Royal Reckoning by Stephanie St. Klaire

20

Eli couldn’t doanything more at the moment, so he let the teams that were hunting for their suspect do their jobs while he took a moment to get his head together. He was standing under the shower, watching the bloodstained water slowly turn pink and eventually run clear as it went down the drain.

He was feeling some kind of way and couldn’t wrap his mind around it. It was an emotion he’d never felt. It wasn’t seeing someone die in front of him. He’d seen that many times before. Hell, he’d even taken lives with no remorse because they weren’t lives worth saving. It wasn’t the bloodstained hands either – been there. It was an emptiness, a sense of loss, but what had he lost? Himself? Cally? His ability to protect her? Maybe that was it.

It was a sense of brokenness, and he didn’t know how to fix it. He’d been a step behind a threat that was looming and imminent. Just when he thought it landed on his doorstep – Archer – he was wrong. Really fucking wrong. Archer was a distraction from a truth that was just out of reach, and he’d chased the wrong answer to everything. And now it was too late. The only hint to any of this was gone. Archer was gone, good riddance, he thought, but he took the map to the promised land of truth and bullshit with him. Bastard.

So, he stood there and let the water run down the back of his neck with his forehead against the wall as he watched the water swirl, dipping into the drain, hoping something would come to him. He was prepared to sell his soul to the devil himself if it meant getting answers that would protect Cally and their unborn son.

He heard the bathroom door open and knew it was her without looking. Who else would walk into the bathroom like that? He knew why she was there. She was worried. The glass door opened behind him, and the cool air that came with it left him with a chill. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into his back, and it felt like he could breathe again.

“It’s okay now, Eli,” she said. “Everything is fine.”

He didn’t say a word.

She kissed his back while her hands moved from around his waist to his chest like she needed to feel him as much as he needed her, and she whispered, “Hey, I’m okay too, Eli. Me and the baby…we’re fine. Nobody can hurt us.”

He still said nothing.

She dipped under him from the side and forced him to stand tall and face her. The look of worry that she wore crushed him. He was hurting her, and he didn’t know how to stop.

“Do you hear me, Eli? We’re both fine.”

He bobbed his head and looked at her growing belly, landing his hands on her hips. Dropping to his knees, he rested his forehead on her abdomen and let out a deep sigh. He kissed their son, then laid his head back against her. Wrapping his arms around her, he gripped her tight, careful not to hurt her, and he didn’t want to let go. Her hands gripped his head, her fingers running through his hair, and she whispered again, “It’s okay, Eli.”

Eli didn’t believe her. It wouldn’t be okay until they solved the mystery surrounding them all and brought whoever was behind it to justice.

“I let you down today, son,” he whispered to her belly. “I tried to fight for you and your mum, but I failed you. I promise you – it will never happen again. You are everything to me, my boy, and I will protect you with my life, always. You and your mum. I promise to do better. I just…I just love you and your mum so much. I guess I got carried away. I was reckless. I won’t do it again. I will fix all the loose ends and tie them tight so nothing gets this close to you again. I promise you. I won’t fail you again.”

He looked up at her and saw her tears. “I’m sorry, Cally love. They got so close to you today, and I almost couldn’t bear it. So damn close. I couldn’t control the situation or my anger, the sense of rage like never before.”

“Oh, Eli.” She sobbed and kneeled in front of him so she could be at eye level with him. “They couldn’t get to us. You had an entire army here just to protect us. You wouldn’t let anyone get through that door.”

He dropped his head and shook it in disagreement, but she lifted his chin and forced him to look at her and hear her words. “We are safe because of you. Do you understand that? You didn’t fail us. You protected us. The only person you failed is yourself for doubting who you are and what you are capable of. Eli, you are the smartest and bravest man I know, and I wouldn’t have anyone else fighting for me – for us. I chose you. I still choose you. You’re our hero and our protector. You didn’t fail.”

“You don’t understand, Cally. I didn’t. This is my fault. I brought this here. I put you in danger because of who I am,” he pleaded, taking a seat on the floor, propped against the wall while the shower continued to run over them.

Cally followed suit, sitting to face him so he was forced to look at her. “I knew what I was getting myself into when we became involved. I don’t know everything that goes on around here, but I do know the kind of work you do, and it comes with enemies. I get it.”

“No. You didn’t know what you were getting yourself into because the work we do here is only what’s on the surface. It isn’t all of me. I haven’t been honest with the team until recently, and I definitely haven’t been honest with you. Not about everything, Cally girl.” He tipped his head back against the wall and pinched the bridge of his nose – something he did when he was frustrated.

