Chapter 17 #5
“ Dean is going to kill you ,” I try to whisper, keeping my eyes on Legion. I’m afraid to look anywhere but up at him.
“We both know that isn’t going to happen,” Legion says. I glare at him before he spins me around and pulls me back to him. “Besides, I didn’t choose this song with your husband in mind, Vanna.”
In a series of underarm turns, spins, and dips, Legion guides me across the floor with surprising ease, even despite my missteps, which he manages to disguise like they’re part of the dance. He really is a strong lead. I’d be impressed if I wasn’t busy staving off a panic attack.
“ But you won’t do what?” I ask, the song finally nearing its climactic end.
“ Quit ,” he replies with a cocky grin, though it seems to fade to a more serious expression when I don’t find his reply amusing. He lets out a sigh before he goes on to elaborate. “I won’t betray your trust… I won’t hurt you again, Vanna… I won’t do that .”
Now that the song has come to its close, and I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain for the sake of charity, I glance around, searching the applauding crowd for Dean. He must have meant it when he told me to come find him. He really didn’t watch.
“Will you honor the deal?” Legion asks, gripping my hand a little tighter.
I turn back to face him. “What deal?”
He releases me. “A second dance…another time. I?—”
“Sure,” I say, trying not to sound too cold or eager to part ways, but I need to go find Dean. I promised him I would.
“Splendid… Then I will look forward to it and use the time before then to think upon a suiting song.” Something shifts in his smile when he adds, “Perhaps Dream A Little Dream Of Me?”
“You do that.” I force an uncomfortable smile before turning from him and hurrying off in the direction I last saw Dean and Viking go.
They’re not at the outdoor bar, and as far as I can tell, they’re not even outside anymore.
I make my way past groups of partying bikers and their women, walking inside the clubhouse through the back double doors.
I spot Viking across the room, lounging by a stripper pole with a beer in his hand, watching a club girl twirl around in her leather bikini. For whatever reason, he looks more aggravated than entertained.
“Where did Dean go?” I ask him.
“He’s out front with Serene.”
“Why do you seem so…gloomy?”
“I’m not the guy you should be concerned about right now, Vanna.”
“Don’t tell me you’re mad at me.” I frown.
“I’m not. Go ,” he grunts, pointing to the front doors. Something has Viking annoyed, but I don’t have the bandwidth right now to cater to his problems, too.
As soon as I step through the big cathedral-style doors, Dean is there, leaning against the seat of his motorcycle while he polishes off another beer and chucks it to the side of the lawn.
“Hey,” I say, descending the steps to him.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he grumbles.
“We don’t have to talk about it.” I slip my fingers inside the shoulder area of his leather cut and give him a playful tug, attempting to flirt a little smile out of him. “But I might have to sit these biker events out if I’m going to be roped into some form of dancing every time I go to one.”
“It’s not every time.”
“But when it happens, it’s always a focal point. I still get embarrassed whenever I think back on your birthday belly dance that first year.”
Dean cracks the faintest of smiles. “I thought it was hot.”
“I’m glad you think so. And I can tell you’re pissed off. You know I only did this for charity, right?”
“I know… But do you know , this five-thousand-dollar stunt Legion pulled has nothing to do with being charitable?”
“I… I think he’s… trying …” The words come out slowly as I watch Dean’s expression morph from hopeful to astonished. And not in a good way.
“Are you serious? After that?”
“Again, I’m not saying he goes about things in the right way, exactly, but…” I wince at the way Dean’s jaw tenses and his nostrils flare, sucking in a long breath. “I really do think he’s trying .”
“I’ll tell you what the fuck he’s trying , Vanna. He’s trying to get to my wife.”
“What?”
“He’s already got you on his side.” Dean pushes himself away from his motorcycle and begins to pace the stone driveway.
“I’m on your side.”
He scoffs. “You don’t even see it happening.”
“What was I supposed to do? Refuse him? Slap all that money out of the hands of organizations that help people? Anybody could have bid, Dean. It just happened to be Legion.”
“That excessive bid, Vanna… Come on , doll. Open those pretty eyes, baby. It wasn’t gonna be anyone else .”
“ Nobody else was bidding…” I begin to explain, but I’m not so sure I should add maybe Legion bid just to save me from the embarrassment of being the only woman up there no one wanted to dance with.
