Page 53 of Revenge & Truth

“Now we’ve dealt with all that, how can I help you, gentlemen?” I asked, flashing them a bright smile.

eighteen

The meeting finished without any further incident, which I felt rather proud of. They were learning how to work with me, and what they’ve accomplished since they took over for the Red Tigers was impressive. I suppose seeing that I would burn the whole thing down if they double-crossed me was a good motivator.

Rubbing my temple, the dull ache that started this morning was becoming sharper, a warning that if I didn’t do something about it, I’d end up with a migraine. Hands rested on my shoulders a moment before they started to massage the tension in them. Tilting my head back, I was greeted with Braxton’s welcome face.

“Thank you,” I murmured before hissing as he found a particularly angry knot.

“It is my pleasure to serve My Queen,” he said softly. “Would you like me to call Doc to get you something to nip that headache in the bud?”

I considered it, but I also knew these popped up when I was stressed. “Not just yet. Those drugs always make my head feel fuzzy. Once we get through these meetings, I might change my mind, though.”

“I’ve had trouble with headaches on and off over the years, a side effect of an accident I was in as a kid,” Braxton shared. “If My Queen allows, I have a few suggestions that might help.”

“You may share them,” I answered, then moaned when he ran his thumb up my neck. “Fuck, why does that hurt so good?”

Braxton rested his forearm on my shoulder and used his other hand to tilt my head in the opposite direction, stretching the muscle. The burn had me gritting my teeth, but Braxton eased the pain as he worked his forearm over the spot. “Keep breathing… don’t hold it, or you’ll cause the muscle to tense up, and this will be for nothing.”

He worked on my neck for a bit longer until I felt like my shoulders weren’t up in my ears and eased some of the tension. A knock at the door had me growling, irritated someone would dare to interrupt this moment.

“It’s okay. I asked Ryker to grab a few things for me since he wanted to stop by before you meet with the Old Guard.” Braxton soothed, pressing a kiss to my neck before answering the door. “Please keep your voice low. Mistress has a migraine brewing.”

“Ah, well, these things make sense,” Ryker commented. “Did she eat? They get worse when she’s stress fasting.”

“Liu made sure a muffin happened to make its way into the office,” I shared, looking over the back of him. “It was cinnamon chip, so don’t even question if I actually ate it.”

Ryker smirked at my teasing then his expression shifted to something darker. “I have an update on the security situation. Do you have time for me to fill you in?”

“When it comes to the security of this estate, Caprioni business, or my personal safety, I will always have time. Come over here and sit so I don’t have to keep looking up at you,” I directed.

Instead of sitting in the chair across from me, Ryker pulled over a footstool and settled right at my feet. He boxed me in with his legs on either side of mine, hands resting on my knees. “After a little persuasion, the man admitted being paid to allow someone into your office. He wasn’t instructed who it should be, the purpose was simply to rattle you, prove it could happen. Since he was almost done with his shift for the day, the Rebel Oath was his only chance.”

I started to lean forward, but Braxton drew me back as he resumed his work, only this time he had scented oils on his hands. The blend of mint, lavender, and eucalyptus was light, but it permeated through my senses, enveloping me in the soothing aroma. Braxton didn’t massage the oil in, he just worked it over my chest and up my neck, pressing at various trigger points along the way. Whatever he was doing not only was taking the bite off this headache but also turning me into a puddle of relaxed muscles.

“Holy fuck, this is amazing,” I mumbled. “Braxton, your hands are magical. That’s all there is to it.”

He chuckled and leaned down, his warm breath on my skin. “You have no idea how magical my hands can be, My Queen.”

I was in so much trouble. These men had awakened something in me I didn’t know was lurking under the surface, but goddamn, I could be turned on at the drop of a hat. All it took was the promise of something more, and I was begging to be fucked six ways to Sunday.

Ryker cleared his throat loudly, causing me to snap open my eyes to focus on him. When the fuck did I fall into a trance? Pull it together, woman. We have shit to do today, I scolded myself as I sat up taller and folded my hands in my lap, attempting to hide the fact I was a horny mess.

“Right, sorry,” I started, getting my head back in the game. “Do we have a name of who paid the man off?”

“You know who paid him off,” Ryker chided.

Frowning, I cocked my head. “Harvey? That doesn’t make sense. What would be the point of him doing something like that? It’s really not his style.”

“Harvey might have been the one who gave him the money… fifty thousand dollars, I might add. You and I both know he’d never do something like that, but from what I hear, this is a common play by the Leoni Family. Apparently, they like to prove just how close they can get to their target without even trying,” Ryker explained.

“I’m sorry, did you just say fifty thousand?” I blurted. “Well, I wouldn’t say that proves it’s easy for them to pull off. Fuck, that’s some serious cash to throw around for a job like that.”

“It means they tried to get someone to do it at a lower price, but no one was willing to risk it. This particular grunt is newer to the Family. He’s only been inducted since the oath ceremony. Personally, I never would have allowed him on the security team, but it seems Mathis vouched for him,” Ryker pointed out. “I’ve been combing through the records I have, but this asshole wasn’t even in my database. He slipped in under the radar, and having a heavy hitter like Mathis in his corner certainly kept him hidden.”

Hearing the name of my backstabbing uncle sent a wave of anger through my veins. Unable to sit, I attempted to push Ryker out of the way so I could pace. It would appear Ryker had other thoughts on this and yanked me down to sit on his lap.

“Astin, I need you to take a deep breath and realize that Darkness is the one who’s pissed right now. I’m not saying you don’t have every right to be furious with everything that went down, but if this is how you react at the mention of his name, it’s dangerous. Take a second to think for yourself. If our enemy finds out this is all it takes to make you become unglued, then they win,” Ryker reasoned as he held me tightly against him.