Fierce King by Ivy Mason

Fourteen

This was probablythe stupidest thing I'd ever done. In fact, there was no probably about it, it was, plain and simple.

Bringing her here was the beginning of the end for me, but it was as inevitable as the sun setting after the day.

I was compelled to do it, just as the moon is compelled to gravitate to the earth, following along the path long laid out for it centuries ago.

Her anguish, clear from her behavior, made me act, and now my fate was sealed.

I was leading Rose to the King estate with her hand cradled in mine like we were lovers on our way to a wedding. Except the only bells tolling for us were death knolls.

It was wrong on so many levels, and yet, I couldn’t let her hand go. Couldn’t stop touching her. Couldn’t stop the passage leading me into Dante’s inferno: with Nero's revelation, I was duty bound to help her.

I meant my promise earlier. I would help her get out of this situation, as soon as it was safe to move her.

Coulter and Nero were gone for their annual trip. Most fathers took their kids fishing or something sentimental and sweet. Bonding time.

Not Nero. Bonding time to him meant proving you were a man. A King.

He dropped us off in the middle of the desert with nothing but a knife, and made us find our way back to the cabin.

He'd started that tradition with me when I turned ten, and I'd returned to our cabin, starving and barely alive. My whole body was sunburnt, red and blistered, and I'd felt like my stomach was going to shrivel up and die, I was so hungry.

The next year was a little bit better, I'd managed to find a horned lizard to eat, though I threw up for days afterwards because I hadn’t cooked it.

Every year I got better, finding my way quicker and finding and killing bigger animals, especially figuring out how to start a fire with only things you could find in the desert.

Then Nero introduced the ‘hunters’, one of his guards hired to stalk us down and try to kill us.

That year was the first time I'd ever killed anyone, lucky that the guard’s gun had jammed.

And now, it was a yearly tradition for both Coulter and I. Even though Nero’s intentions were to fuck with our minds, we'd actually learned how to survive off the land and how to find our way while in the desert by the north star.

This weekend was Coulter's turn, and they wouldn't return for a couple of days.

Coulter's mother always used the time as an excuse to get away for the weekend, taking my younger, half-brothers with me, so there was minimal staff in the house. Now was the perfect time to bring her here.

We stepped past the rows of enormous bushes meant to separate the maids’ house from ours and Rose's eyes grew wide at the sight of the huge mansion looming before us.

"That's your house?" Her voice sounded a little bit jealous and a lot bit incredulous.

I stared up at it, trying to see it from her eyes. I was used to it, having grown up in it all my life, but I knew to other people, it could be intimidating.

I slipped my other hand in my pocket, still keeping a tight hold on her hand with my other one. “Yeah."

Was I embarrassed? Did I feel like it was overkill?

In some ways, yes. the house was unnecessarily big, with lush gardens, a rare treat in Nevada, a bowling alley, an indoor and outdoor pool, along with a lot of other crap we never used except when entertaining.

And yet, most of the time, it was too small. Stifling and suffocating me every day.

Rose stopped to touch the soft grass that stretched out before us. Nevada was a desert, you didn’t have grass unless you could pay to water it.

Amusement flickered over my face as she stepped into it, a childlike grin on her face as she pressed her toes deep into it, but I quickly stifled it as she stood, turning back towards me.

Giving me a shy look, she took my hand again as we made our way silently to the house.

When I opened the back door, leading her in through the darkened rooms, she only stared wide-eyed, a look of disbelief on her face.

I suddenly felt anxious to know what she thought about it, but I kept myself aloof, guiding her up the stairs to my wing of the house.

I stepped into my room first, still tugging on her hand, and she hesitantly stepped in behind me. Her hand went to the light switch but I barked out.

"Don’t.”

She froze, her shoulders shunting up to her ears in anxiousness. I ran my hand through my hair, sighing and annoyed with myself. Did I know how to do anything that wouldn't scare her?

"I'm sorry." I dropped her hand and looked around, then strode to the windows, opening the curtains to let in the light. "I just don't want anyone to know we're here."

"Why not?" She whispered, still frozen by the doorway.

I stared her down, giving her a stern look and she twisted her lips, returning my look with a snarky one of her own.

"Fine, Gothel, you don't have to tell me why, but at least tell my why you don't want Coulter to know. You said you didn't keep secrets from him."

"I said I didn't have to, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.” I crossed the room back to her, unable to keep my distance for long, and put my hand on her back, pulling her deeper into my room. “Besides, Coulter's gone for the weekend."

Taking my invitation to come inside, she began to explore my room, and I slid my hand in my pockets, watching her.

"Where is he?" She picked up the trinkets on my dressers, a few ticket stubs and some coins.

