Brown eyes flicked in my direction—quickly—then away. “Speaking of Lord Cato. How do you feel about seeing him?”
“I’ve practically forgotten what he looks like,” I dissembled.
Delicately, she cleared her throat. “He’s your biological father, Gwen. And you haven’t seen him in forever. I know his abandonment is hard to think about…but you should prepare yourself for seeing him before you go in front of the five overlords. You don’t want to mess up because he’s one of them.”
I drove my baby into the ornate opening in the mountain. Instantly, the car dipped, our destination down into the bowels of the stronghold. Much like where my father truly belonged—in the ground. Forever.
My sanity instantly returned full force as the call quieted to a mere buzz, like a bee flying far overhead and thinking you might hear something nearby. I stated calmly, “I won’t let that bastard ruin my chance. You don’t need to worry about that, my friend. I’m focused on the prize.”
She grinned, flashing her straight teeth. “And what a prize it will be.”
The crown. It truly waseverything.
* * *
Adelie and I shuffled to the elevator, our arms laden with luggage and shopping bags. We bumped sides repeatedly as we staggered our way past all of the luxury cars. I had barely found a place to park, taking thirty bloody minutes.
I grunted as our shoulders bounced off each other again. “Where the hell is our complimentary service? If the fucking overlords want me here this bad, then why isn’t someone here to greet us?”
Cameras were all over this place.
There wasn’t a chance they didn’t know that we had arrived.
“Apparently, being a possible candidate doesn’t hold much sway.”
“No shit,” I grouched. “This is ridiculous. We could have stayed at Japri’s tiny ass hotel and received better care.”
Adelie nodded her head in agreement. “That’s the honest truth.”
A masculine throat cleared behind us, loud and clear.
As one, Adelie and I jerked our heads back.
My eyelashes fluttered as I stared.Dammit.
Adelie’s mouth gaped, and then she whispered, “Think they heard us?”
All five overlords were standing far away.
Directly next to my car.
A couple of them even leaned against it, their bodies relaxed. A couple of arms crossed over muscular chests. A few heads cocked. One even sat on the parking garage floor with his legs crossed. Each was dressed in simple black slacks and dark button-down shirts.
And all were staring straight at us.
I swallowed on a dry throat. “Yes, they heard us.”
Adelie and I stood in place, unsure what they were planning to do.
Or what they wanted us to do.
They took the decision out of our hands…
Moving as one unit, they turned away from us.
And walked up the incline.
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Fuckers.”
