To Bed a King (10 page)

“Nalu told Brier he’s received notes about men, with your signature.”

“That’s impossible,” Ghazi started to argue.

“I know. But the fact that someone is signing your name is a huge clue as to who’s behind all this.”

“How do you figure?”

Raven wrapped his arm around Ghazi’s waist. “Just watch Nalu for the next several minutes, and I think you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

“It’s time to sit down at the table,” Ghazi said.

“Shhh, trust me.”

Ghazi’s spine stiffened. “I do. A cold dinner has nothing to do with whether I trust you or not.”

Raven took a deep breath. He wondered if the two of them would always misunderstand each other. “I know,” he finally said, hoping to set his lover’s mind at ease.

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

65

He returned his attention to the doorway. Right on time, Brier walked into the room followed by Halim. His attention swung back to Nalu. The second the teenager spotted Halim, his face drained of colour as he hurriedly tried to look for an exit.

“Do you see what I see?” he asked Ghazi.

“Yes. What’s wrong with him?”

“I believe this is the first time either of us have seen Halim in the same room with Nalu.”

“You wished to see me, Your Majesty?” Halim stepped up to Ghazi, completely ignoring Raven.

Thankfully Ghazi was fast on his feet. “I’m finished working for the day. You may go home.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Halim gave Ghazi a slight bow before leaving the room.

Ghazi shook his head. “You don’t really think Halim…”

“Yeah, I do. I don’t know why. I mean, it could be his way of undermining your position, or just good old-fashioned greed.” Raven could tell Ghazi had a hard time coming to terms with the idea that Halim could be behind the prostitution on Jurru. “I’m sorry.”

Ghazi continued to shake his head. “It just doesn’t make any sense. Halim loves this island. Why would he do something that had the potential to destroy everything my father and grandfather have worked for?”

Raven wrapped both arms around Ghazi. “I wish I knew, but at least we now have a target to zero in on.” He glanced at Nalu. “I’d better make sure he’s okay. I’m going to take him out into the garden after dinner.”

“Should I speak to him?” Ghazi asked.

“Not yet. Let me see if I can get him to open up to me first.” He gave Ghazi a quick kiss.

“You can go ahead and call everyone to the table now.”

Ghazi nodded.

Raven walked towards Nalu, who had apparently calmed down since Halim left the room. “It’s okay,” he told the teenager. “I think I might have an idea of what’s going on. Brier said you’d agreed to talk to me after dinner.”

Before Nalu could answer, Ghazi invited his guests to sit. “I’d better do what he asks,”

Nalu said, gesturing to the table.

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

66

“Will you meet me in the garden after dinner?” Raven asked. He needed to lock Nalu into a meeting before he had time to talk himself out of it.

“Can Brier come?”

“Brier and Jared if it would make you feel more comfortable,” Raven answered.

Nalu glanced around the room. “Okay.”

* * * *

After a pleasant dinner, Raven, Brier, Jared and Nalu disappeared out into the garden, and Ghazi invited Jackie and Seb to join him on the balcony just off his private study.

“Cigar?”

Seb grinned and took one. He held it up to his nose and sighed. He took the cutter Ghazi offered and snipped the end off before handing it back. “It’s been a long time since I’ve smoked one of these.”

Jackie shook his head. “No thanks.”

Ghazi selected one of the cigars and returned the humidor to his study. He handed the lighter to Seb before cutting the end off of the expensive cigar.

“Did you choose this location on purpose?” Jackie asked.

Ghazi took a seat and smiled at the small group of men in the garden below. “Raven has told me many times what a jealous man Seb is. I assumed it would be the best way to reassure Seb his partner is safe.”

Seb took a puff of his cigar and grunted. “People blow my jealous tendencies out of proportion all the time.”

“Yeah, right,” Jackie countered. “You don’t want Raven anywhere near Jared and you know it.”

“Why?” Ghazi asked. He had to admit to himself that his own jealousy was starting to rear its ugly head. “Has he tried to get close to Jared before?”

“Yes,” Seb answered.

“No,” Jackie said at the same time. Jackie shook his head. “We both know the only reason he offered to drive Jared back and forth to work was because he knew it would make you get off your stubborn ass and claim Jared as yours.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Raven didn’t get his reputation for nothing,” Seb growled.

