Royal Security (The Hidden Kingdom Romances Book 2) Read online

  Royal Security

  The Hidden Kingdom Romances #2

  Cami Checketts

  Copyright

  Royal Security: Hidden Kingdom Romances #2

  Copyright © 2021 by Cami Checketts

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Free Book

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Royal Doctor

  Also by Cami Checketts

  About the Author

  Free Book

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  Prologue

  Princess Adelaide Magnum snuck through the thick hedge and onto the beach. She slipped off her sandals and held them in her left hand, squishing through the soft sand. It was a dark night, but the bonfire lit her way, beckoning from down the beach. She bit her lip to keep from cheering. She turned sixteen tomorrow and could finally be part of the parties with her older brothers and their cute friends. Hopefully Malik would be here tonight. She pushed faster through the sand.

  Movement shifted in front of her and she squinted to make out the shape. It was a tall, well-built man. Malik? Her oldest brother Quinn’s best friend was six years older than her and treated her like a little sister, but she prayed that someday soon he would notice how grown up she was. Maybe today was that day.

  As the man approached, disappointment filled her. Not Malik. It was Kelvin, one of the dissenters who lived in the mountains and mostly kept to themselves. Kelvin had gone to school with her brother Bodi. He and the other dissenters were a little intimidating. They were rougher men than she was used to and liked to play by their own rules.

  “Hey.” He walked right into her space, his smile stretching across his face and his breath reeking of alcohol. “If it isn’t the beautiful princess. Did you come for the party?”

  “Yes.” Addie forced a smile and tried to step around him. “Excuse me. I’d like to join the others.”

  He grabbed her arm and yanked her back. “We’ll join the others … later.”

  Addie stared at his broad frame and the gleam in his dark eyes, ignoring her racing heart. “Let me go,” she said evenly, tilting her chin and giving him a challenging stare.

  “I don’t think so.” He stared down at her, his eyes filling with a hunger that terrified her. “I’ve been watching you for a while, Princess Adelaide, and appreciating exactly how you’ve grown into a beautiful woman. It’s time we get to know each other better.”

  Addie yanked her arm free and sprinted toward the firelight. She’d never experienced danger on the idyllic island kingdom of Magna, but she was feeling it in spades now.

  If she could reach the firelight and her brothers, Kelvin wouldn’t dare try to “get to know her better.” Her brothers and cousins would protect her and he’d regret ever talking like that to her. If she could reach them.

  Kelvin tackled her from behind. She face-planted into the sand, taking in a mouthful. She coughed and sputtered, unable to scream. Kelvin’s heavy frame pushed her deeper into the soft sand and he whispered roughly in her ear, “You’re mine, pretty princess. Don’t fight it.”

  She’d fight it. If she could breathe. He scrambled to his knees and roughly flipped her over, then pinned her down with his body again. She coughed and coughed, trying to expel the sand. “Get … off,” she gasped out.

  He laughed. “You can’t command me, your highness.” His voice lowered. “I’m going to be commanding you.”

  Addie turned from the foul smell of his breath, coughed again, and then finally managed to draw in some air and yell, “Help!”

  Kelvin smacked his hand over her mouth. “We’re too far away for anyone to hear you. Big brothers and cousins won’t stop me tonight.”

  “No,” she tried to cry out, but it didn’t get past his calloused palm. She prayed like she’d never prayed in her life. She knew the good Lord could comfort her and give her peace, but could He send a miracle to protect her? Did she have strong enough faith to believe He could?

  A shadow approached from the hedge opening and town. Her heart leapt with hope, praying it was someone who would help her.

  Kelvin followed her gaze over his shoulder. He cursed and rolled off of her, standing to face whoever was coming.

  Addie scrambled to her feet and cried, “Help!” Then she kicked Kelvin as hard as she could and dodged toward the person.

  The man upped his pace toward them. “Addie?”

  Kelvin grabbed her arm and wrenched her to a stop, but she could see now that help was truly coming. The exact knight she wanted to save her.

  “Malik!” Her heart leapt. He was here. The Lord had sent her miracle. She watched with relief as his muscular frame became more pronounced and then she could see the chiseled jawline, full lips, and deep brown eyes of the man she wanted to be her everything. When Malik smiled he had slight dimples in his hollowed-out cheeks. He wasn’t smiling now. He looked fierce and dangerous and like he would rip Kelvin apart.

  Despite her situation, her stomach pitched happily.

  Malik stopped in front of them. “Are you okay?” he demanded.

  “No!”

  “Come here,” he said, softening his voice.

  Addie broke from Kelvin’s slackened hold and happily complied with Malik’s request, rushing to his side. Now if only he’d wrap her up tight in those muscular arms, but he obviously needed to beat up Kelvin first.

  He gave her a fleeting smile before demanding of Kelvin, “What is going on here?”

  “The little princess and I are just having some fun. Butt out.”

