Let Him Reign: An Underworld Romance (16 page)

“Fuck you,” I immediately respond, even though I don’t exactly get the math jab. He probably means that there’s no reason to worry about budgeting money when you have plenty of it. 

When Heath sighs and climbs off the bed to get dressed I do the same. “I’m staying with her tonight. I don’t think you’re welcome in her bed.”

“It’s my fucking house. I can sleep in any bed I want,” I reply, pulling on my boxers and pants.

“Ha!” He barks out a laugh, slipping his shirt over his head. “Yeah, try that line of logic and see what good it does you. My guess is she’d end up sleeping on the floor just to prove a point.”

“This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t have been with her before, but now…now I know it really is a huge fucking waste of time.”

“Yeah, it is,” Heath agrees, zipping his pants. “She’s already given you everything you need, but you’re too fucking stupid to see it. You don’t deserve her.”

“And you think you do?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

“No, I know I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to be worthy of her.”

…

Hope

“Oh, darlin’ don’t let him get to you,” Heath says, pulling me to him across the bed.

“I’m done with him,” I declare, and it only comes out half sincere.

“Good.”

“I am,” I say with more conviction.

“Sure you are,” he says, rubbing a soothing hand up and down my back.

“He doesn’t want me.”

“Yes he does. He just freaked the fuck out because he thinks he can’t have kids with you.”

“Whatever.”

“Okay fine. He doesn’t give a shit about you, but I do. Pick me, not him,” he says, pressing his hard bulge into my stomach.

“You’re just trying to get back at Eric for that girl he stole from you. What was her name? Veronica? Victoria?”

“Vanessa,” he says.  “I wasn’t pissed because I lost her. I was pissed because he was supposed to be my best friend. There’s a code, and he fucked her without a thought about how it would hurt me.”

“Sure.”

“That’s the truth. But you on the other hand, I want to keep you.”

“Uh-huh,” I mutter sarcastically. “You do remember I have kids, right?”

“Yeah, Ginger One and Ginger Two. Eric’s bastards. I can raise them as my own,” he says making me laugh.

“I guess you can stick around. Your orgasmic bites are pretty nice. And you’re not all that bad to look at.” The sexy but obnoxious man is growing on me. At least with him I know where I stand. He makes me laugh and it’s a nice feeling, even though at the same time my heart wants someone else.

“Thank you, darlin’. And you haven’t even experienced one of my tongue fuckings yet. Shall I show you what you’ve been missing?”

“I don’t know,” I say teasingly. “Eric is pretty damn good at tongue fucking me.”

“I’m better,” he says before hoisting me on top of him. Since we’d both climbed in bed naked after our shower, his mouth goes to work eating my pussy where it straddles his face. I reach frantically for the headboard to hold on to it when my body starts shaking. The man wasn’t lying. His tornado of a tongue quickly works me into a frenzy, and the orgasm is almost as amazing as his bite. I have to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from crying out. Before I can recover I’m thrown to my back on the mattress and Heath’s body lowers down on top of mine as he shoves his cock into the wetness he just created.

“Ah, hell, you feel incredible. I could stay inside you all fucking night,” he groans while pounding his hips into me, so hard the bed squeaks and the headboard bangs against the wall, cursing with each thrust. “Fuck! Fuuck!
FUCK
!”

“Shh,” I warn him, but then he’s driving deep inside me, catapulting me into another full body spasm. His mouth comes down on mine while we both swallow each other’s groans through the unbelievable sensations.

“Ah shit,” he whispers against my ear. “I don’t know what I love more; your mouth, your pussy or your ass.”

“Is it weird that you’ve been where your dad has?” I ask and he goes still and stops breathing for several seconds.

“Goddamn it, Hope! Why’d you have to tell me that shit?” he grumbles, rolling off of me. “I think you ruined me. I may never be able to fuck you again.”

“Really?” I ask.

“No, I’m ready to go again if you are, but please don’t say anything like that ever again,” he pleads with me, propping his head up on his elbow.                                            

“Okay.” I can’t help my giggle. “I won’t. I don’t actually remember anyway since I passed out from his bites before he put it in.”

“Damn it. I’m sorry, Hope. He’s such a soulless jackass.”

“I know. At least you don’t seem to have inherited that trait. Do you think the boys will be pricks like their dad?” I try to joke.

“They’re going to be fine because they’ve got you as a mother.”

“Thank you,” I say, snuggling up to his chest and letting myself drift off to sleep in his arms.

Eric

I’m losing my fucking mind. It’s been three days since I’ve been naked with Hope, and I’m past desperate for her. I’ve met with three different shifter women, one each day. Two out of the three tried their best to pull my cock out and fuck me in my office. I declined them both before sending them on their way. There’s only one woman I want, and at the moment, she’s walking in front of me, holding hands with the man that used to be my best friend.

After I backed off of her, he apparently had no qualms about swooping in. He doesn’t have a fucking society to lead or need a goddamn heir within twenty-two months. No, he can fuck and be with whoever he wants. It’s killing me that he wants her, and that she seems happy with him.

