38. Penelope
Penelope
“How long?”
Fabric tore even more on my blouse, and I let it as I kept my internal patience, angling myself in a position where I held the power.
“Answer, dammit. How long, Penelope?”
“How long has it been since I’ve watched the man I love turn into a stranger? About twenty minutes.”
Vaughn jerked up, pulling my shirt over my head. It allowed me to brace my foot on his hip, but the placement didn’t last as he ripped off my flat, throwing it to the floor.
“You know what I meant. How long have you felt something for King Lawrence?”
I didn’t answer. I pushed back against Vaughn’s hip, throwing him off balance as he tried to go for my other shoe.
“You told him at dinner that you pretty much sabotaged a future for the two of you. You said that with regret, Penelope.”
“We are on a mission, and he is the enemy. I said what I had to.”
Vaughn’s eyes cut over to mine and he knocked my other shoe off with a slap of his hand.
The moment he dove for the button on my slacks, I grabbed his wrist, throwing my weight to the side and spinning him to his back.
My knees clamped into his waist hard, and I showed him no mercy as I reared back and connected with his cheek.
Hazel eyes flared, and he let out a deep rumble as he slammed me to my back, pushing against me hard.
Lips met mine with force, and I tasted blood from Vaughn’s busted lip. I shouldn’t have kissed him back, but despite the anger I felt from his betrayal, I found myself desperate for more of this dark, violent love. It had me biting into his bottom lip as he jerked at my trousers.
“I’m leaving you when we finish.” I reached for his hair, fisting and using all my strength to pull his head back. “I’m leaving Vaughn, and you’re going to let me.”
“Never.”
“You will because you won’t have a choice.”
He pulled back, grabbing the top of my panties and trousers and jerking them off.
“I always have lots of choices, love, and you better believe none of them involve you leaving me.”
Vaughn rocked forward, placing one hand to the side of my face as he rubbed his fingers over the outside of my pussy.
My lids closed, and I battled whether giving in was going to hurt me worse in the long run.
Despite my mind screaming to resist, my body was not listening.
It was moving. My hips were beginning to rotate.
And it was feeding Vaughn’s monster. I knew that, but as he slid his fingers into me, I didn’t care.
“God.” My feet braced on the bed, and Vaughn lowered, softening the kiss as I rocked faster against the thrusts. “We really shouldn’t.”
“We aren’t. You are.”
My lids opened, and the anger was immediate.
“You mean we weren’t going to—You just mean to get me off?
As if I can’t function without having an orgasm?
” An incredulous laugh left me. “Or maybe you think if you can keep me blissed out, I won’t have to find it somewhere else?
Is that it?” I used my foot to push down on his arm so that he wasn’t inside of me anymore.
“Maybe I don’t want to have pleasure if it’s not going to be with the real thing. ”
“Jesus,” Vaughn growled out. “It’s barely been two weeks. You’re still bleeding. We can’t—I won’t risk you or another child until I know you’re both safe.”
“So wear a condom like any normal, sane person.” I pushed him off me, standing to grab my panties and slide them on. “Not that you’ll have to because I won’t be here, like I said. I only came back to get my stuff. I’m temporarily moving to Rosemoor. I have to focus on the trials and my estate.”
“Penelope.”
The warning was thick in Vaughn’s tone.
“Maybe next time you come to visit, it’ll be to see me.
Don’t worry, the king has already left. He’ll only be stopping in on occasion to check on things.
But just in case you want to make sure I’m telling the truth, not to mention appease your stalkerish tendencies, the head of security at Rosemoor is expecting your call.
If you’re going to watch, you might as well see everything. ”
“You’re not leaving.”
“Oh, I am. And if you want to stand any chance of me forgiving you, you’re not going to fight me on this.”
His jaw repeatedly flexed.
“Stay at our home. The tunnels are finished. I’ll give you space. You can train here. I’ll have you flown to Rosemoor if you need to go there.”
“Fly on your helicopter?”
“It’ll be a quick flight.”
“Vaughn—"
His head shook. “Don’t go. I’m sorry. After what he’s done, what his family has done, I hate him… I can’t stand this.” His head shook. “You can’t leave with us fighting like this.”
“You’re the one fighting. You’re the one who is acting like a child and can’t see.”
Seconds passed, and he blinked hard. “Don’t leave. I—Make me see. Don’t go.”
“You want to see? You want to really see? I’ll show you. Call The Reeve and have the guard be ready in the Throne Room.”
Vaughn grabbed his phone, and I didn’t miss the conflicting expressions. He was trying so hard to process and accept how King Lawrence was now in our lives.
I headed for the adjoining door, throwing it open and making my way to the closet.
I grabbed a pair of black leggings and a black, fitted long sleeve shirt, putting them on.
When I slipped on a pair of black sneakers and headed for my vanity, I didn’t miss Vaughn’s watchful gaze from the doorway.
I pulled my hair back, twisting it in a bun to rest at the nape of my neck.
“Let’s go.”
I opened my door, not waiting for Vaughn as I headed down the hall at a quick pace.
