Sovereign (18 page)

“She’s been better. Her throat is swollen and bruised. Teddy is comforting her.”

A stab of jealousy punctured the careful cocoon that wrapped my heart. “The same way Lucius comforted her?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.” She frowned and dropped her hand.

I stood so fast that Farns would have fallen if I hadn’t caught him. Murder roiled in my breast, emotions spilling into my heart through the cracks of jealousy etched into my armor.

“Calm down. You’ve misjudged her
and
your brother, for that matter.”

“What, by seeing them in bed together?” I forced myself to stay put even as I imagined Teddy on top of her.

“That’s all you saw. Maybe if you’d asked her instead of going off half-cocked, or maybe if you’d listened to your brother—”

“Lucius was telling the truth?” The ice water running through my veins grew colder. “They never—”

“No. And now you’ve punished her, nearly got her violated, and driven her away. And all the while you were courting that fork-tongued Oakman girl. How do you think she felt? You need to fix this.” She pinned me with a fierce gaze. “For all of us, but for yourself most of all.”

She took Farns’ elbow and helped him through the dining room and out the door. He walked with slow steps, his age creeping up on him like a masked assassin.

I lolled my head back and stared at the coffered ceiling. Had I misjudged her? I tried to put myself in her shoes—not something I’d ever even thought of before, much less attempted. Maybe Renee was right. But surely, Stella knew I only dated Sophia for show, a business arrangement, nothing more.

Sophia treaded a fine line as it was. Her lover Ellis stayed with us the entire time we travelled Europe, the two of them dining together and spending the night in a tangled heap as I smoked, drank, and thought of nothing except Stella.

During the day, Sophia and I made a handsome pair, and the deal had been struck. I would marry Sophia, set her up with a trust fund flush with Sovereign cash, and we would go our separate ways for the majority of the time, or at least until we were needed for events. She could live happily ever after with that ponce Ellis, and I would keep Stella.

I’d left Stella a note telling her to trust me. I didn’t dare call or write any other way. Ears were everywhere, and I had to keep Sophia—and by extension, Cal—happy by acting the perfect son-in-law. I knew my trust was broken the second I’d seen Stella in bed with Lucius. But maybe she’d trusted me after all.

I was no longer content to wait for answers. I stalked into the hall and up the stairs. Her door was closed, but I heard voices. I huddled close and listened.

“Just tell me what it is. Why do you stay? We could run away. I can take Laura. What keeps you here?”

I couldn’t hear her response. My fists tightened at the thought of her voice being taken by Dylan’s rough hands.

“Fine.” He sighed. “I just wish you would share it with me. I could help, you know?”

Another pause.

“Yes, I’ll stay the night. Let me go to my room and get out of these stuffy clothes. Renee already laid some PJs out next to you. Do you need help changing?”

After a moment, Teddy laughed. “Busted. Okay, I’ll be right back.”

I stepped aside as the door opened. Teddy closed it softly and gave me an unforgiving glare. “What do you want?”

“I want to see her.”

“No.” He crossed his arms over his chest and blocked the door.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ll stand out here for as long as it takes. You aren’t seeing her. You don’t get to see her after what you did.” His temper reminded me of my own.

“If I have to go through you, I will.”

“Fuck off, Sin. You leave her here beaten and broken. You take off to Europe with Sophia fucking Oakman while Stella has to heal from whatever torture you put her through. Then, you never give her a chance to explain what happened with Lucius.” His brows lowered, actual rage coloring his face. “And then you force her to sleep in the barn and wait on that cunt Sophia hand and foot.” His voice turned into a hiss. “She was almost raped because of
you
.”

He’d only told a fraction of my actual sins against Stella. I was heartened that he didn’t know the rest.

“All that may be true. Even so, I
will
get through that door.” I’d never hit Teddy, and I didn’t want to start, but the roaring need inside me to be with Stella drowned everything else out.

Teddy huffed his breath out through his nose. “Are you going to hurt her?”

Not today.
“No.”

“Are you going to apologize?”

