Page 77 of A Devious Arrangement
“You don’t have to do this. I can get it,” I tell her, and a sliver of guilt threads through me. I’m fully aware we’re on a pointless mission and Damon’s already moved the Kokoshnik Tiara.
“I have to do this. It’s my job to fix my family.” Her voice is weak, and I hate it.
I want to call her out on it. Tell her she doesn’t need to be the one to do everything, that I’m more than willing to make her problems go away, but she’s already turning away from me and making her way down the stairs. Fuck my life.
I take several beats before heading down the other staircase and meet my brothers at the bottom.
“Where the hell have you been?” Matthias asks.
“Why? Did you miss me?” I wink.
His eyes narrow on me, but Damon’s tossing my robe my way. I tie my mask and wrap the heavy fabric of my cloak over my shoulders, pulling the hood over my head. There’s a buzz of anticipation like a live wire running through me.
I’m thoroughly looking forward to pinning her against that bookshelf, but this time, I won’t stop at kissing her. The idea of fucking her in the Vault, where at any moment, we could get caught, has my dick growing hard.
The thick wood door opens into the ceremony room, and the murmurs grow silent as I enter the hall. The masked figures are lined up on either side of the aisle, heads bowed low, hiding their faces, making it impossible to make them out. I wish I’d paid more attention over the years so I’d know which spot belongs to the Volkov family.
My steps slow, and Matthias nearly crashes into my back. “Hurry the fuck up. I want to get this over with and head home.”
I roll my eyes, hidden under the mask, and make my way to my throne. Each of the Lords has one. Damon’s is placed slightly ahead to denote him as the leader of the Order of Saints.
I collapse into my seat, lounging against the hardwood. You’d think with our positions, we’d be able to get something more comfortable. I glance to Xander’s empty seat, and there’s a hollowness in my chest. That bastard better come back soon. He’s abandoned me here. I’ve been bored out of my mind without him.
Tonight’s different though. Tonight, Stasia’s in the crowd. I scan the sea of black, looking for an indication to figure out which one is her. Part of me would hate it. Anything that reveals who she is is a risk, but the other part fucking wishes I could tell.
It’s the hot brand of her gaze that gives her away. The only one looking at me, not Damon. I can’t make out any of her features, but I’m sure it’s her.
I spend the entire ceremony focused on her. The words being said and the promises made are nothing but background noise. I’m captivated by my girl, and the seconds are ticking down until I can get her into my arms again.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” Matthias asks, his voice a gravelly whisper.
He’s going to kill me if he finds out. “I’m bored.”
“You don’t look bored.”
That’s when I notice I’m sitting forward, elbows pressed on my knees. Fuck.
I relax back in my chair, but Matthias’s attention stays on me as if assessing my every move. He stiffens. “Don’t tell me you brought my future sister into the fucking Vault.”
“Fine. I won’t tell you.” I smirk, knowing damn well it’ll piss him off. What are little brothers for?
“Are you kidding me right now?” His voice rises, and Damon looks back at us in question. Shit.
If we don’t stop, we’ll be the ones who give her away.
Matthias and I stay quiet, both looking forward, but I can practically feel his rage. It’s going to be a bitch getting out of here. He’s used to my antics, but apparently, bringing Stasia into this is more than he can take. If only he knew this was all her. I’m pretty sure she’d kill me if I tried to keep her home. Well, at the very least, she’d go ahead without me, and I can’t let that happen. At first, it was amusing to help her, but now, I’m determined to protect her while not diminishing her light. For whatever reason, my girl wants to do this on her own, and I, for one, won’t stop her…just delay her a little, that’s all.
Finally, the ceremony ends, and the Saints stand. I watch as Stasia gracefully makes her way through the crowd and out the back hallway.
I ignore my brothers as they call me and chase after my little thief.
Chapter 36
Anastasia
My heart’spounding in my chest, hard enough to break my ribs. Every second I spend in the Vault feels like I’m standing on a land mine. I’ll admit having Bash in there with me helped settle my nerves.
If I’m caught, I’m sure he’ll find a way to get me out of it. I don’t dig into that too much, not wanting to know why I’m so sure he’ll come to my rescue. It’s not like he’s known for his reliability.
