* * *
“You know, when you said this was going to be a busy day, I thought you were exaggerating. Is your master plan to wear me out so I can’t enjoy my evening?”
Kylan grinned. “I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it, I do like that idea.”
I groaned. “Kylan.”
“Take it, easy, princess, we are nearly done. That was the last stop before the senator’s house. You’ll need to meet with her before we meet with the president’s liaisons.”
“Before I see them?” I grumbled. “That was the seventh public appearance today. I don’t know who the hell you had style this outfit today, but you should fire them. My feet are killing me in these damn heels. I don’t think I can fake smile anymore!”
“Just think of all the lives you are changing by doing this,” Kylan said. “I saw at least two dozen smiling kids who looked at you like you were the greatest thing ever today.”
“I can do that without the stilettos, thank you very much. Why do I have to meet with her before I see them? It’s not like this is a conjugal visit.”
“The senator will be leaving for dinner with your mother promptly at seven. That will give you and her four minutes to talk. You have a flight to meet Derek, leaving at seven-twenty. You’ll have roughly twelve minutes with them. Everything you do will be watched, doors will be left open, do you understand me?”
“I thought you had to speak to them?”
“I do, but I’ll see you off to the airport first. Molly will be there as well, so I doubt you’d want to stay behind.”
“Wow, this whole thing feels like a setup for a publicity shoot.”
“That’s exactly what you should think of it as. We are deliberately not being careful. We want the press to show the three of you working together in a positive light.”
My heart sank. The meeting was going to be nothing like I’d imagined. Why had I let myself get caught up in the fantasy? At least it would be good for us publicly, even if we were each dying inside. I hated the idea of Kylan talking with the brothers alone. Even worse was the idea of him talking to the pair with Molly in tow. She’d done nothing but prove what a terrible person she was. I knew all about her efforts and failures with Dakota.
“Fine, I’ll agree to all of this under one condition,” I said.
“Yes?” Kylan asked a hint of amusement in his tone.
“I don’t want your sister there. I don’t care what you have to say about her. That’s a deal-breaker for me.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I won’t go, we can turn around right now, and I can kick off these stupid shoes.”
“You would pass up the chance to see them just to keep her away?”
“No. I already know that I can’t keep her away from them, but I trust them to see her for what she’s trying to do.”
“Then it’s me that you don’t trust?”
I fell silent.
“Wow.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I whispered. “I just don’t know how having you and Molly both ripping into our taboo relationship could be a good thing.”
“You don’t think we should fight fair then? It’s only okay if it’s them again, her or me but not us both? That doesn’t say much for your bond if you ask me.”
“I don’t want Dakota beating you to a bloody pulp,” I snapped. “Declan can keep the peace against one of you but no, probably not both.”
“Are you worried about me?” he asked.
“Oh, shut up. I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt, okay?”
I watched the flawless forest go by in waves. The Washington countryside always blew me away. My mind was still racing. How was I going to get the brothers alone? Kylan had everything planned out. There was nothing I could do. Surely the stalker would see that. My heart lurched with panic. I couldn’t let any of it show. I had to keep my mind focused, or it would slip down a dark path.
“So, what do you want to do? Either Molly goes, or I do. You can’t have it both ways.”
“I promise that I won’t let her stay, okay? She can go for a drive or go to bed for all I care, but she won’t be in the room when I get back. I’ll take you to the airport, then circle back. That will give her about thirty minutes to go over whatever they need before I get back.”
“Fine, that’s fair,” I muttered.
“Good. So, tell me, what would you do if I had said no?”
“I would have gone through with it and gone home. Dakota and Declan would understand the second I explained it to them.”
“Right, which you do with your secret phones.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about. I’d have told Derek, who would have told them, of course, in person.”
Kylan chuckled. “One of these days, we are going to need to sit down and have a serious conversation about communication.”
“I look forward to it.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you are an incredibly stubborn woman?” Kylan asked.
I smiled. “Several times, actually. I find it’s better to stand for something passionately, though. Otherwise, you’re never going to get what you want.”
“Do you ever not get what you want, Princess?”
“All the time,” I whispered.
The senator’s house came into view as we climbed up a sloping driveway. There were no words for the way the beautiful mansion nestled into the woods. My heart raced when I saw two trucks with antennas on the tops. I’d known a few reporters would be there, but it still made my stomach roll. Mostly since I’d spent the afternoon in the ridiculously formfitting dress, towering heels, and oversized hat.
As soon as the car stopped, I was swarmed by the senator’s security and the Secret Service. I knew the moment was coming, but it still shocked me every time I was ushered through one door or another. The meeting with the senator was brief and friendly enough. She and my mother had always gotten along well. We walked to the sitting room where Declan and Dakota waited for me. Despite the two camera crews that were already set up, I couldn’t look away from the two men.
Dakota looked brooding and devilishly handsome in his custom-tailored suit, whereas Declan appeared more relaxed. Working behind the scenes suited him and his easygoing nature. When they smiled at me, my heart pounded as if I’d never seen them before. It took every ounce of restraint to keep from running to the pair. Only Kylan and Molly’s presence dampened my spirits as we settled into our seats.
