A King's Revenge: Warlords Series Book 2 (14 page)

Chapter 24

Lea only had a second
to prepare. Tarik slammed her against the wall the moment they entered their
suite. His mouth pressed kisses to her lips, cheeks, down her throat. The
intensity of his lovemaking threw her for a loop. He bit, sucked and licked her
tender flesh while his hands lifted the fabric of her dress baring her thighs.

“Tarik,” she gasped, his
need fueled her own. Her hands frantic as they tugged at his vest and shirt.

“Need you now. I could
have lost you again.”

He had her dress up to
her waist and ripped her panties. His erection prodded her entrance and her
wetness eased the way as he reared back and thrust deep. Lea cried out,
clinging to him. She rubbed her aching breasts against his smooth chest and
shook from the contact.

Her nipples hardened
to stiff peaks, every thrust from Tarik creating the same arousing friction.
His hands spread her legs wider as he kept her pinned to the wall and rocked
faster. She glided her hands to bury in the thick texture of his hair unable to
get enough. Never enough.

“I’m not leaving,” she
moaned and arched back as his mouth blazed a trail down her neck.

“I can’t lose you.” He
panted the words against her ear before lifting her higher and slamming back
into her. “I love you.”

Nerves singing, Lea
screamed out her release.

“Yes,” he groaned and
pulled her tighter onto his shaft. The rough growl was music to her ears.

Lea’s hands clawed at
his shoulders as his insistent attentions drove her up the peak again. Her
husky cries rang out in time to his pounding. Her inner muscles clamped down in
rhythmic pulses.

“Lea, Lea. My Lea. I
love you,” he roared on the end.

Lea clenched around
him and muffled her moan of pleasure in the broad chest before her. Tarik spun
around and carried her into their bedroom.

Already he thickened
in her core. Lea ran her hands in soothing strokes through his hair. He laid
her down on the top of the covers and removed his clothes. Lea leaned up on her
elbows to enjoy the show but he was too quick and came down on top of her
before she could fully appreciate his naked beauty.

“I don’t care if you
remember. I love you, Lea. I always will.” He stared deep into her eyes as he
made the pledge.

“What if I never
remember?” It was her biggest fear and he deserved to be loved in return with
the same intensity.

Tarik rubbed his
finger down her cheek. “I will love you enough for the both of us until you
fall in love with me again.

The level and faith of
his commitment awed Lea. “You are an amazing man, Tarik.”

“Let me amaze you
more,” he murmured and ripped the dress from her body.

Lea’s laughter spilled
out until he made her think of other things besides humor.

***

When Lea awakened she
was alone in their bed. She stretched full out and winced as her muscles
protested. Tarik was an enthusiastic lover. She hoped her body caught up
quickly or there would plenty of hot soaks in the bath in her future.

Lea took a shower and
dressed as fast as possible. When she left the bedroom she entered what Tarik
had described as the Queen’s room. Since her arrival, Lea had never slept in
the bed with the golden sheets. She paused by a black draped painting.

The dresser below it
reminded her of an eerie shrine and she avoided it at all cost. Curiosity got
the better of her and she removed the cloth having an idea of what or rather who
she’d see. The painting once revealed stunned her. Lea knew the odds of it
being one of her in the past were in her favor but she hadn’t expected the
beauty the artist managed to convey in the portrait.

Her gaze followed her
arms to the almost hidden bump and froze. Lea’s hand rose to her flat belly. Tarik
said they’d lost babies. Kord said she’d been poisoned. Pain sharp and jagged
lashed through her temple. She lowered her head as image after image streamed
through her mind.

The pictures moved so
fast it took a moment to realize they were memories. Her memories. Nausea hit
next on the heels of the most vivid memory of all as knowledge of the traitor
slammed into her head.

Lea straightened when
the slide show ended. Her heart raced as if she’d spent the time running. Every
breath huffed from her chest while she tried to calm herself. Her thoughts
whirled with what she discovered but more than that the love she bore for Tarik
burst forth like an overflowing waterfall. Then fear like never before sent her
running from the room.