When he looked at her, he noted the look of worry in her expression and realized he’d triggered her by saying he hadn’t been honest. Words she’d heard before or meant heartbreak, something she was accustomed to.

She leaned away with a haunted look on her face. He could see she wanted to know the truth but was afraid to hear it. “Eli? You’re worrying me, now. What exactly haven’t you told me?”

When she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself in a guarding way, it tore him to shreds. He was making a mess of everything.

“Gah. I’m fucking this all up.” He gritted his teeth together. “Come here. Come back to me. Let me try to fix this.”

Draping an arm around her, he pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head. “It’s not what you think – nothing like that. I’ve been brutally honest about how I feel about you, and we are okay. At least from my perspective. It’s my past. Who I am that I need to share with you because it’s why we are in this mess, and you deserve to know now. I didn’t want to upset you in any way after Spain, and I worried about the baby, but I should have just told you.”

Eli let out a deep breath, and though he hadn’t shed a single word about who he really was yet, he felt lighter by the truth he was about to share.

“My name is Elias Clayton Octavio Medaro…” he began.

Her head turned sharply. “Medaro?”

He closed his eyes and nodded. “Let me clarify. Prince Elias Clayton Octavio Medaro, heir to the royal throne. Next in line in the Medaro family monarchy.”

She sat silent and looked away, then back at him, studying his face. “You…you’re serious.”

“Dead serious,” he said. “I have denounced the crown privately within the family but not publicly yet. I left it all behind a long time ago because I hated the king and everything he stood for and what the monarch had become. I wanted no part.”

“If you’re the heir, then you mean…your father? Your father the king? Oh my God. You. Are. Serious.” Her brow furrowed, and she stared at the glass wall. “I-I’m speechless.”

“I’ve put you and our son in danger simply by being who I am.”

“I don’t understand.” She was stiff in his arms, and he didn’t like it.

“The king is now dead, which means I am to take his place – which I will not – but until I make my intentions clear and public, I am the heir. Our son…is my heir.”

Cally instantly grabbed her round belly and stared at it. “Holy shit. Eli?”

“I know. It doesn’t seem real because this kind of thing doesn’t belong in modern-day culture. It’s the thing fairy tales and Disney movies are made of. But because this is my truth and there is an imminent threat on the line of succession because someone wants the throne, I have inadvertently put you and our son in danger. This is all my doing.”

“Spain, Medaro, Jonas…” she rattled off.

“Yes. Yes, to all of it. Somehow, he was a part of your rescue and warned me in a roundabout way. Let me start from the beginning…”

They sat in the shower while the water cascaded over them, and Eli poured his heart out to her. He told her everything. The big things, the little things, and where things stood now. He told her about Penelope and Archer, his father’s death, and then…Jonas. When he told her the truth about the man and who he was to Eli, she understood better why Jonas seemed apologetic and why he preached his love for Eli and the others so much to her. And when Eli told her of Jonas’s death, she shed a tear for the man.

This fairy tale was dark and sinister with a wicked villain, maybe two. It was the kind that frightened children, destroyed lives, and didn’t have a happy ending. There weren’t rainbows and butterflies, but monsters and evil were a part of the tale. And as far-fetched as it all seemed…it was real. All of it. Every threatening, deadly, cold-blooded chapter of the story he weaved.

And when he was done telling her, and the water began to turn cold, he picked her up from the floor of the shower, wrapped her in a towel, and carried her to the bed where he finished the story of who he really was and how it was deadly to know him.

“This is all very overwhelming,” she said.

“I know.”

“I-I don’t even know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything Cally, love.”

She looked at him, eyes pinched. “You know? Jonas really did help us. I think he was on the right side of this. I wish my mind was more clear from those couple of days. I think whatever was given to me left me in kind of a mental fog for a bit. Combine that with the jet lag…”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” He grinned. “You don’t have any questions? Concerns? You aren’t mad? Upset?”

“I mean, I’m a little upset you didn’t think you could trust me with this until now, but…”

He grabbed her hands. “It has nothing to do with trust, please understand. I was only trying to protect you and the baby from a life I didn’t want to touch you in any way. I thought I was doing what was best, but I’m questioning my judgment at the moment because you’re taking this…well.”

