Page 66 of Daddy's Reluctant Queen

I heard her voice, though. She said,Save us.

Now, I’m sitting in the middle of my bed, ice cold sweat dripping down my face. This is just what I need now…

It’s been two days since I met with my men, and Cyrus and Cyril have been silent. No word from any of our allies about them. It doesn’t mean anything, though. It only means that they’re plotting. Probably something big since they haven’t just decided to try and kick in my door.

Cyril alone might try that, but not his brother. It makes me worried that there is something big coming. Something I won’t be expecting.

I get out of bed and walk to my bathroom. As I wash my face over the sink, I notice how tired I look. Dark circles are starting to form under my eyes, and my hair, usually brilliant and silver as it hangs at my shoulders, looks a little dulled.

I put my hair in a ponytail and get dressed. This day isn’t going to stop moving because I had a bad dream.

It’s early, still. Well before dawn, but I decide to check on Luka anyway. I go to his room and gently unlock it, only to find him fast asleep in his bed. My littlepauchok. When this is all over, I’m going to find a way to do better by him. Keeping him caged has been my greatest sin.

I close and lock the door and look down the hallway leading to Sofia’s door. It’s open.

I go to check on her and find that her bed is empty. A icy sliver of panic splits through my chest. Has she decided she’s better off on her own? I turn and walk away, hoping that she’s in the kitchen or in one of the other rooms.

Our last conversation, she was pretty insistent on wanting to help with this problem I’m having with the brotherhood. I don’t know what possessed her to ask me to let her step up to fight. It’s been in the back of my mind since it happened.

Is she committing herself to me? TothisBratva? Or was that display just about self-preservation? She has to know that if anything happens to me as a result of all this, then Cyrus, Cyril, and the brothers who are following their lead will kill her or do much worse. At least I’m the devil she knows.

As I pass by the window in the middle of the hallway between hers and Luka’s rooms, I hear splashing. I pause and look out into the night.

The pool sits on the side of the house, enclosed by high fences on all sides, the rest of the acre of land spreading out behind it. In the darkness, I don’t see much of the land, but the pool glows with amber light from the lamps placed around it.

I see her swimming in the pool, the pale skin of her naked body glowing under the lights as she glides through the blue water. She moves gracefully, swimming as though she’d been born a mermaid in the waves. Her long, dark hair flares out behind her, trailing her lithe form as she swims back and forth in the waves.

I lean against the cool glass, my hand pressing against it as I watch her. After a few turns around the pool, she stops and floats, her face turned up to the sky as her legs and arms move in tandem to keep her above the water.

She’s troubled. Of course she is. These are troubling times.

I step away from the window and continue on to my office. Whatever she has to do to be all right with this, I’m not going to stop or interrupt her. All I know for certain is that we have to survive whatever is coming.

Maybe we’ll actually manage to do it together somehow.

Ignat is meetingme for breakfast this morning, so I’m having some coffee outside on my patio until he arrives. My staff should be done with breakfast soon, and I’ve asked them to send foodup to Sofia in the hopes that it will dissuade her from coming down while I meet with Ignat.

Somewhere along the way, Sofia came in from the pool, wrapped in a towel, her long, wet hair sticking to her face as she darted back up to her room. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since I saw her brush past me. I also haven’t been able to get her off my mind since I saw her in the pool earlier.

It’s a beautiful day today. The sun is bright and it’s already getting warm. It makes me wish that I could allow Sofia to take Luka out today. Hell. It makes me wishIcould take them both out today.

Ignat comes out around the same time as a member of my staff brings out my plate. He stands politely near the door as my plate of eggs, bacon, and toast are brought to me and my coffee is refilled. I offer to have them fix him a plate as well, but he declines and takes a seat once they’ve left.

“Tell me you’ve got some news for me,” I say.

“I do,” he says. “The brothers have moved out of their respective apartments. I think they might be at one of the safehouses.”

“You think? You don’t know?”

“I should know soon,” he says. “I’ve put several men on surveillance at the nearest ones to their apartments and I’ll be placing watches on the others by the end of the day today.”

“Good,” I tell him.

“If I can suggest something?” he says, a touch of caution in his tone. “Just a plan of action that I think you should consider.”

“You think I should strike first,” I say as I sip my coffee. I’ve only taken a few bites of my food. Somehow, my appetite just isn’t active right now.

“Since I’ll be watching all the safehouses, I could have them both dispatched before tomorrow morning.”