In Wicked Chains (The Wicked) (16 page)

In her mind’s eye she saw herself reaching the knife over on the table, slicing her bonds, and crawling out through that window. Maybe she’d slit his throat before she left. She found it funny how her mouth watered at the thought.

Voices reached Elina’s ears and she sat up straight, straining to make out words, to identify the new speaker. Earl worked alone, that Elina knew, so who was visiting? Was it Kingston come to save her? She pulled against the ropes at the hopeful thought, but then shot it down. The voice was too low to be King’s.

A woman’s voice.

Footsteps approached the bedroom and with them clearer words.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” Earl entered the room backwards, eyes glued to the person he addressed. The person who remained in the shadows.

“Well, of course I’d come.” Sasha stepped into view, dressed in a black cat suit and thigh highs. She flicked a glance at Elina and back, but Elina got the message. Earl’s time was almost up.

She kept herself still and watched, waiting.

Earl peered over Sasha’s shoulder. “Where is he? I know my son is out there waiting to make a move.” He took a step forward, but Sasha stopped him by placing a hand on his chest.

“No one will interrupt us. I convinced them to give me a few minutes alone with you.” Sasha toyed with the zipper of her cat suit where it sat nestled between her breasts. “You’ve waited a long time for me, Earl.”

The idiot nodded eagerly. “Yes. You’re older, but it doesn’t matter. I remember.” He touched Sasha’s face almost reverently.

Elina’s friend didn’t blink. She took a step closer, and another. “What do you remember, Earl?”

“You were teasing me, always teasing me with those looks.” He shifted and Elina watched as he pulled Sasha’s zipper down, slowly as if opening a Christmas present. She bit her tongue, mentally screaming at Sasha to stop it, stop him.

Sasha kept her eyes on Earl as he exposed her naked breasts.

“I always knew you wanted me,” Earl whispered. “I knew you didn’t mean to cut me. You loved me.” He spoke the last three words while his hand slid down Sasha’s body, coming to rest between her legs. “I’m ready to fuck you now.”

A bump against the window caught Elina’s attention and she glanced over, heart leaping at the face she saw pressed to the glass. She blinked to clear her vision and Niko’s face came into focus. He held a finger to his lips and lifted the window.

The window didn’t make much noise, still Elina’s heart thumped against her ribs. If Earl noticed… But no, his obsession with Sasha kept him sufficiently distracted as Niko climbed through the window and onto the bed.

“You know what I want, Earl?” Sasha kept her voice conversational.

“What, baby? Tell me, I’ll get you anything.”

God, was he really that stupid and blind? Even Elina saw Sasha’s bloodlust from where she sat.

“I want to finish what I started all those years ago. Slice you open to the point where they can’t put humpty back together again.”

Niko jumped off the bed and pressed his gun to Earl’s head. Kingston stepped out from where he’d apparently been hiding, the door behind Sasha. His gun stayed on Earl, but his eyes sought her out. She didn’t look at him.

“There are three guns trained on you right now, Earl.” Sasha grinned. “Once again, I get the best of you.”

“Bitch!” Earl lunged. Bullets rang out from all directions, hitting him everywhere.

Elina tried curling into a ball but she couldn’t move. She remained frozen even when Earl toppled backwards and fell at her feet, wide eyes staring up at her. He wasn’t dead. Blood gurgled in his throat as he struggled for air.

Kingston walked up and stood over him. “I told you I’d kill you.” He fired once more, leaving a small bullet hole in the middle of Earl’s forehead.

Elina whimpered. Her body shook uncontrollably.

“Shit, El.” Kingston rushed to her. He knelt and cupped her cheek. “El, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His hand shook against her skin, fear shone in his eyes, but she couldn’t look at him, couldn’t respond.

“Clothes, get her clothes,” Sasha snapped. “It’s fucking freezing in here.”

“You!” Niko grabbed Sasha and hugged her tight. “Remind me to yell at you when I’m finished holding you tight.”

