King of Slaves (Jenna's Story) (The Slave Series Book 5) (18 page)

CHAPTER 15

Company

Zurry

“Coun Zurry, we have company for Jenna Davis by the gate and she isn’t here.”

“Is it her father?”

“Yes, sir, how did you know?”

Zurry wasn’t going to tell the soldier that he had listened to Jenna’s private conversations over the last three weeks and had heard her sister, Alex, warn Jenna that her father was planning to visit her a few weeks ago.

“Bring him to my office. I will see him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Zurry made a quick call to Kioni.

“Yes?”

“We have another American visitor.”

“Who?”

“Jenna’s father.”

There was silence on the phone and then a long sigh.

“Don’t worry,” Zurry said, “I’ll make sure he feels welcome – and according to what her sister said on the phone, he’s not expected to stay for long.”

“Very well, let me know how it goes.”

“I will.”

Five minutes later there was a knock on Zurry’s door. “Come in,” he called and a soldier marched in, holding the door open.

Zurry waited expectantly but no one entered.

Where’s Jenna’s dad? Is he nervous about entering?

Zurry pushed up from his chair and with forehead wrinkled in confusion he walked out his office door and saw something completely unexpected.

“Alex,” he exclaimed in surprise at the sight of Jenna’s sister standing with her hands clasped together and a worried expression on her face.

Her head snapped around to meet his gaze and he felt like all the air was being sucked out of his lungs. If he had found her pretty in her picture, she was even more glorious in real life.

Her eyes were deep blue and she had the cutest freckles spread across the bridge of her straight nose, but it was her hair that blew him away. Never had he seen hair like that in his life: the curls, the volume, and the way it cascaded down to the small of her back with luminous colors that reminded him of fire. 

“Who are you and how do you know my name?” Alex said with curiosity.

He cleared his voice. “I recognized you from a picture that your sister showed me. I’m good at remembering names and faces; it’s important in my job.”

She looked at him thoroughly, and the way she took in his face made him acutely aware of his scars, but he saw no fear or disgust in her eyes.

“I think I might know who you are too,” she said and a smile lurked at the corner of her mouth. “You are that warlord Jenna told me about. The one who is into…” She trailed off but her cheeks blushed.

“Into what?” he asked and hoped she wasn’t going to say “the king.”

Jenna shook her head. “Never mind… you are Sarry, right?”

“Zurry,” he corrected.

“Oh, sorry – Zurry, I meant.”

“That’s okay… I was told Jenna’s father was here.”

She cast a side glance down the hallway. “He is… but he spotted a restroom on our way here and took the opportunity to use it. I was just waiting for him when you found me.”

As if called to the stage, a man came out of the restroom and spotted them. He was overweight, with thin hair, and a pair of square black glasses that dominated his face. Not in his wildest dreams had Zurry imagined that Jenna’s father would look so out of shape, but then again, the news articles about Jenna’s arrest had told him she was the daughter of a senator, and in his position he was probably served a lot of nice meals with too many sweet deserts.

“Senator Davis,” Zurry said and held out his hand when the man was close enough to greet him.

The man moved closer and shook Zurry’s hand with gusto. “That would be me, but since I’m not here on official business you can just call me Andy.”

“Andy,” Zurry repeated and gave the man a friendly smile.

“And who might you be?” Andy asked and released Zurry’s hand.

“My name is Coun Zurry Tulm. I’m the king’s advisor and the minister of defense.”

“He’s the one Jenna calls the warlord,” Alex said with her silky-soft voice.”

“A warlord,” Andy said as if he were tasting the word. “It has a dramatic ring to it, wouldn’t you say, Alex?”

Her smile revealed two adorable dimples. “Well, I’m glad to meet you in person, Zurry.” She held out her hand to greet him like her father had just done.

Zurry stared down at her small manicured hand with purple nail polish. It was ingrained in him never to touch a woman, unless she was a family member or one of his pleasers, but in this case Alex would probably consider him rude if he didn’t shake her hand, and he was curious to touch her.
Just do it. You already touched Jenna and she didn’t seem to think it was a big deal.
He took her small hand in his and looked into her eyes. Alex boldly returned his glance and gave his hand a firm shake. Her skin was soft, and she had a sharp look of intelligence in her eyes that had him intrigued and made him hold on to her hand a bit too long.

“Speaking of Jenna… Where is my sister?” Alex asked and reminded him why she was here. He had to remember that just because he felt like he knew her from listening in on her conversations with Jenna, Alex didn’t know much about him. 

“I believe she is out inspecting some building sites with someone from her team. Would you like me to call her?”

“We already did,” her father said. “It goes straight to her voicemail.”

“Yes, well, I’m afraid the reception isn’t always good that far out of the city, but I’m sure she will be delighted when she returns to find you both here.”

“You obviously don’t know Jenna very well,” Alex said and gave him a small grin. The sparkle in her eyes made his pulse race.

“Won’t you come in to my office?”

They followed him and he pointed to two chairs in front of his desk. “Please sit down for a few minutes while I arrange accommodations for you.”

“Oh, we don’t want to be any trouble,” Senator Davis said and sat down, signaling for Alex to follow his example while he continued talking. “We can just check in to a hotel in town; we really just wanted to assure ourselves that Jenna is all right here. You know, with the bad start she had and all.”

“Yes, that was very unfortunate,” Zurry admitted and sneaked a peek at Alex’s beautiful blue eyes… he wasn’t sure, but there seemed to be specks of green and brown in them as well… just like her hair, her eyes seemed to be multicolored.