  “Not fun,” Addie interjected. “He was trying to …” She couldn’t get the words out. She’d never had a man treat her with anything but kindness and respect, but her parents had talked to her about keeping herself safe by staying close to good friends. The horror of what Kelvin had been about to do washed over her like an ice bath.

  Malik’s dark eyes widened and he growled, “You wouldn’t dare. She’s a child, a little girl.”

  A child? A little girl? She was no child.

  “You have no idea what I’d dare do.” Kelvin shoved him. “I said butt out!”

  Malik’s expression grew fierce and his jaw became a line of granite. He dove at Kelvin, knocking him back into the sand. They rolled around, exchanging blows. Addie hurt each time Kelvin hit Malik, but Malik held his own. He was being groomed with her cousin Kingston for a high position in the military. His training showed as he battled the thicker and more fierce-seeming Kelvin.

  “Addie,” Malik called. “Go get Quinn and Kingston.”

  She hated to leave him, but he was right. Her brother and cousin would be able to help. “Okay.” She raced for the fire. The sounds of the fight faded behind her and soon the pounding waves and then music became pronounced. A circle of young men cheered and the sounds of a different battle echoed over the music. There were no girls anywhere. What kind of beach party was this?


  “Quinn!” she screamed as she got closer. “Kingston!”

  Some boys at the back of the group turned.

  “Quinn!” She was out of breath. Would they even hear her? “Kingston!”

  Two large shadows broke away from the group around the fire and jogged toward her. As they approached, relief filled her and she felt like she was made of jelly. She almost sagged to the ground, but Quinn caught her around the waist and directed her away from the group. The music was still playing, but the fighting and cheering had stopped.

  “What are you doing here, Addie?”

  “Quinn …” She gasped for air and looked to her oldest brother, the future king, and then to her oldest cousin who was stronger and more imposing than anyone she knew. “Kelvin … tried to hurt me. Malik is fighting him.”

  Kingston took off at a run back the direction she’d come. She moved to follow. “Addie, you shouldn’t even be here,” Quinn said, but he didn’t stop her from chasing after Kingston. He jogged by her side, disapproval radiating from him. “Who told you to come here?”

  “I overheard some people talking about a party tonight.”

  “Don’t ever come to the beach at night,” he demanded.

  Addie loved her brothers and cousins. They were fun, kind, smart, tough. She’d never had a brother make her feel as stupid as Quinn was right now. She’d never had someone treat her so unfairly. “You were there,” she hurled at him.

  “It’s not a place for a lady and especially not a little girl,” he said back.

  Addie huffed. She wanted to yell at him. First Malik had called her a child and a little girl and now Quinn had to reiterate he thought she was a little girl? When were they going to realize she was grown up now? She opened her mouth to tell him just that but she could see Kelvin, Malik, and Kingston now. Kingston had a grip on Kelvin from behind. The man was struggling, but nobody was a match for Kingston.

  Malik stared at her as they approached. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes.” She shuddered and offered him a smile. “Thank you for saving me.”

  Kingston, Quinn, and Malik all flinched as if she was being dramatic or … something. What was it? Why were they exchanging these secretive looks?

  “Let’s get you back to the castle,” Quinn said. He took her elbow and they started marching through the sand. When they hit the hedge and the rockier path, she winced. She had no clue where her shoes were.

  Nobody but Kelvin said anything as they marched single file on the path and then walked along the cobblestone streets back toward the towering castle. Addie tried not to wince with every step on the uneven stones with her bare feet. Kelvin alternated cursing, whining, and proclaiming his innocence. The silence and awkwardness between Addie and the other men was horrible. She’d always looked up to her cousin, oldest brother, and of course idolized Malik. Why were they so upset with her? She was the one who’d been attacked. They were acting like she was a child who had snuck into the grown-up party, thrown a fit, and caused a scene. Her neck felt hot.

  They crossed the drawbridge. As they stepped into the large courtyard, Kingston dragged Kelvin to a stop.

  “I’ll take him to the commander,” Kingston said. That meant his father, the duke, who oversaw the military until Kingston was fully trained. Kingston spent most of the year training with different militaries around the world. Thank heavens he was here tonight.

  “I’ll take Addie back to her room,” Malik said.

  Addie’s heart leapt but then faltered as she saw the look Quinn gave his friend—incredulous and angry.

  “I don’t think so,” Quinn said.

  Kelvin was muttering complaints, but nobody paid attention to him.

  Malik put a hand on her brother’s arm. “I’ll explain to her … how things are. She needs to hear it from me.”

  Hear what from him? That he loved her like she loved him? She hoped—but kind of doubted—that was what he wanted to explain.

  A long look passed between Quinn and Malik. Finally her brother pushed out a heavy breath. “Fine. I’ll go back and explain that the fights are off tonight.”

  “Okay.”

  Kingston lifted his chin and then dragged Kelvin off cursing and fighting.

