Finale Read online

  Finale

  A North Security Novella

  By Skye Warren

  1001 Dark Nights

  Finale

  A North Security Novella

  By Skye Warren

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2021 Skye Warren

  ISBN: 978-1-951812-43-0

  Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Published by 1001 Dark Nights Press, an imprint of Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Finale

  A North Security Novella

  By Skye Warren

  From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Skye Warren comes the next installment in her North Security series.

  Francisco Castille, the exiled Duke of Linares, knows his duty. Even in modern times, the line must continue. So he'll marry and produce an heir.

  Yes, a wife will fit into his well-ordered life.

  Instead he ends up with the brilliant pianist Isabella. Strong. Spirited. And highly disobedient. She rebels against every custom and every rule, threatening his careful balance.

  Francisco never backs away from a challenge.

  Isabella never bows down to anyone.

  This scorching hot battle of wills may leave both of them broken.

  **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

  About Skye Warren

  Skye Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of dangerous romance. Her books have sold over one million copies. She makes her home in Texas with her loving family, sweet dogs, and evil cat.

  For more information, visit https://www.skyewarren.com.

  Also From Skye Warren

  North Security Trilogy & more North brothers

  Overture

  Concerto

  Sonata

  Audition

  Diamond in the Rough

  Silver Lining

  Gold Mine

  Finale

  Endgame Trilogy & more books in Tanglewood

  The Pawn

  The Knight

  The Castle

  The King

  The Queen

  Escort

  Survival of the Richest

  The Evolution of Man

  Mating Theory

  The Bishop

  For a complete listing of Skye Warren books, visit

  www.skyewarren.com/books

  Dedication

  To Toby, my dog and companion for fourteen years, who passed away this year. He was the sentry over my child’s crib. I will miss you forever.

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights

  Click here to explore

  COLLECTION ONE

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black ~ CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham ~ CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart ~ SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom ~ DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake ~ AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione ~ NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones ~ SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair ~ ROPED IN by Lorelei James ~ TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian ~ THE FLAME by Christopher Rice ~ CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  COLLECTION TWO

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan ~ WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham ~ EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby ~ MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair ~ CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner ~ ADORED by Lexi Blake ~ HADES by Larissa Ione ~ RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton ~ DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James ~ RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright ~ DRAGON KING by Donna Grant ~ PURE WICKED by Shayla Black ~ HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye ~ STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian ~ ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham ~ KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice ~ DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster ~ TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti ~ THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  COLLECTION THREE

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan ~ BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham ~ SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst ~ DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice ~ ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey ~ DEVOTED by Lexi Blake ~ Z by Larissa Ione ~ FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige ~ EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby ~ UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton ~ HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye ~ DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant ~ KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright ~ STRUNG UP by Lorelei James ~ MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian ~ TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti ~ DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black ~ THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely ~ SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  COLLECTION FOUR

  ROCK CHICK REAWAKENING by Kristen Ashley ~ ADORING INK by Carrie Ann Ryan ~ SWEET RIVALRY by K. Bromberg ~ SHADE'S LADY by Joanna Wylde ~ RAZR by Larissa Ione ~ ARRANGED by Lexi Blake ~ TANGLED by Rebecca Zanetti ~ HOLD ME by J. Kenner ~ SOMEHOW, SOME WAY by Jennifer Probst ~ TOO CLOSE TO CALL by Tessa Bailey ~ HUNTED by Elisabeth Naughton ~ EYES ON YOU by Laura Kaye ~ BLADE by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright ~ DRAGON BURN by Donna Grant ~ TRIPPED OUT by Lorelei James ~ STUD FINDER by Lauren Blakely ~ MIDNIGHT UNLEASHED by Lara Adrian ~ HALLOW BE THE HAUNT by Heather Graham ~ PRINCE ROMAN by CD Reiss ~ THE BED MATE by Kendall Ryan ~ DIRTY FILTHY FIX by Laurelin Paige ~ NO RESERVATIONS by Kristen Proby ~ DAWN OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  COLLECTION FIVE

