“Ready my knights for battle. They will ride with their king once more. I have lived through others for far too long. Lancelot carried my honor, and Guinevere, my guilt. Mordred bears my sins. My knights have fought my causes. Now, my brother, I shall be... king.” —Excalibur 1981
Del
I have to shower after that, and lucky me, I get to shower with the guy who had me in such a hot twisted mess that we needed to use his shirt to clean up between my thighs.
No regrets.
He very confidently walks me through the house; we only see Maksim, who grins and holds up his hand for a high five while I hold my sweats against me.
King, of course, gives him a high five reminding me that yet again, these guys are young, so young, just like me, but they get it.
They know the balance.
That’s good parenting.
Of course, I would think that before having King wash up and down my body, his mouth goes to my breasts again, and I want more; I need more.
Fingers dance along my skin as he washes me.
My mind’s completely unlocked, completely his, just like my heart, his hands move to my waist again, my wet hair sticking to both his chest and my cheeks.
I feel his smile against my mouth as his tongue dives in. He tastes so warm, so perfect, and now that I’m fully his, now that I’ve made my choice, I wonder why it was so hard in the first place.
I’m so distracted by his mouth that I don’t hear the door open to the bathroom until a knock sounds on the counter. “Not like I want to interrupt your loud shower sex…” the voice says.
King gently sets me on the tile; it’s not like anyone can see us through the thick glass and partial rock wall. “What is it?”
“It’s time.”
King lowers his head. “You have him?”
“It’s our only lead. Our only choice.”
King nods and shares a look with me. “I’ll be right out.”
He’s serious now, all business.
“Who?” I grab his arm. “Who do you have?”
“Ash.” Is all he says. “I have Ash.”
“What?” I nearly yell it. “What the hell do you mean you have Ash?”
“Let me deal with it.” His eyes are pained. “It’s all I have—he ran out a few days ago, and we pinged the signal; it was the same restaurant my parents were at, where Nixon was at, so what the hell am I supposed to do? He’s not supposed to be shadowing them or guarding, so what other choice do I have?”
“But to torture him.” My hand falls. I feel sick to my stomach. It can’t be Ash. It just can’t be.
“Yeah.” His voice rasps then repeats, “What other choice do I have?”
My head snaps up. “Me. Use me.”
“What?” He turns off the shower and grabs a towel wrapping me in it before walking out naked.
At least Valerian just looks bored next to Maksim as they stand there and wait for me and King to stop talking.
I see someone else outside the bathroom all bandaged up and do a double-take when I realize it’s Roman, and he looks like he just got in a car wreck.
“It makes no sense,” I say for the millionth time. “You keep saying that, so why does it make no sense? Because it doesn’t! Someone’s setting you guys up trying to divide you. That’s what makes sense.”
“Also makes sense that it’s Ash.” Maksim shrugs. “Sorry, bad timing. I love him, but…”
“Ignore him,” Valerian says through clenched teeth. “Look, I don’t have the answers, and could you please give her a bigger towel?” He looks respectfully away.
King grabs another nearby towel and covers me even more.
I’m frustrated.
Irritated.
There has to be an answer.
Normally if my dad, you know, wasn’t dead and had actually been a good person, I’d go to him, ask some questions.
Only a truly horrible person would actually do something so—
I look up. “Don’t hit him yet.”
“Ash?” Maksim laughs. “He’s been hit so many times, Roman helped…”
King gives him a shut the hell up look.
“What?” Maksim shrugs. “Sorry, sometimes I don’t have feelings.”
Valerian chokes on a laugh and then sobers. “Sorry, I just forget how entertaining he is. All right, princess, nay, new queen, what amazing idea do you have?”
“My uncle has been way too quiet. Too… perfect.”
Valerian rolls his eyes. “Of course he has; he finally got everything he wanted.”
As he says it, he realizes that’s not totally true.
“Except…” I throw a hand up. “His nephew-in-law on the throne, truly on the throne. Complete power.”
“He’s not that smart,” Roman calls from his spot outside the bathroom. “Sorry, eavesdropping is kind of my job.”
The room falls silent.
King looks at me, and I can almost feel my soul dying. He won’t hear me out, will he? He’s going to think I’m crazy, and then he’s going to hurt Ash.
I feel like a failure.
The guys say nothing as I nod my head and walk out of the room nearly naked, disappointed in them, myself, and the world.
Knowing full well that Ash is about to get the shit beat out of him again for being innocent and for being the only one strong enough to knock King off his throne.