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“Sorry, to interrupt, Ma’am.”
Andreas lets go of me as the presence cuts into the room. Coldness instantly races across my skin in his absence, but I know business never sleeps.
“What’s the matter, Vinnie?”
“Sorry, Ma’am, but there’s an uprising.”
“Now who’s the dramatic one?” I jest at Andreas before turning to face Vinnie, my most trusted bodyguard. I even inch forward, closing the gap between us. “An uprising?”
“We told the dickhead to shut up, but he won’t listen. A few of us just wanted to kick back, enjoy some food before the drop tomorrow, but Samuel won’t shut up about what happened today at the palace.”
“There’s a reason you’re a favourite,” I commend, patting his face gently. “Always have my back when the daggers are out.”
People always say snitches get stitches, but when loyalty means your men choose you over their comrades and prove their worth, you forget that teaching. I know Vinnie will want to deal with the situation later, but for now, he’s leaving it to me—just how I taught him.
I surrounded myself with my own army, one my father didn’t know about until recently. I utilized every teaching I was given, and my father never saw it coming until he turned up one day.
Now, he’s dead, and he’ll never see how truly powerful I can be.
The idea of him being gone is enough to force my heart to thrum slower.
I’ll never hear his voice, hear his soft teachings. Never will he utter my name in public like he truly loves me. I’ll also never have to bleed for him to notice me in private or remember the part he played in my life.
Death claimed him before I had a chance to sign his death warrant.
As fleeting as my grief is, I hone it, fasten my pace, heels clicking on the marble floor as I move fluidly through the corridor, closing in on the rumble of voices, some louder than others. The doors to the main dining room are ajar, the table full of men eating their latest meal.
I slow, waiting in the doorway as they continue, Andreas once more by my side.
“The bitch can’t even stick out her own father’s funeral.”
Instantly, I acknowledge the mouthpiece is Samuel, someone I valued having on my side. This sort of insubordination is not one I will take kindly to. He’s all brawn and no brain, so I’ll allow him a chance of redemption.
Once before, a comment of this kind would have had a very real reaction from me, but now it’s Andreas who reacts. He never takes kindly to anyone who has had a bad thing to say to me—especially someone who is on my payroll.
I grin, but only because no one knew my father’s funeral was actually days ago.
“She said she was back for a reason. So far, Beckett Knight has had her chased out of the palace without even so much as recognizing her.”
Moving forward, I’m careful with my steps, toeing the threshold of the room, watching men I had drawn into my fold all sit back and marvel at what Samuel Mathers has to profess.
“I thought The Company was now hers, anyhow? If I was in her position, I’d have stormed that damn place and taken what was rightfully mine.”
I snicker, then cut a glance at Andreas that tells him to stay where he is as I approach the table. I tap Richie—one of my finest men—on the shoulder, forcing him to vacate his seat. He doesn’t even argue, and I grin at how well trained they are when confronted with me.
“Hey, boys,” I greet with a wicked smile on my lips.
“Ma’am,” Samuel remarks, sniffing noncommittally
“How’s lunch?” I ask, trying to push interest into my voice. “Seems like they cooked up a feast for you all.”
“They did.”
“Right,” I start, reaching forward to pick up Richie’s abandoned drink. “And any other issues with anything else?”
I swig the liquor as I end my question and press a look onto Samuel. He’s a good-looking guy, one who has promise, but he likes to run his mouth for a guy with extremely small testicles. I learned from a young age that those like Samuel have a bigger attitude to make up for what they lack between their legs.
His gaze looks wildly around the table, a gesture of urgency swimming into his expression, and I savour another swig of liquor while I wait.
