His Forbidden Desire Read online

  The concern beating in time with his heart was only because her out on the island alone meant she was an innocent in danger. Not because it was Cami, specifically, in danger.

  Liar.

  He stopped short. Damn it, he knew better than to lie to himself. It served the same purpose of crippling himself physically. Worse in some ways, it created a blind spot that could be taken advantage of by someone enterprising. If he couldn’t admit that Cami had somehow gotten beneath his skin, then he opened up a weak area for his enemies to strike.

  She mattered.

  He cared whether she made it through this Hunt unscathed. The thought of one of those pieces of shit hurting her …

  Luca clenched his hands. He would find her. He would keep her safe.

  He would betray her, yes, but at least she would remain safe in the process. If she never forgave him, well, that was a small price to pay. He’d lived his entire life up until the last week with little knowledge of the Thalanian king’s little sister, and he’d continue for the rest of his life just the same.

  Liar.

  This time, Luca shoved the snide internal voice aside. It served no purpose to worry about the future beyond the Hunt. Beyond tempting the Bookkeeper to the island, beyond doing whatever it took to get him to name his employers.

  Beyond finally getting the justice they deserved.

  What was his attraction to a tempting princess compared to that? Attraction came and went. The only thing consistent was his found family. They understood him. They knew what he needed to get through this life with his sanity intact. How could he bring another person into that, show them the demons that plagued him, and expect them to understand?

  No, better to keep others at a distance.

  Better to keep Cami at a distance.

  Should have thought about that before you stuck your hand down her pants.

  Luca was so busy being irritated over his lack of control, he almost missed the sound of a boot scraping against rock. He spun around just as one of the competitors—Vann, one of the Bookkeeper’s men—brought his knife down in a vicious overhand strike. Luca got his arm up in time to deflect the blow, but the blade cut through his skin easily. Better his arm than his back, but that didn’t stop the pain from radiating through him.

  “Not so tough without the other three at your back, are you?” Vann’s accent spoke of Eastern Europe, though not quite as far east as Russia. The Bookkeeper might have brought in champions from far-flung locations to prevent Ryu from searching out his identity through those connections, but at the end of the day it didn’t matter. Only one could win.

  Unfortunately for Vann, it wouldn’t be him.

  Luca didn’t bother to respond. The other man wanted to edge him into anger, to drive him to make a mistake. He ducked under Vann’s next strike and delivered a devastating punch to his stomach. Strike, strike, strike. One hit after another, a combination he moved through as easily as breathing.

  Vann was made of tougher stuff than he’d anticipated, though. He didn’t go down, though he wove on his feet, bleeding from the cut on his cheekbone. He adjusted his grip on his knife and grinned through bloody teeth. “Good. Not good enough.” He went after Luca faster than he should have been able to after that last hit.

  Luca scrambled back a step, cursing himself for being too cocky. When was the last time he had a real fight, one outside the ring?

  Too long.

  He dodged another swing and pulled his own knife. A fucking knife fight. And, worst of all in some ways, it felt like slipping into an old skin he hadn’t quite outgrown. He instinctively bent his knees, the better to maneuver and counterstrike.

  All the expensive suits and technology and power and, in the end, he was still that boy in the woods, so filled with rage that he was more animal than human.

  Vann stabbed at him. Too slow this time. Luca grabbed his arm and jerked him closer.

  Right into Luca’s knife.

  The other man’s eyes went wide and he cursed. “Fucking fool.”

  “I’m not the one bleeding out from a gut wound.” He shoved Vann to the ground. “You have an hour, maybe two, before that ends you. Tap out.” Every competitor came with the equivalent of a panic button. Pushing it meant aid—and instant disqualification. Luca shrugged at the stubborn look on the other man’s face. “Or try to stay in the game and die a hundred yards down the beach. Your choice.” He cleaned his knife and slid it back into the sheath.

  Then Luca turned and walked away.

  He barely made it three steps when Vann’s laugh stopped him cold. “You think you can keep that girl safe?” He laughed again and had to clutch his stomach as the sound devolved into something pain-filled. “Dolph is already tracking her. He’s going to rip her to pieces while you’re here fucking with me.” Another laugh, low and vicious. “There will be nothing left for you to clean up when he’s done with her.”

  Fear spiked, cold and cloying. There was no way Vann could know that. Luca didn’t even know where Cami was on the island right now. “You’re just talking shit.”

  “Keep telling yourself that.”

  He turned without another word and resumed his path north. Let the man die or call for help. Either way, he was one less person to threaten Cami. One of them still has to win. So be it. But not Vann. And not Dolph. That only left one of the Bookkeeper’s people. He’d have to be careful about eliminating targets going forward, but he wasn’t saintly enough to let himself be taken out of the game to preserve Amarante’s plan.

  Especially now.

  11

  Cami had never been particularly patient. It was a skill her oldest brother excelled at. Playing chess with him was a lesson every single time, because she invariably did something impulsive, and within three moves, he’d achieved checkmate. Every. Single. Time.

  She couldn’t afford to be impulsive now.