Elina watched them kiss as tears rolled down her cheeks. Kingston cut the ropes on her hands and feet and fumbled around with her clothes. She didn’t want to acknowledge the familiar roughness of his hands on her skin, or the patchouli scented warmth pouring from him to her, so she closed her eyes.

She drifted.

Two days later and she remained in bed, refusing to talk to anyone. That didn’t mean they didn’t try talking to her. Sasha and Niko came by. Myka and Justice, who’d been out of town, stopped by. Even Maysin tried.

Kingston didn’t have to stop by, he never left. He made himself at home in her house, in her bed, feeding her, bathing her, playing her music when she woke in the middle of the night screaming. He held her in the darkness, rocked her to sleep.

It was the only time she allowed it, the only time she could look at him and not see the man who fathered him.

Sasha told Elina they’d left Earl’s remains for the cops to find, and showed her the tiny newspaper article calling his death a drug deal gone bad. Elina tried not to dwell on it. She couldn’t believe Sasha would go through such lengths for her. Niko wasn’t happy at all with what Sasha did, seemed the plan was to keep Earl distracted, not have him feel her up.

Elina loved them so much. She wanted to reach out to Kingston, but she didn’t know how. She saw the pain and blame in his eyes when he looked at her. He’d put both her and Sasha in danger. He almost lost them both.

He lost a father.

And though she knew he wasn’t mourning Earl’s loss, she didn’t know how to turn to him without blaming him for what his father did.

Adrian visited on the fourth day of her self-imposed exile. He brought chocolate and workplace gossip, forcing her to speak and beg for the blasted chocolate. They munched and laughed until her sides hurt. In the kitchen, pots clanged as Kingston prepared dinner.

Adrian stared at her. “You’re still icing him out?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know what to say to him. I can’t look at him without seeing his father.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know how much longer we can go on like this.”

“You’re going to break up with him?” Adrian gaped.

Was she? Her heart cracked at the thought, but what choice did she have if she couldn’t look at him, much less allow him to touch her in broad day light? Elina shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you better know, and soon.” Adrian stood. “That gorgeous man loves you to pieces. So many of us wish we had what you two have, don’t mess it up. Someone will snap him up in a heartbeat.” He brushed a kiss to her cheek. “Might be me, who knows.” He chuckled on his way out the door.

Elina didn’t return his mirth. Long after Adrian left, she remained propped against her pillow, staring into space. Kingston loved her, she knew that. Did she love him enough to push past the hurt and pain?

“Dinner’s ready.” King appeared in the doorway with the familiar wary expression on his face. “Should I bring it to you?”

She shook her head. “I’ll come out.” Climbing off the bed, she ignored his surprised expression and made her way to the living room.

“Sit.” He pulled out a chair for her. “I’ll get it.”

Elina dropped her hands in her lap, twisting shaky fingers around each other. Kingston returned with two plates, one he set down in front of her, the other he placed in the spot opposite her on the table. He took his seat as she stared at her plate.

“It’s chicken and dumplings,” he explained. “Taste it.”

She did. It tasted amazing and she nodded her approval. He beamed. Elina stared into his eyes, then tore her gaze away when his hope flared. She concentrated on eating, looking up only when he cleared his throat.

“I-uh. I have to tell you something.” He dropped his spoon and held her gaze. “I recently learned Harper Royce is your sister.”

Elina blinked. What did he say?

“I-um. Sasha knew. She’s known from the very beginning.” He leaned forward. “We were at Harper’s engagement party when Sasha spilled the beans and judging from Harper’s reaction, it’s true.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea, though maybe Harper knows.” He took her hand. “That woman is surrounded by secrets.”

“What about your secrets?” She pulled her hand away. She may have a sister, but right now Elina didn’t care about Harper Royce, she cared only about the man sitting across from her.

