Chapter 34
Thirty-four
James
I gave my knights a beatific smile. “All right, let’s go whoring!”
Edwin, who stood at my side, rolled his eyes while my knights huffed a laugh. No one took me seriously. What? It was fun to say!
For this, I had brought my most stalwart, I-don’t-take-shit knights.
Namely, Sir Collins, Sir Pedan, Dame Temperance, and Captain Rowan.
Captain Rowan, for all that he was captain, wasn’t actually the scariest of the bunch.
That would be Dame Temperance. Let’s just say, her mother did not name her well.
We’d all gathered in the back courtyard of the palace, which was basically only used for the really big parties when everyone was invited and there was no other place to put them. Victor used this route to escape the palace since there wasn’t much security or eyes back here to spy upon him.
I’d commandeered a nondescript carriage for myself, Helena, and Edwin.
The knights were to ride not in uniform but in their own street clothes, the better to blend in with.
The one caveat was their weapons, but I hoped this didn’t come down to an actual fight.
A fight would be difficult to manage later on.
Off we went on this grand adventure. The club in question was named Lunar—simple enough, if misleading.
You’d think with that name it would be a boat or a restaurant, not a low-end borderline brothel.
Victor apparently was bored with the VIP service in high-end hotels if he was visiting a place like this.
Or he was afraid someone would recognize the girl? Could be any number of things.
It took us nearly a solid hour to get there, as Lunar was on the far end of the city.
The atmosphere was taut, all of us silently worried about how the altercation would go down tonight.
After Tremon’s report, I’d sent him back immediately to stay on top of Gillespie.
He had my authority to interfere and rescue the girl if things got too far before we arrived.
I didn’t want her impregnated again, willing or no.
Without any fanfare, we arrived. Light poured out of every window, as well as raucous laughter and music.
Three people stood at the door—a “hostess” in a skimpy black dress to take our door fee and two beefy security guards.
The smell of the place hit first as I exited the carriage: the distinct mixture of sweat, sex, alcohol, and vomit.
Lovely. I’d need a thorough bath later tonight to get the foul stench off my hair and skin.
Ooh, perhaps Edwin would join me in the bath. Better plan.
Helena took my hand to balance herself as she stepped down, nose already wrinkling. She took one look at the place and muttered, “My opinion of my brother was already low to begin with, but I do believe it’s hit rock bottom. Perhaps seeping through the cracks.”
“I must say, I can’t blame you.” I offered a hand to Edwin next, and this time he didn’t give me a droll look. Instead, he smiled before taking my hand and stepping down.
Edwin had already figured out my love language was acts of service. He now indulged me, and I appreciated it beyond words. He was a sweetheart, my Edwin.
With our guards included, it came to a hefty fee at the door, but I paid it without much care. I just had to get in.
Inside, we encountered a wide hallway that splintered off in different directions. I had no idea where to go.
“We’ll split up,” Captain Rowan ordered. “Temperance, with me. We’ll go left. Collins, Pedan, you go right.”
“We’ll go straight,” I declared.
We all moved rapidly. Not knowing the status of things made me very nervous. The large hallway opened up into a larger tiered room, with a balcony wrapping around the second story, and the main floor was a, uh…
“I think I’m too young to be seeing this,” Edwin muttered behind me.
He was a whopping thirty, three years older than me, so I snorted. But also winced. Technically, I was a decade older, after all. “Helena, hang on to me and don’t look.”
“I don’t want to look,” she assured me, eyes already covered with a hand. “How do you even have an orgy with that many people?”
“Determination? Or they’re drunk. Or high. Or whatever.”
I refused to wade through the middle. I’d get pulled into the orgy, and the image alone sent a full-body shudder through me. No, thank you. Instead, we skirted the sides, found a staircase off to the left leading up to the balcony level, and immediately ascended.
The second level had its own hallway and rooms, and I rapidly walked down it, wanting out of this place sooner rather than later.
From around a corner, Tremon appeared without warning, spied us, and just about melted in relief. “Sir! You need to come quickly.”
Forget walking, I switched to a jog. “She in there already?”
“As of about fifteen minutes ago. Ten minutes ago, she still had clothes on, but they called for wine and snacks, and I think she’s rapidly getting too drunk to make good decisions. I was about to bust in and get her myself when I saw you pull up.”
