Before I know it, sleep is claiming me, sinking me into a slumber not even the devil himself could wake me from.
Chapter Thirteen
“Get me Hank!” I demand, “Now!”
The ruined dress dangles from my fingers, the cloying scent of the red wine only fuels my rage more. I’d grabbed it from the bathroom while she was showering, not wanting her to see the spoiled dress after she’d finished cleaning up. The house has pretty much cleared out, after that show in the grand hall I’d ordered Sebastian to start getting them away. I didn’t want anyone here.
It was bad enough the photographers had caught her in that state, but everyone just fucking stared.
“Farrow,” Hank saunters up to me, his eyes a little glassy, cheeks reddened from the alcohol he has consumed.
“So help me, Hank,” I growl, “If you do not put your daughter in her place, I fucking will.”
His eyes widen, “Excuse me!?”
“She went after my wife.” My voice drops to a low timbre, a deadly kind of calm settling over me, “At her wedding. Embarrassed her in front of everyone. And don’t you dare for one minute tell me it was an accident. You forget I have security tape.”
His nostrils flare, “Careful, boy,” Hank swallows, showing off the fear he is trying so hard to mask, “We put you on the throne, we can take you off.”
“Shall we put it to a vote?” I bluff. “I’ll call the council in right now.”
He huffs, “We can hardly be surprised at Regina’s reluctance to accept your new wife.”
“Regina is not part of this organization,” I remind him, “she was only ever a pawn. A pawn that got discarded for a prize much better.”
“You took away her power.”
“She had no power!” I roar. “She never would have either, as my wife or otherwise.”
He steps back at my slip of anger, “You know how Regina can be.” He stammers.
“I don’t give a fuck, Hank,” I step up, closing that gap between us, “Sort it out or I will. We buried your brother not long ago; it’ll be such a shame to have another funeral so soon.”
Sebastian pushes off the wall to join me as I storm from the room, leaving Hank staring after me.
Losing my temper with a council member is not how I wanted the day to go. There are ramifications to disagreements within the council, and I knew some ofthe members sitting around that table have questioned my leadership for some time. Unfortunately, it is not as easy to get rid of disloyalty. I have few close to me, and there is a reason for that.
“I want eyes on him at all times,” I tell Sebastian, “I don’t trust him.”
“And Regina?”
My teeth snap together at her name, “Where is she now?”
“Ran the moment you lost your shit.”
“Perhaps it was what was needed to keep her away,” I roll the statement around and instantly know it’s not true. That snake is relentless and I’m just glad I managed to find an out before she sank her teeth into me.
Sebastian knows it too.
“Olivia?”
“Last I checked, she was in the shower.” I rub at my temples, hoping to keep the headache that is knocking at my skull at bay.
“I should have got the water myself,” Sebastian rubs at the back of his neck, “Sorry, man.”
“We can’t coddle the woman,” I say, “She’ll only kick back more.”
“Man,” Bast laughs to himself, “I can only imagine what Olivia would have done if she were sober.”
