To Bed a King Read Online Free Page B

goon he’d spoken with earlier approached him. “Mr. Phillips is not happy.”
    “Too damn bad. Where’s the boy?”
    “Mr. Phillips said to tell you he made the appropriate payments. He has the right to keep the boy for two more days.”
    In a flash, Raven had the muzzle of his gun pushed under the goon’s chin. He pressed the speaker button on his phone. “Did you hear that?”
    “Yes,” Ghazi was slow to say. “Halim has informed the police, they should be there momentarily.”
    “You hear that? You’ve just run out of chances.” Raven felt like spitting in the man’s face, but kneed him in the balls instead. Before the man could crumple to the ground, Raven dropped the phone and reached under the goon’s jacket for his gun.
    When the idiot tried to fight back, Raven easily broke the man’s kneecap with a quick, well placed kick. Before the goon had stopped yelling, armed policemen began boarding the yacht.
    “Take him,” Raven instructed, scooping up the phone. “Are you still there?”

    TO BED A KING
    Carol Lynne
    22

    “Yes,” Ghazi answered. “What is happening?”
    “I’m on my way to find Nalu. I’ll leave the phone on, but I need both hands free.” With that said, Raven slipped the phone into his shirt pocket. The interior of the yacht was as opulent as the exterior.
    As he made his way towards the living quarters, he began calling out for the boy.
    “Nalu!”
    He wasn’t sure if it was the gun in his hand or the expression on his face, but the crew he passed along the way quickly made themselves scarce. “Nalu!”
    “What is the meaning of this?” an elderly, well-dressed man asked.
    “You Phillips?” Raven asked.
    One look at the Glock and the man’s bravado disappeared. “Yes. As I told Victor, I have paid your fees. I was led to believe we would not be disturbed while in port.”
    “Who’d you pay?” Raven asked, waving the gun in Phillip’s face.
    Mr. Phillips appeared confused. “Not a who, a what. The same bank account I’ve always paid.”
    “I’ll need that bank account number along with Nalu.” Raven pulled the phone out of his pocket. “Here. Tell King Ghazi Zahar your sob story while I retrieve the boy. Now, which cabin is he in?”
    The man took the phone and gestured to the cabin he’d come out of. Raven pushed the older pig out of the way and entered the room.
    Rolled into a ball on the edge of the bed, Nalu flinched when the door opened. “Nalu?”
    Raven crossed the room to the bed. “Do you remember me?”
    Nalu’s gaze slowly lifted to meet Raven’s. Instead of answering, Nalu gave Raven a subtle nod.
    Raven tried to swallow the bile as it rose in his throat. The teenage boy he’d met days earlier was now dressed in a short pink babydoll dress, complete with bows attached to his dreadlocks.
    Kneeling beside the bed, Raven held out his hand. “I’ve come to get you away from this place.”
    Nalu’s light green eyes widened with apparent fear. “No. They’ll kill me.”
    Raven shook his head. “No, they won’t. I’ll protect you. I’m taking you back to the palace with me.”

    TO BED A KING
    Carol Lynne
    23

    A look of confusion crossed Nalu’s face. “Why would you do that?”
    “Because no one else has.” He pushed Nalu’s light hair off his face. “Do you need a doctor?”
    “No.” Nalu’s tongue ran over the split in his lip. “I don’t know where my clothes are,”
    he whispered as if ashamed.
    Raven stood and glanced around the room. He flung open the closet and looked at the racks of expensive clothing before pulling out a white, terrycloth robe. “Sorry. Nothing in here will fit you but this.”
    “That’s okay.” Nalu held his hand out for the robe.
    “Can you do it yourself, or do you need my help?” Raven asked.
    “Despite what I look like, I’m not a baby.”
    “No,” Raven answered, turning around to give Nalu some privacy. “I know that.”
    As he waited for Nalu to remove the little girl’s dress from