Chapter Nine
Vitki was so angry he could barely see straight. Ivo knew he wasn’t supposed to go anywhere unguarded. Flipping Vitki off was the least of Ivo’s crimes in Vitki’s mind. He also didn’t care that Miro had called and said he was guarding Ivo. The man should have listened to him.
He was the Dýka, for fuck’s sake.
How was he supposed to protect Ivo if the man didn’t listen to him?
“Where the hell have you been?”
He knew. He’d been informed of every move Ivo made. He just needed the man to understand how dangerous it had been for him to go out and about while someone was still out to kill him.
“I went for pastries,” Ivo said as he swept past Vitki.
“For five hours?” There just weren’t that many pastries in all of the Czech Republic.
“They were good pastries,” Ivo insisted.
“Do you have any idea of the chaos you have created?”
The council chambers had erupted into a war of words after Ivo walked out. The walls still echoed with the shouts that had rang out. Vitki couldn’t remember anything like it before. He doubted he’d see something like it again in his lifetime.
“Well.” Ivo’s smile was sickly sweet. Vitki hated it. “After tomorrow, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Vitki instantly narrowed his eyes, alert. “Why?”
“I’m leaving,” Ivo said as he walked toward the bedroom. “By this time tomorrow, I’ll be on a plane headed back to New York.” Ivo paused in the doorway and glanced back at Vitki. “You’ll never have to worry about me creating chaos in your life again. Won’t you be happy.”
Vitki growled as Ivo swept into his room, disappearing from sight. He stormed after him, ready to read Ivo the riot act. How could the man conceive of leaving after everything he had learned today? Their people needed Ivo to keep them from spiraling into utter catastrophe. Vitki knew Max had ruled from afar, coming and going often to see to his duties as king, but he had been king for years. Ivo was just starting out. How could he leave?
Vitki knew under all of his righteous indignation was a cry of anguish from his very own soul. How could Ivo think to leave him? Vitki wondered if he meant so little to the man that he couldn’t even consider it. He knew his thoughts weren’t logical, but he wasn’t feeling very logical. He was enraged and desperate.
Ivo had to stay.
“You are not leaving!” he snapped.
Ivo stiffened as if he hadn’t expected Vitki to follow him. “I am leaving.”
“I will not allow it.” It was as simple as that.
Ivo snorted. “Like you have any say in the matter.”
Vitki ground his teeth together. “You are not leaving, Ivo.”
The man glanced over his shoulder. “Watch me.”
Vitki growled as he grabbed Ivo and slammed him into the nearest wall. “You are not leaving.”
Ivo’s brown eyes started to sparkle with anger. “I am leaving.”
“I will not let you.” Even if he had to tie Ivo to the bed.
Ivo’s eyes blazed with fury. “You can’t stop me.”
“I will tie you to your bed.” Vitki realized his mistake the second Ivo raised an eyebrow at him. The sudden heat that infused his body had nothing to do with his anger. “Ivo, I cannot—”
Ivo narrowed his eyes. “If you say you can’t do this to me again, I’m going to figure out how to breathe fire and fry your ass.”
Vitki’s lips twitched. “You do not understand, Ivo. It is—”