There was proof. Lea
had found it right before Thenl attacked her party. She’d hid the evidence
wanting to break the news to Tarik gently. Instead the traitor had conspired
with Thenl and her life had been ripped away from her before she could warn her
husband that the man he trusted had worked against them.

Serin stopped her as
soon as she crossed the threshold. “My Queen, where would you like to go?”

All four guards
surrounded her. Lea didn’t know who to trust. Was the person acting alone or
could others in the castle be involved? “I’m meeting Kord,” she lied. “The King
says I’m fine when I’m with him.”

The men looked
doubtful and exchanged glances.

“Ask Tarik,” she
prompted knowing he was tied up today.

“Where are you going
and we will escort you to your friend?”

Lea found the energy
to smile. None of the guards knew what to make of Kord and there was an uneasy
acceptance of him spurred only by Tarik’s orders.

“I’m only going to see
Sorka.”

Serin frowned. “You’re
not to ride the hapfe yet.”

He’d returned to duty friendlier
and more vigilant than ever since the sentil incident. Somehow he’d convinced
himself that he was responsible because he’d not been present. Lea rolled her
eyes desperate to look for what her memories had revealed. She needed to know
if the papers she’d hidden were still there otherwise she’d have a harder time
convincing Tarik of her discovery. “I promise not to ride.”

He nodded. “Then I
will accompany you and the others will wait for your friend and bring him down.”

Lea tensed but forced
her fingers to unclench. It was the best she could hope for and if she was
wrong she didn’t want to make it easier for someone to attack her. “That would
be fine.”

She waited while he
conferred with the three guards and then walked at her side to the stables.
Usually Lea attempted to engage him in conversation but her focused remained on
her goal. The stable was calm for this time of the day.

“Where is the stable
master?” She asked Serin expecting to see the pleasant man come out and greet
her.

Serin took up sentry
by the door. “He may be out in the paddocks in the back if he’s let a few of
the mounts out to exercise.”

“Can I visit Sorka
alone?” If she found nothing there, she didn’t want the guard looking at her
strangely.

Serin frowned. “You’re
not to be alone. The King…”

“I won’t be long,” she
interrupted. “And you’ll be out here.”
 

 
He sighed and gave in. “I’ll make sure no one
disturbs you.”

“Thank you.” Lea
squeezed his forearm and hurried through to Sorka’s stall. Serin must have been
right since many of the hapfe stalls were empty but Sorka pranced around within.

Lea eased inside and
rubbed the silk nose that nuzzled her. “Easy. We’ll visit later. For now, I
have something to find.”

She grabbed a loose
halter from a hook and placed it over Sorka’s neck and wrapped the other end
back on the hook. With the hapfe out of reach, Lea made her way to the back of
the stall and dropped to her knees. If her memories were correct, she’d buried
it right around here.

Lea used her hands to
move away the loose straw on the floor. Her hands patted the ground until she
found what she sought. One of the boards didn’t fit properly with the others. Lea’s
finger dug deep as she pried it open. Tossing it aside, she lifted the small
gray case. Exactly as her memory had shown.

Her hands shook as she
flipped the lock and opened it. Stacks of papers. Missives with the Desani
seal. She scanned the top sheets to be certain. Even though she’d known what to
expect, Lea couldn’t believe what she read. Notes and messages to Thenl, the
Kabanian Warlord. Detailed accountings of her schedule and whereabouts.
Information only one person would have had consistent access to.

“I knew if I waited
long enough you would lead me to it.”

Lea spun around the
papers clutched to her chest. Mati stared at her with a blaster aimed directly
at her chest. “You were behind everything?”

He sighed and shook
his head. “I truly wish you had never remembered.”

Tarik would be
devastated. He trusted his personal advisor implicitly. “But why?”

“It’s not personal.
You were a distraction, my dear. Those last few days you started watching me
oddly. I knew you suspected but wasn’t certain how I’d given myself away.” He
raised his left hand and wiggled his fingers. “Why don’t you hand me those
letters and I’ll destroy them. Thenl insisted on communicating via papered
messages. I warned him.”

Lea stepped back
further bumping into Sorka. The hapfe pawed her hair and nuzzled her. “Why
would you work with Thenl to ruin Tarik?”