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

67

Jackie cleared his throat. “So,” he started, turning to regard Ghazi. “The two of you looked rather cosy at dinner.”

Ghazi didn’t know either man well, but he resented any implication that he was one of many in Raven’s life. Announcing his feelings to the two men went against his sense of privacy, but he intended to make damn sure they knew his feelings for Raven. “I’m in love with him.”

Jackie whistled. “I bet he’s in hog heaven.”

Confused by the statement, Ghazi’s head tilted to the side. “Hog heaven?”

“Happy. I bet Raven’s happy,” Jackie quickly clarified.

“Actually, I don’t think he believes me. He keeps trying to remind me that he was adopted. I’m not sure why that would make him any less a man in his eyes, but it seems to weigh heavily on his shoulders.”

Jackie and Seb looked at each other. Ghazi couldn’t read their twin expressions.

“What?” he asked.

“We didn’t know he was adopted. He’s never talked much about his past. I mean, I’m sure Mac and Bram know, they’re the ones who hired him, but I’m his boss and I didn’t know. Did his biological folks die?” Seb asked.

“No. I mean, I don’t know anything about his father, but his mother couldn’t be bothered to stop drinking, so they took Raven away from her.”

Seb stared at the end of his smouldering cigar. “Maybe we have more in common than I thought.”

“You were adopted?” Ghazi asked.

“No. I wasn’t that lucky, but you never completely get over the fact that you weren’t worth hanging onto.” Seb set the cigar in the ashtray and stared over the balcony to the men below. “From experience, I can tell you the only way to convince Raven that you’ll stay is to wake up every morning beside him. Words won’t do it.”

“Do you really think Jared would ever leave you?” Jackie asked.

“Of course. I keep thinking someday he’ll wake up, take a look at me and wonder why the hell he’s tied himself down to a grouchy sonofabitch like me.”

Ghazi had seen the two men together over the last two days. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. If Seb still felt the way he did, would loving Raven be a constant battle of reassurances?

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

68

“You’re wrong,” Jackie said. “You’re that man’s entire world.”

Seb nodded, never taking his eyes off Jared. “That’s what he tells me.” He blinked several times before looking at Jackie. “I love him more than my own life. I’m not foolish enough to push him away, but I guess I realise what a gift every day with him is.”

Seb eventually turned his attention to Ghazi. “If you love Raven, tell him, often. But sticking by his side no matter what will do more for his sense of worth than anything.”

“And when he tries to push me away?” Ghazi asked, remembering the arguments they’d had lately.

“He’s testing you, in his own way. He may not even realise it, but he is.”

“Testing me?”

“He’s probably still working through the reasons behind his mother’s indifference.

Maybe he’s trying to see how far he can go before you leave him.” Seb stood and stretched his arms over his head. “I’m gonna get another beer. Anyone else?”

“Sure,” Jackie said, handing Seb an empty bottle.

“I’m fine,” Ghazi answered. He had a lot to think about.

* * * *

Once all four of them were settled on the benches beside the reflecting pond, Raven turned to Nalu. “Can you tell me everything from the beginning? I think I already know who the Guardian is by your reaction at dinner, but I’d like to hear it from you.”

“Where do I start?” Nalu asked.

“How did you originally come to live on Jurru?”

“My mother sold me to a man because she couldn’t afford to feed me,” he whispered.

“And this man brought you to Jurru? Then what?”

Nalu shrugged. “He found someone else.”

“And just left you here on your own?” Raven asked, appalled that someone could do such a thing.

Nalu shook his head. “He took me to Sanctuary. I didn’t know why at the time, but it was a nice place, and I got to go to school.”

“And that’s when you started working for the Guardian?” Jared asked.

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

69

“No. It wasn’t until I filled out a piece of paper asking the King if he would let me become a citizen. He said yes, but I would have to do my part as a res…responsible citizen if I wanted to stay.”

Raven sat back and scrubbed his face with his hands. He knew from talking to Ghazi that Nalu had become a citizen while Ghazi’s father, King Jaleel Zahar was in power. How could he possibly tell Ghazi his father had started the prostitution services on Jurru?

