Page 203 of Filthy Royal

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated?” Her voice rose, and she knew she was repeating his every other word, but she couldn’t seem to stop.

“You’re in for it now,” Kadon noted with a fair amount of glee.

“I’d be very careful when you take these cuffs off me, Skolov.” Luc’s sentiments clearly ranged toward the more murderous.

“See?” Damien gestured her brother’s way. “Complicated.”

“You are not helping,” she snapped at Luc before returning her attention to Damien. “Can you explain why they’re chained up?”

“I had to restrain Luc. Otherwise, I knew he’d object when I locked down Kadon.”

His explanation wasn’t making anything clearer.

Anya looked equally confused. It was the only thing that made Scarlett feel any better.

“It’s no big deal,” Damien assured her. “Luc would do the same if our positions were reversed. And if I’m satisfied with what Stormhart tells me, which I expect to be, this will all be behind us soon.”

Scarlett tried a different tack. “You are not the Enforcer in this situation. You’re my Alpha, and since those males are my family, they’re yours too.”

Damien’s expression hardened. “Family doesn’t mean a Get off the Prison Planet Free card. Darvish is my blood, and he’s trouble. I will always be the Enforcer when it comes to you. I will do whatever’s necessary to protect you.”

Ah.So this somehow had to do with her.

She had no clue why Damien would suddenly perceive Luc or Kadon as a threat to her, but she understood now that her Alpha had been triggered, and the fastest way to get through this was to do exactly as Damien insisted and get his questions answered.

“Okay, yes, let’s get to the bottom of this. But please unchain them both while you resolve whatever it is that got them shackled in the first place.” She wasn’t above a spot of manipulation in an extreme case like this, so she leaned into him and added, “And please do it fast. I want to get back to bed.” She lowered her voice. “With you.”

“Hells, yes.” Eyes streaking red, Damien jutted his chin toward Maddox. “Unchain them. But keep your laser on Stormhart until I say otherwise.”

Luc growled.

Kadon just shook his head.

Scarlett clamped her mouth shut, reminding herself she’d won one battle. She’d pick her moment for the next.

A few short heartbeats later, their manacles were off.

Fortunately, Luc didn’t follow through on his threat to go after Damien. At least, not yet, but he did shoot a glare her Alpha’s way.

“So, what’s this about?” Kadon flexed his wrists, his gaze bouncing from Damien to Luc.

Her brother, she noted, looked away fast.

The nape of her neck prickled. What was going on?

“Any idea how the Consortium guards found you?” Damien fired his first question at Kadon.

“No idea.” Kadon appeared surprised by the query. “Do you?”

Damien didn’t answer. Instead, he exchanged a glance with Luc.

“What do you know that I don’t?” Kadon, like her, was catching on to the idea that something significant had happened at Crex’s place. “I thought you said Crex was dead when you got there. What the hells is going on?”

She hadn’t known Crex was dead. And wasn’t sure how to feel about it. But there was no time to process that revelation now.

“I’ll ask the questions.” Damien wasn’t in full Enforcer mode; instead, he was studying Kadon, his voice—weirdly—almost gentle.

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