“My secrets. El, when was I supposed to tell you my father was a rapist?’

“About the time I told you about mine,” she shot back. “Or what about when he threatened Sasha? You warned her.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why wasn’t I on the list of people to be warned?”

“I didn’t think!” He shot to his feet, yanking on his hair. “I didn’t think he’d go after you. No one knew about us, we were so new we’d never even been out in public. How was I to know?”

“You didn’t even suspect him when I told you about someone following me? You never even entertained the possibility?”

“Why would I, huh? He’s only ever wanted Sasha.” He came over to her side and dropped to his knees. “I never thought he’d go though you to get to her.”

“Well, he did.” That familiar feeling of despair rose within her and she choked up. “I thought I’d never have to go back there again, that place where it’s nothing but pain and darkness. I thought with my father’s death I was free, but I was proved wrong.”

“El, baby. You never told us—did he hurt you in anyway?” His thumb brushed her chin in a small gesture, but tension radiated off him.

She shook her head. “He only fondled my breasts a little but he would have. He would have.”

Kingston held her close, her head on his shoulder as she wept. His body shuddered in her arms as he cried with her, for her.

“I’m so sorry, El. So sorry.”

“Ssh, it’s okay now.” It was her turn to comfort him. She slid her fingers though his hair, pulling gently on his braids. “He didn’t win. I’m here with you, in your arms.”

“I never want to let you go.” He pulled away to look into her eyes. “The world fades away when you look at me, when you speak. Nothing exists but us. I want that always. I love you, El.” His eyes pleaded for the same response, but her lips were already moving.

“I love you, too.” She kissed his forehead, his eyelids. “I love you.”

“I’ll never leave you unprotected again,” he vowed. “You’ll never have to go back to that place.”

Her tears flowed faster. “Promise?”

Kingston nodded and kissed her lips. “I promise. Cross my heart.”

That’s enough for me.
She parted her lips, allowing her man inside. He kissed her slowly, deeply, and she responded in kind. He stayed on his knees. She remained sitting with her hands around his neck until he spoke.

“Dance with me.” He got to his feet, hand held out to her.

She stared up at him. “Dance? But there’s no music.”

He grinned and took her hand, helping her stand. “I have to turn it on.” He walked over to the couch with her in tow, picked up the remote for the surround sound and flicked it on.

Soft music filled the room. The title track from Marcia Ambrosius’ album,
Late
Nights and Early Mornings
floated to them.

Kingston dropped the remote back on the couch and held his arm open. “Dance with me, El.”

She stepped into the warmth of his embrace and he held her close, bodies swaying to the sexy beat. Kingston moved with her, whispering the words of the song in her ear. Elina closed her eyes and sighed.

This is happy. Kingston is home. She was where she wanted to be.

Pressing kisses to his neck and throat, she dragged her nails down his back. “Make love to me.”

He took her lips, undressing her without stopping the swaying. She did the same, unzipping his jeans, pulling his t-shirt over his head, while rocking side to side. He lowered them to the couch, mouth trailing kisses from her lips down her body.

His tongue swirled around her nipples. Teeth nipped and bit until she tugged on his hair and pushed his head lower. He chuckled, but obliged willingly. Kingston settled between her thighs and she widened them with a sigh.

He sucked on her clit and she cried out, hips lifting to meet his mouth. Fingers pushed into her pussy, thrusting and out. She rode them, cries mixing with the music filling the room. That quick an orgasm threatened and she pulled on his shoulders.

“King, come inside me. Now.”

He kissed his way back up her body, cradling her head as his cock nudged her wet entrance. “I love you, El. So much.”

Elina rolled her hips, lashes fluttering as he slid inside. “I love you, too.”

He reared back and thrust in hard.

Her head and tits bounced.

“This is forever, El.”

“Forever.” Like she’d ever let him go. This shit was for keeps. She locked her ankles around his waist and sank her fingers into his ass cheeks. “Forever.”