Regal Queen by Ivy Mason

Thirteen

I sat behind a large,ornately carved desk that looked like it came from some exotic location like India or Africa or something. We were taking a huge risk, returning to Vegas, where Nero could find us, but Knight assured me he knew how to stay under the radar.

Besides, we were leaving as soon as possible.

The smell of print filled my nose and I inhaled a deep breath, itching to go to the book shelf and browse through Bourbon's books. Instead, I was sitting in his chair, impressively designed, made to look like a king looking down on his subjects.

At Knight's insistence, we’d gone to a boutique store, opened especially for us. And now, I was wearing the nicest thing I'd ever worn, a black, couture Valentino dress with red Louboutin stilettos. There was a large diamond necklace at my throat and I had nude smokey eyes, compliments of Yves Saint Laurent.

I looked like a motherfucking queen, which was the point.

Power was all about appearances and attitude.

Knight was standing near the door like a guard, and was wearing his own powersuit. The man cleaned up good.

Right now he had that serious face on, so I settled into my chair, the clock on the edge of the desk ticking annoyingly.

Finally, there was a knock and I straightened, my eyes trained on the door.

Knight met my gaze and, at my nod, he opened the door.

James, the man who raised me, stood in the doorway, looking just he looked like the last time I saw him. In an off the rack suit, with a stern, unloving face, and a sliver of silver in his otherwise black hair.

He was a slightly handsome man, I could see that now that I knew the truth of my parentage, although he'd gained a slight paunch waist.

As soon as he saw Knight, he leaned back on his heels, stuttering in surprise. "Mr. Cadwell. I didn't know you'd be here tonight."

Knight quickly searched him, tilting his head to the side, drawling. "Who else did you think you'd find?”

"I wasn’t sure--actually," James admitted. He'd yet to see me, as the room was only lit with a small desk lamp. “But I'm used to meeting Kirroy Mack for my assignments."

"And you meet Kirroy at Paradiso?” Knight's voice was a disgusted sneer and the sound of it made a trickle of fear snake up my back. He was hella intimidating when he wanted to be. And right now, that was hella kick ass. I loved seeing James tremble in fear.

"No, of course not, I just--"

"You just what?" Knight snapped.

“I apologize. How can I be of assistance?" James answered, and it was the most subservient I'd ever seen him in my life. He certainly never apologized to me for anything.

"I've requested your arrival here so that you can meet someone."

James suddenly looked nervous. "Of course. Anything I can do for you."

Knight opened the door wide, stepping aside and gesturing towards me. "I want you to meet the new Bratva Delat.”

James looked confused but he stepped into the room, not looking at me but staring at the floor. "I wasn't aware there were changes within the Bratva leadership but I'm always happy to help in any way that I can."

I finally spoke. “You most certainly are, aren't you?"

At this, James face snapped upwards, a look of confusion on it.

I gave him a grin that I'd imagined a shark would give a fish. "Hello, Daddy."

He rushed forward. "Rose, what's going on?"

"What's going on," my voice was sharp, "is that you've ben called to task on recent transactions in your bank account."

"What?" He faltered, his footsteps shuffling, his eyebrows furrowing, giving me that damn confused look again.

“Sit." I gestured to the chair in front of me.

He frowned. "Rose, what kind of shit are you pulling--"

“I said, sit." I commanded, and Knight was at James' back, the threat of what would happen for disobedience clearly there. James' throat bobbed and he fell silent, shuffling forward to sit in the chair in front of me.

He suddenly looked a lot smaller, definitely more meek.

"Now," I slid the stack of papers in front of me towards him and when he looked down, he paled. They were his own bank statements from an offshore account. "You've received a significant amount of money in the past few months. Care to explain?"

“I’m not stealing money, if that's what you're implying." His voice was weak, with a slight desperation to it.

We all knew what happened to men who stole from the Kings.

I raised an eyebrow, thrilled like hell to watch him sweat. "Are you sure?”

“Of course not," he grew angry. “How dare you threaten me."

I looked up at Knight, whose hand came down on James's shoulder. James jumped, letting out a slight squeal of a noise, and the look on his face when Knight leaned down to whisper in his ear made a satisfaction strum through me.

"If it hasn't been made clear, James, you are to speak to her as if you're speaking to Mr. King himself, is that understood?"

James nodded, his voice barely a squeak. "Ye-yes."

Knight nodded, then stood back up, leering over James, who slumped in his chair.

"Explain." I gave him a look that told him if he even tried shitting me, I'd have his head on my desk in minutes.

James shuffled the papers, clearing his throat. "The first large transaction was for your contract." He paused, hesitating, but I gave him a blank look. He didn't deserve to know how my heart was racing at his confession.

It was unnerving to see my worth in his eyes.

At my silence, he continued. "The smaller transactions are some bets I won."

"I don’t care about the bets you won," I interrupted him. "I want to know about the other large transaction."

His throat bobbed again, and beads of sweat pooled at the top of his head. He took out a handkerchief to wipe at them and my nostrils flared.

I'd been wrong. He wasn't handsome.