"Gone."

"No shit, Sherlock." She glared at me. “But where is he?"

I leaned back against the wall, giving her an arrogant look. "He's taking a weekend vacation in the desert."

She stiffened, dropping the ticket stubs, then opened my top drawer, shuffling through the watches inside. “Is he with a girl?"

I smirked. "Why? Would you want to join him if he was?” I hoped she couldn't hear the jealousy in my tone.

She dropped the watch she'd been inspecting, her nostrils flaring. "Of course not. I just don't want to get any venereal diseases." She tilted her head at me. "He always uses condoms, right? A person can't be too careful these days."

I scowled, annoyed that we were still talking about Coulter. "Of course he does, we both do. Now can we stop talking about the man who kidnapped you and dragged you here against your will?"

She shrugged, shutting the dresser door with a click and opening the next one. "Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

I watched her rifle though my underwear, then my undershirts. She closed them with a bored look on her face. Then I stilled as she grabbed the only framed picture on my dresser, my heart in my throat as she brought it close to her face to inspect it.

In only a few steps I was on her and she swiveled towards me, the picture held out towards me. "Who—?”

She jumped when she saw how close I was to her, which annoyed me. I wish she'd stop being so jumpy around me. Were we really all that scary?

“—is this?" She finally finished, and I took the frame from her hand, gently placing it back on the dresser.

"My mom."

“You have a mother? I always thought you were spawned by the devil."

"Believe me," I frowned down at her, "I was."

She opened her mouth again to give me a snarky response, I was sure, but I slid my finger through the loop in her jeans and pulled her to me. Her eyes widened as I loomed over her, being much taller, and yet, I didn't feel so big.

She made me feel much smaller, like a mirror, reflecting my own ineptitudes back at me. And that face, the one that looked so much like Lily's, was only the horrible reminder of how I'd failed Lily.

I turned away, swallowing down the lump in my throat and dragged her by her loop towards my closet.

"Where are you taking me," she hissed, not being able to see much in the darkened room. "You're not taking me to your secret red room, are you?"

"What?" I asked, confused.

She shook her head, exhaling a chuckle. "Never mind."

I pulled her into my closet, and this time, I turned on the light, knowing that we wouldn't be seen in here. "I want you to look at something."

As soon as the light was on, revealing the rows and rows of clothing, she stopped, staring open mouthed at them. "Why do you have so many clothes?"

I turned towards them, raising a shoulder. "I don't know. I'm not the one who buys them."

“Seriously?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow. "You don't even buy your own clothes?”

“I—we—have people who bring them in for us. I don't even see them do it. They just show up in my room.”

"Awwe, does the poor wittle baby need someone to dress them?” She scrunched up her face, mocking me. "Does someone wipe your ass? Or how about someone to bathe you, too?”

"Yes," I replied with a straight face, even though I was lying, "Would you like me to put you on the schedule?.”

Her cheeks burned red and she snapped her mouth shut, scowling. I chuckled, amused and a bit turned on by the blush on her face.

“Is that a yes?” I taunted her.

"No," she said a little too quickly.

"Me thinks someone doth protest too much." A grin slid up my face and her blush grew even redder. God, it was glorious.

Was this woman, this beautiful goddess who looked sensual and seductive without even any make up on, attracted to me?

I may not have kidnapped her, but I was keeping her hostage all the same.

"Shut up," she growled, then skipped across the room, grabbing a pair of jeans and pulling them off their hanger. "Seriously though, who keeps jeans on hangars?"

"Lots of people do."

She gave me a look that said, ‘seriously’?

I gave her a look back that said, 'yes, seriously."

“Rich people are dumb.” She scowled, then threw them at me. "I want to see these on you."

I caught them, confused. “Why?"

"Because. You’re always wearing a suit, I want to see you look like a normal person for a change."

She turned around, strolling to my t-shirts, leaning in to sniff them.

“Suits are normal. And why are you sniffing my shirts?”

She shrugged. "I just wanted to know what million dollar t-shirts smelled like."

“That’s ridiculous.” I sighed heavily, loosening my tie and unbuttoning my shirt. "Those shirts don't cost a million dollars."

"How do you know? You aren't the one who buys them, remember?” She picked a plain black one, "Here put this on." She threw it at me.

"You just want to see me get undressed.”

“Believe what you want, Gothel." She sniffed snootily, turning back to browse through my closet.

As I began to undress, she glanced at me, trying to hide the fact that she was looking. I made a show of pulling off my shirt and sliding the black one on. When my hands went to my pants, I stared into her eyes as I unbuttoned them. She was outright staring now, but she crossed her hands over her chest, giving me an unaffected look. “I said I wanted to see you in casual clothes, not that I wanted to see your dick.”

