The King (Gentlemen Rogues Book 1) Read online

  She darted a quick look over her shoulder and then back down at me, careful to stay just out of range of my arms. She was smart. Knew how to stay out of reach. She was well-trained.

  As evidenced by her kicking your bloody arse.

  She had to be a trainee. But who was she? I needed to find out.

  She just completely bollocksed you, and you want to fuck her?

  No. Well, yes, because she was absolutely stunning to look at and she smelled incredible. Something with roses in it? But beyond that, I felt like I knew her. Which was ridiculous because all we'd done was fight.

  My grandfather had always talked about how he'd met my grandmother and known her in an instant. This felt like that. Like I needed to know every secret she held.

  Fuck, my balls hurt. The more I looked at her, the more I thought about her, the more blood rushed to my groin, and the more I regretted that. Fuck.

  The guards were quickly approaching, and she stepped back.

  One of them sighed once they pointed the flashlight on her face. "Jesus Christ, Saff. What the fuck are you doing?"

  She put a hand up to shield her gaze from the flashlight. "Oi, Jason, can you take the light out of my eyes, please? What are the chances you're not going to tell Gabe about this?"

  Jason shook his head. "Sorry, Saff, your little fight was caught on camera."

  She cursed under her breath.

  Fuck me.

  She glowered at me then. "This is all your fault."

  I had to laugh. "My fault? You should be apologizing to me. Or rather to my balls."

  Jason laughed and then the other guard… What was his name? Hector? I'd only seen him a few times. He smirked at me. "Oh yeah, she put you on your arse, huh?"

  “I almost had her."

  They both glanced at each other and chuckled. Jason shook his head. “I promise you, King, you didn't almost have her."

  I pushed to my feet and glanced at her.

  She smirked. “I was taking it easy on you."

  “You wish."

  "No, you wish. How are your balls right now?"

  I narrowed my eyes at her. How could she be so beautiful and so irritating? She was staring at me too. I couldn't explain it. Something about her face transformed from lively and heated to cold disdain.

  "Next time, stay out of my way." Then she turned to Hector. “You might as well lead the way. If you're going to tell him, I'd rather get it over with tonight, so at least the yelling can only last so long."

  Hector shrugged. "Can you put King back where he belongs?"

  Jason nodded. And just like that, without a second glance back toward me, she was being led away by Hector. And my gaze, moron that I was, immediately dropped to her arse, noting it was just enough to overflow in my hands. Fucking hell. Why couldn't I do anything easy?

  Why the fuck did I want the one woman I'd seen here who was intent on killing me?

  2

  SAFFRON

  I was numb. Certainly too numb to speak or to understand what the hell was going on.

  He. Didn't. Remember. Me.

  How could he not remember? It was three months ago, a stupid one-night stand.

  No, it wasn't stupid. It was reckless, yes, but it was hot.

  No, I refused to think about how hot it was because he was currently in one of the Rogues bungalows. Which meant he was a Rogue. I didn't have a lot of rules about my personal life, just one or two. But they were necessary. Top of that list, no Rogues.

  Also dating a Rogue was forbidden so agents could plug in to any scenario with no entanglements.

  I loved my brother. God, I really did. But with mum and dad gone, he'd taken the whole I'm your big brother thing to heart. Adopted or not, Gabe saw himself as my only remaining family, and he was determined to see me protected. Over protected, actually.

  When Hector led me into the hallway to Gabe's office, he slid me a glance. “You okay?"

  “Yeah, I'm fine. Totally fine. A hundred percent."

  He laughed. “If you weren't fine, what would you say?"

  I wrinkled my nose up at him. Hector Alvarez. I like to call him the Mountain Man. He looked like he belonged on a mountain with his beard and muscles that looked like they were really ideal for chopping wood. He'd been one of the Rogues guards since right before mum and dad died, so at least two years now.

  Like most of the Rogues, he was ex-military. He wanted to do something more. He'd been injured fighting for Queen and country.

  But now he worked here. His specialty was security tech. They'd installed new cameras I didn't know about. Which meant sneaking out was going to become even more difficult.