It doesn't help my stress level that the medical examiner has also determined that my dad was poisoned. Bron Drake had a whore slip it into his food or drink, killed her, and now no one can find that bastard. If they wanted my father dead then I'm sure to be next. The knowledge that I'm on someone, or multiple people’s, hit list wouldn't normally bother me, but the fact that it endangers everyone around me is concerning.

It’s Saturday morning and we all piled in the limo and left the house early for the hour and a half drive to the zoo. The twins were so excited they practically bounced in their seats the entire time. Heath, still a juvenile, did the same.

For the past three nights, all I’ve wanted is for the three of us to be able to fuck like Catholic bunnies. Being with Hope is so incredible I can't get enough. And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm craving what only Heath can give. But instead of having a threesome with the two people I want, I’ve been looking for a fucking wife. Hope has spent all her time with Heath, who actually seems to be making an effort with being a decent role model for her boys. His use of profanity has drastically been reduced, and even I can concede that he’s pretty good at making the twins laugh.

At the zoo, we make our way through all the exhibits in North America, watching the seals, polar bears, cougars and alligators with four armed guards trailing us at all times. After we grabbed a quick lunch of burgers and fries, we walked through the dinosaur exhibit which Noah loved. In Africa, the elephants were out and wandered up close to the fence, along with the giraffes and zebras.

The lion exhibit was the next to last one in the park. Just being close to the large cats that I share a similar biology with makes my skin feels like it's vibrating. Shifters and their animals always recognize each other, and the animals acknowledge us as alpha since we're the more intelligent species.

The three zoo lionesses are all lounging around in the shade underneath the highest rock where the lion is stretched out soaking up the sun, his head raised and proud, and his full mane blowing in the wind.

"Look at him," Hope says, clearly impressed with the massive animal. "He's beautiful."

I'd love to show her my lion, but that'll never happen. The thought reminds me how she doesn't belong in my world, yet I can't seem to let her go.

The boys also seem impressed with the large feline predators. Noah lets an imitation roar rip and the lion actually answers it with a small one of his own. Of course that causes Riley to have to try it as well. The little boy opens his mouth and lets out a roar. The sound is probably unremarkable to everyone else, but it shakes me all the way down to my soul. It's like nothing I've ever felt before.

The lion in the exhibit stands up to answer Riley so loudly that the deep vibrations echo through the park. The animal stretches his back before he jumps down from his perch high up on the layered rocks. Coming closer to the partition glass separating us from him, the lion rubs his side against it a few times. Eventually he goes to his belly, flattening himself to the ground in a submissive posture.

I assumed he was just sensing me, but then it becomes obvious that I'm not the one the lion's interested in. Riley gives another roar which the beast answers, and that's when it finally hits me like a two ton Mack truck.

I stagger under the weight of the revelation, and fall down onto a nearby bench while I try and process this sudden suspicion. It's May twenty-eight. Hope had said the boys came two months early, so her due date was July. Counting back nine months...the end of October. Halloween. They're four years old today and in a few months, it'll be five years from the night Hope and I met.

"They're mine?" I do the math again, which reminds me of Heath’s comment. He
knew
and he was calling me an idiot for not realizing that I’m their father.
Holy shit
. I’m a father to two sons. Not just any sons, but ones that definitely carry the lion if they can make this beast submit to them.

"You okay?" Hope comes over and asks with a creased brow.

My shock turns to anger that she's kept this from me. "They're mine," I repeat.

"What's yours?" she asks.

"How could you keep this from me? Were you planning to ever tell me, or were you just going to up and leave without me or them finding out?"

Hope's normally fair skins lightens even more before her mouth falls open. "How'd you...?

"All this time...you've been raising them alone and I had no idea..." The guilt I’m assaulted with at the thought of her sacrifices for them because of
me
not being there for her or them is agonizing. Pain like I've never felt before.

"I'm sorry, Eric, I-"

"You're sorry?" I jump to my feet and ask. "Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it!"

"It's not like I could've found you. All I knew was your first name. No, only
part
of your first name because you left me and never came back!"

"You could've told me that first night at
Heaven
or any time after that. You
knew
I needed to have heirs and you didn't think to mention that I already have two?"

"Hey, guys, you might want to keep it down," Heath says when he wedges himself between the two of us. "Now is not the time or place."

"
He
knew, but yet, you didn't tell
me
?" I yell at her around Heath.

"She didn't tell me. I can just do simple math apparently several days quicker than you," Heath replies.

"Why didn't you bother to tell me after you figured the shit out?"          

A woman’s scream pulls my attention away from Hope and Heath. That's when I notice Riley and Noah are no longer standing where we'd left them in front of the glass partition. I move closer to the rail and...

Oh no!

"Hope, don't panic …" I say since her back is to the exhibit.

"What?"

"The boys are safe, at least…I'm pretty sure they are." This is a horrible way to test the theory of whether they inherited the lion, but I'm almost certain...

"I know. I worry about them, too..." she says.

Heath turns around and mutters “Oh fuck!” in understanding.