Even with her renewed
memories she didn’t understand what had motivated him to betray a family he’d
clearly loved.

Mati frowned and
smacked his palm on his thigh. The blaster in his other hand never wavered. “I
would never ruin the King. He was blinded by lust for you. I merely sought a
means to remove you from his life so he could focus on Desani and the throne.”

She had to stall him.
Keep him talking as long as possible. Serin would come check on her. He had to
know Mati was in here. “How was I a distraction?”

“Your flighty ways.
Always pulling him away for fun and games.”

He was crazy, she
decided. Those were the things that kept a man like Tarik from letting his role
consume him. “I was a good wife to Tarik and a good Queen to Desani.” With her
memories, she knew that now if she knew nothing else.

Mati waved away her
statement. He lowered the blaster and paced at the end of the stall, mumbling
under his breath. “Only someone committed and willing to step back will work
for Tarik. You’re just like the other one.”

“The other one?” Lea slid
her hand to the knife under her skirts wondering how long she had to wait for
Serin.

“The former Queen,
Tarik’s mother,” Mati answered.

Lea froze. He couldn’t
have admitted what she thought. “What does Queen Arika have to do with anything?”

“Come out of there, Your
Highness. I don’t want to risk shooting Sorka.”

Because he cared more
about the hapfe than her? Lea walked calmly passed the door, hoping for an
opportunity to disarm him but he maintained the two feet between them. Given
the distance a wound from the blaster would severely injure her and she was too
far to use her knife unless she threw it before he fired and her aim was true.

“Did you have
something to do with the Queen’s accident?” Lea probed, bringing him back to
his statement.

Mati’s eyes shifted
behind her. “Latch the gate, please. Tarik has a soft spot for Sorka.”

Had his eyes always
looked dodgy? She latched the gate with trembling fingers.

Mati aimed at her
mid-section. “The former Queen was a distraction for King Adan.” Tears welled.
“I didn’t expect him to go right over the cliff after her. I only wanted him to
focus. If she was gone he could wed a more worthy woman.”

Lea licked her lips
and edged to the side. “You can’t pick who you love.”

“Which is why I had to
help.” His tone pleaded. “They needed me to show them. You should have stayed
dead. Everything was perfect.”

Hurry Tarik, Lea
prayed. “It wasn’t perfect. Tarik was mired in grief.”

“But he focused on his
duty,” Mati shouted.

“Because you left him
nothing else. You took away his parents, his wife…you took away his children.
Our children.”

Mati glared. “I hoped
you’d stop trying to conceive. That you’d worry about the attacks and not risk
a child.” He sniffed. “I’ve only wanted the best for Tarik. His parents trusted
me.”

She forced out a
breath to calm her racing heart. “It’s alright, Mati. I’m sure Tarik will
understand when you explain.”

She thought she had
him. His expression eased and his eyes brightened. For one brief moment Lea was
overwhelmed with relief then Mati’s arm stiffened. Resolve settled in his gaze
as he braced his shoulders. “No. He’ll never forgive me which is why I must
kill you and make it look like an accident. I’ll destroy the letters you found
from that betrayer Thenl and things will go back to how it was before.”

His finger curled on
the laser sensor.

“No, Mati it can’t.”

The familiar voice had
Lea slumping with relief.

Mati turned. “Sire!”

Lea shuddered. She had
never been so glad to see someone in her life.

“Killing Lea won’t
solve this.” Tarik stood with Kord, Hensel and a bruised Serin. Blood dripped
from a cut on his head.

“I-I have to. She
distracts you.”

Tarik spared Lea an
anguish filled glance. “She’s not a distraction. She’s my wife and I love her.
More than life.”

The laser dipped in
Mati’s grip. “Don’t you see,” he pleaded. “She has you spell bound and you
can’t think clearly. You formed an alliance with those barbarians. A Desani
King would never have considered joining those animals.” He swung the weapon in
Lea’s direction. “And it’s her fault. Filling your ears. Preaching peace and
unity.”

Lea sensed Mati
slipping further into his delusions. Tarik stepped in her direction.