Reed putting himself between me and the men pouring into the room.
Grabbing for a blanket to cover myself and wondering, for one sleep-addled moment, why half a dozen cops were pointing guns at Reed.
Tanek.
My blood turned to ice and I couldn't think.
And then the worst possible thing. Halea came out of the bedroom.
I knew what would happen, but I couldn't stop it. Tanek grabbed her and handed her over to his guard. I barely heard what he said, but then the cops were throwing Reed to the ground and my brain finally registered the answer to his question.
Kidnapping and rape charges. I stared at Tanek in horror. I'd known he was a vile man, but I'd never imagined that he would have Reed arrested for rape. Tanek wasn't stupid. Having an American arrested was bad enough. The kidnapping charge would've been easy to dispute without any repercussions and Tanek could claim ignorance. No harm done.
Or, I realized, it would have been if the cops hadn't caught Reed and I naked on the couch.
This was all my fault.
Halea in danger. Reed arrested.
All of it was my fault.
There was no way this could end well. If Tanek had Reed formally charged, then all of this would go public. This could go two ways. I'd be forced to tell the truth, ruin my reputation, and be responsible for Tanek assaulting my sister in revenge. Or I would have to lie under oath and condemn the man I loved. Either way, I would be in disgrace, whether publicly or privately. Even worse, it would all have to be done in front of my parents. The Saja judicial system was similar to many other's, save that capital crimes such as kidnapping, rape and murder were always tried in front of the king and queen. They couldn't recuse themselves. They would have to hear every detail, whether real or made up.
I watched, helpless, as they dragged Reed from the room.
“We must take the princess to the hospital. She need to be examined by a doctor.” The police officer speaking with Tanek was slightly older than my husband, but it was clear the man was out of his depth.
“No,” Tanek said firmly. “If the princesses go to the hospital, someone will talk. We need to keep this quiet.”
I could feel his eyes on me.
“Princess Namisa is my wife and I would not have her dishonored this way.”
I ground my teeth together and prayed for the self-control I needed not to rush at Tanek and attack him. With Haley in the hands of Tanek’s guard I couldn’t do anything, for now at least.
“What do you wish us to do, Prince Tanek?” the officer asked.
“You may secure this as a crime scene regarding the charge of kidnapping. Let people think it was for money.”
I almost laughed at that. I hadn't looked into Reed's family, but I knew they were wealthy. All he had to do was hire a good lawyer who'd submit his bank statements and it would be clear that Reed wasn't after money. Then I remembered what he'd said about having given up much to be with me. If that had included his family's fortune, Tanek might be able to sell the kidnapping charge.
“I will take the princesses back to the palace,” Tanek continued. “From there, I will summon a discreet physician who can examine my wife.”
I risked a glance now. Tanek wasn't looking at me. The cop, however, was. He looked nervous and I didn't blame him. It was clear that he wasn't entirely sure what to do. He knew protocol and he wanted to protect his princess. He just wasn't sure how. I gave him a slight nod and saw the relief in his eyes.
“Very well, Prince Tanek.”
“And, Officer?” Tanek spoke as the cop was about to walk away. “Make sure your men know not to breathe a word of the secondary charge. I am sure the king and queen wouldn't look too kindly on those who disparaged their daughter’s reputation.”
“Yes, Sir.”
I felt a faint stab of vindictive joy at the anger on Tanek's face at not being referred to as 'your Majesty’. It was bad enough that he could demand to be called Prince. As heir to the throne, I was referred to with the same honor as both of my parents. Tanek would be unable to demand that title until I became queen.
And I didn't intend for him to be at my side when that happened.
“Princess Namisa.” Tanek turned to me, eyes still flashing at what he considered to be an insult. “You should get dressed before we leave.”
I nodded and hurried into the room and grabbed the clothes I'd been wearing yesterday. After a moment's hesitation, I took a t-shirt from Reed's bag and pulled it on over the camisole I'd been wearing. I could claim modesty and Tanek wouldn't argue, not in front of anyone. I closed my eyes and allowed myself a moment to feel the soft cotton on my skin, to breath in Reed's scent. It calmed me, and I opened my eyes.
When I walked out into the room, I kept my shoulders hunched, my arms crossed against my stomach. For all intents and purposes, I was the victim. As long as I played my part, my sister was safe. Tanek would know that it wasn't real, especially when he realized I was wearing one of Reed's shirts, but that didn't matter.
“Are you ready to go home?” Tanek made his question seem friendly, concerned, but I knew the truth.
“Yes.” I allowed him to take my arm, stifling a wince as he dug his fingers into my flesh.
The police officers all bowed their heads as I walked past and I knew it wasn't only a sign of respect, but an acknowledgement of what they thought had happened to me. I kept my eyes straight ahead as we came out into the hallway. The hotel wasn't very full, but what few guests they had on this floor were in the hall, wanting to know what was going on. I could feel their eyes on me, hear whispered rumors. As we reached the elevators, Tanek shifted, putting his arm around me instead. I guessed he wanted the gesture to look comforting, but he still managed to situate himself so that his fingers could pinch my waist.
Outside the hotel, I was relieved to see no reporters, only a car. The driver opened the door and Halea was there. She looked concerned but thankfully, unhurt. No matter what happened to me, I was determined to protect my sister. As we settled in the car, Tanek pulled me close, sliding his hand under the t-shirt and grabbing my breast. I made a small pained sound as his grip tightened and that seemed to satisfy him for the moment because he didn't make it worse.
He pressed his mouth against my ear, pitching his voice low so that Halea couldn't hear him. “You will pay for what you did.”
My stomach flipped and I twisted my fingers together to keep my hands from shaking.
“Your parents are gone until Wednesday. They do not know anything about what happened, so they will not be coming home early to rescue you from your punishment.”
