DOMINIC
The next day, Bianca was still silent. I’d fucked up. Royally. Granted, she had tried to murder me in my sleep. I was at my breaking point and knew what had to be done to get her to at least talk to me like she once had, but doing it was killing me inside. We were down to the wire with our seventy-two-hour deadline for Ivanov. A decision needed to be made.
I’d told Vincent and Levin what had happened last night with Bianca. They’d exchanged looks but had remained quiet. Levin's expression had said he wanted to put a hole through my face. Vincent had seemed resigned.
I swallowed as I stared at the doorway to the basement where the root of all my fucking problems was. I needed to atone for my sins. I wanted my wife back, and I wanted her to forgive me.
“What are you doing?” Levin asked as I turned on my heel and went upstairs.
I said nothing. When I pushed my bedroom door open, I found Bianca sitting in that damn chair, wearing my long, white t-shirt and her panties. We needed to get shit back to normal. I was done with this.
I reached out and tugged her to her feet. Then I lifted her over my shoulder amid her soft protests and carried her downstairs.
Vincent sat up on the couch, and Levin took a cautious step toward us. But I kept moving.
“What’s going on?” Vincent rose and headed toward us.
I opened the basement door and hauled a struggling Bianca down the steps. She bucked and kicked. When we reached the secret door, I opened it, taking her into the room. Levin and Vincent were right behind us.
“Here,” I said, easing her to her feet. “Look.”
Fallon scrambled forward, his lips parted. I released her arm. She darted forward before falling to her knees in front of the metal bars to Fallon’s cell. My guts twisted as she reached inside and clung to him amid her tears.
“You’re alive,” Fallon choked out. “Princess. Oh God. Baby, I thought you were dead. I thought you were gone.”
He let out a soft sob as her body shook. She blubbered out his name again, clinging to him.
“Well, ain’t that some shit,” Vincent muttered thickly.
I nodded, my throat tight. I hated it. I fucking hated it. But it was my wasp. I’d do anything for her. She deserved it. I knew that. She had to put up with my crazy ass. She had to deal with all of us. This was her prize.
I locked gazes with Levin. Storm clouds gathered in the depths of his blue eyes as he trembled. We’d discussed doing this already, but I guessed none of us were prepared to see how they’d actually react to one another.
Moving swiftly, I wrapped my arm around Bianca’s tiny waist and dragged her away from him amid her protests.
“Listen,” I said softly, lifting her and gripping her face so she'd look at me instead of him on his knees, quietly pleading her name. “You belong to me. You’re my wife.”
She licked her lips, her blue-eyed gaze darting quickly over my face, her hand trying to force my fingers from her face.
“I don’t want to let you go,” I said so only she could hear me.
She paused her pawing at me, her brows crinkled.
“Promise you won’t go, and I’ll let him live. Promise me you’re still mine. Ours." I paused, making sure I had her full attention. "If you run, I'll go to the ends of the world to find you and finish the job,” my voice shook. “Do you understand?”
Her lips parted as she stared up at me.
“Swear it, wasp.”
“I swear it, Dominic,” she said, her eyes wide and pleading. “Just let him go.”
I voiced the source of my biggest worry, “You don’t hate him like you do us.”
It wasn’t a question, but she chose to answer anyway.
“I’m so mad at all of you that I can’t separate my emotions. I hate him just as much as I hate you right now. You all deserve to pay for what you were going to do to me,” her voice was so soft I had to lean in to hear her, but it was a satisfying answer.
Vasiliev wasn’t out of danger from her wrath. I'd enjoy watching her make him squirm.
I studied her for a moment before I nodded to Vincent and Levin. I guided Bianca over to where there was a chair. Once I sat, I tugged her to my lap. Both my guys moved forward. Vincent unlocked the door as Levin reached inside and tugged Fallon out, throwing him on the floor in front of me.
Bianca leaned closer to him, but I yanked her back to me, my arm wrapped firmly around her waist so she couldn’t leave.
“Behave,” I growled in her ear.
She visibly swallowed before she nodded, her small body still tense.
I peered past her and stared down at Fallon.
“You have a choice,” I said. “You can pledge your allegiance to the kings, to me, and I’ll let you live. Or you can refuse and die right here and now.”
“And my sister? What happens to Natalia?”
“I’ll do whatever I can to save her on the condition you don’t betray me. If you do, I’ll let Levin and Vincent fuck her right in front of you before I cut her throat.”
A muscle popped along Fallon's jaw, but he gave me a curt nod. “What about Bianca?”
I surveyed him for a moment, taking note of Levin’s clenched fists and Vincent's fidgeting.
“Dominic—” Bianca started.
“Shh, mia regina,” I murmured, tearing my gaze away from Fallon to press a kiss to her jaw. “Be patient.”
I focused back on Fallon.