  We paused at Gabe's door, and Hector gave me a warm smile. "He loves you. He's just looking out for you."

  "By being my prison warden?"

  Hector smiled grimly. "After what happened to your parents, you know he’s going to keep a tighter watch."

  "Right."

  I wanted to scream. I understood why he was like this. I understood all the reasons why Gabe thought he had to protect me. I understood that he felt responsible for not being there. I understood that to him my parents had saved his life. It just felt like I was suffocating.

  And there was no making him see sense.

  I didn't bother knocking. I just opened the door because it was nearly midnight and I wanted to get this over with as quickly as humanly possible.

  I found Gabe sitting on the corner of his desk, scowling at Tabs.

  She was scowling right back. I was surprised there was no furniture overturned. No blood anywhere. "Everyone okay?"

  Tabs glanced up at me. "Oh my God, you're okay."

  “Yeah, of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

  Tabs snorted. "According to your brother, your life was in danger."

  I laughed. “From the trainee? I put him down easily."

  Gabe winced at that. "No, your life was at risk because you tried to sneak out."

  I winced at that. “Gabe, why is Tabs here?"

  “Because whenever you break a rule, it's either her doing or as a direct result of something she did."

  I gave Tabs an apologetic wince.

  She shook her head. “Don't worry. If you’re living a little, I'm happy to take credit for that, even though it's all you. Busting out? I'm impressed. Please tell me it was to go somewhere fun."

  I winced. “I was going for ice cream at the corner shoppe."

  She laughed. "Well, I hope it was worth it."

  “I didn't make it far. Stupid idiot bloke caught me."

  She laughed. "Someone caught you? Are you slipping?"

  "He surprised me. I didn't expect anyone to come out of the residences."

  Gabe tsked. “You know you're supposed to always be ready."

  “Yes, I know. Can we get this lecture over with?"

  Gabe scowled at me. “You're being cavalier? There are rules in place for a reason. They're to keep you safe. You think you can just go off gallivanting and nobody is going to notice? No one is going to miss you? You know better."

  “For fuck's sake, Gabe."

  Tabs clapped. “Yeah, for fuck's sake, Gabe."

  He scowled and pointed at her. “You. You are the reason she's doing this. My sister was never like this. Never rebellious."

  “Don't you think it's about fucking time she was?" Tabs stood just as I sat, and she started to pace. "You want to blame everyone else for Saff attempting to have a life when you’re the one to blame. You keep her in a chokehold, Gabe."

  "Oh, we're on a first name basis now?"

  Tabs just laughed. She was the only one I knew who could actually give Gabe a run for his money. I wondered how long it was going to take before the two of them realized that they belonged together. Or that they at least needed to shag it out. I didn't care which. Tabs was the kind of beautiful you read about in books. A face to launch a thousand ships. Due to her South African mum, her Italian and Ethiopian dad, and a British grandparent or two, she was ‘ethnically
ambiguous.’ It made it easy to be a spy.

  She could be white. Or she could be Spanish. She could be biracial. She could be anything. And then there was her body. As an agent, it served her well because men were so focused on what she looked like that they couldn’t focus on what she was doing. I lacked finesse and guile when it came to men, but I made up for it in cunningness, hand-to-hand, and general caution. I'd been so shy as a kid, so when I started training, I made it a habit to just try everything. The more terrified I was of it, the more I volunteered to do it first.

  I cleared my throat as Tabs and Gabe went after each other. Pointing fingers, pushing off the blame. “I love that you two think you have anything to do with my decisions, but honestly, I just wanted ice cream. And I didn't want to go out the front door because I didn't want to go with an armed escort, Gabe."

  My brother glowered at me. "The escorts are there for your safety."

  “Yes, I know. You remind me all the time. You remind me that Mum and Dad are dead. You remind me that I was right there, powerless to do anything but watch that plane go up in flames. You remind me I couldn't do anything about it. It's been two years since we lost them, and I don't want a guard everywhere I go because I feel like I'm dying. Jesus Christ, Gabe, I understand why you are doing it, because you love me or something, but you're choking me out. I need to figure out my own grief and how to heal. Keeping me prisoner here is not going to do it."