He was just a weak asshole, a man who cared little for life, except for what it gave him.

"If you don't explain the next two seconds, Knight is going to slit--"

"The second transaction," he rushed, "was to set up a meeting between Aster and Dimitri."

Again, I didn’t react, even though I wanted to jump across the desk and throttle his throat. Bourbon had taught me well. “And what did you tell Aster’s father?"

“I told Valentino that you'd decided it was safe again to meet, and that you wanted to see her.”

I leaned back in my chair, silent as I mulled over this information. “When and where are they meeting?"

“In one week. At the Veracruz airport.”

I felt instant relief. So there was some time.

“So, you lied to Valentino."

"I didn't meant to lie. Dimitri threatened--"

"You were paid an insane amount of money to lie to Valentino, so I don't want to hear your excuses," I hissed. "I should have you killed for this."

"Please." James leaned forward, showing desperation for the first time. "I don't know what's happening, but I swear to you, I can fix this. I’ll do anything. Just tell me what to do."

"Are you confused about what’s happening because you thought I was at the bottom of the ocean, feeding the fishes, Father?"

“No." He shook his head. "I didn't know what had happened to you, I swear.”

"Lie," I hissed, staring him down with all the vehemence and hatred I felt for him. "You didn't care what happened to me. You sold me off like I was a fucking dog that you'd grown tired of, and you didn't look back."

“No, Rose," he licked his lips. "Let me explain."

"You didn't even give me a warning!" I slammed my hand on the desk, then pointed at him. "You didn't give a shit that he used to beat me." I held up my finger, the one with the missing tip. "You didn't give a fuck about me. As long as you got back your money for the 'investment' of raising me, you were happy. And then, when Dimitri offered you more money to set up a meet for Aster, I bet you didn't even ask him why, did you?"

He shook his head. “Of course I didn't. This is the Petrovs we're talking about. You don’t just ask them questions."

"You didn't even ask yourself, did you?" My voice was low and deadly, and James' throat bobbed.

"I see that that was wrong now." He slid forward to the edge of his seat, sweat pouring down the side of his face. His cheeks were red and stretched thin, "Please, let me prove myself to you. I swear I can make up for this." He licked his lips again. "I can call Valentino, I can make different arrangements. Just let me try.”

I shook my head. "No."

"Wha--what?" he stammered, sliding onto his knees and shuffling forward so that he was pressed to the desk between us. He reached his hand forward, his palm upwards in a gesture of surrender, of pleading. "Please."

I just stared down at it with a disgusted look, then gave him a cool gaze. "What the hell do you expect me to do with that?"

He jerked it back, pressing his fingers into the edge now. "Please, Rose. Tell me what I can do. I swear to you, I can make up for this."

I just stared him down for a long moment, saying nothing, hoping that he was shitting in his pants. Then I jerked my head towards Knight.

"No!" James cried out, and Knight reached down, grabbing the back of James' shirt, he yanked him to his feet.

"No!" james yelped again, panic in his voice. I didn't say anything as Knight reached into James' suit pocket, pulling out his phone. Then he let James go, who crumpled to the floor with a low squeak. Knight lowered the phone to James. "Put in your fingerprint." At James' hesitation, Knight growled out. "Or I'll cut it off you.”

James immediately reached forward, presing his finger there to turn on his phone. Knight looked bored as he thumbed through James' phone until he found what he wanted. He lowered the phone again, showing it to James.

"Transfer everything to Rose."

"Everything?!"

Knight shrugged. "You don't have to."

The threat was clear. Transfer it or have it happen after you were dead. James' choice.

Sighting heavily, James grabbed the phone. Knight pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to James: all the information James would need to transfer his money to my account.

It took a few minutes, then James tossed his phone to Knight. “It's done."

Knight caught the phone with one hand, then slammed his other fist against James' face. James fell backwards with a surprised yelp. Knight stepped so that he was standing over James, and he leaned down, a gun in his hand.

He put it to James' head with an eerie calmness. "You don't seem to understand the position you're in, because you're not showing Rose the respect afforded a woman in her position."

"I'm sorry." James looked really scared now, and even I could see from here the red dot on the gun, indicating the safety was off.

Knight stared him down, his finger twitchy on the trigger and a dead look on his eye. "Apologize to Rose."

James' eyes moved to me. “I apologize."

Knight dug the gun in deeper, growling. "Apologize for being a piece of shit father who sold the woman he was supposed to raise to the man who killed her whole family."

James' throat bobbed and when he looked at me again, I could see the truth in his eyes.

He'd known my past.

He'd also known who Dimitri was, whom he was selling me to, the death sentence he was giving me.

He really had expected me to be sleeping with the fishes right now.

I felt so... empty inside.

Had he ever felt an ounce of love towards me, or even a sliver of guilt for what he did?

I realized it didn't matter. Not anymore.

Not from him, anyhow.

James winced as Knight dug the gun in again. "I'm sorry okay, Rose? I'm a shit person, and an even shittier dad. I swear I'll be better. Let me make it up to you. Please.”

I stared straight into his eyes, realizing that I felt nothing for him. "No."