Twisted Kingdom: Royal Elite Book Three Read online

  I barely get a glance before he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder like a caveman.

  Squealing, I hold on to his back with both hands. “W-what are you doing, Aiden?”

  “I’m kidnapping you, sweetheart. It’s been long overdue.”

  26

  Elsa

  I’m being kidnapped.

  How does someone react when they’re kidnapped?

  It’s not like I have the manual or something. Considering my relationship with Aiden, I should’ve probably bought the thing.

  Deep down, I knew he’d do this someday. I knew he’d give the world his middle finger and whisk me away on his black horse.

  Like an old-fashioned kidnapper, Aiden tied my hands in front of me so they’re lying on my lap. He also covered my hands with a blanket so no one would see what he’s done.

  I should be thankful he didn’t strap my mouth with duct tape. But then again, that will draw people’s attention and Aiden is too smart for that.

  The car speeds into the distance like a wrecking ball. Aiden’s complete concentration is on the road. There’s no tick in his jaw or a twitch in his left eye.

  If I didn’t know better, I would say he appears serene. Peaceful even.

  Oh, who am I kidding? There’s no such thing as peaceful with Aiden. Not when I’m sure he heard all about the engagement.

  For the past hour or so, I’ve been thinking about what to say, but I’m distracted by his scent and sheer presence.

  I’m lost in how his dark jeans tighten around his muscular thighs and how his grey pullover brings out the metal colour of his eyes. His hair is dishevelled in a sexy bedroom kind of way, though some tiredness is wearing down his expression.

  I heard the flight from China to England is more than twelve hours. He must be exhausted. Still, I relish in the fact that he came to me first.

  He crossed the seas for me.

  Despite the circumstances, the breaths I take are deeper, cleaner, and so damn liberated.

  The itch to hug and kiss him writhes inside me like I’m possessed. I want to run my fingers through his hair, feel his slight stubble against my cheek, and let him own me.

  All of me.

  I had an epiphany during this separation and the subsequent marriage proposal with Ronan. I’ve always belonged to Aiden and he’s always belonged to me.

  It started ten years ago and has been ongoing since.

  I was just too stubborn — and scared — to admit it.

  The fact that Aiden’s not saying anything about the engagement is putting me on edge.

  Aiden’s silence is a lot worse than his words. His silence is the calm before the storm and the wind before the hurricane. It’s feeling your limbs shake right before an earthquake.

  The road becomes deserted the longer we travel. I thought he’d take me to the Meet Up, but we left London altogether.

  “Where are we going?” I ask.

  “A kidnapper doesn’t tell their victim where they’re going.”

  I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “You know I had nothing to do with the engagement.”

  Silence.

  “Dad only asked for my opinion.”

  “What was your response?”

  “I haven’t told him yet.”

  “So you’re considering it.”

  Shit. I didn’t want him to get to that conclusion. “Of course not.”

  “You know what’s the difference between you and me, Elsa?” His voice is rough, commanding, and hard. “I’m all in, but you always have a foot out. Even when we’re together, that brain of yours is always thinking of an escape plan.”

  His words hit me harder than they should.

  That’s it.

  All this time, I’ve always fought the idea of Aiden and me — even subconsciously.

  “You didn’t give me strong reasons to trust you,” I whisper. “It’s not like I resisted you without a reason.”

  “Are we playing that game? Because I had a stronger reason to hate you.” The calmness of his voice draws chills over my skin and down my spine. “You reminded me of the woman who destroyed my childhood, but I didn’t let my hate win. You let your distrust win every fucking time.”

  “Aiden —”

  “I chose you, Elsa.” He cuts me off, gripping the steering wheel so tightly, his knuckles turn white. “I chose you over my mother’s memory, my father, and everything I fucking know. But you never chose me.”

  “I wasn’t going to agree to the engagement.” My voice trembles despite my best efforts to remain unaffected.