* * *
As the camera crews filed out to their trucks, we shook hands with the Hartley’s and headed for the main entrance. I wasn’t upset that Molly had excused herself to use the restroom moments earlier. I had nothing to say to her. She’d spent the last ten minutes fawning over both of my men. I’d wanted to throttle her the entire time. Before we reached the main door, Kylan grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.
“You have to go to the bathroom,” he whispered.
“No –”
He jerked his head towards the washroom door. “Yes, you do. I’ll wait here.”
Kylan all but shoved me into the bathroom against my will. The door shut behind me, and a cloud of smoke enveloped me. I coughed and brushed it away with my hand. Molly grinned at me, a cigarette dangling out of her mouth. Just as I opened my mouth to protest, I saw that she’d changed out of the black dress from earlier. It had been considerably too low cut for my preferences.
Instead, she wore an ensemble identical to mine. Hanging from the back of the door was her dress from earlier. Suddenly it dawned on me why Kylan had told me of his plan to return. I had thirty minutes with my men.
21
Audrey
I couldn’t believe what was happening.
Molly darted out of the bathroom to where Kylan was waiting. A few minutes later, I emerged and quickly scurried back to the sitting room where the brothers were waiting. They both did a double-take when they saw me, confirming that they had no idea about Kylan’s plan ei
ther. Their eyes moved over my body as I closed the doors behind me.
“What are you doing here?” Dakota asked, his arms already around me.
I was lost in his eyes. “It was Kylan. He set up the whole thing. We only have about half an hour.”
His lips found mine in a passionate kiss. All my worries melted away as I felt Declan behind me. It was the moment I’d been waiting for. A swarm of hands moved over my body, stroking and teasing me until the room darkened around me. I quivered as hands slipped between my legs. I didn’t want them to stop. I pleaded with my subconscious to allow me the moment of pleasure.
The stalker's words hit me with such force I was sure the men could feel it. Instantly the mood was gone as I pushed them away. It broke my heart to see their rejected faces. How I wanted them, but not like that. Not for the enjoyment of the stalker. I wouldn’t let our first time be controlled or watched by some creep. Dakota looked like he was ready to fight someone, a look of betrayal and concern on his face. Declan simply looked wounded. I’d never pushed him away before.
“What’s going on?” Dakota growled. “I thought this was what you wanted.”
“It is,” I sobbed. “So much. We can’t do this here, though.”
“Let me guess, you don’t want Kylan to miss out on things?” Dakota growled. “I knew that piece of shit would get to you.”
“Stop it, Dakota. It’s not like that. This has nothing to do with him. I love you both so much, please don’t do this.”
“Then what’s going on? Because we haven’t seen each other in weeks, and you’re pushing us away, again.”
“Listen, there is still a creep out there trying to get pictures of us. I don’t want to risk it.”
“David is back in DC. You know as well as we do that he’s the one behind all this. No one has heard from him in a while, so pick another excuse,” Dakota hissed.
“It’s not an excuse.”
“Have you heard from him again?” Dakota asked. “If you have, you need to tell us.”
My eyes shot to Declan. To anyone else, the look would mean nothing. Yet to Dakota’s trained eye, he could read between the lines. He turned away from me to his brother. I grabbed his arm, but Dakota jerked away from me, storming over to Declan as he stood his ground. They could be like fire and water or a match and kerosene. This wasn’t the time to find out which it would be.
“Listen, we thought it would be best if we didn’t tell you. Neither of us wanted you to fly off the handle,” Declan said.
“So now you two are keeping secrets from me? Is that where we are at now?” Dakota bellowed.
“Keep your voice down!” I snapped. “We didn’t do it to hurt you. You were in the middle of an important project, and the situation was under control.”
“We were just trying to protect you,” Declan said. “It was nothing to worry about, okay?”
“Nothing to worry about? Then why is it still an issue? Of course, you don’t have a problem with her pushing us away. You two already got your little meet-up.”
“Dakota!” I gasped. “This has nothing to do with that, and you know it. With the stalker running around, none of us can be sure that we are safe. What if they’ve got a camera in here?”
“Oh please, what the fuck was the last picture he sent?” Dakota asked.
I hesitated.
“For Christ’s sake, Audrey,” Declan whispered. “This has gone too far. It was a picture of her and Kylan. They weren’t doing anything, okay? It was just a flirty look.”
My heart dropped to my stomach when I looked at Dakota. His cheeks had gone from a flushed rage to pale white. If he’d just seen a ghost, I’d imagine a less stunned look from him. His eyes met mine, a sea of hurt behind their beautiful blue. Taking a step towards him, I whispered his name, but he shrank away from me like I’d stabbed him. For the first time, I understood the depth of pain that Kylan and Dakota had caused each other over the years.
“This is because of him,” Dakota said. “You can spew that bullshit about the stalker all you want, but it’s really about Kylan. You care about him, don’t you?”
