Chapter 16 #2
Ivan places the screen in front of me. It’s glowing with a secure login prompt.
"What is this?" Sokolov demands, frowning. "We are discussing your removal."
"You’re discussing my removal because you think I’m useless," I say, tapping the screen. "You think I’m a warm body in Konstantin’s bed."
I look up at Sokolov, holding his gaze.
"Let me educate you."
I swipe the screen, bringing up the live satellite feed of the harbor. The Lady Anastasia sits at the main dock, massive, smoke rising from her stacks. She’s fully loaded, sitting low in the water.
"That ship," I say clearly, "is carrying twenty units of heavy mining machinery. It’s the only ship in the fleet with the deep-draft clearance to enter the river delta."
"We know the plan," Sokolov grunts. "Launch it."
"I can't," I say coldly. "And neither can you."
I tap the screen. A red alert box pops up.
STATUS: PORT AUTHORITY HOLD. BIOMETRIC CLEARANCE REQUIRED.
"The Port Authority has a digital lock on the gates," I explain. "My father installed it to prevent theft. No ship of this tonnage leaves the harbor without a Live Biometric Signal from me, the Director of Operations."
"Then give the signal," Sokolov demands.
"Why should I?" I ask, leaning back. "You called me a traitor. You suggested throwing me in a cell."
"The tide turns in ten minutes!" one of the other men yells, glancing at his watch. "If that ship doesn't leave now, it misses the window. The Venezuelan Cartel will not wait for us. If the drills don't arrive on time, the deal is dead."
"Exactly," I say. "If that ship stays here, your drills rust on the dock. You get no weapons. No war. You get slaughtered by the Italians."
I lift the tablet so they can all see the red flashing prompt.
AWAITING DIRECTOR AUTHORIZATION.
"Konstantin can threaten me, you can insult me, you can drag me to a cell... but what you can’t do is move that ship one inch without my thumb on this glass."
I look at Sokolov. He’s pale. He realizes the power in the room doesn't belong to the men with the guns. It belongs to the woman who controls the gate.
"You want to remove me?" I challenge. "Go ahead. But if I leave this table, the Lady Anastasia stays at the dock. Forever."
Sokolov stares at me. His mouth opens, but no sound comes out. He looks at the screen, then at the clock.
8:59 PM.
His focus shifts to Konstantin.
Konstantin is leaning in his chair far from worried. He’s proud. He enjoys watching me hold a knife to their throats.
Sokolov looks back at me. The arrogance drains out of his face.
"Launch the ship," Sokolov whispers. It isn't a command anymore. It’s a plea.
I wait, letting the silence stretch. Letting them sweat.
"Mrs. Morozov," Sokolov adds, choking on the name. "Please."
I smile. "Very well."
I press my thumb to the scanner.
SCANNING...
The table holds its breath.
The screen flashes green. OVERRIDE ACCEPTED. PORT AUTHORITY CLEARANCE: GRANTED.
"I issued the live signal," I say. "The digital gate is open."
On the screen, the status light on the Lady Anastasia turns from red to green. The massive ship shudders.
"And now," I tap one final button.
"Goodbye."
On the feed, thick ropes drop into the water. The water churns white at the stern. The Lady Anastasia begins to drift from the dock, moving into the dark channel of the Atlantic to fetch the war they so desperately want.
"The ship is on its way," I say. "Your deal is safe."
I slide the console back to Ivan.
"Take it."
Ivan nods with respect. He takes the tablet and retreats to the shadows.
I life my wine glass and look Sokolov dead in the eye.
"You were asking if I exist solely to warm his bed?" I take a slow sip of the wine. "I suggest you ask yourself if you exist solely because I decided to let your ship leave the harbor tonight."
Absolute silence descends on the room.
Sokolov stares at the spot where the tablet was. He looks at Konstantin, then back at me.
Konstantin places his hand flat on the table.
"She speaks for me," Konstantin says. "Her signature is my will. Her command is my command."
His attention cuts to Sokolov.
"My wife is not a liability, Sokolov. She’s the Gatekeeper. And any man who disrespects her disrespects the Seat."
Sokolov swallows hard at our united front. At our competence.
Reluctantly, he lifts his glass, hand shaking slightly. "To the merger," he grunts as if pains him to say.
The other Elders follow suit, raising their glasses in a fearful rhythm.
"To the merger," they mumble.
Konstantin stands, glass rising in a toast. He’s looking only at me.
"To the Queen," he says.
I lift my chin and meet his gaze across the length of the table, feeling the thread that ties us together.
He isn’t the Pakhan yet. But tonight, he ruled them.
"To the King," I reply.
We drink.
The wine tastes like victory.
The rest of dinner passes in a haze. The Elders eat quickly, eager to escape the suffocating tension of the room.
When the elevator doors finally slide shut behind Sokolov and his men, the hush crashes back into the penthouse.
My knees feel weak. The adrenaline that held me upright drains away, leaving me trembling. I grip the edge of the marble table to steady myself.
"You played a dangerous game, Helena."
Konstantin’s voice comes from behind me.
I turn around.
He’s walking toward me. He stops inches away, forcing me to tilt my head back to look at him.
"You threatened the Council," he says softly. "You held a million-dollar deal hostage."
"I did what I had to do," I whisper. "I proved my worth. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"I wanted you to survive the table," he says, stepping closer. "Didn't expect you to rule it."
He wraps his hand around my throat.
"You were reckless," he growls. "If Sokolov had called your bluff... if he had decided to shoot you instead of beg..."
"He didn't," I interrupt him. "Because he needs me. Just like you do."
His eyes darken.
"You’re right," he admits. "You didn't survive them, Helena. You owned them. You sat there in your velvet dress and cut their throats without spilling a drop of blood."
He tightens his grip slightly, pulling me onto my toes.
"You were perfect."
The praise hits harder than the fear.
Right now, with the adrenaline still humming in my blood, I don't care if he’s the villain. The world is full of wolves. The only place they can't reach me is in the jaws of the biggest beast in the room. I don't want the husband. I want the monster who protects his property.
I don't wait for him to take me.
I reach up, burying my hands in his hair, and pull his mouth down to mine.
I kiss him.
I kiss him with all the thrill of the victory, with all the dark, twisted love taking root in my chest.
He freezes for a split second, seemingly surprised by my aggression.
Then, he growls and kisses me back. His arms wrap around my waist, crushing me against him, lifting me off the floor.
I wrap my legs around his hips instantly, desperate to get closer, to feel the hard ridge of him against me.
I pull my face back just an inch to look into his eyes, the eyes of the predator I impressed.
"You said I played a dangerous game," I whisper against his mouth, my nails digging into his shoulders to anchor myself.
I grind down against him, leaving no doubt about what I crave.
"I won," I breathe against his lips, hands tangling in his hair. I feel the rumble of his approval against my chest.
"You didn't just win," he growls, lifting me up. "You reigned."