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“There’s so much to do. Press, we need to bury the bodies, reestablish order… Oh Gods, what if they don’t want me for a queen?” I gasp, my voice rising.

Kenzo’s head snaps over to meet my gaze. Ending the call, he walks back to me, dropping to his knees in front of me. As his head tips back, my fingers touch the new, smaller collar around his neck. “They will all drop to their knees in happiness, Mistress. Cinder was always a mistake. She was clearly mad, losing time, forgetting her heinous crimes against her people. I don’t know everything that happened in that room because I was only present for a small amount of time, but I have no doubt you will be a fair and loving queen,” Kenzo rasps. His voice is still hoarse from screaming, and I tangle my fingers in his dark hair to brush my lips along his forehead.

“If you believe I will, then who am I to argue?” I ask simply.

Kenzo gives me a wide smile, and it takes my breath away. He’s so gorgeous. Then, as if remembering his brother is dead, he sobers.

“Yes, well, they’ll be out front soon. There’s nothing to do for the blood staining your clothes and skin,” he says, standing. He towers over me, and now I’m left to drop my head back to look at him.

“It’ll solidify our story,” Grayson grunts from behind us. “I hate that you had to kill people, Dangerous Girl, but you had everything well handled.”

“I did,” I murmur, looking over my shoulder at him. Gray buries his face in my neck, despite the blood. “I’d hate it if something had happened to you all. I trained for this, I had my weapons, I was good.”

“Still,” Ayden growls. “We all played a part tonight in order to fool the queen. I was the playful psychopath she enjoys, and Grayson the stern one who doesn’t give a fuck about things.”

“You two were just playing at those things?” Kenzo snorts. “I was convinced as I listened to Grayson nonchalantly speak.”

“An act, I assure you. I would have been escorting our girl to be scrubbed of Charming’s blood,” he rumbles against my skin. I shiver, squirming at the sensation. “Cinder has always reacted badly when Ayden or I show any kind of emotion for Silla. We even called her Drizella, mimicking Cinder. It’s a dangerous dance for any of us. Isaac has the hardest time hiding his anger, so he had the least interaction with her.”

“Long life to the new queen,” Ayden says affectionately with a lopsided smile. “Let’s kick this press conference’s ass and then get you home to shower.”

My lips part in protest because there’s so much to do, but Kenzo shakes his head, grabbing my hand to pull me along.

“One thing at a time, Mistress,” he reminds me. There’s a commanding tone in his voice, even as he speaks to me gently. Gone is the easygoing, laid back demeanor and in its place is almost a military presence. Complete the tasks, organize the troops, and feel things later.

Kenzo and I are a lot alike, and I understand the need to bury everything in an effort to survive moment to moment. I can hear people beginning to arrive on the other side of the gate and take a breath.

“Stick to the facts, Mistress. Speak from the heart. I don’t want to let them through the gates, so we’re walking through. I’ll ensure Underground members close the streets on both sides, though it’s too late to have much traffic right now,” Kenzo muses. “Still, we’ll have you stand on the sidewalk to conduct the press conference, while they listen from the street. I’ll be right back.”

He’s gone the next moment, leaving me blinking in his absence. “Wow,” I huff, mildly amused.

“Falcon is definitely on point right now,” Grayson says, impressed.

“Did you think he’d fall to pieces?” Ayden asks. “I watched him lock it all away for later. We all do what we need to do to survive. All I know is it hurts like a bitch when you reopen Pandora’s box.”

“Do you think he’ll let me help?” I ask in a small voice. “I’ll never forget his screams when Cinder cut Kal’s throat. Not ever.”

“There’s no 'let', baby girl. You shove yourself in and make your own space,” Grayson grunts. “Get through this, and we’ll find our way. We’re adopting him.”

The way he says that settles me, and I nod. He’s ours. I know they weren’t sure about him before, but he’s solid.

“Silla! It’s time,” Kenzo calls out to me, and I force my legs to move.

As I come up next to him, I tug him down to speak in his ear. We don’t know much about each other yet, but it’ll come. The welling of emotion in my heart means the words are real, and that’ll be enough for now. “You’re so loved,” I whisper in his ear. “I wanted to tell you that. Should we pull you out of the heir closet?”

Kenzo startles in surprise, his strong arm wrapping around my waist. I did what I could, but this dress needs to be burned. I also need to make sure my breasts don’t spill out since I was barely able to tie the top together. Gods, maybe this press conference is a mess. I look like a horror show.

“You honor me, Mistress. Stop fidgeting, you look like the warrior you are. I don’t know everything that happened, but I know blood splatter, and that you’d have to have been underneath Charming to be drenched in blood the way you are,” he whispers, his lips by the shell of my ear. Kenzo has always appeared the pacifist, but he also trains all of his recruits, and he knew exactly where to stab Cinder to find her heart.

There are so many sides to this man.

“Stand tall, and go address your people. You have my permission to tell them anything you’d like,” Kenzo says, dipping his head down to kiss me. His lips are firm and soft, the kiss a touch desperate and savage. When he lifts his head, it’s as if it didn’t happen, his midnight blue eyes clear and determined.

It may appear that he has it all together, but there’s a vicious energy under his skin. His skin almost vibrates with it.

“Go, my queen,” he says, opening the gate for me.

Grayson and Ayden follow me, and my hands touch the top of my dress quickly to ensure it’s still holding its own. If I could, I’d kill Charming again for this.