  “I'm not keeping you prisoner."

  “It feels that way. Do you understand that? It just feels like you are. And I know you don't mean for it to, but it does. I just want a little freedom. I mean, I could have taken out your agent tonight. You were nearly down one Rogue."

  “I don't know if he's staying."

  “I don't care. He's not bad. He's brash though. He thinks he knows everything."

  My brother chuckled. "Sounds like someone else I know."

  “I don't think I know everything."

  "No, but you think you know what is best when it comes to safety. And I don't know how to hammer home the danger to you more than I already have. Drake Webster, right hand man to arms dealer Antonio Igno, bombed our parents’ plane and killed them. And his son, Massimo Igno, is still out there, too. So until we have them, we have to follow security protocols."

  “Fucking hell, Gabe. What if I just left?"

  He pulled back as if I'd slapped him. "That's enough, Saff. I'm done. I'm glad you thought so highly of our trainee, because you'll be training him moving forward."

  My stomach dropped. No. There was no fucking way I was going to train the guy I'd shagged who didn't even remember me. The world could not be that cruel. "No, I'm not."

  Gabe laughed, and Tabs glanced between the two of us. "What's going on?"

  Gabe glowered at her. "What's going on is the two of you roam around as if the rules don't apply to you. I counted on you. You're her best friend, so fucking act like it. You're supposed to take care of her. You're supposed to look out for her. She deserves better."

  Tabs pressed her lips together and honest to God, I thought she was going to strike him right across the face. I stepped in. "Tabs is what I need. She's my friend, and she doesn't choke the life out of me. For fuck's sake, Gabe."

  He scowled. "Effective immediately, Tabs, you are off active duty, and you are training. We have a new recruit for you, too."

  Tabs glowered at him. “You're not serious."

  "Oh, but I am. And Saff, your trainee, like I said, is going to be Lachlan King."

  Tabs frowned for a moment, and I could tell she was trying to remember where she'd heard that name from. I hoped to Christ she was able to hold it in until we were out of there. I shook my head. "No, I'm not. Find another punishment."

  "Sorry, but this is the one that's going to stick. Because I've tried everything else. If you won't listen, I'm going to put you to work. That way, you won't have time to not listen."

  “I hate you."

  He gave a sharp chuckle. "Excellent. I love you. See you for dinner in two days."

  I ground my teeth. Tabs grabbed my elbow and started tugging me out because she knew I was going to launch myself at Gabe. And ever since we were kids, it didn't matter how many times I tried to go at my brother, I always lost. Why the fuck was I being punished now? I hadn't done anything wrong except try to leave to get fucking ice cream.

  Tabs pulled me. "Come on. You can talk when you're both more rational. It's late."

  When I reached the door, Gabe called out, “Don't forget. Training tomorrow, six a.m. And baby sis, you may be the heir, but I am running the show right now. The sooner you fall into line, the easier things will be for you. Lachlan King is your trainee. Make him good and make sure he does not die, because then it'll be my arse in a sling, and I will be very cross about that."

  I turned to glower at my brother. “I love you. I always have. But this is bullshit, and you know it. Mum and dad would not want you treating me like this. I'll train him. But when I'm done, I'm leaving. You won't give me a mission, you won't actually make me a full-fledged Rogue, and you're keeping me in prison. Sure, it's a gilded tower, but it's still a prison tower.“

  One way or another, I was going to get out from under Gabe’s thumb.

  Lachlan

  I had known I was going to be called in. There was no avoiding it. I'd expected it last night, so I'd lain in bed tossing and turning, waiting for Hector or Jason to come, but neither one of them did. No one showed up to get me until I was in the training hall grabbing breakfast. I had my croissant half way to my mouth when Jason nodded at me and angled his head. I grabbed my pastry and a bunch of grapes before running and pouring my coffee into a to-go cup. “I assume this means I'm being summoned?"

