“Now why would he do that? He’s obviously obsessed with the Princess.” Juan speaks up from his spot, choosing not to accept Kenneth at face value. He’s always been an asshole, but he’s a smart man. He hasn’t gotten to where he belongs because he’s just a follower.
“I don’t know. Maybe because he can’t have her? Maybe he’s still embarrassed over the punishment? He sucked a cock on her behalf, and she still won’t give him the time of day. I’d consider that a bit ungrateful,” another member says, butting in. Stanley adjusts his mask, pulling it up to take a sip of alcohol.
I tighten my fists, shaking with my rage at his fucked up assessment of the woman I love.
“That seems fair. Perhaps you should do something about it, Ken. She’s screwed up and needs to know her place. I think it will be easy enough to move past this with Christos. He’s quite valuable to our chapter. I’ve seen quite an increase in clients because of him. He knows the extortion business well,” Deidre says, resting his elbows on his knees. “It all comes down to your disobedient child who I still believe never deserved a spot in this chapter. But you were far too obsessed with having an heir, considering what happened to Sebastian.”
Sebastian? I recognize the name, but I can’t put a story or face to it. This must’ve been right before I came from New York as Kenneth’s business partner, bringing a slew of celebrities and wealthy clients with me.
Kenneth slams his palms on his desk. “Enough! Had the hit been on any of you, things would be different. I’m asking to vote on his execution. We cannot tolerate someone trying to gain power by going rogue. I don’t think he’ll stop even if I demanded Stacia to be a good girl for him. She’s too wild and unpredictable.”
“Whatever you want, Your Majesty. You obviously have your mind set, and you only bring attention to this, because you have to,” Juan says, shaking his head, his face expressionless through his mask.
Stanley sets his tumbler of whiskey down. “I agree. We can find another. My nephew will be graduating soon, and he—”
I step forward and snatch the papers from the desk, crumpling them up and throwing them in Kenneth’s face. “You goddamn liar! I’m not going to stand here while you arrange an innocent man’s execution. He’s done nothing but obey. And this proof is bullshit. You know it, and I know it. Why are you doing it? You used our joint account. Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
Silence falls through the room as Kenneth leans back in his chair, a smile breaking across his face, unobscured by the fact that he wears only a masquerade mask, always more bold than the others on his court.
“Iknewyou’d find out, Executioner. I did it on purpose to ensure it.” Kenneth reaches into his desk, pulling out a blade. He stabs it into the wood, letting it stand on its tip. “You’ve crossed the line. Did you really think I wouldn’t know that you were fucking her? Be thankful that I didn’t really pin this on you and just wanted to mess with your head for betraying me to fuck that whore. That disgrace.” Kenneth turns to the others. “You all were right. Having no heir would’ve been better than claiming the slut. She deserves to be banished for everything she has done. I’m no longer protecting her.”
Juan shifts in his seat. “Kenneth, I thought you got over it? You don’t need to be blood to be family. You can’t possibly hold this against her. She’s Bianca’s best friend. She—”
Kenneth throws his glass in Juan’s face, shutting him up. “This meeting is adjourned. My decision stands. Christos will take the fall for the murders, and Stacia is disinherited, excommunicated, and renounced as an heir.”
My blood boils with my rage. What he declares? It’s Stacia’s execution.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Kenneth?” I ask, bubbling with a fury that’ll unleash at any second. “That doesn’t solve any of our problems. What the hell are you so afraid of that you’re willing to doom the next generation of our chapter? Your own flesh and blood.”
“Stacia isn’t my daughter!” Kenneth hollers, launching from his chair. I dodge out of the way, his knife missing me by inches.
Grabbing the back of his robe, I twist the fabric tight enough to make him gasp. He loses his footing and falls to his knees. I throw an uppercut into his chin, sending his mask flying off. The crunch of bones against my fist satisfies me on a deep-seated level. I want his head.
“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s what this is all about?” From the tension in the room, the others must’ve known the truth. “How long have you known? Your sudden need to destroy everything we’ve built proves it hasn’t been forever.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kenneth snaps, trying to grab at my robe. “Now if you don’t stop this shit, I’ll consider it treason.”
I shove him hard and knock him on his back. “Don’t you fucking threaten me. You’re the one who has already committed treason. You hired a hitman without the consent of the court to kill Stacia. You—”
“I’m the fucking king of this chapter!” Kenneth shouts, cutting me off. He sits back up, but I don’t let him get off the floor. No one intervenes. No one tries to get between us. I wouldn’t expect them to either. “Stacia has proven incapable of following our rules and leaves our secret in danger. Do you really think a sex tape for the fucking whore is enough to keep her quiet and compliant? No. We’ve all made a vow to protect this chapter no matter the cost. If you have a problem—”
I lock my fingers to his neck, squeezing tightly. He grips my wrists. There’s no overpowering me. I’m ten times stronger and more fit. I’ve gained the Executioner’s name for a reason.
“Executioner, stop. You’ll leave me no choice. If you want to challenge the king’s authority, then you must do so properly. The same will be decided regarding Stacia and Christos. We will put it to a vote.” Juan touches the cool barrel of a gun to my temple.
I’ve never believed in manifestation until now. My lie to Stacia now comes to fruition as I stand before the King’s Court ready to challenge the man I trusted with my life and business. We’ve both changed over the last few weeks, all because of Stacia. I couldn’t fight my attraction any longer, helping me see things more clearly. And Kenneth? Well, however the hell he discovered that Stacia wasn’t his biological daughter turned him into a true fucking monster.
“Talon,” Juan warns, pushing the barrel more firmly to my skin. “You have five seconds. Agree to handle the situation appropriately or die.”
I release Kenneth and spit in his face. It takes everything in me not to take my chances against Juan. I don’t know if he truly has it in him but finding out would be my greatest mistake. Stacia needs me. She needs to know the truth. I can’t let her succumb to the deadly betrayal her father blames her for. She is innocent on every level.
“I fully intend to challenge the leadership of this chapter. Call in an SOS to the Rabbit Hole. We need a witness.” I tug off my mask and glower at Kenneth. “I suggest you change your mind about all of this and renounce your own fucking reign. If you don’t, I won’t make it a swift death. You’ll suffer for all your wrongdoings.”
I don’t wait for the others to respond and spin, striding toward the door. I exit the King’s chambers and look around the quiet meeting room. The next time I return, everything will change. If it doesn’t, then I’ll die fighting for it otherwise. There are no other options.
“Why are you creeping, you bastard?” Leandro stomps through the pebble garden, crunching them with his boots.
I turn away from the crack in the curtains, where I get a clear view of Stacia sitting in bed with Esteban and Christos at a desk, hunched over his computer with a phone beside it. It looks like he continues to search through the hitman’s phone, trying to find something, anything that’ll give them answers.