Their Virgin Mistress, Page 24

  through the good and the bad? Or would you rather lose them after years of storing treasured memories you could recall on a rainy day once your hair is gray and you’re surrounded by your grandchildren?”

  Piper’s words hit her like a blow to the chest, and Tori wasn’t sure she could breathe. Could she walk away now and never feel them again?

  “And consider this,” her sister added softly. “They’re taking a chance on you, too. They’re willing to love you now, knowing loss may come someday. They’re willing to trust you with their hearts. Maybe you think that’s easy for Callum and Rory. But for Oliver…”

  After what Oliver had endured with Yasmin and her betrayal, she couldn’t have blamed him for being the most hesitant of all. Yet here she was, holding out on them.

  Tori sent her sister a glance filled with uncertainty, fear, and shame. But she didn’t know what to say.

  “I raised you with love.” Regret filled Piper’s voice. “I thought I taught you better.”

  “Piper? Are you here?” a masculine voice called out.

  The moment was broken, and Piper wiped her eyes as she turned. “Rafe? We’re in here.”

  Tori took a deep breath and tried to hold back tears. She didn’t want to cry in front of her brother-in-law. In front of anyone.

  Rafe stepped in. “I’m glad you’re here with your sister. We need to talk.”

  “What’s happened?” Oh, the look on his face told Tori it was bad. Her hands started shaking. Had something happened to Callum or Oliver or Rory? Oliver had been through so much. He couldn’t handle any more. Callum could be reckless. Rory drove too fast sometimes.

  She couldn’t breathe. Her whole body felt stiff with anxiety. This was what it would be like. She would always worry. “Are they all right?”

  “Who?” Rafe gave her a puzzled frown.

  Piper raised a brow. “The Thurston-Hughes brothers.”

  Rafe shrugged. “As far as I know, they’re fine. What I wish to talk to you about is this.” He held up a paper. “The British tabloids picked up the story of your fall. I’m sorry, Tori. We did everything we could to stop it, but apparently someone took video and it’s on the Internet.”

  She looked at the paper. She’d told herself it was only a little slip and it wouldn’t be a big deal. Deep down, she’d convinced herself that it would go away. Talib had a lot of power, but apparently nothing was as big as the Internet.

  One look told Tori the images were worse than she could have imagined. It wasn’t a single shot but a collage of her gracelessness. There was a shot of her looking grim as she walked down the stairs behind her luminous sister. The second shot showed her tripping, her face contorted in the ugliest way possible. In the third, she was nearly on her ass. The last shot revealed her breast, the mound on full display. It wasn’t a mere nip slip. No, this was pretty much her whole boob. The shock on her face somehow looked an awful lot like a smile, one that suggested she’d meant to “trip” and expose herself to be the center of attention.

  Bezakistan Shame: Queen’s Younger Sister a Graceless Gold Digger.

  The headline said it all. Tori wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

  She glanced at the article. The scathing write-up was worse than she could imagine. Not only had someone captured those pictures, but they knew she’d been behind closed doors with the Thurston-Hughes brothers all night long. Knowing a video existed for anyone on YouTube to watch only demoralized her more.

  She’d helped a starlet once who had a sex tape go viral. The woman had been humiliated, called every kind of name. Tori hadn’t intentionally made a sex tape. And who would want to hire a publicist who caused a scandal? No one. These images could kill her career. Once that was gone, she wouldn’t have anything left.

  She especially wouldn’t have the men she loved.

  Panic threatened. Dizziness washed over her. She reached out for anything to balance herself but found nothing. No one.

  “Mindy, this is not a big deal,” her sister said. She felt a hand on her shoulder. “Why are you crying?”

  Her nephews would see this one day. Her prospective employers. Her friends. Her men. Nothing ever went away on the Internet.

  Maybe Oliver would read the words and think she was just as bad as his ex-wife.

  Tori feared she would spend the rest of her life defending herself from rumors and allegations. She loved the people in her life—especially the three Brits who had captured her heart—but she couldn’t handle this.

  Her heart was pounding as if it was going to come right out of her chest. Her feet went numb. Everything else tingled as if she’d swallowed a jar of bees.

  “I think she’s having an anxiety attack.” Someone was speaking. She thought it was her brother-in-law.

  “Mindy, calm down. Take deep breaths. Rafe, I think we need a doctor.”

  Why did her sister sound so far away?

  It didn’t matter. Her brain was whirling. As she stared at the newspaper, the pictures and words seemed to swirl together.

  She heard someone shout as the world became a blissful black.

  * * * *

  Rory stared at the paper. He’d read it twice and the words still didn’t make sense.

  The pictures of his lovely Tori could only be described as humiliating. At least he was sure she would see them that way. He thought she was cute, and damn he loved that breast. He just wished the rest of the world wasn’t seeing it.

  However, the piece written by one particularly vicious bitch had been picked up by more than one British paper. That article made him want to gut someone.

