“Is what true?” Her father asked as he continued pacing the floor.
“Dad? Is there any truth to the claim that your marriage is not valid? Why would this person make a claim like this if it weren’t true? Do you know who they are?”
“Raven, I don’t know what to tell you. They’re stating I used unsavory means to convince the Counsel that the outdated rules stating I had to marry a woman of royal birth were no longer appropriate for our country. If someone decides to look at the historical records, or if anyone decides to talk, they could have a case. I am not an innocent man, but no one was keeping your mother away from me.”
Raven took a step back, eyeing both of her parents with shock and surprise. “What does that mean?” She knew her parents weren’t angels. You can’t rule an entire country and be innocent in everything. Sometimes her parents had to make decisions that others may not agree with or were unpopular with the masses. “Okay, so who would want you removed? Who would want to stop me from ascending to the throne?”
“There are quite a few people who would enjoy seeing my legacy vanish.” Her father glanced at her mother as a smile came over his face. “When I met your mother all those years ago, making her Queen of Abingdon was met with protests and unrest. Some people wouldn’t accept a woman of African descent as Queen, and she was American, which made it a double whammy. There were threats to remove me as King. I was told to abdicate the throne to allow someone more appropriate to take on my royal duties. We had to fight Parliament to justify our love.”
Raven was shocked by her father’s words. She knew none of this. It had never been mentioned to her that her parents had to fight for their right to be married. Since she was a little girl. No one had ever shown her the slightest inkling that she, or her mother, weren’t accepted. “What do you mean had to fight Parliament?” At this, she glanced at Dexter before pulling away to walk over to her parents. “What are we up against?”
“They can file a petition with Parliament stating that the decision thirty years ago was biased. That your father used nefarious means to convince the court to side with us.” Her mother glanced at her father after making that statement. “If they make that claim, and can find someone who will side with them, it could be an issue. Your father and I, or rather, our lawyers, would have to prove that it didn’t happen the way this person is claiming.”
“Your Majesties, is there any truth to the claims?” Dexter had stepped closer to the three of them as well. They weren’t trying to exclude him, but the shock of understanding the claim against her parents had thrown Raven off-kilter.
Her parents looked at each other before turning to both her and Dexter. “It depends on what you mean by nefarious. I was not going to allow them to take Vivian away from me. I would have done whatever it took to have this woman as my Queen. She was the only woman for me. The only one worthy enough to have my last name. Plus, I sure as hell wasn’t going to allow some outdated, old-fashioned, racist, bigoted way of thinking to take that away from me. From us. Did I do things that would be questionable today? Yes. Would I do them again? Absolutely.”
Raven almost laughed at how things were playing out. Her parents faced a similar situation to what Raven and Dexter were going through today. At the time, her father did what he felt was right. He didn’t allow anyone to come between him and his future. She couldn’t begrudge him that. Glancing over at Dexter, she smiled. If Dexter had been in her father’s position, and she was the one people didn’t want him to marry because of the color of her skin, she knew without a doubt Dexter would do everything in his power to nullify their concerns. Even if that meant he had to do some shady activities. She couldn’t be upset that her father did whatever it took to keep her mother by his side. That just showed how much her father loved her mother from day one.
“Mom, Dad. I’ve lived in the United States for a long time now. I know things aren’t all rainbows and sunshine for anyone, no matter their station in life.” Grabbing Dexter’s hand within hers, she looked back at her parents with a serious expression. “At least one of us needs to have culpable deniability. I think that person needs to be me. If questioned, or if they attempt to get information from me, I don’t want to know anything. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear the full story once this is all over, but not right now. Until we work through this issue, we're going to put up a cone of silence around this topic and me. But I need you to trust Dexter with your secrets. He has a unique set of friends who have special skills. Whether it’s finding out information about others, or making issues go away, they can do it all. I trust him to help us. I’m asking you to do the same.”
CHAPTER 8
Dexter
Waking up next to Raven the next morning, Dexter reached his arm over and across her naked body. After dinner last night, they discussed a generic plan to handle the blackmailer. Dexter was pleased her parents didn’t balk too much at him being involved. It saved him the trouble of forcing himself into the middle of their situation. For the woman lying in his arms, he’d turn this country inside out to find the guy targeting her family.
“Good morning,” her groggy voice called out to him. “Either you brought a baseball bat to bed, or you’re ready to play.”
Pulling her bare ass against his long, thick cock, he kissed the side of her neck. “I’m always ready to play.” Dexter reached his hand around the front of her body, his thick fingers rubbed along the thick folds of her pussy. When Raven spread her legs, her scent called to him. Her moans reached his ears, and he continued manipulating her body. Her ass canted back at him, and he nipped her shoulder with his teeth.
“Ouch, Dexter,” she groused.
“Quit playing around. Let me take my time. You fell asleep before I was done last night.” Using one digit, he penetrated her slick channel. As his finger slid inside, his woman released a keening moan.
Her hand reached down to clasp his wrist, and she attempted to hold him in place. “Oh, shit. That feels good, Dexter.”
Dexter held back a smile. Raven had always been extra responsive to his touch. That’s one of the things he loved about her. When they were together, she never held anything back from him. Adding a second finger, he closed his eyes in pleasure as her tightness contracted around the intrusion. “I love you, Raven,” he whispered.
“I know you do.”
“I will always protect you,” he vowed.
“Yes. Yes!” Raven screamed as he continued probing her body.
Dexter could feel the pleasure coming over her as her body squirmed as her breathing became choppy. Sliding his fingers in and out of her body, he grunted each time he pushed in her clenching channel. The sound of her moans was like music to his ears, and she was soaking wet for him. Dexter growled as her juices made wet sounds each time he thrust his fingers inside.
“I–I need more,” she huffed.
“Do you know how fucking good your pussy feels on my fingers? My dick is so hard for you, Raven.” He flicked his thumb over her clit, setting her body off like a rocket. He felt her juices gush around his thick digit. He removed his hand from her body and grabbed his dick. Dexter placed himself at her opening, pushing inside. He gritted his teeth as the tightness of her sheath slowed his entrance. Once fully seated, he rested one arm around her body, lifting the hand covered with her juices to her mouth. “Open up, Kitten.”
Raven gave a long purr before opening her lips to accept his offering. “You always know how to say the sweetest thing.” She sucked his fingers into her mouth, licking her essence from his skin. Dexter stroked deeper as he fell under the spell of their lovemaking. Pressing deeper inside her channel, Dexter used the thumb of the hand wrapped around her waist to press on her hardened clit. Raven jerked as her body fell into a rolling orgasm. The clench of her channel around his dick caused him to release inside her body. Raven cried out, and Dexter was close behind. He was buried deep. So, fucking deep, and he never wanted to be anyplace else.
After a few moments, Dexter could finally speak. “And that’s why we should never be apart.”
Her laughter bubbled to the surface, “You’re just insatiable.”
“Yes, I sure am. For you.” Removing himself from her body, he rolled over to the side of the bed. His gaze took in the beautiful, bronze-skinned, well-fucked Goddess lying on the white sheets. A smile came over his face as he thanked his lucky stars that this woman was part of his life. “I need to make some phone calls.”