“That was my fault.” Dean winces. “A bunch of guys looked at me when you were up, trying to gauge whether or not I was genuinely alright with it. They would have bid , Vanna. Another Goddamned second, and they all would have bid. But Legion knocked them all off the board before they could. Made himself look like your fucking white Knight in the process.”
When I don’t know how to respond, Dean’s furrowed brows pitch upward. “ He fucking did , didn’t he?”
“All I know is that it was an embarrassing situation, and I was relieved to be able to get off that stage. In the moment, I really didn’t care who got me off.”
He scoffs, then his jaw slides forward, and he shakes his head. For a moment, I wonder if it was my choice of words. “This was about so much more than a dance. This was a fucking power move he rubbed my face in, and he made a damn spectacle of it in front of everyone.”
I shift uncomfortably in my boots. “Dean…do you think it’s possible that maybe…you’re reading a little too much into it? That you’re giving Legion a little too much credit?”
His eyes narrow at me. “I’m aware I’ve admitted to you on multiple occasions I’m fuckin’ crazy, doll.
What I’m not is delusional. What I won’t do is ever underestimate that demonic prick.
I’d rather my mistake be giving him too much credit, than not deciphering the reasons behind his actions and being blindsided by him again. ”
“What could possibly be behind a charity dance he knew nothing about?”
“Oh, he knew nothing about it?” Dean laughs, though it’s without any trace of humor. “You mind explaining to me how he referenced the song you danced with him to, a fucking hour before any of this went down?”
I try to recall exactly what Legion had said about his song choice. He’d only mentioned something about making the best choice he could think of in a pinch. At least, that’s how it came across to me.
At my silence, Dean continues, “I’ll break it down for you, baby.
This was Legion letting me know, in front of everyone , that he can manipulate the queen, my queen , in this twisted game of chess.
That he can maneuver you across the board, quite literally , however he wants.
We’re dealing with a mind fucking demon for fucks sake, everything he does has a reason, Vanna.
Fuck, look at the psychology of it. He chose a fuckin’ Waltz , a style of dance that represents courtship , to a goddamned power ballad.
You can’t tell me that wasn’t deliberate.
That there’s nothing symbolic or subliminal about this. ”
“I thought a waltz was an odd choice, considering we’re at a biker bash,” I admit.
“He’s grooming you, baby. It’s a shared experience that encourages connection, maybe even a level of trust, if you really want to dissect it. It requires physical closeness. It’s a goddamned act of intimacy. Even the synchronization. It’s all psychological warfare!”
“How many drinks have you had tonight?” I attempt to joke, but he practically glowers at me.
“I never asked before… Call it self-preservation … But, over the last three years he was gone, did you think about him?”
“I think we both did.”
“I’m sure we had vastly different thoughts.”
I cross my arms. “ On occasion , I wondered what might have happened to him. Whether or not he was still alive.”
“Did you hope he was?”
“I didn’t wish he wasn’t.”
“Were you relieved when he showed up?”
“I was surprised.”
“ That’s not what I asked you .”
“ Fine. A part of me was relieved to see him alive. I don’t wish death on people, Dean. That’s it.”
“That’s all he needs,” Dean growls. “That little sliver. That fucking crack. I don’t need a crystal ball or a stack of fuckin’ cards to know the future here.
You’re gonna forgive him . It’s in your nature.
And I love your kind heart, Vanna, I do.
You’re so fuckin’ good, baby… But he’s gonna wring. Every. Drop, from your bleeding heart.”
I walk up to him and take his left hand, slipping my ring finger between his so our wedding bands touch. “Do you see these?”
“Yes.” He curls his fingers, gently squeezing my hand until our palms press together.
“Do you remember our vows? What these rings represent? Nothing can break this.” I place my other hand over his heart. “You and I, we’re forever, Dean. There are no cracks in our relationship. There are no slivers of distrust… Are there?”
“No.”
“Do you really think he could take me away from you, after everything we’ve survived together?”
He slowly shakes his head.
“I haven’t forgotten anything he’s had a hand in. What I said to you, that night I met him after the Ametrine Cauldron burned down… I meant every word, and it will always stand true. A queen protects her king.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, baby.”
I reach up to cradle his face in my other hand. “And you will never have to find out.”
“The only place I want my queen pinned is beneath me.” Finally, a slight grin quirks up in the corner of his mouth when I smile at his little chess pun.
“Well then,” I bite my lower lip. “I think that’s something we can arrange.”
Tugging my hand, Dean leads me away from the clubhouse, in a direction of the property I haven’t yet explored with him.