Page 45 of Broken Queen
“Tonight is going to be fun,” she winked. “Tolerate the formalities, then we’ll get to other business. Our business. Now, that is our entertainment.”
But Zira was the only ‘entertainment’ I wanted.
“Will your daddy announce Logan is missing?” I asked.
“Or that there’s an open seat on the board.”
I picked her up by her ass, scooping her into my arms. A shiny purple ball gown with a square neckline and an asymmetrical skirt showed off those sexy heels, exposing her purple toenails. She wrapped her legs around me, and I clutched her ass, her smooth, bare skin in my palms. No underwear for the wrong reasons, but damn it, I wouldn’t let another man touch her again.
Zira was mine.
“I should ruin you right now,” I said, slamming her onto the bed.
“No, don’t!” she squealed playfully. She straightened herself, then flattened her dress. “This is important.”
I fixed the lapels of my stiff jacket. If that’s what the queen wanted, then I’d save the debauchery for later.
A staff member drove us in an oversized golf cart down to the banquet hall, which was well lit this time, not like the dim oasis it had been for the Masquerade. And this time, no one wore a mask. It was only a dinner party for rich men. My goddamned nightmare.
Zira linked her arm into mine and pulled me into the nest. Some sort of steak was served, with tiny potatoes and a vegetable that I didn’t recognize. As the second glasses of wine were poured, Daddy Bloom stood up, clinking a fork against his glass.
“Gentlemen, thank you for coming,” he said.
I squeezed Zira’s thigh; why couldn’t Bloom add ‘and one lady’?
“I know this was a last-minute affair,” he continued, “but I am so pleased to see how many of you joined me tonight.”
“Get to the good bits, Gore,” one of the guests said. The other guests chuckled, and even Bloom himself laughed, his belly shaking with pleasure.
“Right, then,” Bloom said. He motioned off to the side. “Ernest, can you come join me?”
A thin, black-haired man stood up, then joined Daddy Bloom at the head of the table. Ernest Dumas, the other board member, and our next kill to get out of my queen’s way.
“As you all know, Logan has disappeared,” Bloom continued. “We’re afraid he’s gone.” At those words, Bloom locked eyes with his daughter, the first time he actually acknowledged her that night, the fucking prick, but then Bloom continued to scan the crowd of guests. “And when a tragedy like this happens, you do what is necessary. If you find yourself in a position where the best man comes forward for the job, demonstrating his worth, you seize the moment. You make him a part of the board.”
“Should be ‘her,’” I muttered to Zira. She jabbed me in the ribs to get me to shut up, but her half-smile told me she secretly appreciated the comment.
“And so, I’m pleased to announce our newest board member,” Bloom continued. He held his breath, bracing himself for something that could backfire.
Bloom held out an arm toward us.
“This ought to be good,” I whispered to Zira.
“Hazard Boucher,” Bloom said.
The applause started as the other members in the room turned toward me. Zira stiffened in her seat, but then she smiled widely and pushed me to stand.
“Go,” she said.
“What?” I asked. What the fuck was Bloom talking about?
“That’s your name, isn’t it?” She smacked me on the shoulder. “Get up there!”
I stood in a haze, making my way toward the front of the room. An unpleasant buzzing sensation swam through my veins, like I was watching myself walk without knowing what waited for me on the other side. That kind of thing normally excited me, but this was bullshit.
Zira’s lips were pulled back into a wide grin, as if nothing could go wrong.
But everything was wrong, and we both knew it.
