King Maker (King Maker 3)

His grin was wide. “After the way you screamed, I am.” He took my hand. “Now there’s one more place we have to go.”

He drove us to Lizzy’s building, confusing me.

Was he taking us down memory lane? Only he didn’t park out front, which he had a number of times before. He pulled into a spot in the underground garage.

He freed my hand from his dick. “You’ve done enough teasing.”

Innocently, I blinked at him. “Have I? Or was that just payback?”

I’d been stroking him while he drove. I considered straddling him, but we arrived before I’d made up my mind.

Now he lunged and I managed to get out of the car in a fit of giggles. As I watched him exit the car, I noticed the reserve sign posted on this spot.

“Should you park here?” I asked.

“It’s fine,” he said, ushering me to a bank of elevators. “I own a few units in the building.”

My jaw dropped. “Is that how you got in and out of the building without ringing up first?”

I thought over the many times he’d shown up at our door unannounced.

He nodded. “I meant to tell you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “How many other secrets are you keeping?”

“It wasn’t a secret, lass. It just never came up.”

“Because we were busy fucking?”

“Exactly. Though I brought you here to show you one. I had a tenant move out and I had a realtor showing the place. But I thought—”

“You want to move? Why?”

We stepped into the elevator when it arrived.

“My father purchased my place. I thought maybe we should have something of our own.”

This man floored me every day. I threw myself in his arms.

“Aye, lass. But you may not like it.”

“This doesn’t have the security your apartment has. You’re suggesting this so I can be near Lizzy.”

I bit my lower lip while waiting for him to answer. He reached out and gently pulled my lip free.

“I know you need your tribe. I just thought—”

I didn’t let him finish. I kissed his beautiful mouth like there was no tomorrow.

When he pulled back, he said, “We’re here.”

I turned and followed him out of the elevator. There were only two doors. He went to the right and used a key to open the place.

With a flick of a switch, light brightened the place. High ceilings and minimalistic furniture made it feel wide open. Wood in warm colors covered the floor and cabinets in the kitchen I could see from the open concept room.

“Wow.” I breathed and let my eyes take in the place.

It was huge, with a hallway to the left and a spiral staircase just to the right of that.

I walked forward, wondering if I could live in such a place. It was far bigger than Lizzy’s. It did have the floor-to-ceiling windows with a dazzling view of the city much like his current home.

“Come. Let me show you the bedroom.”

I thought he’d lead me down the hallway. Instead, we took the stairs. Down a short hall he opened a door into a huge bedroom.

The lights blinked on as we entered. Like everything downstairs, the room was bathed in warm wood and cream tones on the lamps and bedding.

On the left, a door stood open with lights on. That light had been on before we came in. Curiosity pulled me in that direction.

A scream pierced the air and it had come from me. Blood and lots of it marred the cream tiled floors.

“It took yer a while.”

I spun because that wasn’t Kalen’s voice. He did too.

A man stood in the doorway with a gun pointed in our direction. He waved it. “Move there,” he said.

He wanted us to move to the center of the room.

My father had taught me many things but not how to get out of this situation. He’d advised to do whatever the gun holder wanted and wait for an opportunity.

Kalen did something else. He moved so his back faced the windows, leaving me perpendicular to him. The gunman would have to choose his target, and from Kalen’s facial expression, he assumed that was him.

“On yer knees,” the gunman said, pointing the gun at Kalen. When he was slow to comply, the gun swung in my direction. “I can make this a two-for-one. She and yer bairn are dead if you don’t do as I ask.”

After a quick pleading glance at me, Kalen did as the man asked.

“No,” I cried out and went to make a run for him.

“I wouldn’t do that, lassie,” the gunman said.

I stepped back, feeling I had no option at the moment. A bullet was faster than me and the guy wasn’t close enough for me to tackle without him firing first.

“Where’s Keely?” the gunman asked Kalen.

That answered one question.

“Where she ought to be,” Kalen said.

“The bitch has my money or rather yers and I want more. Yer ruined me that night and I want payback with interest.”