He easily caught up, staying silent as we made our way.
Guards were lining up as we entered, taking their place as we walked to the front of the room.
Where Vaughn went to sit on his throne, I paced.
I took in every guard, down every row. Back and forth, I walked the long length of the room, waiting until every last one was in attendance.
When I got back to the Reeve, I gave him a look, nodding.
“As many of you know, I have spent the last two days with King Lawrence.”
I let my voice carry the length of the room as all eyes stayed on me.
“What I have learned in that time is extremely disturbing, and I am not happy about it. We have a problem. A very big one.” I turned, watching Able swallow hard. “How many times have the alarms gone off in the last two weeks? Since I’ve been back from Scotland?”
His eyes lifted through his thoughts.
“Four.”
“Four times. And has anyone been apprehended or questioned concerning these breaches in security?”
A pause. “No. They’re usually gone before we get there. I don’t think—”
“And that’s a mistake.” I looked between them all again, turning back to the Reeve. “King Lawrence is having our entrances tested. He’s figuring out where they are, and how long it takes us to interject. Un… acceptable.”
I turned back to the guard. “Someone is feeding the king information. He knows what we do. He knows about the rituals. About the auctions. He knows about our cells, and I’m guessing he’s trying like hell to learn which Masters are coming here.
Two weeks, and he can already invade our home if he chooses to. Two weeks…”
My head shook.
“You will watch every Master you see. You will report any suspicious activity. They may pay to fill this space, but they will die if they betray it. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Intended.”
The words echoed from stone.
“That goes for any of you who might be doing the same. What happens at The Order—”
“Stays at The Order.”
I nodded at their booming response, hearing Vaughn’s words in my head. Feeling as though his words were leading me.
“I am only your Intended right now, but in a few days, sooner, if I have my way, I hope to be more. Maybe I’ll pass the trials.
Maybe I won’t. But I will do my best for all of you.
” My lips pursed as I took them in. “We are in this together, and we have the enemy breathing down our back. We must stay vigilant. We must do what is right for all of us.” I glanced at Vaughn.
“Because if we don’t, The Unavowed doesn’t just fall.
I don’t just fall. We all fall together. ”
I lowered my head, taking a deep breath. When I brought it up, the guards were waiting.
“I will do what I must to keep King Lawrence distracted. I will draw his attention away from The Order. But I cannot do this alone. We must take action and be prepared. The next time we have an alarm go off, we’ll be ready.
We won’t bring him in. That may be what he wants.
Instead, we follow and get him in his space.
We end his life before he tries to end ours. ”
A roar went up, and I lifted my hand.
“And we wait, because there will be more. And every time they think to test us, we show them their mistake. We don’t stop.
We’ll never stop.” I paused. “As for the Masters, we must be certain. You will go to your Reeve to report anything suspicious. From there, The Unavowed and I will look into it. We will get to the bottom of this. We can’t afford not to. ”
I turned, meeting Vaughn’s gaze. He stood, slowly walking in my direction. When he got even with me, his gaze cut up to the guards.
“Your Intended’s worry is warrented. We will do as she says. You’re dismissed.”
I turned, watching the guard file out. The Reeve headed over, keeping his eyes averted as he stopped before us.
“I will pull up footage and compare the instances to see if it’s the same person we’re dealing with.”
“Good idea.” I closed my lids, hearing King Lawrence’s voice echo through.
“He mentioned he was talking to someone named George. I heard a part of their conversation when I was in the library. He didn’t know I was there at first, but I heard him.
I believe he might have been talking to the person testing our entrances.
Let’s see if we can identify him on film and in person. ”
“I’ll see what I can find.”
“Don’t see, find him.” Vaughn ground out.
“Yes, Unavowed.”
“Go.”
The Reeve nodded, heading for the door, leaving Vaughn and I in the large space by ourselves. I didn’t speak, and at first, neither did he.
“I’m not saying I have…” he paused, “but I might have possibly made a mistake.”
“You did.”
His gaze rose to meet mine. His face was still hard, but he rolled his eyes, his stare coming back to me.
“And perhaps I was acting—”
“Like a brat? Like anything but a king?”
Vaughn’s lips slightly pulled back on one side. “This is why we’re going to work. Because you won’t hold back. You won’t let me get away with it.”
“I thought it was going to work because you weren’t going to leave me a choice?”
“For fuck’s sake, Penelope. I’m trying here.”
“You’re going to have a lot of apologizing to do. I hope you’re ready for it. Lately, I’m not satisfied very easily. The more you push me, the more I’m going to make you work for it.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I suppose it is best if I stay close.”
“It is. Are you ready for me to take you home? To our home?”
“Are you staying there with me?”
Vaughn’s body softened as he reached for my hand and began leading me to the door. “I can’t leave you there alone the first night. That’s not a memory I want to have.”
“Well, I don’t want a memory of being alone the second night either. I guess you’re going to have to stay for that one, too.”
His lips pulled back at the smile he tried to hide.
“I guess it’s settled then.”
“Home,” I said, squeezing his hand.
“Yes… home.”