming true. Joe never wanted the burden of being King, and after the way his family had treated him, he was fine without them,
or the title, in his life.
But fate dealt them a blow neither of them saw coming, and shortly after giving birth to two healthy, identical twin girls, Poppy came down with an infection and died.
Joe was devastated. If it weren’t for the twins, and the sudden responsibility of caring for the two infants falling solely on his shoulders, he probably wouldn’t have survived.
But somehow he did.
Of course, he never really talked about the rest of the story, but it all played out in public and everyone on that boat knew the rest.
Joe and the twins went back to the castle, and his family welcomed him back after the immense loss he’d suffered. He was a mess and he needed the help and security provided by his family. Within a few years, both his mother and father died from separate illnesses and he ascended the throne himself.
He never stopped thinking about the time he was free and happy, it seemed, because those were the stories he told back then. Over time, his retelling became less and less.
But it was on that trip that we met. He saw how I was with the Ambassador’s kids and he asked me to come to his tiny island and help him take care of his daughters. It was a great honor to be asked, and he offered me a salary I couldn’t refuse.
I finished my studies and moved to the castle, and since then, my life hasn’t been the same.
Joe trusted me. The girls and I bonded and despite the difficulties they have both faced, they’re doing okay.
At least I thought they were.
Now, nothing was okay.
Now, Willa was missing and the trust Joe had placed in me was quickly disappearing.
My mind raced and before I could stop myself, my mouth opened and I offered the only solution I could come up with.
When all you’ve got is one chance, you have to take it.
Chapter 3
DIANA
Slade stood next to the bed, wearing nothing but a pair of 501’s and his Gods of Chaos cut.
The flickering flame of the candle on my nightstand threw dancing shadows over his bare chest, illuminating the scars and ink that criss-crossed over his tan skin that I’d memorized years ago.
I reached out, hooking a thumb into the front of his waistband and pulling him closer, opening my thighs so he could stand between them. Looking up at him with a smile, I was met with a flash of his crooked grin, his eyes sparkling with lust.
Biting my lip, I snapped open the top button of his jeans, my knuckles sliding over the thin trail of hair that led to the warmth I so desperately wanted to feel. He moaned softly, his fingers tangling in my hair as I popped open the next button. My smile widened as his cock twitched under the thick denim, begging for escape. I was going slow because I knew it drove him crazy. Slade was an instant gratification kind of guy and making him wait made me wet. I wanted him inside of me just as much as he did, but I couldn’t deny the tiny twinge of sadistic joy that ran through my veins when I saw the impatience flash in his eyes. I knew it was taking every ounce of restraint for him not to throw me back on the bed and take me quickly.
I also knew his patience wouldn’t last long and was quickly wearing thin.
He never lasted long in this game. In five minutes, his tongue or cock would definitely be inside of me and I’d be writhing in the kind of ecstatic heaven only my amazing lover could give me and I would be absolutely fine with that. But first, I wanted to give a little something back.
A little tease just for him.
I snapped open the rest of the buttons, freeing his cock into my hands. Wrapping my fingers around his velvety shaft, the gasp that escaped from his lips sent a surge of electricity right to my stomach. I gripped him harder, sliding my palm up and down, squeezing gently as he pushed himself towards me.
“Babe,” he growled, a low warning.
I moaned, bending my head and engulfing the head of his cock with my mouth. His fingers tightened in my hair, his body tensing up as I moved my lips and hands together, up and down his shaft, his heat filling my mouth and swelling with desire.
I relished every delicious inch.
Pulling him to the brink of release, I teased and pushed and pulled, gripping him expertly, knowing every nuance of this man’s body and responses and giving him exactly what I knew he loved.
With a painful groan, he pulled away, shaking his head as his heated gaze raked over my naked body.
“Woman, you make my body sing,” he hissed, as he shoved his jeans over his hips and thighs, stepping out of them and tossing them to the side. He stood back up, naked, his massive cock throbbing at attention, with nothing else but a smile and his cut hanging from his shoulders.
He moved to shrug it off and I shook my head.
“Leave it on, baby,” I whispered. He smirked and closed the distance between us, pushing me back gently onto our bed. He opened my thighs and flashed me a smile before diving down between them, his face disappearing with the heat of his mouth on my sex.