I pressed my lips into a flat line, refusing to give him the satisfaction of another sound.
“Every night from now until they return, I will beat you until you learn your place. If my fists cannot convince you, then perhaps I will borrow a whip from the stables.” His fingers grasped my nipple, twisting it painfully. “Once I have finished with that part of your lesson, I will use you in whatever way I please.” He switched from our native language to English. “Your mouth. Your cunt. Your ass. You are mine. You will bear my son and he will make this country great.”
I had no doubt that he meant it all, or that once I gave him a son – I knew he wouldn't be satisfied with a mere daughter – my life would no longer have any importance. What I feared was that he would become impatient if pregnancy proved as difficult for me as it had been for my grandmothers and my mother. Would he simply get rid of me and take Halea? It wasn't something likely to happen soon, but I had a feeling that he wouldn't wait very long, probably only until Halea turned eighteen.
All of our guards came to greet the car and I wondered how Tanek's men had explained the escape. I was actually surprised to see them all there rather than in jail or beaten to a pulp. Tanek couldn't have been happy when he'd discovered Halea and I were missing.
“Kai, Tomas, take Princess Halea to her room.”
Both men glanced at me as they gestured for Halea to come with them. I avoided meeting their eyes. They couldn't know what Tanek had done to me. They would either kill him or go to my parents. While the first would relieve me of my problem, it would also put them in prison, no matter what their reasons had been. The second would put Halea in more danger.
“Claudel.”
A tall guard of French descent stepped forward. He was a grim-looking man, the kind that would've looked more at home lurking in a dark alley than he did here.
“Escort Princess Namisa to our chambers.”
Claudel gave Tanek a sharp nod.
“Keep the princesses in their rooms. Lock them in if necessary. They are not to leave.”
What was Tanek doing, I wondered. Was he going to lock me in my room for hours, letting me imagine all the things he planned to do to me?
He switched to English as he answered my unasked question. “I will be going to the police station to deal with the criminal who dared kidnap our princesses.” He glared at his guards. “And I will expect, upon my return, a competent explanation of how this happened, who is to blame and what is being done to prevent it from happening again.” He threw a glance in my direction before returning to the guards. “Punishments will be dealt out when I return.”
He got back into the car and Claudel came over to me.
“Princess,” he said stiffly as he offered me his arm.
He wouldn't be violent if I refused, I knew, but I also knew that word would get back to Tanek and this small act of rebellion didn't quite seem worth the price I knew I would pay.
I took his arm and let him lead me into the palace and through the corridors to the room I shared with my husband. As the doors shut behind me, I sank to the floor and wrapped my arms around my knees.
What had I done?
I rested my forehead on my knees. “Reed,” I whispered. “I am so sorry.” Hot tears slid down my cheeks. “I'm sorry.”
Chapter 9
Reed
I was actually surprised that I hadn't had the shit beaten out of me. Sure, the cops had shoved me around a bit more than had been necessary and I'd probably have some bruises from the manhandling, but I'd had worse rough-housing with friends growing up. Hell, I thought with a pang, I'd been hurt more by Nami's nails and teeth during sex.
Shit.
I looked down at my bare chest. There were faint half-moon indentations where she'd dug her nails.
I stood up and walked the few steps to the small mirror above the sink. I wondered if they realized it wasn't smart to have glass in a cell or if crime was so low they'd never had to consider what would happen if they'd put a truly violent criminal in here. I pushed the thought aside and studied my reflection. I wasn't looking for bruises, but rather for any mark Nami had left that could be taken as her having fought me.
I didn't have any scratches on my face, neck or chest. As far as I could tell, there weren't any on my back either, just a couple more of those half-circles near my shoulder blades. I flushed as I remembered her grabbing my ass at one point and wondered if I had the same marks there. I wasn't about to look though. The last thing I wanted was a cop coming in and catching me staring at my ass in the mirror. I had no clue what they'd make of that.
I went back to the bed and sat down. I rubbed at my wrists where the handcuffs had chafed. This was not how I'd envisioned things when I'd first come to Saja, or when I'd decided to save Nami yesterday. I had, however, known that this was a possibility when I'd taken both princesses back to my hotel room. Well, maybe not to this extent, but jail nonetheless. In my head, however, the kidnapping charges would be easily dismissed once I was taken before the king and queen and Nami told them she'd gone with me voluntarily.
But, of course, things couldn't be that simple.
It was my own fault, I knew. I shouldn't have slept with Nami last night. I should have just told her it wasn't a good idea and held her. Then again, what would've been the chances anyone would've believed that? Now, though, they had evidence, at least of a sexual encounter. I was actually surprised they hadn't taken me straight to a doctor to get swabs and take pictures and all that.
Fuck. I ran my hands through my hair. Was that what they were doing to Nami right now? Forcing her to get a rape kit done?
“Oh, baby, I'm so sorry,” I whispered.
I'd never thought she'd have to be subjected to this sort of humiliation. It was only now that I wondered if I'd left marks on her. Had I bitten her? I knew I hadn't been gentle. She hadn't wanted me to be. And now, even if she was able to feel safe enough to say that the sex had been consensual, people would know some of her preferences. That sort of thing was awful enough for someone not in the public eye, but for a princess...I could only imagine what she was going through.
I closed my eyes, my head resting in my hands. What was I going to do? I wasn't too worried about myself. I had the money to hire a good lawyer and the connections back in the States to put some pressure on Saja if I needed to. But Nami and Halea, what was I going to do about them?
“Piece of shit American.”
I looked up even though I didn't need to see him to know Tanek was the owner of the voice. He stood on the other side of the cell door, a smug look on his face. I stayed where I was, not trusting myself not to do something stupid...like smash his face against the bars repeatedly until he was unconscious.