It takes me only a few minutes to grab what I need. This room is mine permanently when I stay at the casino, so I don’t need to move anything but a few weapons and some clothes.
When I finish, I wait by the door for her to exit her room. She drags her bags out one by one, and I simply watch, letting her stew in anger and pride instead of asking for help.
The driver comes up to take our bags, and I escort her down to the car, my eyes scanning the crowd for anything out of place. But we pass through the lobby without incident.
Every time I go to the penthouse, I feel torn. It’s home, but it’s also so many walls to keep me inside. Both in structure and obligation.
One day, I’ll pay back Adrian for what he did for me. Until then, I follow orders and be the man Adrian needs for anything.
I’ve learned to be a shadow. His shadow. And everyone knows to fear the dark.
We land in the foyer with a pile of her bags. I have one over my shoulder, and this time I grab hers without her prompting. She cuts me a glare and steps forward, uncertainty written all over her face.
Kai wanders in from the hallway, his suit perfect, a lollipop tucked in the corner of his mouth. “Took you guys long enough, fuck.”
I tip my head toward Selena’s bags. “As I said.”
She glares between us, her ponytail spinning with the movement. “You have a room for me, or am I staying here in the foyer for the duration of my ordered stay?”
Kai’s jaw tenses as he studies us, then locks his eyes on his sister. “I see you’re in one piece, so Mick must have done his job.”
She shrugs her bags off her shoulders to let them fall with the rest. “I’m alive if that’s what you’re asking. At least for now. Not that we know who is trying to take over my seat. Not that I’ve been able to make any progress for weeks.”
Kai steps up and easily scoops up her bags . “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the room we set aside. It’s yours while you are here.”
I follow them both, keeping my eyes off her round ass and on the back of Kai’s head.
“I’m glad you two are back. We can plan better now that some of the immediate danger has passed,” he says, loud enough that it echoes in the hallway back to me.
We stop outside a door a couple down from his, a peach bedroom for guests, for the very few times someone else stays in the penthouse. I drop the bags outside the door and head toward my room.
Kai calls my name. “Wait. You both need to explain to me how my sister ended up engaged to that council douchebag. Neither of you are leaving until that happens.”
18
SELENA
Kai storms out of the room before I can offer an explanation. Not that he deserves one. It’s not his life, nor him marrying “that council douchebag,” as he so eloquently put it. By his look, Michail agrees with his assessment.
They left together with my bags strewn around the door so I couldn’t close it. It takes a few minutes to slide the bags into the room and close the door. I flick the lock for good measure. Not that it will keep any of these alpha males from barging in if they choose.
I adjust my black leggings, as well as the soft tunic I slipped on since I knew we’d be traveling and climb onto the bed. It’s more comfortable than the hotel room, like lying on a cloud.
Despite the events in Michail’s bedroom, the distance between us now doesn’t comfort me. I’m punishing him for making me feel guilty, for making me feel used. And a tiny part of me has to admit it wasn’t all his fault. I pushed. He’s the kind of man who pushes back. And when he pushes, things topple.
Why can’t I stop thinking about him when I have an empire to retake? Not to mention my brother’s wrath to deal with once he’s done dude-broing it up with Michail. Despite my threat, if he tells Kai we did anything together, I might murder him. There are things I’d rather my all-seeing brother didn’t know about me.
I roll on the bed, needing to take my mind off things. We are meeting up later to discuss planning, but for right now, I can reach out to my contacts, see if I can get some answers.
There are only a few people on my council I can contact safely. One of them being Maria, a lower member of the council with high ambitions. Not so high that she’d betray the only other woman on the council. When I took my seat, we agreed on solidarity. She’d help me, and I’d help her in return one day.