  The “journalist” had described Tori as a gold-digging whore out for a perverted version of the love her sister had found. They’d even talked to Callum’s ex, who implied that the former footballer had left her for Tori in order to please his brothers, who were under her spell. Thea had lied to the reporter, saying that Callum had asked her to marry him, and as a result, Rory and Oliver then threatened to cut him off from the family wealth. She claimed Tori had been behind the recent stories that her pregnancy was false and she was out to bilk her baby’s father.

  “We have to be certain Tori never sees this,” Callum said, his face ferocious.

  Oliver shook his head. “I’m sure she’s already seen it. The press office of the palace receives newspapers from across the globe and they’ll definitely inform the sheikh. He won’t allow her to walk around ignorant. He’ll sit her down and tell her what’s happened.”

  “Surely he’ll tell us first.” But Rory suspected he wouldn’t. Talib al Mussad would likely keep up his responsibilities to his sister-in-law until the moment they put a ring on her finger.

  After a cursory knock, the door to their suite opened, and Piper stepped through followed by Rafiq and Kadir. She was pale and wore what looked like elegant pajamas, which were much more casual than he’d ever seen her.

  Her eyes went straight to the papers. “You’ve seen it, then.”

  Oliver stepped forward. “Yes. Where’s Tori? When we woke, she was gone.”

  “She told me she was going to the bathroom. She never came back,” Rory explained. “It’s been over two hours.”

  Rory feared she’d run away like a scared rabbit. He’d thought they’d settled things last night, but it looked as if they still had issues. Now he had to deal with the tabloids as well.

  He swiveled a glance at her sister. If anyone knew how to deal with Tori, it was Piper. “Where is she?”

  “In her room resting,” Piper explained. “She didn’t handle the news story well.”

  Rory could only imagine. “Why did you show her the article?”

  “There was no way she wouldn’t learn the truth,” Rafe explained. “You don’t understand how bad it is. These pictures come from a video.”

  Rory swore. “Which is all over the Internet by now.”

  “Yes,” Kade affirmed. “Every tabloid has added its commentary. It’s even made the news in some of the U.S
. rags. She had to be told. We couldn’t leave her to discover the news alone.”

  “Telling Tori should have been our responsibility.” Callum stared at the al Mussad brothers. “She’s ours.”

  Rafe launched into some ridiculous story about how they hadn’t wanted to disturb the sleeping brothers, but Rory was watching Piper. She’d winced, turned pink. He’d worked in business long enough to know how to read a person. Rafe and Kade would never give anything away, but Piper’s reaction told him she had something to hide.

  “Your Highness, what do you know that we don’t?” Rory would be polite, but he meant to get to the heart of the matter.

  Kade stepped in front of his wife as though shielding her. “She didn’t make this decision. The sheikh did, and we back him. Tori isn’t your wife. Until such time, we assume responsibility for her.”

  “You’ll have to forgive them,” Piper said, trying to move around her husband. “They never left the Dark Ages. For them, a woman goes from her father—or in this case, her brothers—to her husbands.”

  Rafe shook his head. “It’s not quite as bad as that, but in our world, Talib is the head of the family. Tori is a member of that family. We feel she requires someone to watch after her. She’s obviously a smart girl, but there’s more at stake than her own reputation. This trashy article, despite the fact that its origin is about an innocent fall, has the possibility to harm us all. We have to protect our own.”

  “Then you won’t mind turning Tori over to us. That way, she won’t be your problem anymore,” Rory growled more harshly than he intended, but he meant every word. He didn’t appreciate the idea that the royal family now viewed her as a publicity liability.

  Callum stepped beside him, presenting a united front. “She’s a person, not some figurehead. I won’t have her hurt in order to save the people who should love her a few problems. The palace can go to hell for all I care. She’s the one who matters here.”

  Piper smiled, but there was a wealth of sadness behind it. “I’m very grateful you feel that way. I knew you were all good men.”

  “But?” Oliver stood. He’d stayed out of the circle of conversation, holding himself back. It was something he did frequently, so Rory hadn’t thought much of it. Now he could see a chill settle over Oliver. His eyes had gone positively arctic as he looked at the queen. “I assume there’s a but somewhere in that sentence.”

  Oliver was shutting down right in front of him. The night before he’d been so open, like the Oliver he’d known before Yasmin. With every second that went by, Rory watched his brother rebuilding his walls again.

  Worse, he suspected Oliver was correct. “Where is Tori?”

  Callum shook his head. “The wedding ring is a formality at this point. We decided last night. She belongs to us. Piper, we’ll take good care of your sister. We love her. I don’t understand why there’s a guard posted outside her door.”

  That was news to Rory. “When did you go looking for her?”

