by Lexi Blake
Rafe shook his head. “He needs a serious ass kicking, Piper. He cannot treat you like this. He will ruin everything!”
Kade eased her toward the back of the room, cuddling her close. “No. He simply won’t be allowed in our bed. But Piper, we can’t marry you on our own.”
“We can if we abdicate the throne, brother.” Rafe’s pronouncement thudded through the dungeon, echoing off the walls.
Kade stopped and turned. “Would you really?”
She had to stop them. She couldn’t let that happen. “No. No, he wouldn’t.”
Rafe stood back, his shoulders set. “I will if we must. I refuse to allow my brother to mistreat our wife. I also don’t intend to separate from her because my brother cannot pull his head from his backside.”
Misery swamped her. She’d pushed Tal. She’d known he was on the edge, and she’d deliberately sought out a piece of him he’d wanted to hide. “I don’t want you to fight with Talib.”
Rafe turned. “Take care of our wife, brother.”
Kade led her back toward the shower. “Relax. Everything is going to be all right. I’ll take care of you. We’ll both get cleaned up, and I’ll make sure you’re ready for the ambassador. I’ll have one of the servants bring you a robe. You’ll look so beautiful.”
“I don’t want to look beautiful, Kadir. I want you to stop Rafe.” She struggled against his hold.
Kade kicked open the door, and sure enough, there was a ridiculously opulent bathroom, complete with a hot tub in the middle. Kade set her on her feet. He crowded her, staring down. “I have no intention of stopping him. This is between brothers, Piper.”
Stubborn. They were all so stubborn. “Am I not a member of this family?”
He didn’t move, simply brushed her forehead with his lips. “You are the very best part of this family, but there will always be things that Rafiq, Talib, and I must work out.”
“I shouldn’t be one of those things.”
His fingers sank into her hair, tugging back lightly. “I told you. You’re the most important person in my life, in Rafe’s life. If it’s not the same with Tal, then perhaps it’s time to move on. He still has a few months. He can find a cold bride to accept his bargain. He can have the kingdom. I want you.”
But a cold bride and a stale bargain wasn’t what Tal wanted. God, was she the only one who could see it? He could have had his bargain at any time, but he’d chosen her, a woman he’d spent months getting to know. Maybe he’d thought he could simply be friends with her at first, but it was so brutally obvious to her that he’d changed or he would still be the polite man she’d known online. Somewhere in that thick skull of his, he wanted more than a cool friendship.
Would time change Tal? Or was he too damaged for anyone to truly touch him? Could she remain married to a man who would only allow himself to view her as a state asset? How could she have children with him? Little babies who he would never allow himself to truly love.
“Hush.” He kissed her again, this time on the tip of her nose. “I told you, it’s going to be all right. I’m going to take care of you. But Piper, if Talib will not be swayed in this, you should know Rafe and I will leave the palace with nothing if we must.” His voice got quiet. “We will have no money, but, habibti, you have to believe that we will take care of you.”
Now she allowed the tears to flow because of all the things she’d believed she would find when she’d gotten on that plane and changed her life, this love was beyond them all. They would walk away from wealth, privilege, and fame for her? She let her hands find Kade’s gorgeous face and silently thanked whatever being had blessed her. “I love you. I’ll take care of you, too.”
He shed his clothes after turning on the shower, leading her inside. As he gently washed her, she made a vow. She would take care of all her husbands. Even the stubborn one.
* * * *
“I have laid out your clothes for the evening, Your Highness.” His butler nodded toward the bedrooms, then took his leave as Dane entered the room.
“You called.”
He looked at his bodyguard and felt like shouting. “I thought someone was watching my concubine.”
Bile rose in his throat. God, he’d treated her like a whore when she was the sweetest thing he’d ever known. Her sensuality had been generously given, and he’d tossed her aside. And he’d left her alone to take care of herself. He’d realized his mistake and had almost returned to Piper when he’d noticed his brothers coming down the hallway. They would treat her better than he could.
Dane’s eyes were icy cold. “Cooper is on her.”
Thank god he had a place to put his rage. “Cooper is fired. He has neglected his duties. The bastard let her get away from him and she found the dungeon.”
Dane pulled his radio. “Coop, can I get an update on Her Highness?”
“The sweet one or the sour one?” Coop’s voice cracked over the radio. “Sorry. Had to do it. Her Highness is in the dungeon with Kadir. Rafe just left, and let me tell you, his panties were in a big old wad. I think you might be looking at a throw down. Whatever happened to the sheikh to make him storm out of the dungeon seems to have gotten Rafe as well.”
Dane pressed the talk button. “Thanks, buddy. Keep an eye out. The ambassador is bringing a whole crew in tonight, and Khalil is invited, naturally. I don’t like it. Something feels wrong.”
“Will do.”
The radio went silent, and Dane turned back. “She was never out of his sight until she entered that room. It has one exit, no windows, and no one has been in there for over a year. I scarcely think someone laid in wait all that time. She’s got to have privacy sometime.”
And he’d fucked up again. God. He felt like his whole fucking life was spiraling out of control. “See that you keep my bride safe.”
“Who should I protect her from? You?” Dane asked.