  “You didn’t refuse either. If it were me, I would’ve done it on the spot.”

  “Like you did with Silver?”

  “That was fake and it happened long before you came along. It meant fuck all and you know it.” His eyes meet mine, dark, hard, and almost black. “But you were biding your time. You are thinking about something that should be non-negotiable.”

  “I was thinking about a way to refuse without hurting my dad. I finally have him back, and I can’t cause him or his company any harm.”

  He barks a humourless laugh that scrapes over my skin like daggers. “Your father, the company, your new family. They all come first. Where do I fit into your list of priorities, Frozen? Am I a fucking afterthought?”

  “That’s not true.”

  How the hell do I tell him that my world revolves around him when he’s so frustrating right now?

  Damn him and the way he gets under my skin.

  “While I was on the other end of the world, thinking about ways to come back to you sooner, you were thinking about your engagement,” he hisses the last word as if it leaves a foul taste in his mouth.

  “I was thinking about you, dickhead! I was thinking about how my life is an empty shell without you in it. I was re-reading your texts in class because I couldn’t stop missing you. I had to run in the rain like a lunatic because of thinking about you. So don’t sit here telling me that you’re an afterthought, Aiden. If you were, I wouldn’t be in so much pain right now.”

  My chest heaves with the raw breaths and the strain of my words. I turn my head in the other direction, not wanting to look at him.

  The car swerves into a dirt road. We bump for a few seconds before coming to a screeching halt underneath a tree. If it weren’t for the seatbelt, I would’ve toppled over.

  Still refusing to acknowledge him, I stare out into the distance. The flaming of my cheeks spreads to my entire body like a rapid-fire.

  Aiden places two fingers under my chin. His touch is rough, yet gentle at the same time.

  I jerk away. “I’m mad at you right now.”

  “I told you. We can be mad at each other while I touch you.”

  When he grips my chin again and turns me to face him, I’m ready to give him a piece of my mind. The hunger on his face stops me. It’s tangible and raw, so raw my own hunger responds in kind.

  A jolt of want zips through me and deep longing grips me in its merciless clutches.

  “You missed me, huh?” His metal eyes shine, almost becoming black.

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe is good enough.” He pauses. “For now.”

  His thumb grazes my jaw, and I feel it straight in my peaking nipples and slick core.

  My breath catches, but that’s not the only thing abnormal. My heartbeat is palpitating like crazy. I’m not sure if it’s because of my illness or Aiden’s touch.

  His fingers tilt my chin up and he captures my lips in a slow, soft kiss.

  This isn’t the time to be soft.

  I don’t want him to be gentle and take his time with my mouth. I want him to own me. I want him to fuck my brains out like he can’t breathe without me just like I can’t breathe without him.

  Manoeuvring my bound hands, I loop them over his neck. My fingers grip strands of his hair as I push my tongue up the roof of his mouth, demanding more.

  With a groan, Aiden is on top of me. His hard muscles flatten my chest,
nearly suffocating me.

  He’s too much.

  Too raw.

  Too... real.

  He fiddles with something on the side of the seat and we both topple backwards.

  My eyes flutter closed as I kiss him, my fingers toying with the hairs at the back of his neck. Our breaths mingle together, rough and unrestrained like a symphony. I arch my back and slowly roll my hips against his pelvis.

  That earns me a groan. Deep, and animalistic.

  “Fuck, sweetheart. I need to be inside you,” he grunts and yanks at his belt, nearly ripping it off.

  “I’m going to hurt you.” His blackening eyes slam into mine like a challenge.

  “Y-you will?” I ask in a small, trembling voice filled with excitement and thrill.

  “Oh, I will.” He grins, but it’s still intense. “And you’ll like it.”

  He yanks my skirt up and my underwear down. I don’t know how he’s made it inside of me, but he has. The brutal thrust stretches me open. I don’t only feel the fullness in my pussy, it’s ramming straight to my belly, all deep and hard.

