Page 41 of Kings & Queen

“Ivan, you know it’s three weeks away. Let it go, Brother.”

I scoffed, and my hand disappeared under the table. She didn’t want to but couldn’t help but stare. Leaning down, I whispered in Allison’s ear, my lips near her neck. She shifted in her chair and very obediently parted her legs. An intense amount of anger burned in Kinsley’s eyes. Shaking her head, she looked away in disgust.

Sebastian leaned toward her and whispered something in her ear. She reached over, put her hand on his shoulder, and angled closer. He sucked in his breath, and I wanted to smash his face as he stared down the front of her dress. I caught a slight nod from Nik to Sebastian and wondered if she was fucking him now.

I had no idea what she whispered in response, but she added in a regular voice, “Please, Sir. I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” It came out seductively and dripped with innuendo.

Throwing his head back in laughter, he exclaimed, “Oh god, I swear you’re killing me, tiny tot. I’ll see what I can do.”

The last part of his statement had my eye twitching and my hands clenching. She sat back in her seat as the servants entered the dining room. Dinner was practically suffocating; every word exchanged was like an extreme sport. The strained atmosphere clung to the room despite the joyous occasion. It was the most excruciatingly awkward dining experience ever.

I regretted coming in the first place, and when my father insisted Allison and I join everyone for drinks after dinner, I reluctantly followed them. Alek and Nik had tried to corner me earlier at the club, and we’d exchanged words; Sebastian had to step in and remind us of where we were. The tension hadn’t dissipated any.

Marcel kept checking in with Kinsley, and it angered me. If she wasn’t mentally stable enough to attend a fucking dinner, then maybe they shouldn’t have dragged her out. But of course Alek and Nik probably wanted to show her off for some stupid reason, like she was a shiny new car they’d just purchased.

The assholes were in denial. Eventually, they would have to come to terms with her situation. I, for one, was glad I was already hardening my heart. Once she left, I’d be miles ahead of them and moving on with my life.

“I swear, if you have to check on her that much, maybe you should have left her at Bethlem Royal Hospital,” I finally said, rolling my eyes.

“Oh my, you were at Bethlem?” Mother asked, looking worried.

A whirlwind of emotions played across my mother’s face, making me wish I hadn’t said anything at all. Vanya spent some time in there after her suicideattempt. Kinsley’s hands were folded neatly in her lap, and she looked like she wanted to disappear. Shame radiated from her tiny frame. Her eyes finally met my mother’s, and tears formed, threatening to spill.

“And right on cue, the tears once more. So dramatic all the fucking time. You should do yourself a favor and grow up. It’s extremely tiring,” I said, finishing my drink. The butler moved to refill it.

“Son, that’s unnecessary,” my father scolded.

“It’s fine, Mr. King,” she muttered.

“Why are you here if you can’t be civil?” Alek’s frustration had finally boiled over, his tone laced with exasperation as he confronted me. Part of egging her on was to get under his skin as well.

Anger surged inside, and my voice dripped with disdain. “Like I need your fucking permission to dine with my family, Reaper. Get the hell out of here with your nonsense questions.”

But Alek persisted, undeterred. “No, really, you knew she was going to be here. Why on earth did you come?”

Attempting to defuse the tension, my mother stepped in. “Boys, let’s not fight. I raised you better than that.” Her voice was infused with gentle admonishment.

“I don’t know, Mother,” Alek sneered. “You may have ruined him with all that babying. He thinks he can get away with anything. He should know better.”

“What, and you’re going to show me the better way? Shut me up somehow, old man? I’d knock you on your ass in two seconds flat,” I growled. “Maybe you shouldn’t have brought your little plaything to ourfamilydinner. Mom didn’t even want you or Nik sitting next to her. If that doesn’t speak volumes, then I don’t know what does. News flash. She’llneverbe family.”

“Say one more thing, asshole, and I swear I’ll shove my fist down your throat,” Alek said, shooting to his feet.

I rose to mine, mirroring Alek’s stance. The air cracked around us as we stood face-to-face, ready to throw down. Despite knowing my mother’s rules, we both struggled to keep our emotions from dissolving into a full-blown clash of fists in her drawing room. Sensing Alek’s need to hit something, Kinsley stepped in front of him. Tremors coursed through his body.

She stood on her tiptoes but still needed to pull his jacket to reach him. “Please, my King, stop. He’s your brother. You love him, and he loves you. You also swore an oath. Don’t do this. It’s nothing.”

Alek rested his forehead against hers and took several deep breaths while our parents tried to get me to calm down. Unable to stop myself, my mouth opened,and more venom poured out, directed this time at the beautiful woman caressing my brother’s face.

“No, what is nothing is you. In fact, you’re nothing more than a shluha vokzal’naja,” I hissed.Train station whore.My mother gasped. In Russian, it was one of the worst insults that could be hurled at a woman.

“What the bloody hell, Son?” my father shouted.

The guys sprang into action. Marcel pulled Kinsley out of the way while Nik and Sebastian moved to restrain Alek, who was consumed with rage. As they held him back, Kinsley’s own anger intensified. The moment she was done being humiliated was a beautiful thing to behold.

Fire blazed in her eyes as she stalked toward me, her steps measured and deliberate. Each sway of her hips tantalizing me. Her fucking dress rustled as she got closer, and her scent hit my nostrils, making my dick throb.

“Dostatochno,” she roared like a goddamn lioness. I stepped back, the intensity a blast.