“Then we’re in time. Good. Show us to the room.”
Tremon led us the short distance, which was thankfully only one hallway and a few rooms away.
No guards waited outside the door. I felt like shaking my head, because Victor was just that stupid and predictable.
Of course he refused to have guards with him.
Then again, he was supposed to be under voluntary house arrest. Ha.
“Tremon, the knights are searching the rest of the building. Go fetch them.”
“Sir.” Tremon turned and left at a dead run.
I didn’t knock or announce myself, I just barged right in.
Thank Vuheia I did.
The room was decadent, with a huge heart-shaped mattress, thick velvet curtains, and a sofa set off to the side. In the center of the bed lay an entwined Victor and Lady Julia, both down to their undergarments. In fact, they were too entranced with kissing to even realize I’d entered.
Then Helena opened her mouth with the same volume as an enraged opera singer. “Victor, you fucking asshole!”
Which rather announced our presence.
The two on the bed jolted apart. Lady Julia scrambled for a blanket and yanked it up to her chin.
She looked properly mussed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and cooling ardor, sandy brunette hair in a messy tumble about her head.
Victor was apparently too high or drunk to care as he flopped onto his side and looked blearily at us.
“Helena? The fuck, woman?”
“That’s my line,” she ground out. “You’re sexually abusing children now? I didn’t think I could be any more disappointed with you, but now I’m disgusted I’m related to you. I’d kill you myself and save the world some trouble if not for it destroying my own life. Lady Julia. How stupid can you be?”
Lady Julia suddenly looked very young and scared. “What do you mean?”
“Why would you be interested in a cad? Do you not know how many people this man has fucked?” Helena flung a hand at her brother’s figure. “Do you not know how many diseases he’s likely contracted as a result? Do you want to die early of a horrible disease?”
From the look on the girl’s face, this possibility hadn’t even occurred to her before.
“Where’s Gillespie?” Edwin asked of the air.
“He, uh, escorted me here?”
“No, child.” I groaned, at a loss with her naivety. “He didn’t escort you here. He brought you here. As payment rendered.”
Her mouth opened in outrage, spots of color in her cheeks.
“How do you think we knew to be here?” I asked before she could say anything. “I’ve investigated Gillespie’s dealings for the past few weeks. Victor wanted to bed you, so Gillespie took advantage of your desire to bed Victor and arranged your coming out in order to repay some favor.”
Her eyes shot to Victor, almost pleading, like she wanted him to deny it. Wanted this to be her choice to have bedded him.
Victor sat up more and for once seemed to be paying attention. “Is that how you knew? The hell you watching Gillespie for?”
Lady Julia’s expression collapsed, and she started crying into her hand. More than anything, the embarrassment was probably what got to her. Hopefully, she learned something from tonight.
I had no intention of answering any question of Victor’s, so I only asked Helena, “Can you help her get dressed? I’ll drag him out.”
“Sure. Wait, what about him getting dressed?”
“Half the city’s already seen him naked. He has no shame, it’s fine.”
“You overestimate me.” Victor smirked, rolling out of bed and pulling on pants. “It’s not been half, more like a third.”
I watched him get dressed and honestly considered a gag. For him, a gag might be a necessity.
My knights showed up at that point and dragged Victor’s sorry ass out of the building. Lady Julia was still crying, these big, silent tears streaming down her face. Helena kept an arm around her waist, but I wasn’t sure if it was comfort or assurance the girl didn’t try to bolt.
The second we got free of the building—thank gods for that, my nose threatened revolt—I loaded everyone into the carriage.
Except Victor.
Victor was in cuffs, swaying and staring belligerently at me. Captain Rowan had tied a lead around the cuffs, which was in turn tied to the saddle.
“You’re going to make me walk back, aren’t you?”
Drunk but apparently not stupid. “Yes, I am. I don’t want to share a carriage with a man like you. You get to walk.”
“At least let me put my shoes on!”
I pretended to think about this. It was an hour walk to the palace, and with his poor physique, he’d likely be keeling over by the time we arrived.
Shoes were probably fine. He was definitely walking, though, and it was an entirely uphill walk from here.
In truth, the petty part of me was quite happy to dole out some punishment, so…
“You’ve got five seconds to put them on.
Captain Rowan, if you will start us off. ”
He gave an elaborate bow. “Of course, Your Highness.”