Tal turned.
Dane shrugged, a negligent gesture. “It was a good bet you would fuck up, Talib. You haven’t fixed anything inside you, just like Alea. Those fuckers who hurt you can only win if you let them. But you’re going to let them, aren’t you?”
The last thing he needed was homilies provided by his Southern guard. “You can go.”
Dane stood there. “I could.”
Dane needed to remember who was the boss here. “Goddamn it, Dane. Get the fuck out.”
“That would be convenient, wouldn’t it?” Dane’s posture relaxed, his feet spreading out. “Everyone just does what you say. Does anyone actually fight with you? Do you have a single fucking ally who’ll fight for you?”
He didn’t have anyone but his brothers who would say a damn thing against him. Not to his face. Well, Piper. Piper had always bitched at him. In the months they had worked together, she’d often initiated arguments when she thought he was wrong. She hadn’t known who he really was. He’d loved it. When they’d talked and she would throw down with him verbally, he would get such a thrill.
God, he’d been in love with her for months, and he hadn’t been able to admit it.
“Get out.”
Dane stood his ground. “I think not. I think you can fire my ass if you like, Sheikh, but I have a few things to say to you.”
Heat flashed through him. “Get out now or I’ll have you arrested.”
Dane huffed. “That’ll go over so well, Tal. Fine. Arrest me. It won’t be the worst shit that happened to me. I’m going to say this once. Grow the fuck up and grow a goddamn pair of balls, man. I know it was bad. I know some shit happened to you that no one can understand, but that’s the nature of your life. You’re a leader, Talib. You got the fucking hard road. I’m not joking about that. I wouldn’t trade for your gig, man. Everyone needs something from you, and not a single person will sacrifice for you. Except your brothers and that woman you married. And if you push her away, then everyone who has ever hurt you wins. And you lose.”
A vicious pain had taken root in his gut. Dane was right about one thing. He couldn’t
possibly understand. “They won the minute they forced me to watch someone I cared about die. Do you fucking know what they did to me? Do you know what they made me do?”
Dane’s face softened slightly. “I can imagine. They likely made you beg.”
Beg. Plead. Abase himself. He’d done it all. He’d broken trying to spare Lily pain, and they had simply laughed and slit her throat anyway.
“Talib, you can’t blame yourself for that, man. Everyone breaks.”
Shame flushed through him. What would his brothers have thought of him if they knew he’d begged?
“Did you beg for your own life?” Dane asked. “I bet you didn’t. Most men would. You begged for hers. You pleaded.”
He’d been thrown to the ground and kicked and then forced to kiss the boot of the man who had done it. He’d wanted to fight, but Lily was his submissive. She had been in his care. He’d had to do anything he could to save her. Anything but betray his country. “I did everything they asked to try to spare her. They treated me like an animal. They beat me, starved me. They used a defibrillator to stop and start my heart once. I was dead, but they brought me back. I know what death is like. I was so angry when I realized I was alive again. I wanted that death.”
“I can understand that. What didn’t you do?” Dane asked. “Did they kill her for fun or would you not comply with some request?”
His hands were shaking. Fuck. He didn’t want to talk about this. He wanted to forget it, but something forced him to speak. Years he’d spent with this brutal truth inside him. “They wanted me to make a video tape.”
He’d barely been able to see the words they had wanted him to say. His eyes had been almost swollen shut from the beating he’d taken. Vile words meant to throw his country back into the dark ages. He’d been asked to renounce democracy. He’d been told to spit on hundreds of years of his family’s achievements.
Dane’s calm voice echoed through the room. “I remember the time, sir. Had you made that tape, had the people seen it, there might have been real trouble. Something like that could have destabilized the country. The parliament wasn’t in control. You were. There could have been riots, and the countries around you would have pounced. You did what you had to.”
“Yes.” Bitterness rose. “I had to choose my country over a woman who trusted me.”
“You do not have easy choices, my brother.”
Pure fear went through Tal as he realized Rafiq stood in the doorway. His brother had heard everything. His brother knew his shame. “Go away, Rafe. Go look after Piper.”
“I came here to beat the crap out of you,” Rafe admitted, his face flushed with emotion. “I planned to fight because you cannot treat our bride that way. She is not a piece of property, but that isn’t why you rejected her, is it? I think she might be smarter than any of us. She told me you were afraid.”
Everyone was backing him into a corner today. “I am not afraid. I simply don’t want to be forced to deal with Piper’s naïveté. This marriage is about protecting a kingdom, not falling in love.”
Rafe walked in. His shoulders had relaxed, his fists unclenched. “It’s about both. Tal, you did what you had to do in the worst of circumstances. But you survived. Our country survived. I am so sorry Lily did not, but you cannot spend the rest of your life punishing yourself. You did everything you could possibly do to save her. You made the right choice. One life for thousands. You had no other option.”
And there was the heart of his problem. There was the precise reason he couldn’t ever let himself love Piper. “And if I couldn’t make that decision again? If I couldn’t choose my country?”
Rafe’s eyes flared, understanding dawning. “You’re worried if it happens again you would give everything up for Piper?”