  BLAZE ERUPTING by Rebecca Zanetti ~ ROUGH RIDE by Kristen Ashley ~ HAWKYN by Larissa Ione ~ RIDE DIRTY by Laura Kaye ~ ROME’S CHANCE by Joanna Wylde ~ THE MARRIAGE ARRANGEMENT by Jennifer Probst ~ SURRENDER by Elisabeth Naughton ~ INKED NIGHTS by Carrie Ann Ryan ~ ENVY by Rachel Van Dyken ~ PROTECTED by Lexi Blake ~ THE PRINCE by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ PLEASE ME by J. Kenner ~ WOUND TIGHT by Lorelei James ~ STRONG by Kylie Scott ~ DRAGON NIGHT by Donna Grant ~ TEMPTING BROOKE by Kristen Proby ~ HAUNTED BE THE HOLIDAYS by Heather Graham ~ CONTROL by K. Bromberg ~ HUNKY HEARTBREAKER by Kendall Ryan ~ THE DARKEST CAPTIVE by Gena Showalter

  COLLECTION SIX

  DRAGON CLAIMED by Donna Grant ~ ASHES TO INK by Carrie Ann Ryan ~ ENSNARED by Elisabeth Naughton ~ EVERMORE by Corinne Michaels ~ VENGEANCE by Rebecca Zanetti ~ ELI’S TRIUMPH by Joanna Wylde ~ CIPHER by Larissa Ione ~ RESCUING MACIE by Susan Stoker ~ ENCHANTED by Lexi Blake ~ TAKE THE BRIDE by Carly Phillips ~ INDULGE ME by J. Kenner ~ THE KING by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ QUIET MAN by Kristen Ashley ~ ABANDON by Rachel Van Dyken ~ THE OPEN DOOR by Laurelin Paige ~ CLOSER by Kylie Scott ~ BLOOD NIGHT by Heather Graham ~ TWIST OF FATE by Jill Shalvis ~ MORE THAN PLEASURE YOU by Shayla Black ~ SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS by Jennifer Probst ~ WONDER WITH ME by Kristen Proby ~ THE DARKEST ASSASSIN by Gena Showalter

  COLLECTION SEVEN

  THE BISHOP by Skye Warren ~ TAKEN WITH YOU by Carrie Ann Ryan ~ DRAGON LOST by Donna Grant ~ SEXY LOVE by Carly Phillips ~ PROVOKE by Rachel Van Dyken ~ RAFE by Sawyer Bennett~ THE NAUGHTY PRINCESS by Claire Contreras ~ THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT by Darynda Jones ~ CHARMED by Lexi Blake ~ SACRIFICE OF DARKNESS by Alexandra Ivy ~ THE QUEEN by Jen Armentrout ~ BEGIN AGAIN by Jennifer Probst ~ VIXEN by Rebecca Zanetti ~ SLASH by Laurelin Paige ~ THE DEAD HEAT OF SUMMER by Heather Graham ~ WILD FIRE by Kristen Ashley ~ MORE THAN PROTECT YOU by Shayla Black ~ LOVE SONG by Kylie Scott ~ CHERISH ME by J. Kenner ~ SHINE WITH ME by Kristen Proby

  From Blue Box Press:

  TAME ME by J. Kenner ~ TEMPT ME by J. Kenner ~ DAMIEN by J. Kenner ~ TEASE ME by J. Kenner ~ REAPER by Larissa Ione ~ THE SURRENDER GATE by Christopher Rice ~ SERVICING THE TARGET by Cherise Sinclair ~ THE LAKE OF LEARNING by Steve Berry and MJ Rose ~ THE MUSEUM OF MYSTERIES by Steve Berry and MJ Rose ~ TEASE ME by J. Kenner ~ FROM BLOOD AND ASH by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ QUEEN MOVE by Kennedy Ryan ~ THE HOUSE OF LONG AGO by Steve Berry and MJ Rose ~ THE BUTTERFLY ROOM by Lucinda Riley ~ A KINGDOM OF FLESH AND FIRE by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Skye Warren

  Also from Skye Warren

  Dedication

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights

  Foreword

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Eight

  Discover More Skye Warren

  An excerpt from Private Property by Skye Warren

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Special Thanks

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until
I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

  in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before you now.

  Chapter One

  Isabella

  Most people know me as the heiress to the Bradley family hotels.

  It’s both right and wrong. I’m my father’s first child. His oldest daughter. I stand to inherit most of the business, but I’ve also been running it since I turned twenty-three.

  That’s the year we almost went bankrupt.

  My father loves travel. He loves it enough to purchase every gorgeous, quirky boutique hotel he finds, regardless of whether it’s profitable. And my brother… well, my brother Robin loves being right. He loves it enough to fire every business analyst who disagrees with him.

  Between the two of them, they ran the business into the red.

  “We don’t need him,” my brother mutters. Him meaning Francisco Castille, the exiled Duke of Linares. A very rich man who we very much need.

