Page 136 of Sins of a King

“Security. Wealth. Authority. As the wife of a powerful man, I have power in my own right.”

“Are you going to exchange one formidable man for another?”

“Igor involves me, talks to me, takes me into his confidence. He values me in a way that Flynn doesn’t and never has. To Flynn, I’m nothing but my appearance. To Igor, I’m more. I can be more. Together, we can have more.”

He was silent a moment and then, “It’s your turn.”

I picked up the die and rolled.

Chapter 42

Vlad didn’t like me, and he made his feelings clear. He took his keeper duties seriously, but he was the one who always volunteered to do patrol, leaving me with Sasha. Vlad didn’t say a lot and when he did, it was clipped, and he usually spoke Russian. He was trying to ostracize me. I had to put him in his place—instinctively I knew that. I couldn’t let him get away with his insubordination and attitude. I had to show strength.

On the second morning of Dolinsky’s absence, Vlad was testing my patience with his snarling, broodiness. The three of us were having lunch at the dining room table. Sasha, with his good humor, kept trying to pull me into conversation, but I was more interested in keeping my eyes on Vlad who was frowning into his plate. He detested my presence and resented his duty.

“Don’t you like your borsht?” Sasha asked.

“It’s wonderful,” I said. “I will pass along my compliments to Galina.”

“Then why aren’t you eating?” Vlad nearly snapped.

“I want another hard-boiled egg in it.”

“I’ll tell Galina,” Sasha said, setting aside his napkin.

Before he stood, I said, “I don’t want Galina to make me the egg. I want Vlad to do it.” I stared at the hulking angry giant, whose jaw had gone even tighter, his dark eyes colder.

“I am not your cook.”

“Are you my humblepekhotinets?” I threw out the Russian word for foot soldier, enjoying the widening of Vlad’s eyes.

Vlad shot up from his chair, looking like he wanted to do me bodily harm. Our battle of wills was tense. The man could snap my neck, but I had to show no fear. If there was any hope of proving to Dolinsky that I was commanding in my own right, that I could be trusted as his queen, then I had to go head to head with Vlad.

Without another word, Vlad turned and stalked toward the kitchen. When he was gone, Sasha let out a chuckle.

“Think he’ll poison my food?” I asked him.

“Not if he knows what’s good for him.”

“He started it,” I pointed out.

“Yes. And you finished it. I’m impressed.”

Smiling, I picked up my spoon. “This borsht really is delicious.”

Sasha let out a deep belly laugh. By the time Vlad came back with my peeled hard-boiled egg and an even more ferocious scowl, I was finished with lunch. “I don’t want it anymore.” Rising from the table, I inclined my head and swept from the room.

Later that afternoon, while Vlad was on patrol and Sasha and I were in the library reading, Sasha’s cell phone rang. I’d been devoid of communication and had already forgotten what it was like to be constantly tethered. Sasha answered the phone, and a moment later he passed his cell to me.

“Hello?”

“Hello,moya krasotka,” came Dolinsky’s baritone rumble.

“Igor,” I said, purposefully using his name. Somehow I’d become a mastermind, a queen on the chessboard of power. I got up from my comfortable leather chair and walked to the library stairs that took me to the second floor. Settling down in the corner, far away from Sasha and his ears, I made myself comfortable.

“Do you miss me?” Dolinsky asked.

“If I did, I’d never tell you,” I teased, making my voice sensual and husky.