I threw off my socks and shoes, then stared into her eyes as I yanked down my pants. I noticed she didn’t glance down, not once, but purposely kept her eyes glued to my face.

I smirked, even though disappointment coiled through me. I could admit to myself that it would feel nice to be wanted by this beautiful, sensual, creature.

As I dragged on my skinny jeans, I remembered how she'd looked when she came undone under Coulter's careful fingers.

How I wanted to kiss her sensual lips, run my fingers over those beautiful tits, taste that gorgeous cunt.

How the whole time Coulter made her come, I'd wanted it to be me.

I hated that Coulter was free to be himself, while I had to hold back, keep the controlling, domineering man inside me at bay.

My dick was hard with the fleeting thought of tying her to the rod that held up my clothes. Of stripping her down to her white, lace underwear, smearing her tits with my cum.

To the way the beautiful globes of her ass would look, red from my cane. How perfectly the tears streaming down her face would make me feel as she begged for me to fuck her.

I pushed the images from my mind, painfully squeezing my dick in the process as I zippered up.

“Wow, you look so different.” When I glanced up at Rose, she quickly looked away, her cheeks marred with a rosy red now.

“Like a normal person?”

She shook her head. “Not even, still.”

She wouldn't look me in the eyes.

I stalked towards her, needing to erase the space between us.

I wanted to feel her perfect skin under my fingers, to watch her suck my thumb into her mouth.

Every time I rubbed my thumb across her lower lip I imagined it was my cock, that she was licking my cum from her pert, pillowy lips.

I won’t kiss her, I reminded myself. I won’t wrap her hair in my fist, shove her against the wall and fuck her senseless.

But, maybe, maybe I could just touch her face. Feel the red blush of her cheeks, a confirmation that she was real.

That possibly her rosy cheeks meant she was attracted to me as much as I was attracted to her, too.

Coulter wasn’t here in the room, so hopefully her thoughts were only on me.

Her eyes widened as I came towards her and she stepped back into the rows of hangers, disappearing behind the row of clothes.

Growling, I shoved them to the side, revealing her. I pressed my hands on both sides of her head, leaning against the wall.

"I told you I wouldn't hurt you, Rose."

She shook her head, her teeth coming down to gnaw on that lower lip, and the sight made me growl. I wanted those teeth to be my teeth biting her lips, sucking them, pulling them into my mouth.

Would she taste soft and sweet? Or like wickedness and lust? Forbidden.

Because that's what she was.

I may have tricked Coulter into thinking that I wanted her, but the truth was, I was going to save her, and that was it.

Take her somewhere where Dimitri could never find her, and then leave the temptress Lolita there, never to return.

I couldn't kiss her, or I would lose control.

And that wasn't happening.

"I'm not scared of you." Her eyes met mine, and the defiance in them made my dick even harder. Didn't she know that her rebelliousness only made me want her more? That the thought of her squirming, protesting body under mine only made my dick so hard I thought it would burst my jeans open.

"Not like that, anyways," she finished, and her gaze narrowed in on my lips. After a small temptation, she stepped closer to me, her head tilting upwards.

“You know there will never be anything between us, right?” I twisted my expression into an arrogant glare, ignoring the flash of disappointment in her eyes. “It's not going to be like that, Rose. Do you understand me?"

Anger built in her gaze, heating with fury. “Then why the fuck do you watch, Bourbon. You can't say it doesn't turn you on."

"It does turn me on, Rose," I bent closer to her, so close I could feel my lips a millimeter away from hers. God, I was a hypocrite but I wanted to tempt her. “You're a beautiful creature when you come." I brought my hand to her face, my thumb swiping across her lower lip. "The most sensual thing I've ever seen."

She heaved, her chest pressed into me and I bit down on the groan threatening to escape from my throat at the feel of her soft tits across my chest. I wanted to squeeze them in my hands, to fall to my knees and taste them in my mouth. To swirl her nipple with my tongue, to bite down on the tip.

“Then why are we ‘not going to be like that’?” she threw my own words back at me.

"Because, Rose," I said sternly. “It's dangerous." She began to protest but I cut her off. "And because I said so."

“Fuck you, Bourbon. Who said I wanted anything between us anyways?”

“Your eyes say differently.” I glanced down at the pebbled tips of her nipples. “And so do your tits.”

She only answered with a scoffing laugh and I stepped away, leaving her heaving on the wall. "I need you to tell me something."

I felt her stare on my back as I went to the other side of the large closet.

"Why should I tell you anything?” Her voice had hardened.