I pursed my lips. “My feelings for him don’t matter right now. I promise you that this has nothing to do with him. I would never turn away from either of you for another man, whether I care for them or not.”
“Bullshit,” Dakota snapped. “Did he tell you he wanted you all to himself? So you are kicking us to the curb?”
“Oh, stop it. I have always made my position clear to Kylan. I love you, Dakota, just as I love Declan. Kylan isn't ever going to change that.”
“Then why aren’t we fucking right now?”
I cringed at his harsh tone. I knew he was hurting. “Dakota, please try and calm down. Declan told you about the picture to prove it wasn’t about Kylan, okay? The stalker is here or at least has an accomplice following me.”
“How convenient for you and Kylan.” Dakota turned to Declan. “And what about you? I can't believe you are buying this bullshit. Kylan sets up this whole thing just so she can reject us, and you’re just playing along.”
“Listen, Kylan will be back any minute, and he will tell you the stalker is going after us here,” I interjected.
“Great, I have a few things I’d like to say to him,” Dakota seethed.
As Dakota slouched down onto the couch, I looked at Declan with a silent plea for help. If Kylan came back and the two men got into a fight, I’d be devastated. It was bad enough I couldn’t tell them about the stalker's real threats. I had no way of knowing when he was watching me or not. There was no way for me to win in the situation unless I came clean about how much the stalker had been controlling my life. If I did that, though, I risked him finding out and exposing us.
I may have been able to buy myself more time to sleep with the brothers to appease the stalker. Even given a dozen random visits, I couldn’t bring myself to betray them like that. My hands were starting to shake as I looked at the clock on the wall. If I was going to share anything with them, it had to be soon, or I may well lose the chance to see them forever. Without giving it another thought, I darted around the couch. I threw myself into Dakota’s lap, wrapping my arms around him tightly.
“Just hug me back,” I whispered. “The stalker has been threatening me. Please don’t move. I know he has cameras.”
Dakota wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer as he kissed my neck. The nod was subtle, but I felt it.
“Get the burner phone out of my purse. It has everything on it. Everything he’s asked me to do and why we couldn’t be together tonight. Find him.”
“I love you, Audrey,” Dakota whispered.
My heart soared. “The phone is in my purse by the door. I’ll forget it when we leave and come back for it when I reach the door.”
Before I could tell him anything else, someone knocked on the door, and I jumped off Dakotas lap. Declan darted over and opened it as Kylan slipped inside. My heart pounded at the sight of him, but I stayed at Dakota's side. He needed me, and that was all that mattered. I squeezed his arm, feeling the tension slowly start to slip away from him. Kylan’s eyes flashed to my hand, a soft blush jumping to his cheeks.
“Well, I hate to break up the party, but it’s time we all had a good long talk,” Kylan said.
“You’ve got that right. What’s your game, Klaus?” Dakota seethed.
“Take it easy, Dakota. We are all here for the same reason,” Declan said.
“Declan’s right,” I smiled at the peacemaker. “We need to work together. The stalker has eyes and ears everywhere. I don’t know how he’s doing it.”
“We still don’t feel like he poses a significant threat,” Kylan said. “He’s sent a few random images but hasn’t taken anything public.”
“Go figure, you want to take the easy way out again,” Dakota snapped. “You have no idea what this man is capable of. You’ve done a half-ass job protecting Audrey.”
“Like you did any better? You’re half the reason e
veryone is in this mess. You just couldn’t leave her alone, could you?” Kylan shot back.
“Both of you stop it!” I hissed. “If we can't work together, then this is going nowhere, and we’re all wasting our time, okay? Look, I’m thrilled that everyone agreed to this meeting, but we need a plan.”
“Well, this is the best place to come up with one,” Kylan muttered. “I picked this room for a reason. The senator doesn’t allow cameras in here. The walls are designed to block all signals as well.”
“What?” Dakota said. “How is that possible? How did that slip past the Secret Service?”
Kylan grinned, “Let’s just say a former president enjoyed the rural location as much as its previous owner. The two had a rather intimate relationship. It’s a well-kept secret.”
“How did you find out about it?” I asked.
“That’s not important. I know that it’s a secure place to talk, but we won't have much time before the senator returns from dinner. I’d like to be gone by then rather than explain why Molly is on your flight and not you.”
“How did you manage to talk her into helping?” I asked.
“I’ll tell you later. Right now, we need to use our time wisely. Before anything is said, Audrey, you need to understand that this is for your own good.”
Kylan reached into his pocket and pulled out my burner phone. I couldn’t believe it. My mouth dropped as I darted for my purse to confirm he’d stolen it. Sure enough, mine was missing from my bag. Before I could react, Kylan tossed the phone across the room to Dakota, who eyed me for a second before flipping it open. My heart sank. I wanted to explain everything he was going to find, but my mind was racing. What had Kylan seen?
22
Kylan
The drive back from the airport had been harrowing.
Wicked Dynasty: The Untouchables | Book Two Page 13