  Quinn looked to Addie. “I’m glad you weren’t harmed.” He looked her over. “Were you harmed?”

  She grunted in disgust and folded her arms across her chest. “A little late to be asking.”

  His dark eyes filled with concern. “I apologize. I’ve been completely out of sorts since I saw you on the beach and heard Kelvin attacked you. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” she muttered, pacified by his concern. Was she really fine? She’d never experienced fear like that, and she was embarrassed they were treating her like a child and mad at his demand that she couldn’t return to the beach at night. She was feisty and had her own mind. She wanted to tell him she’d go wherever she pleased. Yet now she couldn’t imagine wanting to go back to the beach. Her beautiful, peaceful beach had been an ugly, confusing place tonight.

  “Okay.” He pushed out a breath. “You’ll promise not to go back to the beach at night?”

  “Because only grownups go to the beach at night?” she said sassily.

  Quinn pushed out a breath. She could feel Malik’s eyes on her. Did he really think she was a child like he’d said to Kelvin? Maybe that was just so Kelvin would feel awful about attacking her. Maybe there was a chance for her and Malik.

  “Because as you saw, the beach is not safe for you at night.”

  She swallowed hard, staring into Quinn’s eyes. What had those men been doing? What was that fighting all about? She bit at her lip. She didn’t want to go back to that moment of fear, ever, so why fight with him about it? Especially with Malik looking on. She’d question Quinn tomorrow. She nodded shortly.

  Quinn looked to Malik. “Talk to her,” he said stiffly, then he whirled and stormed back through the open gates. She’d never seen the drawbridge gates closed in her lifetime. Her beautiful island and the kingdom that her family ruled over was peaceful and happy.

  The kingdom wasn’t peaceful and happy tonight.

  Malik stared at her as her brother disappeared. His gaze turned deep and she felt her pulse speed up. Could he possibly feel for her like she felt for him or did he think she was a child? What would he say? What did he want to tell her?

  He turned and she fell into step with him through the courtyard. In silent agreement, they made their way around the back of the castle, angling for one of the less-obvious entrances. The massive front doors seemed too imposing tonight.

  Addie hit her foot on a rock and cried out.

  “What is it?”

  “My foot. I lost my sandals when …” She broke off, trying to hide the tremor in her voice.

  “Ah, Addie.” Malik’s words came out as a groan.

  He swept her feet off the ground and cradled her against his strong chest. Addie’s breath rushed out and her heart thundered in her ears. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “For your feet,” he muttered.

  She didn’t say anything, simply let him carry her toward the rear door that led to the family’s suites. As she was under eighteen, she didn’t have her own suite like Quinn and Bodi. Instead, she shared a huge section of the royal residence with her parents the queen and the king and her siblings. Alaric was almost eighteen and would move into his own suite and start training with Kingston soon. Their younger sister Belle was fourteen and sweet as could be. The complete opposite of Addie.

  Malik let her feet slide to the ground. “I’m sorry your feet got hurt,” he murmured. “I’ve been so upset about Kelvin touching you. Like Quinn, I didn’t stop to think about how you were handling everything, or notice you’d lost your shoes.”

  “It’s all right.” He was upset Kelvin had touched her and concerned about her now. She leaned into him, loving his strength and his protection. He truly was a miracle to her. This moment was worth even
the terror of what she’d been through.

  Malik held her up with his arm around her. Awareness and anticipation shot through her. This man would protect and love her. Kelvin would never touch her again. Every fantasy she’d had of Malik holding her close, looking into her eyes, truly seeing her, and then kissing her thoroughly were about to come true. She blinked up at him and moistened her lips.

  Malik’s muscles stiffened against her and he suddenly felt stiff as a board. He cleared his throat, let go of her, and stepped back. Disappointment was like a bucket of ice water poured over her head.

  She stared at him, willing him to hold her again, or at least look at her. He did neither, staring at the wooden door as if it held the answers to eternity. A muscle worked in his jaw and his neck, shoulders, and arms were so tight it looked painful.

  Addie rested her hand on his arm and he startled. He looked down at her hand and then at the door. For a few long, awful seconds, he studiously avoided meeting her gaze. The only sign that she affected him at all was his chest rising and falling quickly and the pulse that was visible in his smooth throat. How she longed to put her hand on the bulge of his chest muscles and her lips against that pulse point.

  Almost as if he guessed her thoughts, he yanked his arm away, swung the door wide, and gestured her through. Addie hated the loss of his touch. She hated the distance between them. At the moment, she kind of hated him. Why wouldn’t he look at her? Talk to her? Was she abhorrent to him? What had she done wrong?

  Addie had no clue what to say or how to make things better and she didn’t dare touch him again, so she walked through the door and then waited as he closed it softly. They fell into step on the smooth, clean marble floors of the castle. There was no reason for him to carry her, but why couldn’t he at least reassure her with a touch or a tender glance?