Page 97 of Reign of the Queen
I shake my head. I don’t think any of them have made the connection between Amelia Hamilton, the poor girl they previously terrorized from the other side of town, with Mia Stratford, a mega-rich heiress from Manhattan. I thought for a bit that Finn was figuring it out, but he never brought up the connection other than that one time he mentioned the girl he once knew.
“What do you think will happen once they figure it out, Mia? Do you think they will just accept that you came here with intentions fueled by vengeance and retaliation? Will having put yourself in harm’s way to protect them change their minds?” She stands up and comes around the desk, taking the chair next to me.
“Mia, my darling. You are my heir. You are my granddaughter, and I will not allow anyone to hurt you as long as I’m living and even then, when I am gone, I will find a way to protect you and Isabella. I don’t understand what you are doing here. Why do you even need vengeance against these boys and this backwater town? I am afraid you are harming only yourself, and that terrifies me. “
Stella lets out a deep sigh, rubbing her fingers across the charms on her bracelet. “I remember, my darling, what you were like when you first came to us from this awful town. An angry, rabid, and frightened twelve-year-old little girl. One that wouldn’t let anyone close to her and trusted no one. Mia I am afraid your issues with food, your body dysmorphia, and the self-destructive behavior that you worked so hard to break free of, will once again destroy you. Anger and vengeance clouds you, my darling, and it will end up ruining you along with them. You are playing a very dangerous game here, granddaughter. I can see that you have feelings for them. Will you cast those feelings aside in the name of your revenge?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing either.” I release a sigh, lowering my head. “Everything is so messed up. I came here with a carefully laid plan to wreck them and taint their futures, but it’s all gone to hell, grandmother. I... I just can’t seem to let go of my anger, my need to hurt them.” I reach out and take her hand in mine.
Stella takes a deep breath and squeezes my hand. “Mia, when I was younger, I was filled with rage too, wanting to get back at my father for arranging my marriage to your grandfather, who I Iater came to adore. Mia, that rage, that need for vengeance, almost destroyed me and him. Please my darling, take heed, nothing good will come of this situation if you continue down this path.”
Stella takes another deep breath and I see the fear she’s been trying to hide cross her features. “Mia, Vincent Saint-Lambert is a very dangerous man. I have had new information brought to my attention. He is involved in various nefarious enterprises, including the smuggling and trafficking of women for sexual perversions. If that wasn’t bad enough, he has strong underground ties to various criminal elements in the United States, South America, and Europe.”
The fear on her face is striking; I’ve never seen my grandmother afraid in all the years I have known her. “You are now completely on his radar with what happened today. I had no choice but to allow them to come here and witness for themselves that Carter and the boys are fine. If I didn’t, he would have had a group of his underworld criminal associates storm the house, and it would have been a blood bath. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt in the crossfire my darling.” She lets out a deep sigh and squeezes my hand. “I wish I hadn’t, Mia. I am worried about his interest in you.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” I ask.
“Yes.” She grimaces like the words she’s about to say have a vile taste to them, and I prepare myself for the worst. “It’s come to my understanding that the four boys have been acting as enforcers for Vincent and Mack for some time. Doling out vicious physical and violent punishments on anyone who dared go against them.” She rubs her hand down her weary face.
“It’s also come to my attention that Vincent uses Theodore in his sadistic sexual perversions with his group of like-minded sick individuals. Whether he is a willing participant or not, I am not sure, but that young man is living in hell with Vincent as his father. Your attachment to him, in particular, frightens me the most, Mia.”
A gasp escapes my mouth. Has Vincent been using Theo to punish those women? Does Theo play an active role in his disgusting father’s sadistic activities? My thoughts go back to that day at his house with the women in the room. He didn’t seem shocked or perturbed to have them there. The only emotions he showed was when I tried to release them, his reaction was based on my own, not at seeing the women like that in the room. He also knew they wouldn’t allow me to release them; how? Had he tried in the past and failed, or was he an active participant in confining them? My stomach lurches and what I ate earlier threatens to make a reappearance at the thought of him enjoying abusing those women.
“There’s more, Mia.” Anger skates across Stella’s features. “Your idiot and irrational mother has been seeing someone. She has a plan to get remarried right away to get out from under my control. What she doesn’t realize is the monster that she’s seeing will most likely be the death of her. Your mother has been seeing and sleeping with Vincent Saint-Lambert.” Stella lets the statement drop.
