Chapter 17
Desire
Shortly before the Princess Initiation
I come to in a hospital bed, naked and hooked to an IV. Upon seeing my eyes open, the nurse darts into the hallway. A minute later, she returns, leading a man in a business suit.
“Mr. Desire, how are you feeling?”
“Who the hell are you?” I roll my shoulder, testing my mobility. There’s pain, but it’s not interfering with my thinking.
“I’m Smith. Your brother’s man.”
“Where are we, Smith?” I scan the sterile room. My body feels foreign, my skin pulled tight by fresh stitches. On the chair next to me, clothes are neatly folded: black pants, a T-shirt, heavy boots. All new. The doctors must have cut off my old rags when they examined me.
“A private clinic in Ohio. You were brought here as soon as we found you. The doctors stitched you up and gave you a massive dose of plasma. Your brother is waiting for a call, but—” Smith stops short when I throw off the sheet in one swift motion.
“Mr. Desire, according to the doctors, you need strict bed rest for at least seven days.”
I ignore him, swinging my legs to the cold floor. My head feels heavy, but I suppress it with sheer willpower. I pull on the pants—they’re a little loose at the waist, but a belt quickly solves the problem.
“I need more painkillers, Smith.” I wince slightly as the rough T-shirt rubs against my stitched shoulder. Pain is just noise. “And the keys to your car.”
I hold out my hand. Smith hesitates for a second, but under my stare, he gives in. With a heavy sigh, he drops the key fob into my palm. “At least call Mr. Laurent.”
“Day and time? How long have I been out?” I ignore him, sitting on the chair and lacing up my boots. Every movement sends a dull ache through my side, but I just clench my jaw tighter.
“Monday, seven p.m. You’ve been unconscious for over twenty-four hours.”
The Princess Initiation is soon. My girl will be there all alone—a perfect target for Zack.
“See you, Smith.”
I head for the exit. Smith catches up with me at the door, shoving a burner phone into my hand. “Call your brother.”
Without slowing down, I step behind the counter at the nurses’ station. Ignoring her indignant squeak, I simply sweep a couple of blister packs of strong painkillers into my pocket. While Smith handles the conflict with the staff and security behind me, I push the exit door open with my shoulder.
I quickly find his car in the parking lot, then punch Stonehaven into the GPS. The estimated arrival time makes me hit the gas, ignoring the tremor in my hands. I pop a handful of pills into my mouth and swallow.
As soon as I merge onto the highway, the phone in my pocket vibrates.
“You really don’t know how to stay put, do you?” Laurent’s dry voice comes through the speaker.
“Is my fiancée all right?”
“Unlike you, she’s perfectly fine.” Laurent’s voice is calm. “Who did this and where?”
“I don’t know,” I lie. “Bastards in masks. Dragged me to some shack in the woods. Had to work hard to get out.”
“You think it was the younger Thornton?”
No, it was Jefferson flashes through my mind, but he’s my prey.
If my father finds out he kidnapped his heir, he’ll start an all-out war that will burn everything in its path.
I don’t want ruins. I want my kingdom, and the family’s contracts with Jefferson’s organization are its foundation.
To save Aurora’s and my future, I’ll have to play alone.
“I don’t know,” I repeat.
“Were they really so careful that you didn’t find a single lead?” Laurent snorts, disbelief in his voice.
“I was bleeding out, Laurent. I wasn’t in the mood for collecting evidence.”
“I know that when you were found, you already had old stitches on you,” he counters. “Zack Thornton wouldn’t have shown you such touching care.”
“I have no idea why he would have done that.”
“Hm, it’s amazing how much you don’t know today, Desire.” Laurent’s voice drips with irony, and the line goes dead with a short beep.
I toss the phone onto the passenger seat, but a second later, I grab it and quickly dial Aurora’s number. She doesn’t pick up. She’s probably already at the Initiation.
I call Steve. The ringtones are swallowed by the roar of the engine until my captain finally answers. Heavy club bass thuds in the background.
“Boss?” Steve’s voice is tense. “We lost you.”
“Is Aurora at the Initiation?” I wince at the sharp sting in my stitched side.
“Yeah, she just arrived. Isaac’s keeping an eye on her. Everything’s under control, but she’s on edge.”
“Keep watching her. I’ll be there soon.”
I floor the gas pedal, imagining how happy my girl will be to see me.