Dirty Little Secrets (Kings of Bolten 1)

“Do you think I enjoy doing this?” I demanded. “Do you think this is where I want to be right now? Do you fucking think, I want this?”

“You killed him! You fucking killed him.” Her body went limp as it shook with sobs.

“He betrayed you, Bianca.”

“He was trying to save his sister.”

“He was going to leave you to an unimaginable hell,” I said softly.

“You would’ve saved me,” she choked out. “I know you would have. It didn’t need to be this way.”

“You’re right. It didn’t, but it is.” I wiped a tear from her cheek. “Why’d you run?”

“L-Levin s-said I didn’t mean anything to—”

“You really believed that shit?” Anger coursed through me. I thought we’d proven how much we cared. I wasn’t an expert on matters of the heart, but I thought we’d put up a good effort.

“Levin said you were cheating,” she whispered.

I swallowed. Shit. Why had he told her that? “I did have my cock sucked by some girl earlier who was forced into it by my father. She was murdered after she finished. I didn’t want it. She sure as hell didn’t. That is the level of hell Fallon was going to deliver you to. And you still love him?”

“What does it matter? You murdered him!” She got her strength back and fought against me again.

I slammed her back into the tree, trying to get her to focus. I leaned in as her teeth gnashed at me.

“I made you a promise, and I kept it.” I pressed my lips to hers, not expecting her to kiss me back and not su

rprised when she tried to bite me. “For what it’s worth, I loved you the moment you ran into me in the hallway on day one.”

I released her, and she fell to her knees, her arms wrapped around her body as it quivered with sobs.

“Levin, I made you a promise too. Take care of her. Get rid of the bodies.”

He gazed down at Bianca, his face expressionless.

I stepped away from her and held my arm out to Vincent, who was barely holding his shit together. My body hummed with desperation and sadness as I sent up a silent prayer for Levin to make the move that I couldn't. If he pulled that trigger, the realization that Bianca would leave this world forever crashed over me, nearly taking me to my knees. A world without her in it wouldn't be a world at all. It would be a hell I wouldn't want to exist in. The alternative for her was worse though if my father got her. So much worse. . .

I forced myself to be strong. “Come on. We need to find Ivanov and those other two pricks.”

Vincent jerked out of my hold and darted to Bianca, wrapping his arms around her.

“Vincent!” I shouted.

“I’m telling her goodbye,” he snapped back, his voice shaking. “So fuck off.”

I moved to Vasiliev’s body and grabbed the necklace around his neck and yanked it off to show to Ivanov. I paused for a moment as the item Levin had dropped caught my eye. I smiled before straightening up, surprised at Levin’s boldness, but not mad about it. I hoped he’d called my bluff. I needed him to because I was too angry to withdraw. Truth of the matter was, I wanted to teach Bianca a lesson, but I needed someone to draw the line for me.

And if he didn’t wind up pulling his punches with Bianca, then that would be a cross we’d all bear. Together. No one fucked with a king without learning a hard lesson. Even those we loved.

“Valentino, war waits for no man. Move it.” I gestured for him to hurry.

Vincent kissed Bianca. She didn’t bite him, but she didn’t kiss him back either. She was empty, accepting her fate.

“I love you,” Vincent said softly into the night before getting to his feet and backing away.

Bianca’s response was only to sob a little more. My heart went out to her. This shit was hard, and I hated it had come to this. I took Vincent's arm and led him away as Levin shifted to stand behind Bianca, his gun leveled on her head.

“Don’t look, Vin,” I said softly, my heart hammering so hard in my chest I was afraid it could be heard. Call my bluff, Levin. Call my bluff. Call my fucking bluff. “We never show weakness.”