“I knew something was there, but I never imagined this, though. I knew there was more to Spain, and when you didn’t tell me, I trusted your judgment. You thought you couldn’t tell me, and I respected that because I knew you weren’t trying to harm the baby or me but keep us safe, and that was enough for me.”

He tucked her wet hair behind her ears. “You really are remarkable, you know?”

“Oh, don’t give me too much credit. When the dust settles, I might have a what-the-fuck moment. I’m still in shock, so reserve judgment on my response for a few days. I might still get angry.”

He chuckled. “Okay. And I think you’re right about Jonas. I just wish he’d told me more so we can put all this behind us.”

She cupped his face. “You’ll figure this out. You’re a special man – a brilliant one. There’s a reason you chose a different life – this life. I believe in you. And…you’re a prince? That’s just…”

Cally shook her head and didn’t finish her thought. He knew that was hard to believe, especially given the life they’d lived together.

“I’ve already denounced the throne. I will not be a royal and haven’t lived as one for many years. I made my intention very clear to my family a long time ago. Pen is next in line, and she’s the one who deserves it if she wants it. I’ll support her whether she does or doesn’t.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Cally asked.

“Then I’ll help her do whatever she thinks is best. Maybe dissolve the monarchy.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of history to just let go of. But I understand why you don’t want to continue,” she said.

“It’s not all great history, and that part doesn’t ever go away. It no longer runs the country. Medaro has had a modern government for a very long time, and we aren’t needed. The family is just a fixture and tourist attraction for those who even know we exist.”

“Yeah, I have to admit. I had no idea where Medaro was and hadn’t heard of it before, myself.” She chuckled. “You’ve obviously found your place in life. I have no doubt you’ll do fine moving forward. But what about Penelope?”

“Penelope is a natural at what she does for the crown. She does a lot of charity work and philanthropy. I’d think she’d continued to do so, but more freely as there is no longer an agenda to satisfy.”

“I can see her doing something like that,” Cally said. “She’s very sweet, kind, the nurturing type.”

“It pleases me that you two have hit it off so well. And you’re right about her, ya know.”

“You care for your sister very much, don’t you?” Cally smiled at the joy and pride Eli had when speaking of his sister.

“Until you came into my life, she was the only one who mattered. We’ve always been close.”

“And now there’s three of you,” Cally pointed out. “Carter seems to fit right in, and Penelope adores him already.”

“Yeah, they haven’t had much time to get to know one another, but I can see they are both fond of the other. They’re actually very much alike. It’s interesting how much so.” He smiled at the thought of his siblings and the freedom they had now. “Neither will have to worry about anything. The Medaro fortune is just that, a fortune. They never have to want for anything, and if they do, they can have my portion.”

“Your portion?” she asked.

“My share, which is half of the assets,” he admitted.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” she whispered.

“I guess I neglected to tell you that too. I’m filthy rich, love. I tend not to touch the money because I can only imagine how much is stained by blood and sin, but if I can help someone or do good with it, I do,” he admitted. “I guess it’s no longer a half, but a third. There’s Carter to consider now.”

“You’d just give it to him? How does that work? Hey, you’re royal, so here’s a lot of money?” She snickered. “That sounds overwhelming and one-hundred-percent impossible to believe. It’s like one of those sappy romance novels or a made-for-TV movie.”

“My thoughts exactly. I’m sure it will be a surprise to Carter, but it’s his birthright. He’s been robbed of many opportunities, and now he has endless. I have a strong suspicion he’d do as I do with it, though. Give it away.” Eli lowered his voice as if they were surrounded by prying ears, and he wanted to share a secret. “He doesn’t know it, but I’ll let you in on a secret. Coy helps run a program called Safe Haven—”

“I heard all about it,” Cally interrupted. “That was how he came to Portland. He was helping Gray, Mercy’s wife. They deal with missing, exploited, and abused…human trafficking too. It’s amazing how they operate.”

“Well, the O’Reillys have absorbed a part of Safe Haven and offered their services, mostly their intel and resources of that nature. I’ve put a foundation in the works that will support them financially.” Eli shrugged. “I don’t really want anyone to know it was me, but they need the money, and I have it.”

Cally kissed him. “You are an incredible man. And for what it’s worth, you would have made an incredible leader. You are an incredible leader. I love you, you know that, right?”

He held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “Not possibly as much as I love you, Cally girl. I’d go to the ends of the earth to prove it to you and show you just how much.”

She whispered, “You already did.”

She bit her lip and gave him a knowing look.