“And Halim? What part does he play?” he forced himself to ask. Raven felt eyes on him and looked around the garden before finally glancing up. He met Ghazi’s stare and took a deep breath. Although he would have to break his lover’s heart, the heat in Ghazi’s dark eyes made him want.

“He calls himself the Guardian, but we call him the Hammer,” Nalu confessed. “He gives us our assignments, pays for the house.” Nalu shrugged. “I guess we’d all be out on the street without him so I shouldn’t say too much.”

The statement brought Raven back to the situation at hand. “That’s bullshit, ya know?

There’s a quote that I read in a book that has stuck with me since the day I said it aloud to myself. If you have to crawl to live, stand and die.”

“That sounds pretty. What does it mean?”

“Well, it might be different for someone else, but to me it means if you’re unhappy with your life, stand up and fight for yourself. You’re the only one with the power to change who you are and where you’re headed.”

Raven leant forward and gazed into Nalu’s eyes. “So, do you want a different life, Nalu?”

Nalu began to finger the light brown dreadlocks that clung to his shoulders. “I like my friends, and I love living on Jurru.”

“Okay, that’s a start. So what would you change if you could?” Raven asked.

“You know.” Nalu shook his head before turning to look at Brier. “He told me sex was different with someone you cared about.”

Raven thought back to the way Ghazi’s tenderness made him feel. “Yes. It can be very different, better.”

“I guess I want that.”

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

70

“And I’m sure you’ll get it someday, but for now, you deserve the life of a teenager.”

Brier stood and knelt in front of Nalu. “I never had that. I didn’t get to go to high school. I wish I could have gone to one of those dances I see on television, but it’s too late for me.”

Brier took Nalu’s hands in his. “I want those things for you.”

Raven wiped the moisture from his eyes at the simple plea. He noticed he wasn’t the only one affected by Brier’s honesty. Both Nalu and Jared were also teary-eyed.

Nalu wiped his face with his arm. “How would I get money to live? I don’t know how to do anything else.”

“You’re only fourteen,” Raven reminded Nalu. “Now is the time for others to help take care of you. I’ll make sure you get the education you need so you can become anything you want to.” He knew in that moment he would do anything to give Nalu a chance to thrive.

Raven swallowed around the lump in his throat. He wondered if his dad felt the same way when he’d scooped Raven off the chair in the bar so long ago. “Deal?” he asked, holding out his hand.

Instead of shaking his hand, Nalu leant over and hugged Raven. Fighting his emotions, Raven enveloped the teenager in a hug.
It’s a start.

* * * *

“What’re you doing out here all by yourself?” Seb asked, sitting in the chair next to Raven’s.

“I told Ghazi about his father and Halim, and he said he needed to be alone. What’re you doing out here?” Raven asked.

Seb shrugged. “Jared’s playing pool with Nalu, Jackie and Brier. I noticed you were missing, so I thought I’d look for you.”

Raven chuckled. “Did you think I was lost?”

“Aren’t you?” Seb asked, no trace of humour in his expression.

The question surprised him, but before answering, Raven took the time to really think about it. “No. Actually, I think for the first time in my life I might be where I’m supposed to be.” He glanced at Seb. “So how do I convince Ghazi I’m worthy?”

“You don’t.”

“Gee, thanks.” Raven sighed.

TO BED A KING

Carol Lynne

71

“What I meant was that you don’t have to convince him, he’s already convinced. He loves you, Raven.”

“Yeah. He loves me so much he prefers to deal with the news on his own.”

“This isn’t about you. The man’s just found out his father, the man he’s looked up to his entire life, was no better than a pimp. Give him a fucking break, dude.”

“But I thought people in love were supposed to lean on each other when things went wrong.”

“They are, usually. Some things a man has to work out on his own though. Doesn’t mean he loves his partner any less.”

Seb made a lot of sense, but Raven still couldn’t get over the fact that the man was actually there sitting next to him. “Why’re you talking to me? You never do that.” A thought occurred to him. “Are you feeling sorry for me or something?”

“Sorry for you? Please. You’ve got a freaking King in love with you. I just thought you might need someone to talk to. I actually like you, ya know.”