AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The title was unnecessary as we weren’t involved in a scene, but a glance out the window again told me we were, just not one involving sexual play. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. I might not have been ready, but it was time to test my ability to handle unpleasant scenes as diplomatically as possible. I acknowledged that while I was a grown man of thirty-three, I suddenly really wished my father was in the truck with me.
You’re a man now and my son, but that doesn’t mean the crown you wear makes you infallible. You’ll make mistakes like any man. Learn from them and move on. No matter where in this world you are, just remember your mother and I will always be with you. Enjoy this time in your life and be safe. We trust you to know what to do.
I knew he wasn’t actually speaking from the back seat, but just the memory of his words the day he sent me off to learn things by living them instead of listening at the feet of others, was enough for me to settle.
“Is there a back way inside?” I asked as an idea began to formulate.
“Yes! Well, it’s on the side but that’s the door I used to sneak out. I even put a piece of tape on the lock to make sure it didn’t engage so I could get back in.”
“Of course you did,” I said, not really surprised. I was pretty sure she wasn’t the first of the Debari sisters to sneak out of the castle for a little fun. “Which side?”
She pointed to the left.
“Okay, that’s where we’re going.” Starting the truck, I pulled away from the curb and did a U-turn, heading back the way we’d come. I wasn’t running away, but I wasn’t charging into battle head-on either. A good soldier knew that flanking the enemy offered far better odds of success. I took several turns, following every traffic law when we discovered that not all the police were standing around the hotel. There were both marked and unmarked official vehicles on every street within a six-block radius.
“Maybe it would be better if I just got on a plane and beat them home,” Mia suggested as she began to sink down on the seat as if thinking that would help avoid detection.
“Get back up here. You’re not cowering to anyone.” When she just looked at me, doubt in her eyes, I added, “Well, not unless we’re playing and even then, it’s not cowering, it’s offering your submission to the man who loves you.”
Her expression shifted. “That’s the first time you’ve actually said those words.”
Mentally kicking my own ass, I said, “Babe, I’ve loved you ever since you waved your little fists in the air, turned the color of that dress, and screamed your lungs out the first time we met. Even at the age of twelve I could recognize a warrior when I saw one.” I patted the seat next to me. “And warriors do not hide on the floorboard.”
She settled back against me and began pointing out suspicious-looking cars and undercover cops. The fact she pointed at every car on the block and the older man out walking his two dogs, didn’t matter. The abject terror was gone. She was still scared, but she was no longer going to let that fear paralyze her.
Eventually, we made it to the back of the hotel. While there was a pair of police cars in the lot, I didn’t see anyone walking around.
“Remember, you’ve done nothing unlawful. You decided to spend your birthday exploring the town. You’re an adult and you aren’t drunk or under the influence of any illegal narcotics. You have every right to go into any club you want. Do not look like you want to run. Hold your head up high and own it. I’ll be at your side the entire time until we get you safely back to your room.”
“I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything,” she said, and I knew it was the best she could do.
“That’s all I ask.” I pulled into a parking spot as close to the side door as I could. Unbuckling her belt, I pulled her to me for a final hug and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Together we will get through this and anything else we encounter for the rest of our lives, agreed?”
“Agreed,” she said, pulling back to stick her hand out.
“Fuck that,” I said, crossing my heart and offering her my hand, little finger crooked. “Something as serious as this requires more than a handshake.”
For the first time since she’d seen the strobing lights, she truly smiled. We linked our pinkies and wagged them up and down, slapped our palms together and nodded. It might not be an exchange of wedding bands, but for us, it was just as binding.
I had my hands on her waist to lift her down from the truck when she said, “Um, before we head into battle, I need to know something.”
“About the plan?”
“No. I need to know if you really have a dungeon.”
I began to shake my head, but before I could speak, she sighed deeply and dropped her gaze.
“Mia,” I said and waited until her head lifted. “Not all dungeons are like the one at Emberly or any other castle built hundreds of years ago.” Her eyes narrowed, but the light I so wanted to see in their lilac-blue depths was missing.
“Remember that whip you asked me about?”
“Yes.”
“Where else do you think I’d keep it?”
Her eyes brightened and her lips began to curl. “So you do?”
“Yep.”