  She’d scouted the area around the pit, ensuring that there were no other traps to avoid, and plotting different courses that would bring her back to her destination. The temptation to simply keep heading inland until she found someone was almost too strong to deny, but she ignored it.

  This was how she would win.

  It was afternoon before her patience bore fruit. Footsteps sounded through the trees just north of her position. Cami held her breath from her spot in her tree, waiting until she caught sight of the man before she moved. He wasn’t one of those attached to the large group of competitors, and he wasn’t Liam. No, this one was the lone guy who hadn’t bothered to talk to anyone as best as she could tell. She hadn’t been able to get a good read on him back on the small island, but there was a desperation to his movements here. Whether that was because of the jungle itself or the Hunt, she had no idea.

  In the end, it didn’t matter.

  Cami dropped to the ground as quietly as she could just to the south-west of him. She let herself make a pained whimpering sound and was rewarded when he froze. At least he’s capable. That makes this more believable. She hurried in the direction of her trap, making so much noise through the trees that she had to stifle a wince.

  “Princess.” His low voice almost stopped her cold, but she was committed to this plan.

  She cast a panicked look over her shoulder and picked up her pace. He cursed and did the same. “I’m not going to hurt you, princess, but I have to win this.” Still with that low tone, and damn but he sounded almost regretful. Some of the competitors might be monsters, but she didn’t think this one was.

  Something akin to guilt spiraled through her, but she ignored it. The endgame was all that mattered. Cami slowed the tiniest bit until he was right on her heels, almost close enough to reach her.

  And then she leapt over the pit.

  They were moving too fast from him to course-correct, even if he’d realized what she was doing. She landed on the other side and took three large steps. He crashed through the thin mat and into the pit.

  Cami dropped to the ground and pressed a hand to he
r racing heart. Holy crap, it worked. She’d hoped it would but … But it had. Her euphoria withered away in the wake of his curses.

  Reluctantly, she crawled to the edge of the pit and looked down at him. Gone was the reluctance. He threw himself against the walls like a crazed person. “Goddamn it! Let me out!”

  “I’m sorry.” She wasn’t. Not really. She’d only done the same thing he’d intended—whatever it took to win. “It’s not personal.”

  “You don’t fucking understand.” He jumped, missing the top by a bare six inches. “I need this win! My sister needs me to win. Goddamn you, let me out!”

  There was no use apologizing again. They all had their reasons for being there and if she felt bad that he wouldn’t get the favor to help his sister or whatever his reasoning was, she couldn’t let that guide her actions. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

  Cami rose and walked to where she’d stashed her bag. With his curses still ringing in her ears, she pressed her lips together to keep yet another apology inside and hurried away. He’d attract other competitors, if only to see what had happened to him. She didn’t think any of them would help him out of that pit, but best if she wasn’t here to find out.

  She was so busy trying to put as much distance between her and his yelling that she forgot to check her surroundings. One moment she was striding purposefully through the trees, the next something closed around her ankle and yanked her feet out from beneath her. Her head hit the ground and then she was airborne, dangling several feet off the jungle floor. She’d lost her bag in the scuffle, and it landed several key inches below her fingertips.

  Cami twisted, trying to get a better look at what held her. It seemed to be a simple snare, and she cursed herself for missing it in the first place. Easy enough fix. She took a breath and slipped her knife out of its sheath. At least she wouldn’t have far to fall once she cut the snare.

  It was still going to hurt.

  She braced herself and bent in half, swiping up to cut the rope.

  She never made contact. A hand closed around her wrist, neatly divesting her of her blade. She twisted away, well aware that he chose to release her. Spinning, spinning, until her motion finally slowed enough for her to get a good look at him.

  Luca.

  She should have known.

  The arm of his gray shirt was stained with blood and he looked absolutely furious. Luca, furious? Color me shocked. He waved her knife at her, though she noticed he was careful to keep it well away from where her body swayed. “Who’s in that pit back there?”

  He was going to interrogate her? Really? She crossed her arms over her chest, and then felt silly for doing it upside down. “Cut me down.”

  “Answer the question.”

  “I don’t know.” She huffed. “Not Liam, not the woman, and not one of the group that seems to be working together. Will you let me down now?”

  “Bellamy.” He spoke the name in a contemplative kind of way. “Good.” Luca crouched down until he was almost even with her face. “Promise me that you won’t run again and I’ll cut you down.”

  Like that was going to happen. “You can fuck right off with that blackmail.”

  “Language, princess.”

  The fact he was tsking her when every other word out of his mouth was “fuck” might have made her laugh if she wasn’t so ready to scream. “Cut. Me. Down.”

  “Promise.”

  Oh, screw this. She bent in half and scrambled to grab the rope around her ankle. If he wouldn’t return her knife so she could cut herself down, she’d just figure out a way to untie herself.

  Except her hands slips on the greased rope. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  “Honestly, do you think we’d set traps that are possible to get out of?”

  Considering the quality of the cage and the steel walls of the pit, she should have known better, but Cami wasn’t in the mood to be forgiving. She glared up at him. “Fine. You win. I won’t run from you.” Until you’re looking the other way and I’m sure I can escape.

