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“Gambling is illegal in Silesia,” I sc
offed. “It has been for many decades, and I fully support that decision. These people need prosperity, not some leech sucking their money right out from under them.”
“It would bring tourism and jobs to your kingdom. How could that be wrong?”
“This is a pointless conversation,” I said, putting my hands up and pushing myself to my feet.
“Hold on,” Reg said grabbing my arm. “You might want to sit the hell down, Your Majesty.”
His tone was harsh but knowing, and I grimaced at his dirty hand around my arm. From the look on his face, I could tell his nice guy routine was over, and he wasn’t there to play games anymore. I sat back down in the booth and folded my hands in front of my face.
“I am not sure why after decades of a law, you would think I would change my mind now,” I said with irritation.
“Have you forgotten where you came from Milos?” Reg asked with squinted eyes. “Have you forgotten where you met that lovely wife of yours? Ahh, the memories I have of your sweet Adriana. She was a fan favorite, especially when it came to the lap dances. She moved her hips unlike any girl I knew, and her blonde hair was a favorite of the crowd. What’s even funnier was at one point, we called her ‘The Queen.’ You know, a stage name fit for her majesty.”
“Enough,” I growled, drawing the attention of the people sitting at the bar. I looked across the table at Reg, waiting for him to say it.
“No, it will not be enough, until I get what I want,” Reg replied with an angry tone. “I wonder how your subjects will think of their precious Queen when they know she used to bump and grind against every dick that came through the door? You do this Milos, or I will make sure everyone knows of Adriana’s past.”
Reg stood from the table and downed his beer, tossing a few bills on the table and straightening his pants. He reached down and took the hat from the chair next to it and slapped it on his shiny, bald head. He turned back to me with a happy smile and nodded at me.
“I’ll give you until Monday night to make your decision,” he said. “Until then, remember my finger is on the speed dial to the press. Don’t do anything stupid, my friend.”
He turned and walked from the bar, nodding at the bartender as he left. I sat there for a moment, gathering my self-control. All I wanted to do was rush across the bar and throw him through the front window. There was no way I could get away with a concession like that, nor could I even imagine doing it. This Kingdom’s history was rich, and there was no place for a dirty casino and unruly tourists. That’s why there were so many outgoing flights to Prague. Do your business there, but leave our city clean and historical. I would not allow this to happen. I was the King of Silesia. No one was going to blackmail me, or my family, for that matter.
I dropped some extra money on the table for the waitress and threw my sunglasses back on before heading back out to the car. Livid did not even start to describe the way I was feeling. My poor wife was probably beside herself at the castle, and all I wanted to do was handle this in the most discreet manner possible. The last thing I needed, though, was another scandal on my hands. I stared out the window of the car as we made our way back to the castle. Reg Evers was going to get what was coming to him, and hopefully, it would be everything he deserved and more.
Chapter 27: Adriana
By the end of my time in this castle, there was going to be a line worn into the carpet from where I have paced the floor over and over again. I stood in the living area of our quarters, biting my nails and walking back and forth between the fireplace and the window. I knew Reg was going to put something really heavy on Milos’s shoulders, but I was more scared of what his reaction would be.
What if he lost control of his anger? What if he gave in and gave Reg whatever he wanted, even though Reg would never stop coming around? I knew Milos wanted this to go away as much as I did, but I also knew we couldn’t hide from our past forever. Eventually, somewhere down the line, someone was going to say something, and then poof, the scandal would explode all over again.
I stopped and sat down at the table, feeling dizzy from not eating. I had gotten myself so worked up over all of this, I hadn’t even touched the lunch that the service staff had brought up for me. I pulled my chair up to the table and spread some cheese on a cracker, shoving it in my mouth and staring out the window as I chewed. It was raining like crazy outside, and my thoughts went back to the island and how just a few days ago, we were carefree, making love on the sand, and dreaming of our future family.
Now, I was sitting nervously at this table, wondering what kind of future I could bring my child if my newly found royal following didn’t trust me or respect me at all. To make matters worse, when the news got out, all of my family and friends would learn the truth of what I had to do when I set out on my journey to backpack across Europe. Instead of taking in the sights, I had ended up in a dirty apartment with nine other girls, flashing my tits for a few Euros, and taking shots every night just to get through. It was hardly the kind of life that made a Queen.
I sat there nervously for nearly an hour, eating cheeses and fruits and staring out at the road beyond the castle. I would be able to see Milos driving back from there, and I wanted to be prepared and supportive when he returned. I took a swig of my water and paused as the royal town car moved over the hill and through the gates. I dusted the crumbs off my belly and had the service staff take my lunch away, making sure that they knew not to disturb us after Milos returned. My hands were ringing with anxiety as I stood waiting for him to walk through the doors and reveal what he found out at the meeting.
Slowly, the door opened, and Milos marched through it, tearing off his jacket and throwing it down on the couch. He walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the carved stone, looking down into the flames. The look on his face when he came through was more than livid, and I assumed that things did not go well at all. I gave him a minute to gather himself before I asked any questions. The last thing we needed was to start fighting amongst ourselves. When he seemed to have calmed a bit and his shoulders had relaxed, I walked over and sat down on the sofa.
“What happened?” I asked calmly.
“He wants me to sign a concession so he can build a casino,” Milos scoffed. “And if I don’t, he will reveal your past and everything that happened while you worked at the strip club.”
“I knew it would be something like that,” I said to myself before looking back at Milos. “What do you plan to do? You can’t sign a concession for that. It’s illegal.”
“I am aware,” he said sharply. I took a deep breath and let his anger roll over my shoulders. “I don’t want you to worry about it. I will take care of this problem so that it is finished and done with.”
The tone of his voice sounded almost maniacal, and I didn’t like the uneasy feeling it pushed into my stomach. What did he mean he would take care of it? The last thing he needed was to get himself into another predicament, another scandal. This one, however, would just be another mark on him, another mark on our marriage, on our child, and the future of this Kingdom.
The Parliament was happy for now, but it wouldn’t take much to push them over the edge. Milos’s life had been shrouded in enough controversy, and I did not want to continue our marriage under that same cover. I also didn’t want to raise a child, always wondering in the back of my mind if he or she would one day find out about our secret. That was it. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to make sure that Milos did this the right way.
I stood from the couch, walked back over to the window, and stared out at the rain. There had to be a better answer to this. I needed to get control of this entire thing. The last thing we needed was Milos going crazy over this without control of himself or his actions. I understood his anger, and I felt it too, but at the same time, these were the facts. I was a stripper. He had picked me up at a strip club. I did not have the regal past that everyone thought I did. No matter how angry or bitter we got, those were the facts, and they were never going to just disappe
ar. I stopped for a moment, realizing that if I didn’t do something about this myself, it would forever haunt me. I turned toward Milos and sighed.
“I don’t care anymore,” I said loudly. “I can’t hide from this any longer.”
