Page 94 of Reign of the Queen
Tom and Clark move away from the wall at the ready to forcefully remove Mack and Vincent from the room. I look over at Finn's stepdad Jack, as he tries hard to hide the look of satisfaction from his face. I guess that answers my question on whether he's buddy-buddy with Vincent and Mack.
"What? No, I am not leaving here without my son." Mack steps forward again toward Carter, whose body I'm still partially blocking. I see Tom pull out a gun from his side holster and push it up against the back of Mack's head. The whole room stops; everyone holding their individual breaths. Mack freezes in his movements. His eyes go large once he feels the barrel of the gun pressed up against the back of his head.
"Mack, as you can see, the boy is fine and in good care. That's all we came here to ensure. If Mrs. Stratford ensures that he is receiving excellent medical care, we can leave and return to our homes." Vincent spits out through clenched teeth. "I will expect you home tomorrow, Theodore." His fierce stare returning to his son.
Vincent strolls to the door of the room, Mack on his heels once Tom steps back to allow his movement. They both stop at the entrance, and Vincent stares back at my grandmother. A look of pure malevolence on his face. "I'm sure we will meet again, Stella." Then both of them exit the room, trailed immediately by Tom, who hasn't harnessed his weapon yet, and an unamused Clark.
The room lets out the collective breath we were holding once the two leave the room. "You're a badass, Mrs. Stratford. I've never seen my dad so shook." Carter grins from his seat.
"I'm so glad you're amused, Carter." My grandmother grins back at him. She turns her gaze to Theo. "Theodore, you do not have to go home to your father. You are safe here under my protection."
Theo nods at her statement. "I thank you, Mrs. Stratford. While I may be safe here, everyone else is at risk if I don't return. He will have his pound of flesh regardless of who it comes from."
Stella stares at him, and I witness a change in her toward him. Could it be respect that I am seeing? Does she respect that Theo will return to his father, knowing what awaits him to protect others? She's obviously witnessed that firsthand, with him bringing Carter here in the first place.
"Well, Stella. I enjoyed that a little too much. Thank you again for taking care of Finn for us and the other boys. I look forward to any future dealings with you." Jack reaches across the desk and offers my grandmother his hand, which she shakes.
"Finn, Mateo, get anything you might need, and I'll meet you out front." Nodding to the rest of us, Jack leaves the room. We hear his footsteps echoing across the stone floors heading for the entryway.
"I'm good to go, so I'll say my goodbyes. Mrs. Stratford, thank you for protecting us and caring for Carter." Finn nods toward my grandmother. He looks at Carter. "Bro, stay safe and get better." Grasping Carter's shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. Then he turns to Theo, "Bro, call me when you get home, or you can always come to my place." Theo nods back at him. "Mia, will you walk us out?" He directs his questioning gaze at me.
Mateo gets up and extends his hand to my grandmother. "Mrs. Stratford, I don't know how to thank you enough for saving Carter. Thank you for protecting him and us." He smiles, and my grandmother shakes his outstretched hand. He gives her a little flirtatious smile, and she grins back at him like a damn schoolgirl. Pretty sure he's her favorite out of the guys.Mr. Latinlover.The fucker could tempt the panties off a nun or at least off of a Stratford it seems.
He shifts in Theo’s direction, giving him a bro hug. "You gonna be alright?" he questions. When Theo nods in acknowledgment, he steps back and turns to Carter. "Dipshit, don't ever do that to me again. You hear? I'm so glad you’re ok bro." He ruffles Carter's messy hair and then walks out of the room.
I glance back at my grandmother, and she tilts her head in agreement for me to walk them out. Carter remains sitting in his chair, lines of exhaustion appearing on his face. Theo moves to the doorway with me to walk the other kings out.
Once we get to the empty front door, Mateo grabs my arm and pulls me into his body, not even giving me a chance to steady my footing before his lips are crushing mine. His warm mouth opens over mine, his tongue with that sexy piercing demanding immediate entry. I part my lips for him, and our tongues tangle together. Too soon, the kiss ends, and I'm stepping back only to be engulfed in Finn's large frame, his honeysuckle and smokey scent enveloping me.Fuck, he always smells so good, tempting me to want to do things I know I shouldn't.
"Thank you, Mia. For everything you have done for us." He tightens his grip on me, his hand making its way up the back of my head and wrapping my ponytail around his wrist. Using my hair to hold me tightly in place while ravaging my mouth with a hungry kiss. Instant heat rises in my body, and I move closer to his body without even thinking, wanting more of his touch. After a heated moment, he breaks the kiss, presses his forehead to mine, and then kisses my nose. "Text me later," he requests, then walks out the door like he didn't just flood my panties with heat.
Taking a step back, I end up pressed against a warm hard body. Theo tightly wraps his arms around my waist, bringing me flush into his body as we watch Mateo and Finn leave the estate in Jack's Mercedes. "They'll be fine," Theo states close to my ear. Goosebumps rise instantly along my arms from his deep voice so close to me.
I turn in his grasp to look at him, and his arms pull me right back into his body. I can feel the tension radiating in his frame. "Will you? Will you be fine?" I ask. In my gut, I already know the answer. If Theo leaves here, his psychotic father will punish him for his defiance. What that punishment will entail, I'm not sure. What I do know with certainty is that it won't be pleasant. No sane person would willingly put themselves in that harm, yet Theo plans to leave here tomorrow to try to protect others in his stead. My heart tightens painfully at the thought of him being abused and beaten for trying to do the right thing.
These thoughts have my brain going in circles, memories of my past with the kings and current events swirling into a messed-up mash of emotions. Where that leaves my vengeance and plans, I don't know right now.
Theo leans in and places a small, tender kiss on my cheek. "As long as they're safe and I have you, then yeah, I'll be fine too."
I almost correct him that he doesn’t “have me” but it's the most emotion I've seen from him in the last two days since the first night in my room when he ate me out. He's pretty much stayed out of my way the last couple of days, preferring to observe everyone and not push me. One look at his serious face, and I don't. It seems that my heart and head are both in agreement not to push him away. "You don't have to go," I state.
"But I do. I wish I didn't, but if I stay here, he will hurt others to get back at me." He releases me from his embrace and closes the front door.
"The women he keeps?"
"Them and others. He's not used to being thwarted, and your grandmother just gave him a beat down in there. He's going to take that rage out on someone. I have to go back before he does irrevocable damage." A sad but determined look crossed his features.
"Who's going to saveyoufrom his rage, Theo?" I fold my arms across my chest.
"I don't need saving Mia. I need you and the guys to stay safe. That's it." He closes the gap between us, staring down at me intensely, letting me see all of his emotions. Fear, rage, determination, and desire, all make an appearance across his handsome face. He’s determined to leave here, despite the risk, to save anyone else from a horrifying fate at his vicious father’s hands.
"Will you let me stay with you tonight?" His voice is so low it’s almost a whisper.
Something about the way he asks has fear creeping up my spine, like he thinks it might be the last time he sees me or that things will change after he leaves here. I want to deny his request; my brain is yelling at me to say no, but my stupid heart lurches, looking at him and his sad features. He's waiting for me to deny him. I can see it across his face. I can't trust myself to speak, so I nod yes.
We hear a sound in the hallway and see Carter leaning up against a wall unsteadily. He looks pale again, even from where we’re standing. I can see he's sweating and panting. The moment between Theo and I breaks instantly, and I move quickly to Carter’s side.
"You need to get back to bed, dipshit" I demand, grabbing onto one arm while Theo moves to help him on the other side.
