Page 149 of Tarnished Queen

“I told you,” I sigh, “you don’t have to keep opening the door for me.”

He pulls the door open and stands tall. “It’s what drivers do, isn’t it? And I’m your driver.”

“Yes, I’m aware. It’s been almost a year now. And none of my other drivers have ever bothered. It’s really not necessary.”

My dad shrugs. “Just wanna make sure I’m earning my keep, son. The Zhukova men are no freeloaders.”

I roll my eyes and slide into the back seat. He closes the door behind me and heads around to the driver’s side.

On the night Xena shot me, my dad ran into Christo and my outfit of men outside of the warehouse. The few contacts he still had in the underworld told him that Belle and I might be in trouble, so he showed up to help.

While I was recovering, Belle and I agreed to hire him to help drive me to doctor’s appointments and help out after surgeries. Eventually, the job became permanent. Now, I give him a salary to help him stay off the streets and away from his vices, and he drives me where I need to go.

It’s not a normal father-son relationship. But it’s something.

When the car pulls along the curb in front of the hotel, I climb out before my dad can open the door. But he still meets me at the back of the car.

“Will you need me to drive you to the airport tonight?” he asks. “I don’t mind. It would actually make me feel better to know you’re getting there safely.”

“Christo arranged for rides for all of the guests. There’s an open bar, so…”

“And you trust him?” It’s a blunt question. Most people would tiptoe around it, not daring to even look like they might be questioning my judgment. But my father doesn't like to mince words these days. It's one thing I admire about him.

"I wouldn't let my wife be inside by herself if I didn't,” I say. "Plus, Christo saved my life. He helped me eradicate what was left of the Battiatos. And the last year, with the Simatou mafia under his leadership, has been peaceful. We are allies.”

My dad bows his head. "Enough said. If you trust him, then so do I. Text me when you are on the plane, please. If you don’t mind."

I nod and he ducks back into the car and pulls away.

When I turn towards the hotel, I'm stopped dead in my tracks by the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

"Don't look at me like that," Belle snaps, waving her finger at my face. "Don't give me that sexy smolder and assume I'll forgive you for being late. I've been making small talk in there for half an hour, Mr. ‘Fifteen Minutes.’"

She moves down the steps towards me. Her champagne-colored dress shimmers in the ambient lighting, flowing over her curves like water. Her hair is pinned behind one ear with luscious waves tumbling over her shoulders.

"You're a goddess," I murmur, grabbing her waist and pulling her against me.

She lets me kiss her lips and then presses a finger to my chest. "Then I smite you."

"Consider me smote."

She bends back and narrows her eyes. “You shouldn’t look so happy when you’re in bad standing with a goddess.”

“You’re right,” I say with all seriousness. “Getting back in good standing is of the utmost importance. We should probably leave right now so I can do everything humanly possible to please you.”

Belle’s hazel eyes burn and her skin flushes. It’s clear she wants this as much as I do. We’ve both been insatiable the last couple months. Belle was so uncomfortable in the third trimester of pregnancy, and then there was the recovery once Inessa was born, and then the sleepless nights with Inessa crying.

We’re only just getting back into a rhythm with each other. We have a lot of making up to do.

Still, Belle tows me towards the hotel’s front steps. “It’ll have to wait,” she decides. “It would look bad if you didn’t show your support for Christo.”

“He’s been leading the Greeks for a year,” I retort, nuzzling her neck from behind. She smells like lavender as I press a kiss against her quickening pulse. “This is just the bullshit formal ceremony to make it official. He won’t miss us.”

Belle pushes me away gently. “Would you really want to risk the peace you’ve created for a quickie in the backseat of a car on the way to the airport?”

“That is exactly what I want, yes.”

She laughs, unable to hold it back. Then she loops her arm through mine. “You’re ridiculous.”

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