Page 137 of Uncrowned

I was meant to be king. Penelope Taylor would be my queen, and if she thought pushing me away would get me to choose someone else, she’d find out just how unmovable I was. I lost her once. Nothing would take her away from me again.

“I’m worried about Marian. I would like to negotiate terms.”

I laughed under my breath, slowly turning to her.

“Anything I want from you, I will take. Marian LaRoe will pay, and nothing you say or do will change that. You’re lucky we need her. She’ll live. That’s a gift. Katia Marchase will not be so lucky.”

“Katia?”

I knew the pain I held was written all over my face, but I couldn’t disguise an ache that still felt raw. My pain was undeserved, unlike her fate.

“Death comes in many forms, Penelope. I’ve mourned for the last six months. She killed my queen. She took her away from me. For that, she dies a slow, painful death … You better believe I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”

CHAPTER 47

Penelope

I was sick with worry for Marian. I had tried so hard to stay strong and not show fear for having to be back with Vaughn at The Order, but being separated from a woman who had taken such good care of me for almost a year was taking its toll. My resolve was crumbling. Every sound in the distance made me jump.

We’d only just gotten back to The Order, but Marian had been in the bedroom in the back of the jet during the plane ride. I was taken out first and put in a different car than her on our way here. Where was she?

I’d asked Vaughn but he told me it wasn’t my concern.

Nothing felt right, and suddenly everything was going wrong.

“Thank you, Reeve. Is it ready?”

The Reeve’s eyes jumped to me and he nodded.

“Yes, Sire.”

“And everything’s been prepared like I asked?”

“It has.”

Vaughn nodded. “We’ll be there shortly.”

His fingers curled around my bicep, dragging me towards the back of the Throne Room. I tried jerking against his hold, but his grip only tightened.

We headed through the double doors, passing two guards as we continued through the long hall. After a left, I knew exactly where we were. A few doors down, he opened the queen’s chamber, pushing me inside and shutting us in.

“Put that on.”

I took in the white slip dress laying on the bed.

“I’ll put that on when you get out.”

For a long moment Vaughn just stared at me.

“It would seem you forget who you’re talking to. Let me repeat that one more time. Weigh my words wisely. Put. That. On.”

My gaze swept over his face. Angrily, I grabbed the dress at my thighs, pulling it up and over my head. I didn’t wait; I threw it at him. He easily deflected it.

“The rest.”

I reached behind my back, unsnapping the bra and letting it fall to the ground.

“If I’m going back out of that door, panties stay. I will not bend on that.”