My back arched as I closed my eyes and opened my thighs, allowing him full access to my body. It may as well have been his body, because I was perfectly willing to let him do anything at all he wanted to at that moment.
As well as I knew what he liked, he knew the same about me, and as I laid back and let him work, he pulled every ounce of the sweetest pleasure from my body. Within seconds, his mouth had me writhing and shaking and moaning with abandon.
The phone rang on my nightstand, its shrill ringtone breaking right through the magic Slade was performing on my body.
I glanced over in frustration, unable to ignore a call in the middle of the night. When I saw an international number, all I could think about was Clara.
“Slade, I have to take this,” I said, reluctantly.
He shrugged and barely slowed, his mouth still purposefully sliding over me.
I grabbed the phone and answered, trying to ignore my husband’s tongue.
“Hello?”
“Is this Diana?” A man’s voice bellowed in my ear.
“Yes?” I asked, trying to place the familiar voice.
“This is King Joseph of Lilivania. I was told you have some associates that can help me find my daughter.”
My mouth opened in shock and I tried to push Slade away, but he kept going.
“King Joseph!” I exclaimed. Slade glanced up between my legs with surprise, then with mischievous glee, returned to his work, lapping his tongue between my legs.
“Are your associates available? Are you sure you can trust them to come all the way here with discretion? I will pay all expenses, of course.”
I looked down at Slade in disbelief and suppressed a laugh.
“I’m sure that won’t be a problem, Your Majesty,” I whispered.
Chapter 4
EVA
Fear sliced right through my skin like a frigid wind. I wrapped my sweater around my torso with a shiver, despite the rising heat of the day.
Standing on the veranda connected to my bedroom, I looked down at the staff searching the grounds of the palace below me, combing through every bush and checking every corner, for the hundredth time, as if Willa was just going to appear in a bush she wasn’t in earlier.
Guilt ripped through me and yet here I was complaining.
Here I was, wishing, as I’d done a million times before, that I wasn’t stuck on this tiny island and was instead somewhere more exciting, somewhere vibrant, somewhere that I could be someone else.
Where we could both be other people, Willa and me.
Instead, half of me was now missing and I was helpless.
All I could do was stand here and watch and wait and hope that fate hadn’t decided to deal another blow to our family, that somehow this was all a mistake and Willa would simply walk out of the dark forest and give us a perfectly reasonable excuse for why she’d up and disappeared hours ago.
My eyes darted over to the edge of the courtyard, where our father paced like a furious lion around a marble statue he’d had erected of my mother. He spent
many hours out there, talking to her, pacing around her while he thought over big decisions.
I couldn’t see his eyes, but I knew they were fiercely focused and piercingly serious.
I’d seen that look before.
Not in person, but in the newspaper clippings I’d stolen after we’d returned home when Willa and I were abducted. We were six and it seemed a lifetime ago now. I shuddered to think that my father was once again experiencing the anguish that so deeply changed him the first time.
How could this happen again?
And if the unthinkable really has happened again, why was I spared?
No, it couldn’t be. It just couldn’t.
Willa was fine. She had to be. I couldn’t live with any other outcome.
Not only did we share our mother’s womb, but we’d shared so much grief and loss and joy and happiness since she’d died bringing us into this world.
For Willa to have to go through anything else just wasn’t fair. Especially not without me there to protect her. She needed me.
She’d been my responsibility most of my life.
And somehow, I’d let her down.
I yearned to escape myself, roam the streets of the island until I found her. I turned my gaze to the horizon, to the bustling city beyond the castle walls that imprisoned us all.
Treetops swayed in the distance, shading the cars and houses and buildings and sidewalks and all the land and the people who lived on it that my family had ruled over for centuries. Somehow, my ancestors had managed to keep the tiny country independent and my father now answered to nobody.
The entire island was his responsibility and I knew that weighed heavily on his mind. Willa and I tried to stay out of his way as much as possible. He was busy. He traveled often. But he saw to it that we were well cared for, he found Clara for us, and he locked us away from the prying eyes of the world so we could heal.
BLOOD PRINCESS: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK 17) Page 2