  I grip the back of his neck for balance, my body arching off the seat.

  His thrusts turn merciless, and true to his words, it does hurt. It hurts so good. It’s the pleasurable type of pain only Aiden can give me.

  Like last week when I continued feeling him inside me for days. Every time I moved, every time I sat down, or ran, he was a constant reminder inside me.

  “I’m addicted to you. I’m obsessed with you. I’m mad about you.” With every word, he hits my most sensitive spot.

  My whimpers and moans tremble and vibrate off his throat with every pound and every touch of his lips against my heated skin.

  He feathers kiss after a kiss to the curve of my jaw, the corner of my mouth, and the tip of my lips. He licks them, devours them, feasts on them.

  My ears ring and my limbs quiver with the force of my pleasure. The orgasm rips through me like a heatwave, violent and uncontrollable. It’s not about the pleasure of the body anymore. It’s about the one who’s bringing me said pleasure.

  The damning realisation hits me.

  I’m screwed.

  There’s no way I’ll be able to live without Aiden King.

  Tears barge to my eyes as his body stiffens and his cum coats my inside. He collapses atop of me, his entire weight covering mine

  It’s not tears of sadness. No. They could even be tears of happiness. They might as well be tears of acceptance.

  Aiden props on his elbows, breathing heavily atop of me, the rise and fall of his chest vibrating on my skin. He licks my tears. One by each one.

  “Don’t cry.”

  He said it a long time ago, didn’t he? That it hurts him when I’m hurt.

  I stroke the hair on the back of his neck and we remain like that for what seems like forever.

  For a moment in time, it’s just me and Aiden shielded from the world.

  I even forget that we’re in public and some passing cars might have seen what happened in full detail. Hell, even if they didn’t see, they would’ve noticed the shaking of the car due to Aiden’s rough thrusts.

  Truth is, I couldn’t care less about what they saw.

  The only thing I care about is the person atop of me, protecting me from the world.

  “Now what?” I murmur after a while.

  “Now we go back to where it all started.”

  27

  Elsa

  Now we go back where it all started.

  It turns out to be here.

  My home in Birmingham.

  The scent of pine and copper fills the air like a thick fog. The cold, punishing wind whistles in the distance and blows blonde strands in front of my face.

  A shiver claws down my spine, causing my limbs to quiver. It’s not due to the wind or the cold.

  No.

  It’s the fact that I’m standing here with Aiden which hits me with a strange type of terror. The type that bleeds under your skin and forges wires around your bones.

  I’m shivering like a leaf in the pounding rain.

  This brings back a horrible feeling from a long time ago. I can taste the pungent taste on my tongue. Back then, I stood at the shore, my toes soaked by water as Eli dove into the lake and never surfaced.

  One second he was within touching distance, the next he was gone.

  Just like that. He was gone.

  That sensation burns through me and grips me by the throat, its nails scratching and scraping the skin. That sensation tells me without words that the past will repeat itself. This time, I’ll lose Aiden just like I lost Eli.

  “Why are we here?” I ask.

  “You said you want to know the truth.” Aiden touches my elbow. “You can do that where it all happened.”

  I’m tempted to shake my head, grab Aiden, and tell him to drive me to the nearest hotel.

  A part of me wants to run as far away as possible from this place and my dark, fucked up memories.

  But then again, what did running ever do for me aside from nightmares and unanswered question?

  If I keep being a coward, a large chunk of my life will be missing. I’ll always stare back at my reflection with confusion. I’ll always keep wondering about what-ifs and whys.

  Enough is enough.

  I’m done running.

  I’m done being a coward.

  It’s time I unravel my past. The good and the bad.

  Aiden stares down at me with a perfectly raised eyebrow. “You said you’re ready.”

  “I am.” I peek at him through my eyelashes. “Is this what you want to do?”

