Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
ALENA
It’s a potent feeling, standing in the circle of kings and queens, with The Queen, Nadine, sharpening her glare.
“So,” she seethes, “Sheremetev is Sasha’s husband?”
“Yes, my Queen,” Loch answers her formally, like this is business.
Brutal Bratva business.
“And Sheremetev is The Warden, the Tennessee trafficker who took Wren and the other girls,” Axel adds, tenting his inked fingers on the breakfast table.
He and Ruby are the only ones sitting—way to ruin day one of their honeymoon.
Jace cocks an angry brow. “When the fuck did you find this Warden thing out?”
“It’s intel we got in a meeting months back with Sire.” Loch glances around. “Where is he?”
Wren sniffles, lifting her chin. “He took an earlier flight.”
“An earlier flight to Ukraine for a mission trip?” Grant scoffs. “And now this shit? Anyone else feel sideways about it?”
“Yeah.” My dad juts his chin. “Alena risks her life, rescuing a woman feared to be a victim of sex trafficking. Now, we know she’s actually the wife of Valentin Sheremetev, and—”
“Not by choice,” I interject. “I’d bet my soul on it.”
Dad nods, clearly respecting my opinion. He continues, “Alright, worse. Sasha is a victim and Sheremetev’s wife. And Sheremetev is Ruslan Kholodov’s sworn enemy. Our enemy too. And now we know Sheremetev’s the trafficker who tried to sell Wren? And he’s sniffing around my daughter?”
“He wasn’t sniffing, Dad. He was in a convenience store asking about me.”
Grant gruffs out, “I call that sniffing.”
I smirk. “I call it fatal when I carry a gun.”
“Can someone connect the dots, please?” Vale crosses her arms. “Cuz I’m missing something.”
“We are missing something.” Loch is fuming. “There’s some connection, but we don’t know what the fuck it is. Wren. Sasha. Alena. Sheremetev. Our shithead father. We—”
“Until we know, we’re on high alert,” The Queen interrupts, arching her brow. “Is that clear? Alena and Loch have backup.” She addresses me, “Can we assume you two are a united front again?”
I reach for Loch’s hand. “Yes, my Queen.” Warmth tumbles through me when he squeezes it.
“Good then.” She smiles. “No one so much as sneezes without my permission. We stay together, and we lie low, and…”
She wraps her arm around the waist of her new boy toy.
Well, not a boy.
His name is Roman, and he’s tall, dark, inked, and hella handsome. It’s actually amusing how he unnerves the kings. Like they want zombie brains, dead to the fact that their mom is an infamous Dominatrix, and Roman’s proudly wearing her collar.
I think it’s about time Nadine gets her boyfriend freak on, but it makes Loch cringe when his mom commands, “Don’t knock on my moaning door unless your hair is on fire.”
The queens bite their smirking lips.
The kings roll their lethal eyes.
I’m beginning to realize the recipe of our group is hazardous with a dash of humor and a fistful of hot sex.
It’s the only way to survive.
It leaves me full of questions on our flight back.
The kings gather in the back rows of First Class, murmuring about murder. My interest is piqued, but my kitty has other plans.
I switch seats with my dad and settle beside Vale, leaning over. “So, who’s your second king?”
“Oh, thank God, Loch finally told you,” Vale gushes, grabbing my hand. “I’ve been dying to.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t.”
“Girl”—she lowers her brows—“if you understood the vows the queens take, you’d understand why our lips are sealed.” She bats her lashes. “Around a huge cock or three.”
“Oh my god, Vale.” I toss my stare up, looking for an EJECT button.
She laughs. “I’m kidding!” She whispers, “No, I’m not.”
“Alright, I don’t want details about my dad. Ever. Just tell me enough so I can decide if I want to be initiated too.”
“Decide?” she scoffs. “The decision’s made when I tell you they’ll dick you down any way you want. Like tore up from the floor up, and you’ll love it.”
“Vale.” I snort. “I’m serious.”
“Alena, look at those men.” She gestures, three rows back. “Those are six serious sacks we’re talking about.”
Six?
I glance over my shoulder, grasping it, all the tats and muscles, how the only one missing is Sire, before I whirl back. “And one is my dad. Can we not talk about his sack, please?”
“Okay, okay. Seriously?” Her tone softens.
“I don’t have the words for it, but it’s powerful.
Beautiful. The bond with your king, of course.
But with all of them. And the queens. Like, not only do we have the best time together, just laughing.
Of course, the kings will kill for you. But it’s sweet how, when I’m on my period, Jace buys me chocolate, and Nash tequila. ”
A delicious sensation whips through me. “So, Jace is your second king?”
She bites her lip, nodding.
“And you and Jace”—cue vomit—“oh, and my dad. Never mind. Don’t tell me.”
She grins. “A queen decides what she wants for her initiation. It’s all cunt pleasure and consent. Just tell Loch, and he’ll make it happen. Though sometimes, we go off script.”
“Off script?”
Coquettishly, she shrugs. “What happens in initiations doesn’t always stay in initiations. Let’s just say Jace is welcome in our home anytime.”
“What? Like…” I can’t see it. “First, my dad is all touch-her-and-die over you, and you said Jace is in love with a married woman.”
“He is, and he is.” Her eyes sparkle. “But that’s what I mean; it’s a special bond. It doesn’t have to be sexual to be erotic without touching. It’s—”
I shudder. “Okay, pump the brakes before we crash into TMI.”
“Speaking of telling me information,” she quips. “If you’re initiated, will you have a second king? I mean, as your bestie, hell yeah, girl. Do it. You’ll love it. But as your dad’s boo, girl, I’m warning, he’ll kill for you.”
“Yeah.” I sigh. “Guess I have a cunty conundrum.”
I’m dying to tell Vale everything about my first. More importantly, about my forever. How Loch knows about Axel. How he’s still brooding over it, and I understand.
But if I tell Vale, she’ll have to keep the secret from my dad, and it’s not fair to ask anyone to lie to their partner.
Like the weather can sense my turmoil, a jolt of turbulence interrupts us. After an hour of its hell, we’re exhausted, napping the rest of the flight.
But I catch it when we land.
How Loch’s eyeing me like his next meal.