“Don’t look at me like that, girl. I have to go downstairs, and all I want to do is bite that lip of yours.”

“Then do it,” she said, opening her towel and lying back on the bed. “You need me, Eli. And I definitely need you right now.”

He crawled over the top of her, losing his towel, and let his length fall against her. “You have no idea how badly I want to bury myself inside you, love.”

She wrapped her legs around his waist and tilted her hips up so she could feel more of him against her center. “Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea.”

“I told you the next time would be slow. Don’t make me break my promise,” he teased, dipping his head and taking her nipple into his mouth.

“Oh, God,” she said breathily. She tightened her legs around him and pulled him closer so she could take him in and feel him in every way she could. “Then you can just owe me two nice long nights in bed. For now, I just need to feel you, every bit of you. I need to know you’re okay. That we’re okay.”

Eli began to move against her, giving her all of him just like she wanted. He knew why she needed him in this way and didn’t care that it was sans romance and all the things that made them, them. She just needed to feel the connection, and he was happy to provide that because hell, he needed it just as bad, if not worse. He’d apologized, made promises, and declared his love all in one sitting. This was his way of confirming his truth, marking her as his own, and promising her the security she needed to feel.

He trailed kisses down her neck and behind her ear as he whispered, “You are my muse, my pride, my joy, and my true love. I will do anything to keep you safe and to keep you happy. I’ll make love to you when the sun rises and won’t stop when the sun sets. You’re everything to me, sweet Cally girl. That will never change.”

Her pace quickened at his words, and he matched it. Eli stared down at her, watching her tears fall, and wouldn’t look away. He wanted her to see every emotion she provoked and every inch of his soul while he made love to her. Quick, virile, and full of promise. Until she felt his words, felt his promise, and felt his soul to her core and her body quaked, overwhelmed by the emotion they shared as she fell over the edge of ecstasy. And then right into his arms as he rolled them to their sides, never losing their connection.

He held her there in silence while they both let what they shared settle in completely and rest in their hearts where a space was held for each of them. They hadn’t just made love. They’d shared something much more. Something neither could put to words nor explain. It was the piece of them that was only theirs. A secret shared between them. A secret that defined the depth of their love and devotion to one another. A secret they’d keep forever and a day.

When the waves calmed and their breathing settled, the moment they shared was stowed away in safe memory. He kissed the top of her head, and said, “I have to go, love.”

“I know,” she whispered.

He kissed her once more, then stood from the bed and went to the closet for his clothes. “I’ll just be downstairs. I have no idea how long I’ll be. Hoping some of the evidence from today is back. They didn’t get a lot, but Killion was going to rush analysis, so hopefully, we get something soon.”

“I hope you do too,” Cally said. “The break you need is coming, I believe that, Eli. I think you’re closer than you believe.”

“I hope you’re right, love,” Eli said, smiling back at her as she watched him finish dressing. “Don’t get any wild ideas, girl. I really have to go this time. But I’ll be back. And when all of this is over, I’m going to take you somewhere far away.” Crawling across the bed, he took her breast in his hand and covered her mouth with his. “And I’m going to make love to you over and over and over again. Do you hear me?”

“You better hurry up and close this case then. I’m not waiting too long,” she teased.

“Don’t make me lock you up and have my wicked way with you here instead,” he warned.

“That was not a threat. I’ll take you anywhere I can get you,” she said back, teasing him. “I’ll be here. Waiting.”

He slid off the bed and stood next to it, his gaze fixed on her bare body before him. “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my entire life.”

Crimson filled her cheeks, and she suddenly felt vulnerable and reached for a blanket, but he stopped her. “Don’t. Don’t cover up. Don’t hide from me. Ever. I want to see all of you, just like this, so it’s all I can think about until I get back.”

Cally, remembering he called her his muse, pulled her arms above her head and added a slight arch to her back while her bent legs parted slowly, showing him even more. “You mean like this?”

“You’re a dirty, dirty girl, Miss Cally,” he said, running a hand up her inner thigh to her center, where he circled her core and flicked her with his finger, and she let out a soft moan. “You have no idea what I have planned for you.”

He saw her body quiver as she sucked in her bottom lip at his words, and that pleased him.

“When this is over, we’ll have forever and a day, Cally girl,” he said. “And we can start painting the blue bunnies.”

Her head fell back in laughter, and that was the last sound he wanted to hear as he left the apartment and went downstairs to dissect their case and hunt a monster so he could go back to his life with Cally and start their fairy-tale ending.