He was glad that he was sitting behind his desk so no one could see how the front of his pants was rising like a small tent. It was almost impossible not to stare at her when she looked like a goddess with her lush curves and exotic beauty. He was curious to feel for himself if her creamy skin and shiny hair felt as soft as they looked.

Clearing his throat, he managed to get back on track. “I already informed the king that you have arrived and he offered to host you here, in his home. So give me a few minutes and I will show you to your rooms in the west wing with the other Americans.

“I can sleep with Jenna,” Alex offered, and the mere thought of Alex in a bed did disturbing things to him.

“If you prefer, but it’s not necessary. This palace has more than a hundred guest rooms, so I assure you it’s no trouble at all.”

“Well, in that case, we accept,” Senator Davis said and gave Zurry a wide smile.

“Good.” Zurry picked up the phone and talked to Netti, the head of the maids, and was advised which room to take them to. She offered to come and escort them, but Zurry declined. He was more than happy to do it himself.

“Come with me.” He led them out of his office and down the hallway.

“We don’t have our luggage – they wouldn’t allow us to carry it inside,” Andy said.

“It’s standard procedure to check every bag that enters the palace. Rest assured you will have your baggage again soon.”

“Do you ever get lost in this place?” Alex asked as she followed him closely.  He could have sworn her hand had just brushed his.

“No, I live here, and even before that, I came daily since my father is the king’s treasurer. I would play and train with our current king, since we are only a year apart in age.”

“Do you still play with him?” Alex asked and gave him a crooked smile. He remembered Alex and Jenna discussing Jenna’s suspicion that he and Kioni had a sexual relationship and frowned.

“No, not unless you consider martial arts and running as playing.”

She shrugged but kept that secretive smile on her lips, and it made him want to press her against the nearest wall and show her just how heterosexual he was.

Four minutes later, they reached the west wing. “Here we are, Mr. Davis, your room is right here.”

“Please call me Andy.”

Zurry nodded and pointed to the door. “Your luggage will be brought up shortly and the key should be inside. If you need anything there is a phone in you room; just dial 0 and ask for Netti. She is the head of the maids and speaks English as well.”

“Just like in a hotel,” Andy commented and opened the door to walk inside.

Finally alone with Alex, Zurry turned and looked down at her. She was a bit shorter than Jenna and only reached his shoulder, but she was glancing up at him with an open expression of curiosity and he couldn’t help smiling at her.

“Would you like your own room or would you prefer to sleep in Jenna’s room?”

“Jenna’s room,” she answered without breaking eye contact.

“All right, but I’m afraid Jenna doesn’t sleep in this part of the palace. She sleeps in the main part where we just came from. I’ll be happy to take you there.”

“Jenna told me about you,” Alex exclaimed, and again the sparkle in her eyes sucked him in like a thirsty man to a cold beer.

“Really…?” he asked in a low voice, not wanting Andy to hear them through the open door to his room.

“Yes, really.”

Did she just move closer or am I imagining things?

“Good or bad?” he asked calmly, trying to hide the excitement he felt inside.

Alex tilted her head from side to side as if weighing her answer. “It’s open for interpretation, I suppose.”

His nostrils flared. He knew exactly what Jenna had told Alex, and he hoped that she was thinking of the time Jenna had called him a Dom.

“Since you don’t look too scared, I assume it wasn’t anything damaging to my reputation.”

She laughed and it was the sweetest sound in the world. Her dark sexy voice had an even more erotic laugh in real life than on the phone.

“What’s so funny?” her father asked as he reappeared.

“Oh Zurry just promised me a private tour of the palace, telling me that he’s afraid of letting me off on my own.”

“Good idea; you do get lost easily and this place is huge,” Andy said with calm logic.

Zurry played along and shot Alex a discreet questioning look. He wasn’t sure Andy would want him alone with his daughter if he understood the depravity of Zurry’s thoughts when it came to Alex.

“Let me first introduce you to the other Americans. They are just a few doors down,” he said.

There were six men in the room when they entered. Andy went around introducing himself and Alex, like the man of importance he was.

Zurry waited by the door and observed the pleasantries being exchanged. It bothered him to see the men in the room check out Alex, albeit they tried to do it when she wasn’t watching. He felt strangely territorial and when Nick, the youngest of the men leaned in to hug Alex, he moved forward.

“Alex, would you like me to show you to Jenna’s room?”

“Ahh, don’t worry about it. I know where Jenna’s room is; you can go,” Nick told him dismissively and turned his back on Zurry, giving Alex all his attention.

Zurry tensed but kept his cool.

“That’s okay, Nick, you have to work – and Zurry is going back that way anyway, aren’t you?” Alex asked. 

He nodded and did something unspeakable. He reached out his hand for her and waited for Alex to take it. She looked down at his hand and back up to his eyes, and then she stepped toward him and took his hand.

He thought it possible that Alex mistook his gesture for cultural politeness, or simply assumed it didn’t hold any significance to him, but she would be wrong. Men in Spirima didn’t hold females’ hands publicly, and he had never done anything like it.

Taking her hand was a direct message, age-old, to every male in the room that he was claiming her.

He led Alex out of there, fighting hard to activate the more civilized part of his brain that didn’t want to just pick her up and mount her in the nearest cave.

“Are you mad at me for the thing about the private tour?” she asked, probably mistaking his brooding behavior for dislike.

He let go of her hand. “No, I would be honored to show you around. Just say when.”

“What time is it now?” she asked.

He looked down at his watch “Twenty past two.”

“Then how about now?”
Did she just bat her eyelashes at me?