I tasted the word, bitter and rotten. Still, if it would get me past Teddy without violence, I’d do it. “Yes.”

“For everything?” He leaned closer.

“Yes.”

“I have your word?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

“Then you can go in. Just know that if I hear from Stella that you even
said
something to upset her, I am going to do my best to kick your ass. I know I won’t win, but I will give it all I’ve got. Understand?”

How did this fucked up family ever turn out a beautiful soul like Teddy?

“I understand.”

“Good. Give her a minute to change clothes.” He shuffled away from the door and gave me one more pointed scowl before heading to our wing of the house.

I waited for a few moments, the anticipation pacing in my chest like a lion on a leash. The bed creaked, and then silence. I waited a while longer to be sure before wrapping my palm around the door handle.

I turned it and eased inside. She lay curled up in a ball, her back to me. Her soft breaths were deep and slow.

Her resting form was beyond tempting, and I’d thought of nothing except her for so long—either with longing or hatred—that all I could do was stare. She was all mine now. No one else’s prying eyes watched her. I grew hard in my pants, but chided myself for already treading too harshly on Teddy’s rules.

Quietly, I removed my shirt and pants. Sliding into her bed felt like coming home, and for the first time in months, the hellfire that leapt in my heart quieted to embers. I moved my arm under her head and pressed into her back. I wanted to groan from the feel of her. My skin was numb until it touched hers, and then it was alive with every sensation.

She mumbled something and snuggled back into me, her hair tickling my nose as I pulled her close. I didn’t care that she thought I was Teddy. All I wanted was her in my arms. Everything quieted inside me, the sections of my mind that were always calculating or planning finally clicking off.

Her breathing changed, and she stirred. “Teddy. You’re um, you’re sort of poking me.” Her voice was a scratchy whisper, and I wished all over again that I’d killed Dylan.

She turned to face me and shrank back with a gasp. “What are you doing here?” She pushed at my chest, but I trapped her in my arms. I was never letting her go again.

“Stop, please. You’ll only hurt yourself more.”

She didn’t stop, only struggled harder, like a wildcat in my arms.

I nuzzled into her hair. “Stella, please. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” She froze. “That doesn’t even begin…” She swallowed hard. “To cover what you’ve done.”

“I know. But I will make it up to you somehow. All of it.”

“You can’t make it up to me.” Her voice broke, the pain in her piercing me more deeply than I thought possible.

“I can.” I stroked her cheek. “I will. You’ll see.”

She pulled away from my touch. “By marrying Sophia?”

“I’ll never marry her.”

“But you’ve been with her this whole time.” Her eyes shimmered in the low light.

“I’ve never touched her. I swear. She’s with someone else. I’ve only been with her to please Cal. They think I’ll marry her, of course, after I become Sovereign. I won’t.” Spending time with Sophia had been my personal ninth level of hell. Vapid, selfish, and cruel—we were a perfect match. I already wanted her dead for harming Stella, and having to spend time with her only made me come up with various gruesome ways for her to meet her end.

“I didn’t sleep with Lucius.” She shook her head. “I mean, I slept with him, but we never—”

“I know.” I kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry.”

“I believe you.” She relaxed into my arms more, though she still held back. “So what will happen when you don’t marry Sophia?”

“I don’t care. Cal will try to retaliate. I’m not sure what he’ll do. It won’t be pretty. Nothing approaching all-out war between our families, but things will be strained.”

“He’s promised me to Dylan.”

I froze. “What?”

“Cal is going to give me to Dylan once the Acquisition is over.” She shuddered.

“You’re not his to give.” I clutched her tighter and wished, once again, that I’d killed Dylan downstairs.

“They’ve made some sort of deal. I don’t know the details.”

“You don’t have to. It isn’t going to happen. I don’t care if it results in all out war with Cal after I become Sovereign.”

“Could you boot Cal’s family? Stop the infighting that way?”

“Yes, but playing that card early could lead to trouble later. I’d prefer to keep that in my back pocket. The very threat of it will help keep him in line.” Or so I hoped. Cal had consolidated power during his reign. He would be a particularly vicious adversary.

