Page 85 of Tarnished Reign

I’m getting to the last thread of my patience. I’m mere moments away from marching after her and dragging her back to our suite and putting her over my knee. The worst part is that I know in some ways she’s right, and I get she wants to help her little stepbrother, but I know I’m right too. She doesn’t understand the world or how it works. Maybe Hana has siblings who would want to look after Cade? Perhaps her parents? Or her deceased husband’s parents? These are people the courts will decide are a better fit for Cade than Adriana.

I didn’t lie when I said I can’t be a father, and it was my knee-jerk reaction in that moment, but I also don’t want Adriana to be heartbroken if it’s decided that Cade should live with someone other than her. I might have sway with a lot of people in this city, but I can’t make child services place a kid with someone of my choosing. There are certain institutions that are heavily bureaucratic, and departments like child services are prime examples.

It's not like with the cops where maybe a bag of evidence goes missing for a bag of money. A kid is a different thing, a whole other level. After our row I thought about this a lot, and I think Adriana is heading for a world of hurt if she thinks she’s going to be given custody of Cade.

Fuck. I should talk to her, but I can’t risk another massive row before the party and her being even more angry or looking like she’s been crying for hours on end. I can’t wait for the party to be over, and I think I’ll take Adriana to the compound straight after. No point spending another night on this yacht. Maybe once we’re back on solid ground we can talk, and I can tell her my concerns.

A small boat is heading toward us. I wander to the main part of the deck and watch it. It will be the tender bringing the food. I’ll ask Yuri to go and check that there’s no nasty surprises hidden amongst the lobster. You can never be too careful. There’s a hatch on the lower deck with ladders that come down when opened, and they’ll bring the food in that way. Apparently rich people don’t like to see the servants who are supplying their food and drink. They just like things to magically appear.

My phone buzzes, and I pull it out of my pocket. I don’t recognize the number, so I answer with a sense of trepidation. “Dimitri.”

“It’s Damen.”

“Yasas. Any news?” He has been trying to reel this mysterious Prince figure in on the dark web but so far no luck.

“Yeah. Cancel the party and get off that fucking yacht.”

“What?” My blood turns to ice. We spoke yesterday, and I had updated him with my plans. There was no new information, and the people running this auction still had no idea that Adriana was missing.

“Got intel and chatter on what sounds like a credible threat.”

“From who? The auctioneers?”

“I’m not sure. No names were shared, but they were talking about a girl, a yacht, and the bay. All I know is they were saying that there would be a party, and it would be the perfect time to reach the girl.”

“Shit. Thanks; I owe you.”

I jog over to where Alexis is sprawled on an outdoor sofa reading the Wall Street Journal.

“Walk with me.”

He does immediately.

“There’s a threat, and there might be some people boarding tonight for the party who want to get to Adriana. Get packed up, and let’s get off within the hour.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes. The staff too. Can’t leave them; they might become collateral damage. Tell them to go home. Tell our men to get themselves ready. I’m going to find Adriana, and we will cancel the party.”

“Jacob will be upset,” Alexis says.

“He won’t want us to risk lives or risk Adriana being taken. Can you sort out cancelling the party?”

He nods, and I clap him on the shoulder. I need to find Adriana.

I race to my room, knowing she probably won’t be there but wanting to check. I peek inside her old room next door, and that’s empty as well.

She’s not in the library either. Or the quiet music room she sometimes sits in. I stalk down the corridor, slamming open every single door of every fucking room, but no Adriana.

I head to the next level down and repeat the process.

There’s a clatter from below, loud enough that I hear it. Then a muffled scream. At the same moment, Yuri appears at the end of the corridor. “Boss, something’s happening in the kitchen. I’ve sent men down.”

I race past him, my heart slamming into my chest. The sound of a motor roaring away from the boat has me pausing on my way to the kitchen. The tender wouldn’t have finished unloading yet, so why are they leaving?

Turning on my heel, I change direction and tear up the stairs leading to the deck level and burst out into the sunlight to see my men firing at the craft as it speeds away.

There’s a woman on the deck. Dark hair billowing in the breeze as armed men fire back at us, and the glint of a blade flashes at her throat.

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