  Luca chuckled. “If you’re going to lie, you should be more convincing.”

  “Forgive me if I’m not in the mood to put a pretty face on your blackmail. Would you prefer a notary agreement or would a blood oath suffice?”

  His chuckle rolled into an honest to god laugh. “You’re kind of cute when you’re pissed.”

  Okay, she wasn’t going to run from him. She was going to kick his teeth in. “And considering the two women you call sisters, I would think you’d be smarter than to laugh at a woman furious with you.”

  That sobered him, though there was still something like merriment in his dark eyes. “I concede that point. At least give me a chance to talk before you make a run for it.”

  “You had your chance to talk. I listened. I am disinclined to play damsel to your knight in tarnished armor.” She should be smart and at least make the appearance of giving him what he wanted, but Cami was too frustrated to bother. He’d see right through it no matter what she tried.

  “We find ourselves at an impasse, then.” He straightened and looked around. “You know, his yelling is going to draw others.”

  “I’m aware,” she gritted out.

  “It would be a shame if they found you hanging here like a prize just waiting to be grabbed.”

  Oh, she was most definitely going to make him pay for this. “You’re a crappy protector if you’re just going to leave me for whoever comes by first. I suppose that answers my suspicions about how trustworthy you are—as in, you aren’t.”

  His jaw went tight. “We’ll continue this conversation later.” Luca moved closer, dodging her kick easily and cut the cord attached to her ankle. The ground rushed up, but he caught her around the thighs before she could hit, and then lowered her to the ground.

  She had every intention of running immediately, but the blood rushed from her head and spots danced across her vision. “I really don’t like you very much right now.”

  “You weren’t saying that last night.”

  He just had to go there, didn’t he? She pressed her fingers to her temples. “Don’t be an asshole just because I’m not tripping over my feet to let you help me.”

  Luca opened his mouth, seemed to reconsider, and shut it. “I am an asshole. Painting me in a different light is only going to disappoint you.”

  Cami closed her eyes and strove for patience. She couldn’t tell if he was legitimately trying to be a decent guy and just failing miserably, or if he was … She didn’t even know what the other option was. If Luca wanted to use her to win the game, he could have done it the first night. If he wanted to use her to ensure the right person won …

  She’d just have to outmaneuver him.

  Obviously that wasn’t going to happen by fleeing, because he kept finding her. She’d just have to use him until the competitors were down to a single number and then escape that way. Surely if she kept moving, she could stay ahead of him?

  Cami wouldn’t know until she tried.

  She pasted a sweet smile on her face even though she still wanted to kick him in the shin. “I’ll take that into consideration. Shall we get moving?”

  Luca didn’t trust this new amiable Cami, but the change served his purposes so he didn’t question it. Yet. He glanced at the camera situated in the tree across from them, the perfect spot to capture this trap and anyone caught in it. They had to keep up appearances.

  He grabbed Cami’s arm and hauled her into the trees. There would be another camera … Ah, there it was. “Keep your head down.”

  “I really, really don’t like you right now.”

  “Trust me.”

  She snorted, which was no more than he deserved. He hadn’t done shit to earn her trust, and the next few days wouldn’t do anything to change that. Luca kept them moving at a fast march until they reached a spot where the cameras weren’t positioned so closely together. Only then did he release her.

  Cami immediately edged away from him. “You hav
e a plan.”

  It wasn’t quite a question, but he still treated it like one. “We’re three competitors down. Bellamy, Brianna, and Vann. That only leaves Liam, Dolph, Edward, and Envy.”

  She blinked. “The other goon’s name is Edward?”

  “Yes. Weren’t you paying attention during introductions?”

  “I missed introductions, Luca. I’m the White Stag. We don’t get to cozy up with the competitors.”

  That was right. He’d forgotten that the first dinner was more informal. The naming of the competitors was a ritual that happened right before they took off in pursuit, and Cami hadn’t been there for that. “Sorry.”

  “Are you apologizing for forgetting that I wasn’t in the room? Or for the fact that I’m being hunted right now as we speak?”

  “For all of it.”

  Cami looked like she wanted to rip him a new one, but she sighed. “We should keep moving.”

  We.

  He had no business looking into that word, but he liked the way it rolled off her lips. It wouldn’t—couldn’t—last, so he shoved it from his mind and moved closer. “We have to keep up appearances.”

  Understanding flashed through her blue eyes. “I suppose that would skew the bets if they thought I had inside help.”

  “Exactly.” And it could spook the Bookkeeper. Luca took Cami’s arm. “I have somewhere safe we can spend the night and plan—away from the cameras.”

  “Four days left.” She glanced over her shoulder, where they could still hear Bellamy yelling. She flashed Luca a guilty look. “He sounded like he had a really good reason for being here.”

  “All the competitors have a good reason for being here. It’s too dangerous a game to play unless they’re desperate for the prize.” Or are being paid enough to secure it for someone else.

  She finally nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

  There was nothing else left to say. He towed her behind him, careful to keep his grip light and his pace even. Not that Cami had any difficulties keeping up. She moved through the jungle nearly as easily as he did, just as comfortable here as she’d been in that pink gown and heels.