Page 153 of Vexatious Queen

The thought of Ren forced into an incestuous marriage would’ve had me kicking down Eddie’s office door.

“What I thought you might find most interesting is that my brother will be there,” he said, and I sat up straighter.

“Eddie invited Vadin to have dinner with him?”

That seemed very unlikely. Eddie hated my father almost as much as I did, if not more.

“I do not know the circumstances around Vadin being there, but Edmundo warning me ahead of time is very interesting,” Dimitri said.

I crossed my ankles and stared at the dead man in the middle of the room. He lay there on display like a macabre piece of art.

“Yes, it certainly is. Tell me, do you know who else will be there?”

“Other than myself, Romeo Mancini, and Ronan, no. So, do you think you’ll be attending? It will make for an eventful birthday.”

I’d be lucky if Eddie or Ren talked to me again once they knew the truth, but the thought of seeing them so soon…it made my blood sing with excitement. Angry or not, I needed them in my life. I’d find a way to explain everything. Going also gave me the opportunity to corner my prey.

“Shall I add you as my plus one,” Dimitri asked, and I drank down the rest of my sake.

“No, I think it is best that I attend as a surprise guest. Vadin just might decide to scurry back into whatever hole he left if he senses deceit.”

“What do you think he wants with Edmundo, anyway? He must know that the Genoveses will never work with him again.”

“He’s not interested in Eddie. He’s after Lilya’s trust fund. I’ve seized the grand majority of his assets and burned even more to the ground. He’s looking for leverage. I didn’t think he knew where she was, but I suppose I have Christov or Lawrence to thank for that. They probably couldn’t help but repeat history and go running to him to spill the news. Pathetic.”

“Ah…that does sound like him. It also explains why he reached out to me yesterday, but I didn’t take his call. Either he’s looking for a handout, or he wants to try and claim my throne here in Cali,” Dimitri growled. “Over my dead body will I ever hand him anything else, especially what I’ve worked my entire life to achieve.”

The anger over his brother’s betrayal had never diminished over the years. If anything, it only made him more resentful and bitter. I understood the resentment, even though our situations were very different, and Aunt Helena was a kind soul. His heart belonged to my mother, Renata, and he’d never gotten over her being forced into Vadin’s bed.

“I assume this means you need your plane back.”

“Yes, which is the other reason for my call. I want it here for March first, and not a day later. I mean it, my dear,” Dimitri said.

Uncle Dimitri could still be very abrasive and demanding when he wanted to be, but I had been dealing with men like him my whole life.

“You’ll have it early, then. I appreciate you letting me borrow it.”

“Anything for you, my dear.” His voice was once more chipper as I bowed to his wishes. “Before I go…did you do what I asked?”

A sad smile pulled at the corner of my mouth.

“Yes…I placed my mother’s favorite flowers on her grave for you. I also took the locket you mentioned from her jewelry box. Vadin left everything the way she kept it.”

“And it still has my picture inside?”

“It does. One of you and her.”

He sucked in a deep breath.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice sullen. Clearing his throat, he continued. “I will see you soon. It will be a very memorable dinner.”

With that, he hung up the phone.

I looked between Vlad and Mylo.

“You were right. He’s after Ren.”

I pushed myself up out of the chair and could almost taste his blood on my tongue. Vadin would die for what he’d done to me and Eddie and our family, but now…he would die painfully for going after my daughter. My hand clenched into a fist.