  “It’s a meeting,” I say, smoothing things over. That’s my job in the family. Smoothing things over and making the numbers add up so they turn black.

  “I’m looking forward to shaking his hand,” my father says. “Those villas he built in Bali are sublime. The sheets. The views. And the food. If we could partner with him and get that chef into one of our hotels—”

  My brother snorts. “He’s not going to give us his Michelin starred chef.”

  Dad starts to argue. If I’m not careful he’ll trade away the entire hotel chain just to get that chef. I put up a hand to silence the argument. “We’ll keep an open mind, okay? We’ll present our proposal and see what he says.”

  Castille is known for being a sharp businessman. He’s also a recluse, and if the rumors are to be believed, dangerous. After a long and successful run with the bank, the economy turned. No one wants to give money to a hotel right now. And we need money. After our loan request got rejected, we received a phone call from Castille’s people. How did he find out? No idea. My brother balked at the idea. My father was curious about it. I’m the one running the forecasts into the next six months, into the next year, and I know how badly we need this. Our receptionist, a woman named Molly who’s been working for the hotel since she started as a maid forty years ago, gives us a slight nod. It means he’s on his way up.

  There’s only a single elevator that comes to the top floor.

  “Too fucking eager,” my brother mutters.

  We’re standing in a row, waiting to receive him. “We’re just being respectful,” I whisper.

  “Castille would be fucking lucky to sign a deal with us.” That’s my brother. Always boastful.

  “He’s royalty,” Dad says with a gentle laugh. He’s met kings and queens over his decades in the hospitality industry. An exiled Spanish duke does not faze him. It’s another day in the life of Harris Bradley. “You know how they love pomp and circumstance.”

  A discreet ding heralds the glide of the elevator doors.

  It’s worth its weight in gold, that elevator. The smoothest pneumatic elevator on the market.

  Rose marble inside. Titanium doors open, revealing a man.

  One man.

  I expect an entourage. I expect a security detail. At the very least, a secretary. Instead he’s alone. Dark hair. Dark eyes. A strong jaw. That much I knew already from blurry photos from paparazzi. What they could not capture in stolen moments is the intensity that radiates from his gaze. He sweeps us with a look that seems to take everything in—my father’s bespoke suit, my brother’s brand name clothes. My plain black pantsuit.

  His gaze lingers on me. I probably look very different from the blurry paparazzi photos of me during my party girl days. Or maybe I look so different he doesn’t even recognize me. With my blonde hair in a tight bun and glasses on my nose, I’ve been mistaken for the concierge service by more than one hotel resident. I’m always polite. Always deferent.

  Now I raise my chin. “Mr. Castille,” I say. “A pleasure.”

  The corner of his lips quirk. “Miss Bradley. The pleasure is mine.”

  So he does recognize me. I watch as he greets my father in a congenial manner. Fake, obviously. And my brother, who does the handshake squeeze competition. Castille wins that round. He’s clearly comfortable commanding a room. And he’s done his homework.

  That knowing gaze sweeps across the lobby. I can see the calculations in his eyes—from the onyx sofa made of volcanic rock to the champagne brass light installation. No expense was spared in the creation of our new corporate building.

  That’s part of the reason we’re in this mess.

  “Exquisite,” Castille says in a cultured tone. It sounds like a compliment. My father takes it that way, preening. This is pride and joy. Unfortunately I suspect that it’s not really a compliment. Beautiful? Yes. But no hotelier should favor the staff over the guests.

  “We were surprised to get your call,” my brother says, his tone goading. I tense. “I suppose there’s only so far that new construction can get you in this business. Bradley Hotels has all the connections, all the infrastructure.”

  Castille manages a benign smile. Can’t my brother see the powerful mind working behind that calm expression? I want to warn him, but we’re on the stage now. This is a performance, this meeting. Every word scripted. Every movement matters.

  “Naturally we’re very proud of what we’ve built,” my father says.

  “Come into the office,” I say, moving so they’ll have to follow me. We need to get this conversation out of the foyer. Even though it’s private here—we trust Molly implicitly after all this time—no deals are signed in a hallway. I glance back and find Castille’s gaze on my ass. Heat rises in my cheeks. He’s definitely not the first man who’s ever checked me out. After my party scene years I almost became immune to it, but I wasn’t expecting it here. Not with my father and brother a few steps behind him. Not with a billion-dollar deal on the table.

  We settle around the table. My father sits in the center, directly across from Castille. They’re the main actors in this play. My brother and I sit on either side.