Page 135 of Emperor of Wrath

Kir taps his glass again as everyone goes quiet. “I know we’re long past the wedding. But any marriage worth its salt is always worth celebrating.” He turns to where I’m standing next to Kenzo, my husband’s arm firmly around my waist and his hand possessively on my hip. “To the daughter I never thought I’d have, who I’ve been lucky enough to call family. And to her husband.” He nods his chin at Kenzo. “It takes a brave man to weather our Annika. And it takes a truly remarkable one to steal her heart.”

I grin widely as Kenzo pulls me tighter to him and Freya turns around to waggle her brows at us.

“To Annika and Kenzo,” Kir growls.

“Annika and Kenzo!” various voices cheer.

“To you, wife,” Kenzo purrs quietly, turning me in his arms and pulling me close as the party music turns back on.

“To us,” I murmur, grinning as he leans down to kiss me softly.

Just then, I yelp as a grinning Freya pulls me away from him. “Sorry, I know you’re married. But technically I’m the first marriage, so, you know…deal with it.”

Kenzo chuckles as Freya and Hana pull me toward the impromptu dance party that’s broken out next to the speakers. Takeshi turns out to have great moves. Kir’s effort is admirable, and even Isaak makes a stoic attempt at “dancing”, if you can call it that.

Hana, Freya, and I get another round of drinks and head back to the dance floor, laughing and having a great time. It feels like I’m drinking straight happiness as I turn to lock eyes with Kenzo across the party before I’m pulled right back into the mayhem.

“How does it feel to know you’re singlehandedly destroying an empire that has endured for over three generations.”

I startle as I turn and come face to face with Tengan. He glares at me, swaying slightly and splashing the drink in his hand on his own shoe. The scent of sake wafts over me strongly.

“Excuse me?” I say curiously as the music and the party rages on around us.

“You’ve ruined everything,” he slurs. “Everything.”

I frown at him. “Tengan, I think you’ve had a bit too much?—”

“Just because of some fucking lover’s quarrel,” he continues. “Because you couldn’t stand seeing your fake husband doing business with the man you used to fuck?—”

It happens so quickly I almost can’t comprehend it. One second, I’m about to smash my glass of wine into the side of Tengan’s face. The next, a huge shape is barreling into him like a freight train and slamming him back five feet into the side of the house with a roar.

The music goes silent. And suddenly, we’re all staring in shock as Kenzo grips Tengan by the throat, holding the tip of a naked blade to his jugular.

“Do you know what happened to the last man who spoke to my wife like that?” he seethes.

Tengan looks terrified as he stabs his gaze past Kenzo, scanning the crowd.

“Don’t look for Sota,” Kenzo growls. “He won’t help you here.”

Tengan’s throat bobs against Kenzo’s hand.

“The last man who spoke to her like that got his arm removed. Then his tongue. Then his head,” Kenzo hisses, pressing the edge of the knife against Tengan’s throat. “Now, I’m celebrating tonight…and arms and heads leave a lot of blood…so why don’t we start with the tongue and see where the evening takes us?—”

“Kenzo.”

It’s not Sota who stops him.

It’s me.

When he feels my touch on his shoulder, it’s like the granite his body had hardened into melts a little. He turns, his expression softening as our eyes lock.

“He’s not worth it.”

“Princess—”

“Please,” I say softly. “No more blood over me.”

His jaw grits. But he slowly nods his head, and pulls the knife away from Tengan’s throat.

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