Page 85 of The Crownless King
He chuckled and kissed her lips softly. “Don’t talk about my queen like that.”
She smiled as her eyes lowered bashfully. That the woman could still blush from his compliments despite what he’d done with her body amused him. All eyes were on him and his mate as they moved deeper into the room. No one dared approach them, but there were nods of acknowledgment as he passed some of the city’s movers and shakers.
“They need a DJ in this place,” Lucas muttered next to him.
Amaya snickered and Levi could only shake his head.
“Dance with me, King,” his mate demanded.
Telling her no never occurred to him. As far as he was concerned, this woman could get whatever from him. They swayed to the music the quartet played. For a moment, with his mate wrapped in his arms, Levi almost forgot the point of this excursion. Amaya looked at him and smiled, and he tightened his grip on her waist.
“I love you,” he told her.
She caressed the back of her head, her eyes going soft and dewy. “I love you too, King.”
He chuckled and kissed her softly before spinning her body. Her giggle as she returned to face him warmed him. If he could have any wish, it would be that he could keep that carefree expression on her face. As though the universe heard and conspired against him, Levi spotted his prey and his smile dropped.
Amaya looked around. “What’s wrong?”
He tugged her gently from the dance floor, his gaze never leaving the female moving through the crowd toward a side door, leading to what Levi assumed was a catering kitchen. He followed her through the door, pleased that it was an empty hallway. His enforcers quickly blocked the entrance and would keep anyone else from coming in. Two doors down, the clinking of silverware and hushed firm orders let him know that the catering staff was holed up there. Catching up to the woman, hegripped her arm and spun her around. Her eyes widened and fear had her body trembling.
“King Levi,” she whispered.
Before he could speak, his mate was pushing past him and in the female’s face. “You poisoned my mate.”
The woman blanched and her hand started shaking, the drinks on the tray trembling.
“Who do you work for?” Amaya asked.
The woman looked around and his mate stepped closer. “Ain’t nobody coming to save you, girl. Who gave you the order to kill my mate?”
“I didn’t know it was poisoned.”
He opened his mouth, but this time Amaya gripped the woman’s throat, squeezing tight.
“Lie again.”
Levi smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. Oh, he could get used to this shit. His baby didn’t play ‘bout him. His dick filled and Levi was ready to take her down right in the middle of all these finely dressed people.
“It was a messenger,” the woman hissed out with the small amount of air Amaya allowed her. “I don’t know which contingency he worked for.”
“Point him out,” Amaya ordered, dragging the woman back to the door they’d exited from the ballroom.
Glasses fell from the tray, leaving a broken trail behind his mate and the woman. His enforcers blocked the sight line to the door, so the three of them were unobserved as the woman’s gaze swept the ballroom. After a few tense moments, she lifteda shaky hand and pointed straight ahead. Levi’s eyes followed the path and narrowed on the male standing with some of the Collective members.
‘Lucas.’
‘On it,’his friend assured him, separating from the rest of the men.
Levi trusted his enforcer to do what was needed. He nodded for his mate to release the woman and Amaya shoved her away.
“Please don’t kill me,” the female begged.
It was directed at Amaya and not him. That absolutely pleased him. His queen throwing her power around was exactly as it should be. It confirmed her confidence in both herself and her king.
Levi smiled. “My mate would never kill you.”
The woman sighed in relief.