  Callum shoved a hand through his hair, the gesture rife with frustration. “When I woke up and she was gone. The guard wouldn’t let me in. Then when I found the paper, I went into problem-solving mode and I forgot to tell you. Obviously, Tori is embarrassed, but there’s no reason for her to be. None of this was her fault. The press is being vicious, and we’ll sue every single paper that runs a story disparaging her. And I’ll beat the living shit out of the reporters.”

  “She fainted,” Piper explained. “The doctor was with her when you came by. I actually think it was more than a fainting spell. I think she had an anxiety attack. These last few weeks, especially last night, have been too much for her.”

  Dread rolled over Rory at her words.

  Callum immediately started for the door. Dane and Cooper stepped in front of the entrance to the hall, blocking the path that would ultimately lead them to Tori’s suite. Callum stopped and turned around, his eyes wide with surprise. “What is the meaning of this? I want to see my fiancée. I have the right to make certain she’s well. For god’s sake, you would want the same thing if we were talking about Piper.”

  “But we aren’t talking about Piper. We’re talking about Tori.” Oliver picked up the small bag he’d brought with him the night before and stepped toward Kade. “Is she going to be all right? Physically, I mean.”

  Kade nodded. “I think so. She was quite emotional when I saw her. We’ll watch her and take care of her.”

  “If she needs anything, please contact me. If not…” Oliver nodded toward Piper. “Please give your sister my best and tell her I won’t bother her again. She’s free of all obligations to Thurston-Hughes Inc.”

  A tear slipped down Piper’s cheek. “I’m sorry it’s ended this way, Oliver. For what it’s worth, I thought you were good for her.”

  His lips curled up in a half smile that contained not an ounce of amusement. “Tori is a smart girl. Perhaps she’s emotional now, but…she knows a good thing when she sees it. And obviously, she knows how to quit while she’s ahead.”

  Rory stared at his eldest brother. What the hell was he doing? “Oliver, she’s just had a shock. Give her a bit. We should be supporting her through this debacle, not walking away.”

  “He’s right,” Callum argued. “Don’t be a barmy fuck. She needs us.”

  Oliver’s face hardened to sharp lines. “Do you not see those two?” He gestured to the guards. “They aren’t protecting us. They’re here to make sure we can’t see Torrance. They’re ensuring she doesn’t have to see us again. And in case you haven’t been listening, she was hysterical at the thought of having to be around us.”

  Piper shook her head. “That’s not what I said.”

  Rory ignored her. “Why? I told her what we wanted last night. I made it very clear.”

  “I told her I loved her.” Callum looked back at him. “She didn’t say it back. I thought she was simply being shy.”

  This couldn’t be happening. Rory stumbled back, the moment smacking him in the face. He felt sick. “Something’s wrong here. I made it plain to her that if she came to the suite last night with us, we were starting a relationship. I told her I love her, too. I explained that we wouldn’t settle for less than marriage.”

  Had she not believed him? Somehow misunderstood him?

  Oliver sighed as though Rory’s naiveté was too sad to contemplate. “And she took what she desired anyway. She wanted us physically. Obviously, Tori never sought more than sex. Just because she was a virgin doesn’t mean she’s incapable of lying to get the orgasms she wanted.”

  “But I love her.” Callum seemed caught, all that confidence from the night before dissolving in the face of the truth.

  “I told her we had marriage in mind,” Rory insisted.

  “We don’t always get what we want, brother.” Oliver stepped toward the door, his shoulders slumping. “You’ve led a charmed existence, so maybe you weren’t aware. Welcome to what the rest of the world knows. Just because we love someone doesn’t mean they’ll love us back. Does the fact that Tori doesn’t want three broken bastards really surprise you?” He scoffed. “When does our flight leave?”

  “Our flight?” Rory hadn’t arranged the return trip.

  “I’m almost certain we’ve worn out our welcome here.” Oliver glanced back at the al Mussads. “You’ve readied our plane to whisk the unwanted lovers away, correct?”

  Rafe’s lips pursed in a tight frown. “Your jet will be fueled and ready for you this afternoon. We ask that you stay in your rooms until then to avoid any uncomfortable situations.”

  “She’s kicking us out of her bed after one night?” Callum dropped into a chair, his expression incredulous.

  “They’ve been explaining that in some detail, yes. She’s had what she wants from us and she’s done,” Oliver explained. He turned back to the guards. “Could you escort me to my rooms? I need to pack.”

  “Oliver?” Piper began.

  His oldest brother held out a hand. “No need to explain, Your H
ighness. I wish you luck with the rest of your life. You’ll understand if I don’t see you again. I’m afraid your family has done enough to me. I’ll stay away from now on.”

  Cooper looked to Kade, who nodded. The sentry escorted Oliver out.

  The guards really were barring them from seeing Tori. She really didn’t want them anymore.

  “This makes no sense,” Rory argued. “She’s not a selfish girl. Something’s scared her. Piper, I have to talk to her.” He refused to let them end this way. If he could sit down with her, he could