  Jason nodded. “Yeah. You're being summoned."

  I groaned. "Right. How much trouble am I in?"

  Jason shrugged. “I don't think you're in trouble."

  "Sure."

  On the way, I caught my flatmate, Saint, working out in the gym. Our gazes met, and he gave me a nod. When he saw we were headed toward the main house, he leaned out the window, "Oi, mate, where are you going? We're training in ten."

  I grinned and lobbed a grape at his head, which he caught effortlessly with his mouth. “I've been summoned."

  Saint raised a brow. "Right. For last night?"

  I shrugged. “I'll fill you in and give you all the gossipy details your teenage heart needs later."

  Saint smirked. “You know you're dying to tell me."

  Surprisingly, he'd become an actual mate. The first couple of months in here had been rough. I'd been lost and confused and shocked that I was even in a place like this. And fair enough, it was like a country resort where I got to live out all my boyhood fantasies. I got to learn to fight, and knife throwing was a particular favorite of mine. I learned hacking skills and how to shoot. It was like summer camp, except I couldn't leave when I wanted.

  You just have to survive it here.

  A whole fucking year though. How was I supposed to survive that? I was three months into what seemed like a life sentence.

  I caught sight of two women further along the path. One was short and curvy. When she turned and started jogging backward while talking to her mate, I realized she had the kind of face that sculptors probably loved. Beautiful. Excellent bone structure. Her skin was tan, her auburn hair sleek and bouncing in a long ponytail. She was beautiful.

  But my gaze was focused on the arse of her friend. Tight. Clearly in shape. Long, lean frame. I knew what her face would look like if it was sculpted by the masters themselves. Wide eyes that could bore into my soul. Full lush lips that looked like they were born for sucking—

  Nope. Stop it.

  The rush of heat to my dick was instantaneous. What the fuck was wrong with me? I didn't know her, but as far as I knew, she was trouble. So best to stay the fuck away because something about her was unsettling. I couldn't pinpoint it or explain it. I just knew that she was trouble for me. Besides, s
he carried clear back-off signals. And let's not forget what she’d said. ‘You don't recognize me?’ I'd been too focused on the pain in my nuts last night to really think about it, but did she think I should recognize her? I didn't remember seeing her before, and I would remember someone like her. Mostly because I hadn't been able to think about anything other than her when I got to bed.

  They veered off the path before we even reached them, and I pretended like I wasn't watching, but out of the corner of my eye, I was absolutely fucking watching. It was impossible not to. Her movements were lithe, easy. What was she talking about? Was she telling her mate that she'd kicked my arse?

  Probably. She'd seemed to enjoy it last night. Hopefully, Jason didn't notice, but I let my gaze flicker to watch her walk away. And it turned out Jason was stupid observant. "How are you feeling after Saff ran you through?"

  "She did not run me through. I feel fine."

  Jason chuckled. "Right. Saff is one of the best."

  “Yeah, she's not bad."

  Another laugh. Jason was like one of those blokes you saw in the SAS. Except, while he had the look, his countenance was relaxed, though I didn't doubt if some shit popped right then, he'd spring into action. Every bloke I'd ever met who was in Her Majesty's Service was exactly the same type, buttoned-up to the hilt. Hell, even Saint was that way. Although, Saint had a mercurial, playful side about him.

  “I feel fine. She just happens to be good at hand-to-hand, that's all."

  He laughed. "And make sure that's exactly what you say to Gabe."

  I frowned at that. "What do you mean?"

  "He feels, uh, protective of Saff, so when he asks how it went, what happened exactly, you tell him she's great at hand-to-hand, bested you summarily and then shut your mouth."

  I frowned at that. “Is there something I should know about Gabe and Saff?"

  Jason eyed me. "No. Just know that he's protective of her and speak about her accordingly."

  I was led further up the path to the side door, and then we took the stairs up to the main level and down the hall to Gabe's office. I'd only been here once and never really desired to return again. Gabriel Webb wasn't a man I saw often. He didn't handle the trainees. He did handle mission specs, but I hadn't been on a mission yet.