  “What I want to do is tie you to my bed and fuck you until you can no longer move. What I want to do is feast on your pussy instead of food and fill you with my cum.”

  The explicit images assault my mind and core. I feign anger. “Aiden!”

  “You asked.” He clutches my hand and interlaces our fingers together. “What I want can wait until you find out what you need.”

  A smile tugs on my lips. He can be so dreamy sometimes — the keyword being sometimes. It’s rare as hell.

  “Let’s take a detour.” He tugs me behind him as he tiptoes towards the back entrance.

  “Why can’t we use the front entrance? This is my house after all,” I whisper, somehow sensing we need to keep quiet.

  “Your father’s people will be at the door and immediately notify him of our arrival.”

  That must be why he parked the car far away from the property’s gate.

  “Why shouldn’t Dad know we’re here?”

  He grins. “I’m kidnapping you, remember?”

  “That’s not the only reason, is it?”

  “We can’t be interrupted.” His gaze roams the back entrance before he pushes the ajar door open.

  We slip through the storage room. No one is here. Agnus mentioned that since we don’t live in Birmingham for the moment, most of the staff was transferred to London.

  However, there are a few security men and a housekeeper.

  I pull on Aiden’s hand. He throws a glance over his shoulder in question.

  “We shouldn’t go through the kitchen. The housekeeper and her husband will be there.” I tug him in the opposite direction. “Follow me, there’s a secret path.”

  Aiden doesn’t protest as I guide him through a tight hallway leading straight to the eastern tower.

  I don’t hesitate as I take the twists and turns. I’ve been here countless times before.

  Due to the absence of windows, the only light coming through is from the tower’s opening. The walls are renovated, but they emanate the same darkness as before.

  Wait.

  I’ve taken this path from the storage room to the basement every day. I can imagine a little girl with pale skin and hair, walking through these tight, long halls alone at night, carrying a flashlight and struggling to drag a heavy bag.

  “This is how I came to find you every night,” I whisper.r />
  His lips twitch into a small smile. “I figured. Told you, Child Elsa was hardcore.”

  “It used to be scary back then, all dark and silent,” I blurt. “I always sang to myself so I wouldn’t get captured by monsters.”

  “Did it help?”

  “No. The fact that I’d find you at the end of the tunnel is what kept me going.” I glance at him over my shoulder. “You kept me going.”

  “You kept me going, too.” The smile still lifts his lips, but there’s no joy behind it. If anything, he appears a bit sad.

  We arrive at an intersection. I take the right one without thoughts. After a few more minutes of walking, we stop in front of a metal door. It’s fingerprint protected.

  The basement — or more specifically, the stairs that lead to the basement.

  “This is it,” I murmur, fighting the trembling in my limbs.

  “Whose fingerprint opens it?” Aiden asks.

  “Mine, Dad’s, and Agnus.” I exhale. “Dad told me I can come here whenever I’m ready.”

  “Who’s Agnus?”

  “Dad’s right hand.”

  “So that’s him.”

  “You know him?” I ask.

  “Jonathan mentioned him a time or two. Besides, you always talked about him back then.”

  I raise a shaky finger and miss the screen. A red light blinks back at us.

  Aiden cradles my hand in his and slowly places the pad on the fingerprint-recognising screen. It lights up in green.

  Both of us take a deep breath as we start to step inside.

  This is it.

  We’re taking a trip into our past.

  “Wait.” He holds up his hand. “Your phone.”

  I blink. “Why?”

  “Just give it to me.”

  Frowning, I reach into my pocket and hand him my phone. Aiden brings out his own, powers off both devices and places them in front of the door.

  “Why are you doing that?”

  “No interruptions, remember?” He takes my hand in his again and we resume walking inside. An automatic light goes on in the stairs. This is new. There were no lights aside from my flashlight back then.

  The metallic door clicks closed behind us.

  I jump at the small sound, and Aiden strokes the back of my hand with his thumb.