He knew it deep in his gut. He could lie to her, but there was the truth. He was already over the edge. “I need to let her go. I can’t make the choices I would need to. I can’t protect my country and love my wife.”
Rafe sighed. “That is untrue.”
“Sir, your brother is right. You can’t sacrifice everything. You have to take a risk at some point,” Dane said.
But he didn’t. He never had to risk another thing. Tal stood stiffly, his decision clear. “Rafe, you and Kade will abdicate your positions. You can take Piper and marry her. I’ll make sure you have more money than you could ever need. I’ll marry within the month. The throne will be secure, and if I never speak to her again, perhaps no one will think to hurt her in order to get to me.”
Rafe’s jaw hardened to a razor-sharp line. “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.”
His brother was thinking with his heart and not his head. Tal knew one of them had to be rational. “It protects us all.”
“Should Piper not have any say in whether she wants this?” Rafe asked. “You have not given her a real choice, Tal. If you care for her, then you should let her decide.”
Let her decide if she wanted to risk her life? Not a chance. “I would think you would want her alive, Rafe. You’re truly willing to risk her?”
Rafe groaned. “God, you should have been on the stage, Tal. Everything is a risk. Am I not going to get in a car because I could be in an accident? Not fly because I could crash? We have an amazing life, and it comes with risks. For every privilege we have, there is an ounce of pain and still, I would not take any of it back. I will not abdicate. Piper will not leave. You must learn that this is your family, and we will not abandon you, even when you do not deserve us. That is what family is. She is stronger than you can imagine, our concubine. I know her. She is willing to take the risk.”
“But I’m not.” He couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t. He couldn’t risk having to choose between her and his country. “I won’t be moved, Rafe. Tell her to pack her things. You can go with her or not. I’ll make sure she’s financially cared for. She assures me there’s no way she’s carrying a child. Tell her she can choose to live anywhere she likes. Anywhere except here. I expect her to be gone by tomorrow.” He pivoted away, his body moving on autopilot when all he wanted to do was fucking beat his head against the wall. He couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing her again. She’d already wound her way around his heart. He would do his duty to his country, but he would go to his grave with the memory of her warmth in his heart. “I must attend the dinner tonight. I’ll sleep in here. I’ll meet with the press secretary in the morning. We’ll need a good story. And have someone call the Dutch ambassador. I need to speak with him. They were eager to provide me with a bride.”
“It won’t work, brother.” Rafe turned and walked out.
Dane simply turned away. Though he stood just outside the door, Tal was well aware he’d broken their friendship.
He was alone. It was the way he would spend the rest of his life.
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re sure you want to do this, habibti?” Kade tucked a stray hair behind her head, his touch soft on her skin.
Piper was sure. She’d never been more sure of anything in her life. She didn’t intend to take her walking papers with aplomb. Talib wanted to get rid of her? He would have a fight on his hands. After Rafe explained everything to her, all of Tal’s fears and worries, she’d been more sure than ever that he needed her. She wasn’t a masochist. She knew she could break, but she wasn’t going to stop fighting until there was nothing left to fight for.
Tal wasn’t cruel. He was just dumb. Very, very dumb. Lucky for him, she was awfully smart.
“She is sure, Kade.” Rafe placed a hand on her hip, drawing her in. “And she’s so damn beautiful. Have I told you how beautiful you are, habibti?”
“More than once, baby.” She turned her face up, silently asking for a kiss. It was swiftly given. These two men were the best things that had ever happened to her. Not only had they told her she was beautiful, they made her believe it. The same way a man named Tal had managed to boost her confidence all those months ago. Now that she looked back at their odd relationship,
she could see all the things he’d done for her. She would never have been strong enough to take this journey without him encouraging her. He’d been the one to tell her she was smart enough to take on this project. He’d been the one to give her ideas credit and real value.
She wasn’t going to let a single one of her men go.
Kade turned her face up to his, and another sweet kiss fell on her lips. How the hell was a woman supposed to feel less than worthy when she’d spent hours in their arms? Tal had no idea what he was in for.
She took Kade’s hand and let him lead her through the marbled entrance to the conservatory. Security was everywhere. Two big guards stood at the door to the conservatory, their khaki uniforms incongruous compared to the elegance around them.
“Your Highnesses.” The men both bowed their heads in deference.
At least Talib hadn’t barred her from the dinner. He likely thought she would be packing like the good girl he believed her to be. Maybe he hadn’t studied her as thoroughly as he imagined. She hadn’t managed to raise her sister and put herself through school without some serious willpower.
“Gentlemen.” She nodded their way. It was odd, the deference she was shown, but she’d started to simply view it as courtesy.
A servant stood at the door, dressed in a resplendent uniform. She’d seen him around a bit, though she had trouble placing his face. He looked so familiar. She’d met so many. She needed to make it a priority to learn the members of her household by name and to be able to inquire about their families.
This young man frowned slightly before his face cleared and he smiled. “Your Highnesses. The Sheikh informed us just minutes ago that you would not be joining us this evening. Any of you. I’m afraid the cocktail hour has already begun. Dinner will be soon.”
Kade studied the young man. “You are Hassem? How long have you been with us?”