"You made a deal with Coulter, now make one with me."

“I already made a deal with you.”

“Make another one.”

“Unless you’re giving me a plane ticket to Aruba, you have nothing to offer me.”

“I do.” I glanced behind me, pleased she was following me. “I’m offering you a truth for a truth."

“Like you would ever tell me the truth.”

“I never lie to you, Rose.” That was a lie, but she didn’t need to know it. “I’m sure there’s something you want to know, some kind of answer I can give you.”

Her face was skeptical, and I didn’t blame her distrust. She thought she had no power.

We had ultimate control over where she went, what she ate, drank, and what she wore.

But, the truth was, she did have power. Immense authority that she was unaware of.

She was the centerpiece of a game she didn't even know she was playing.

She had to choose between me and Coulter.

Make the choice that Lily never could, and in that, it would finally sever the connection between Coulter and me.

Because when she did make her choice, neither one of us would be able to live with the consequences.

If she chose Coulter, I would let him go, just like he really wanted, even though he would never admit it out loud.

Coulter was never really meant for this life. He was too kindhearted, too sweet. His asshole behavior was nothing but a front. So if she chose him, I would do whatever it took to find them a way out. I already had Grant working on it.

But, if she chose me, then Coulter would have to step up. Finally committing to the family business by taking care of Dimitri. And on my end, the results would be the same.

Rose and I were never going to run off into the sunset together.

There was no ‘out’ for me. I was too damaged by the life, made too many choices that put me straight on hell’s path. I'd get Rose out, safe from our world, and leave her forever.

There may be no redemption for me, except for this one small thing, but Coulter would still resent her choice for the rest of our lives, and forgiveness would never be possible between the two of us.

See? Power.

The power a woman could wield over us, and that the real reason why men in this life liked to use them, then throw them away.

We didn't like the threat a woman could bring.

Deep down inside, we were afraid of them.

I walked to my closet safe, entering the code, and Rose hovered over my shoulder. I didn't care if she saw what my code was, she could have anything she wanted in here.

I opened it, revealing the neatly bound piles of money, guns, and three rubber-bound stacks of passports in it. The third one was new, something I'd just put there today.

I reached in, pulling it out, and took the rubber bands off, showing it to her. The blood drained from her face when she opened it, seeing her own face stare back at her.

“Did you see the code to my safe?" I asked her.

She nodded, not looking up at me but flipping through the passports. There were three of them, all with the same picture but different names.

I gripped her chin, pulling her face up to make sure she was paying attention to my words. "Rose, did you see my code? Do you think you can remember it? If not, I'll change it."

She shook her head, her voice hoarse as she answered. "987-254."

“Good girl," I answered her, unable to stop myself from rubbing my thumb along her lower lip again. "If you're ever in any trouble and I'm not here to help you, come here. If Coulter and I are dead, you come straight here, you understand me? Take the money and the passports. Do you know how to shoot a gun?"

She gave me an offended look, scoffing, and I chuckled. “Fine. Take the weapons and get out of here. Do whatever it takes to escape, you understand me?"

She nodded again, not saying anything, her expression still shocked.

"Good." I leaned closer, the temptation to kiss her overcoming me, but instead, I pressed my forehead to hers, staring into her eyes, showing her by the expression in them how much I wanted to kiss her. Then I closed myself off, taking the passports back and returning them to the safe.

“Now," I pulled in a deep breath, steadying myself for what I was going to do next. "I need your truth."

My hands wrapped around an intricately carved wooden box.

It had been years since I’d touched this box. But if I was going to save her, I needed to know the truth.

Grant had already confirmed a lot of what Nero had told me. That indeed, Dimitri had killed off a whole family of Bratvas when he took power. There were four sons and three daughters. The whole family was reported dead but the rare pictures of them only showed the parents and the sons, so it was a possibility that the daughters had gotten out.

Rose had similar features to the father and looked very different to the mother, except for the eye color.

I needed her truth, to know what she knew about her own family history.

Was she indeed Lily’s sister?

The truth was staring me in the face but I needed to hear it from her mouth.

Rose's eyes went to the box and I slowly opened the lid, pulling out the picture on top of the stack.

My stomach was rolling. I hadn’t looked at these pictures since Lily died. Hadn’t been able to face them.

I held it up, not looking at it, but I knew what it was.

A picture of Lily smiling on the shore of Lake Powell, nothing but the red cliffs behind her.

Keeping my voice steady, I showed it to her. "Do you know this girl?"

She studied the picture, and everything inside me coiled tight in anticipation of her answer. Her lips pressed together, her eyes not leaving the photo for a long moment.

Then she glanced upwards, looking into my eyes, and lied.