"No, I mean right now. They're with the lions."

"What?" she asks.           

"I'll go get them," I tell her, heading for the partition.

"What are you doing, Eric...
oh my God
!" she screams when she turns around and sees them. "Noah! Riley! Oh God!"

"They're going to be okay," I assure her, and I really hope I'm right. "Stay with her," I tell Heath.

I just found out that they're mine, so I'm sure as fuck not going to let anything happen to them. A tremendous weight of worry is suddenly pressing down on my shoulders. I'm a father and now that I know that, these two little boys are my responsibility to protect and care for. God, I hope I don't fuck this up. I climb over and make the six foot drop down onto the ground, wondering how the hell two four-year-olds did it without breaking something.

And oh shit, Hope's gonna piss herself.

A few feet away Noah and Riley are standing on either side of the resting lion, petting his head and back like he's a big, fluffy kitten. The lion seems rather content. His eyes are closed as he rubs his head against them, marking his scent in a pleasant way.

"Noah? Riley? What do you say we get out of here before your mom freaks out even more?"

All three turn their heads to look at me.

"He called us," the twins say in that freaky ass simultaneous way.

"Yes, well get his phone number and tell him you'll call him back later. Your mom's really scared, and she doesn't know that he won't hurt you."

They both whine and complain, neither budging from the big beast. I glance up to the partition and see a crowd gathering, watching the drama unfold while Hope sobs uncontrollably in Heath's arms. We've got to get the hell out of here.   

"Let's go. Now!" I command.

That gets them moving, whether it's because I raised my voice or because my blood runs through them, I'm not sure which. I heft Noah up, no Riley, no it's definitely Noah. Shit, I've got to figure out which is which, damn it. Once he's high enough in the air, Heath's arms reach down over the partition and grabs a hold of him, pulling him up the rest of the way. Next is Riley. Once he's safely up, I have to figure out how I'm gonna get the hell out. I know the lion and lionesses won't hurt me intentionally, but they're not the type of cats you want to play with because of their claws and teeth.

I go to the lower edge of the stone wall and slowly pull my way up wherever I can find footing until I'm finally back up with the rest of the humans. A few people applaud me for what they think was a courageous rescue while I sweep a hand over my face to wipe off the sweat.

I find Hope squatting down with her arms around both boys. She's probably going to squeeze them to death and then beat their asses for that crazy stunt. Nodding to my guards that we need to leave and wondering why the fuck they didn't notice the boys pulling a Houdini, I approach the family reunion,
my family
, to suggest we move and do so soon before we raise even more attention to the situation.

"Hope, we need to go," I tell her.

She nods, wiping her face and standing up to take each of the boys' hands to keep them close. I hear her sniffles on the way back to the limo, but by the time we climb inside she's gone from scared to angry.

"What were you thinking!?!" she yells at Noah and Riley as soon as the doors close. "You could've gotten yourselves killed!"

How the hell am I going to tell her what they are? That her little boys are going to grow up to shift into lions and will have to take over my reign when I die. Or at least one of them will.

"Was Riley born first?" I ask and Hope swings her confused green eyes over to me.

"Y-yes. Why?" she asks.

"No reason."

He'll have to shoulder this burden while Noah goes on and lives his life however he wants. Maybe I can do what I can while I’m alive to make it easier on him, starting with holding elections for representatives.

"So what do you have to say for yourselves?" Hope asks when the boys stay quiet.

"He knew me," Riley finally says.

"Who knew you?" Hope asks.

"The lion."

"Right," she says sarcastically. "You not only risked your lives, but you risked Eric's as well because he had to go get you!"

How do I tell the boys I'm their father and what their futures hold? Do I wait until they're older? Will Hope even let me tell them the truth? Damn it, they deserve to know whether she likes it or not.

"Riley, Noah, there's something we want to tell you," I start and Hope gasps in understanding. "Your mom just told me that you two are my sons. I'm sorry I haven't been there for you for the last few years, but your mom didn't know how to find me until recently."

Their identical emerald eyes sweep back and forth between me and Hope and then to each other.

"But Mommy said Batman was our daddy, and that he couldn't come see us because he was busy saving people," Noah says.

My heart snaps in half knowing these two innocent boys have spent four years with an important piece of their family missing and not understanding why. I remember all the pictures in their photo album, all the moments I should’ve been there to witness. And Hope...there are no words to describe how much it hurts to think of her raising them alone, the atrocious shit she had to do to barely scrape by while I sat on more money than I could spend in a hundred lifetimes.

"I was Batman until my father passed away and I had to come back home. If I could’ve seen you while I was gone, I promise you I would have. And I also promise that I'm not going anywhere without you again."

Oh fuck! Anxiety hits me in the chest like a battering ram. The boys will constantly be in danger, their lives threatened. There's just three lions to take out and then someone else gets to be in charge. It would only require one traitor on my guard to take us all out. I immediately feel paranoid and look at the two men in the car with us. I need to gather them all and require them to swear an oath to the boys as well. I'll need to come out and announce to all our people that the Coughlin alpha bloodline lives on.