Page 38 of Kinks of a Billionaire
“Not as interesting as the shitstorm you’ve drummed up.”
Chapter 17
Asher
Portugal wasn’t part of the original ship route, but a storm had me taking a detour yesterday and delivering part of the shipment via helicopter. When I encountered a problem as I approached Lisbon, fate put Royce Ashford in my path, and I took the opportunity to help us both out.
Of course, I preferred to be on the deck of one of my ships, at the mercy of the open ocean, instead of surrounded by land and people, but this was better. Royce needed a way out of Portugal, and I needed to create a diversion away from my catamaran.
The world knew my name. They thought they knew everything about me, but they didn’t. No one did, least of all the Ashford brothers. I wasn’t willing to reveal my connection to them.
Yet.
For now, I was just Asher. Their friend. The details of my connection to this fucked-up family would be revealed one day, ideally not when I was harboring one of its members and his battered bride.
It was my grandfather who taught me everything I know. He emphasized the need to keep people in your debt. And thiswould make it so that Royce would be indebted to me after today. Running a piracy wasn’t a democracy, and we’d made it a decree to destroy any empire that stood in our way. The Ashford empire was particularly close to being in the way, but luckily for myfriends, they were all preoccupied with their women.
“Can you navigate, or should I get you a captain?” I asked him, my eyes roaming to the woman—Willow, he’d told me—he was accused of kidnapping, asleep in his arms. No wonder Royce had a hard-on for her. Even with her face covered in bruises, I could see she was a beauty.
“I can do it,” Royce clipped. “You’re not coming along?”
My lips twitched. “And be a third wheel? No, thank you.” I looked back at the woman in his arms. “Just don’t tank my boat or kill the girl. It’s one thing to be accused of kidnapping, but being responsible for her death would land us both in prison.”
Royce blinked at me, then looked down at Willow. “I’d sooner cut off my dick than hurt her.”
I shook my head with disgust. Love made the world turn, but in it I saw none of the bliss, only the horror. Everything about it was poisonous, and men who let themselves fall under its spell were idiots, my half brothers included. Judging by the look on Royce’s face, even a blind man could see that he was head over heels for his new wife.
“You might have to.” Dark humor colored my voice. “Your wife doesn’t strike me as the type to be into BDSM.” A shadow crossed his face, but he quickly masked it. “However, in the unlikely event you need some whips and bondage, there’s a newly refurnished room on the lower deck that’s a dom’s dream come true. Feel free to use it.”
“Fuck you.”
I chuckled. “You’re not my type.” I tipped my head to the side, studying him. I’d built a friendship with Winston, gotten to know Byron, and even scratched some of the surface withKingston, but until today, Royce had kept himself at arm’s length. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you’ll have your hands full with yourfriend.” He pressed his lips into a thin line, and I couldn’t resist egging him on further. “But if you’re not, give her ass to?—”
I never got to finish the sentence. “You come anywhere near her and I’ll be slicing off your dick.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Fine, keep your wife and her ass.”
I swore I heard his teeth grinding from where I was standing.
“Send me the bill,” he said, passing me by and stepping aboard the boat. “Better yet, let me buy it from you. Just make sure whatever you smuggled here has been offloaded.”
I arched an eyebrow. “This is a HODOR catamaran superyacht, its starting price is listed at thirty million.”
“Is that it?” He let out a soft laugh, careful not to wake Willow.
Arrogant prick. “The price just went up to fifty-five million.”
And damn if he didn’t pay it. I should have gone for an even hundred.
Chapter 18
Willow
Iwoke up to an awful grinding noise.
Blinking several times, I rolled over to my side and a stretch of blue stared back at me. In disbelief, I rubbed my eyes, convinced I was seeing things. But sure as hell, the only sight for miles in any direction was the blue horizon.
Yesterday’s events rushed back to me, and it felt like I’d been turned inside out all over again. Shame. Relief. Excitement. So many mixed emotions, but there was one that surpassed them all.