Sirens are going off in my head. For a moment, it’s like my ears only hear blaring sounds inside my skull, the rest of the world just disappearing and no other sounds penetrating the alarm. Time seems to stop, blood rushes to my head, and my heart gallops in my chest, trying to break free from my rib cage. “How... holy fuck.” I barely get out, my brain trying to process what she just said.
“He’s been cautious with hiding his real self from her. I am sure he targeted her directly to ensure ties to our family.” Stella states with a distaste.
Fear fills my body and helps to clear some of the fog. “Grandmother, I need you to protect her, please, for me. I need you to get her out of here and far away from him.” I grasp onto her hand with both of mine, fear making its way through all of my limbs. Of all the stupid ass shit my mom has done, especially lately, this probably takes the cake. Sleeping and thinking she’s going to marry a sadistic, violent monster like Vincent Saint-Lambert and that he’s her knight in shining armor.
I’m sure he looks like the perfect man to her. Good-looking, rich and powerful, probably pretending to be completely infatuated with her. The ideal score to keep her at the top of the food chain in society and out of my grandmother’s reach. Little does she know that he will likely have her chained to a damn wall like a beast and used for his sadistic pleasure. I try to remember everything she has said to me in passing regarding who she’s seeing, and now I see the clues.
“I will have her removed from North Carolina today by force, Mia. I’ll send her to one of our homes in Europe, where she will remain confined for the time being until we can neutralize the threat to you and our family. You won’t be able to contact her to keep her untraceable. She won’t be happy with either of us at the end of this, but at least it will get her out of Saint-Lambert's reach.
“Grandmother, do you think Theo knew? About mom and his dad, do you think he knew and kept it from me?” I swallow, the fear nearly choking me.
“I’m not sure, darling. It only came to my attention because I was having her followed regularly. It looks like Saint-Lambert has been very cautious, meeting her solely out of town and keeping phone and text communication to a minimum.” She releases my hand and leans back in the chair.
I let out the breath that I was holding. I don’t want to believe that Theo could be hiding something like that from me. Not with everything we have been going through, but he is a manipulative bastard.Would he use something like this to get the upper hand with me?I shake my head, trying to clear those thoughts.
“Mia, I wish that you would return to Manhattan with me. I can’t remain here any longer; I have a company to run, my darling, and I can’t do it from Casbury. Isabella also misses you terribly. She is not the same without you. Please consider returning to your home Mia. There is nothing here for you.” She pats my hand and then stands, heading toward the office door.
“Mia, I will be leaving in the morning. Tom will remain here with his security team to protect you. They will no longer be hiding or giving you space. As long as you remain in Casbury, they will be your constant shadows. Please seriously consider returning to us.” She walks out of the room, spine straight and head held high. You would never know that she just showed me genuine emotions mere minutes ago, her ice queen façade back in place.
I sit there for a while, contemplating what the hell I should do. I came here with a purpose, to decimate the kings and ruin their futures. Instead, I have compromised mine to keep them safe. They terrorized, tortured, and destroyed most of my childhood.Fuck, I’m still having nightmares and fighting the rage all these years later over what they did to me. But instead of ruining the fuckers, I’ve now slept with two out of the four. I can feel my resolve weaning daily, feelings of sympathy arising the more I learn about them. If I’m not careful, I’ll catch real feelings for them, and then I truly will be broken.
Maybe I should do what Stella suggests. Perhaps I should head back to Manhattan, where I’m safe. Where the self-proclaimed kings of Casbury are far away and can no longer play with my stupid heart or my head.
I leave the office and head back into the hallway, my mind full of revolving thoughts. Should I leave, or should I stay here and try to carry out my original plan against the kings? What will happen to Carter if I go? Will his dad come for him? Will he even be safe? Should I really even care what happens to him?
That last thought gives me pause. Why do I honestly care what happens to any of them? My grandmother's right, they wouldn't put themselves at risk for me, and once they find out what I'm doing here and who I am, they will most likely retaliate. I can't see any of them wanting me to stay once they figure it out.
I go to walk past Carter's room and hear him arguing with nurse Mary through the open door. She's trying to keep his massive form in the bed, and he's doing everything he can to get out of it. I stand by the door and listen to him trying to charm her.
"Mary, I know you want to give me a sponge bath, my girl, but honestly, I don't need you to faint after seeing my dick. I desperately need a fucking shower. I stink." He laughs.
"Carter, as much as you think your penis will overwhelm me, I'm a nurse. I've seen all kinds of penises and have not been mesmerized by any of them. You can't be in the shower alone. You're likely to fall on your butt, young man. You are not fully recovered yet." Nurse Mary huffs at him sternly.
