Page 81 of Unmasked

“I see her just fine,” I snapped. “She’s right there, on the bed, asleep. She’s laying here.”

“Mmhmm.” Amusement was in his tone. “Lower her top.”

My lids narrowed. “I’m not giving you a show.”

“Lower her top.”

The threat was clear. I made a sound of my own as I hooked my finger in the middle of her shirt and pulled down. I glanced at her cleavage, shaking my head.

“She has breasts. You don’t say. They’re nice size. So what? What’s your point?”

“Look. Closer.”

I positioned the phone between my shoulder and jaw, grabbing each side, pulling down. At her body swaying through the pull, I managed to catch the discoloration. I separated her cleavage, feeling the floor fall out beneath me.

No…

Right over her heart was an upside-down crown. It had been burned into her chest. It wasn’t big. Maybe the size of a coin, but it was there.

“Impossible. He’s… dead. He⁠—”

“Is very much alive, and is very, very angry that you have his future queen in his clutches. Even angrier now that he knows you’ve killed his child.”

“No.”

“Oh, yes.”

“No.”

“Yes. You’re lucky his own people have him restrained behind bars. Otherwise… you’d be a dead man. You still may be before it’s over with. But I have a plan, and if you want this duchess as your queen, you’re going to follow it. Do you hear me?”

“This is treason against the Crown. I’m not giving her back to him. I will not⁠—”

“You will, and you are. Because what you’ve done will be the fall of you. He has proof of your physician poisoning The Duchess. He has proof of you killing his Reeve on his plane.” A deep breath left him, and I felt sweat began to collect as I paced and stared at Penelope. “That is enough to sentence you to death by this Council, Your Majesty. But I have pull, so I have saved your life. But at the cost that you listen to me.

“The Unavowed has a force building behind him at a speed in which even I may not be able to stop. We won’t know until we let this play out. But one thing is for sure… Vaughn Masterson will enter society to claim his queen, and if you want her for your own, you will do the same.”

“The two of you will face off, and you will stay civil. Vaughn’s handler has already assured me that he will convince Vaughn to spare your life in return of his queen⁠—”

“My queen.”

“Not yet. But it can be.”

He got quiet.

“Are you ready to listen… or should I have them set Vaughn free? The call is yours. What’s it going to be?” He waited. “Life… or Death?”

I reached down, tracing the upside-down crown. Hate built only for it to melt as an idea came to me.

I stood up straight, already heading to my room.

“He’ll get Penelope back, but only after I leave my own mark. You tell him I said I look forward to seeing him back in society.” My voice deepened as the anger grew. “As a matter of fact, I’ll welcome him in, myself. He will come to my party, or I come after him with everything I have. You tell him to be there… or else.”

CHAPTER 25

Vaughn

“Open.