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“You’re too beautiful to use as a canvas, princess,” he said. “A dirt bag like me? It doesn’t matter. But your perfect skin? Why ruin it?”
“I wouldn’t ruin it,” I told him. “I want to come up with something meaningful.”
“How about four kings with you as the queen?” he suggested.
“I like it,” I said. “I’ll have to figure out how to do something like that, but I like it.”
“You’ll always be our queen,” he said and hugged me tight. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll never have to find out,” I said. “That’s the best thing about all of this. Once we take care of the Organization, it’s just us living our lives.”
“I love you,” Ryker said, and on the screen there was a fast car and gunshots, sexy men and a hot, fierce woman.
It reflected what we had in our lives, which was maybe something that appealed to them.
But I preferred to live quieter lives and leave the drama and action on the big screen. I prayed this was it, that we were at the end of the our problems and Ivan would eliminate the Organization long before it destroyed our lives.
Otherwise, the darkness might take over, and then I didn’t know how much of me would be left.
CHAPTER24
“Okay,you have to let the throttle out slowly while you step on the gas,” Archer said, right before he took a deep breath and held it.
I followed his directions, released the clutch and pressed my foot on the gas slowly, holding my own breath.
And the old Land Rover lurched forward before making a clunking sound, and then shuddering, and finally, stalling.
“Dammit!” I exclaimed and hit the steering wheel. “How am I supposed to learn how to drive when I can’t even handle this old thing?”
“Take it easy, these older cars are actually harder to learn on,” Archer said. “But they’re sturdier, which is why we thought it might be a good place to start.”
We were on the back of my property, near the garage where the guys spent a lot of their time and Amara had set up training facilities. I was supposed to be learning how to drive so I could finally gain some independence, not that I’d ever be totally independent as long as the Organization had me in their sights.
I hadn’t tried that many cars so far. This was the second one. The first had been an ancient Porsche that had turned out to have too much power. I’d nearly driven it through the fence of one of the paddocks near the stables. I thought Kingston was going to throw up when I looked over and saw his face.
Archer wasn’t much happier with my progress. Each lurch gave him a new color across his handsome features, and I wanted to laugh, but I was too frustrated.
Everything normally came easy to me. School, sports even. Every subject I’d tackled, every test I’d taken. They were all breezes compared to this situation here.
“Maybe Valen should have a turn,” I said, looking over at Archer.
“I don’t want to give up on you, but I’m just not that good at this,” he said. “Driving came naturally to me because my nanny let me drive her Mini Cooper around our place starting in the third grade.”
“So I just needed a load of money and a nanny?” I laughed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How about I drive us back to the garage and we find another car for you to practice in?” he said, kindness flowing from him. There wasn’t an ounce of anger or irritation in any of them. That’s what I loved about them so much.
I agreed that made the most sense, and soon we were strolling down the row of cars that Ivan had already added to the collection. Amara was thrilled. She was apparently a bit of a mechanic and loved modifying vehicles.
I was unfortunately a little more of a typical girl in that I loved clothing and shoes, apparently.
And my Kings, especially now that I was mentally including Ryker in that designation ever since he moved into the mansion. He was a king, through and through.
I was trying to figure out the best one to practice on next when I heard a car horn beeping outside.
I looked through the window and saw Penny driving her mom’s minivan.
I ran out and waited until she got out. I gave her a quick hug and said, “What are you doing here? I thought you have some church thing this week.”