“There will be fighting. You and Lucius will be in danger, like in Cuba?”

I brushed my hand down her hair. “Yes.”

“Then no.”

“What?”

“I don’t agree to this plan at all.” She chewed her bottom lip.

I arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying you
want
me to marry Sophia?”

“Of course not. But you simply winning isn’t going to be enough. Not for me, anyway.”

I took her hand and pulled it to my heart. Her palm was warm and small, but she held me in it. “Anything you want me to do, I’ll do it.” I inhaled a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m yours. I’ve been a fool and treated you worse than you deserved—”

“Sin—”

“Let me finish. Even if what I’d thought was true—that you’d slept with Lucius—I should never have punished you like that. I’m sorry. And when Dylan…” My jaw tightened, and I struggled to continue. “When Dylan tried to hurt you, I realized I didn’t care anymore if you had or hadn’t slept with Lucius. You are mine to protect, to cherish, and to love.” The last word was one I said with the same care I would use in handling a live grenade.

I cleared my throat as her expression softened, and she stroked my cheek. That feeling welled up inside me, the one I only had when I thought of her. It was my drug, far more intoxicating than anything else I’d found. “After I had a moment to calm down, I decided that I would only have killed Lucius. Not you.”

She tilted her head. “I think that’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.”

I covered her hand with mine. “I don’t know what else to say or do to prove it, but I love you. All of you. I will gladly kill for you, buy you whatever your heart desires, and show you the world. Anything. If I have it or I can get it, it’s yours.” My heart constricted. Is this what love felt like? Like you were on fire, and instead of turning to ash, your mate only made you burn brighter?

“I love you, too.” She kissed me, soft and chaste. “But I need something from you before I can forgive you.”

“Anything. It’s yours. Just name it.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Promise me that we will burn it all down. Every last piece of the Acquisition. Or we will die trying.”

I couldn’t look away from her, my vengeful queen. “How did I never know when I first set eyes on you that you were the strongest person in the room?” I kissed her, not chaste, not gentle. She moaned in my mouth and tangled her fingers in my hair. I needed her taste on my tongue, every inch of her body beneath my fingertips, but she pulled away.

“Promise me.” She dotted kisses on my cheek and bit my ear. “Promise, because you never break your word.”

I slid my hand down her body and into her panties. She was wet, and I needed to be inside her.

She grabbed my wrist. “Promise me first.”

I got to my knees and yanked her panties off before shucking my shorts away. Lining up at her entrance, I stared down at her, the warmth in her flowing to me and making me more than I ever thought possible.

“I promise.” With one hard thrust, I seated myself deep inside her. Leaning down and claiming her mouth was the sweetest reward I’d ever tasted.

I pushed harder, needing to give her every bit of raw aggression I’d felt for anyone who thought to hurt her or take her from me. She clawed my back and I kissed to her collarbone, careful on her neck. It was too dark to see, but I knew she was bruised there. I would have Dylan’s head for it.

“Sin.” She clung to me as I slowed my pace and wrapped my arms around her.

“Do you trust me?” I teased at her lips.

“Yes.”

I rested my forehead against hers and kept my thrusts smooth and even. I wanted it to last, to stay inside her for as long as I could.

She was my home, where I belonged. And I would never doubt her again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

S
TELLA

T
HE SUMMER ARRIVED WITH
full force, the hottest on record. I spent the days with Sin, except on the odd times when he was called to make an appearance with Sophia. He always came back irritable, but after some particularly enjoyable attention from me, he was back to his usual dark and brooding self.

Sin showed me more of the estate and even took me to see his office in town. He barked at his staff to get to work as they gawked at the “mystery woman” on his arm. He hid me away in his private office. I ran my fingers over his many diplomas and reveled in his plush domain.

“Not bad for government work.”

He sat in his desk chair and pulled me into his lap. “Have you ever played a game called naughty secretary?”

“No.” I laughed. “Have you?”

“Of course not.” He ran his hands to my hips. “Though I’m quite disappointed to hear you’re unfamiliar.”