Page 10 of Dirty Crown
Ilya leaned over and gestured to somebody off camera. A man in a security suit stepped forward and bent down to speak with him. Ilya gestured and talked into the man’s ear, and the man nodded in agreement as Ilya gave his instruction. The man replied and then stood up, Ilya looked back at the camera and said, “Okay, we can make a deal.”
“The only deal I’m interested in is getting Ivan and Amara back alive,” I said. “I want both of them for your son, and I’ll even throw in Avery for shits and giggles.”
He frowned and said, “You didn’t mention a damned thing about Amara, I don’t even know if we still have her.”
“Then you’d better find her,” I replied and I sat down next to Maksim once more. I grabbed a handful of his hair and lifted his head up. He groaned and tried to pull away from me, even in his sleep. His fear fed my boldness and his pain emboldened my plans. “Because if you don’t, you can kiss this pretty boy goodbye.”
I kissed Maksim on the cheek and he visibly reacted by trying harder to get away. Even Ilya must have noticed how scared his precious son was, because his face fell and a flicker of emotion crossed it.
As fast as it appeared, it was gone again. He scowled and said, “Contact me within twelve hours and we’ll know where she is. Until then, don’t you dare hurt him. Don’t you fucking dare.”
“I’ll treat him with all the respect and kindness you’ve shown my father,” I said and flashed an evil grin just before I dragged my finger across my neck, both a gesture of threat to Ilya and motioning for the session to be over. Kingston understood, cut off the recording, and slipped the phone into his pocket.
“I think that went well,” I laughed, but the tension in my voice made it sound brittle. “Well, it went okay. At least he’s still alive. They’d better fucking pray Amara is found, and that she’s okay or I’ll cut Maksim’s throat before he has a chance to call for his daddy.”
“For Maksim’s sake, I hope they find her,” Kingston said and pulled me into his arms. I didn’t mind leaving Maksim on the couch to be embraced, I needed the comfort. The other three Kings surrounded me and I got my group huddle, all the love and support I craved just then.
“I need sleep,” I said. “Can we tie them up again and get some rest?”
“Yes, please,” Ryker said, and we made quick work of it. Avery was more awake than she’d been before, and she fought against me binding her hands and feet with zip ties and duct tape. I left her mouth free, so she could breathe. But if she started to scream, I promised her I’d slap it on her face in a heartbeat.
Maksim woke up as we were doing his, but he was subdued more than normal. I took this as a good sign, that maybe he was learning his place among us. I preferred to see him mentally beaten down. I liked knowing that I had bested him, that my violence had finally been the thing to shut him up.
He’d pushed me first, and he hadn’t expected me to bite back. I supposed it wasn’t his fault. I definitely crumbled during the whole ordeal, but he didn’t understand how I always came back swinging. I always made it through my break downs and came out the other side stronger and better for it.
I wasn’t going to let him see me like that ever again. I wouldn’t show him my vulnerability, he would see nothing but my strength.
So it was good that he kept to himself and kept his eyes downcast as we bound him tight.
“You’d better get some sleep,” I told him after we’d finished and pushed him onto his side on the sofa. “Tomorrow is going to be a very long day, and you’re going to need every ounce you can get.”
He sighed and nodded, then closed his eyes. It felt strange, because I was almost sorry for him. With a father like Ilya, there hadn’t been much of a chance for him to be a decent human being.
Still, I could feel sorry for him and not let myself get suckered into his evil games.
And besides, I had a bed with four guys waiting for me. Maksim would be just find on his own, out here with Avery for comfort and warmth.
The two of them deserved each other.
* * *
“What are we doing for breakfast?”Archer asked as he rolled over to where I was curled under the blankets and pretending I wasn’t awake. “Valen and Ryker offered to cook, but I don’t mind going out for something if that’s what you want.”
I opened one eye, peered out, and said, “How did you know I was awake?”
“Oh, come on, princess,” he chuckled. “There’s not much you can keep from us, you know. You breathe differently, for one. And I don’t know, I could just sense it.”
“Your spidey senses tingled?” I asked with a smile.
“My something tingled, that’s for sure,” he laughed. “But I’m hungrier than I am horny and I assume you’re the same.”
“I think we’re all the same,” I replied. “Is there anything to eat in here?”
“It’s been stocked. It’s almost as if somebody knew we were coming,” he replied.
“Most likely it’s Ivan’s wasteful planning,” I grumbled, even though it was saving my ass right now. “He keeps his main apartments fully stocked and staffed just in case he wants to drop in at any time.”
“I’m sure somebody gets the food before it goes bad, my little environmentalist,” Archer said and pulled back the covers without warning. He dove on me and nuzzled my neck while I squirmed and screamed. “I know you care, but sometimes it’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t recycle everything.”
