“You will remove the listening device from her room as soon as you can. Tonight, if possible.”
“Understood. Does this mean I’m free? That my debt is, um…taken care of?”
“It is.” I ended the call and turned to Konstantin. “We move soon, Son.” He nodded, his face full of fury.
“I’ll kill them all, Father.”
“We will ask questions first, Son. If I don’t like the answers, then we will indeed kill them. Every last one of them.”
Chapter 56
Kinsley
My Most Beautiful What If
The next morning, Irose early, having made up my mind. I was going to be packed and ready to go the minute my men came home. I knew in my heart they would come here first, so I would be ready for them.
With the biggest grin on my face, I hauled the suitcases from the closet and started packing. A little while later, Renee came to check on me, looking taken aback at what she found. Glancing down, I noticed she had a small suitcase with her. She blinked slowly, head tilted, a furrow creasing her forehead as if trying to piece it all together.
“I’m sorry. I…are you leaving? Did you want me to take this one back downstairs? Marcus left it for you?”
“No, it’s fine. I asked him to drop some things off.” I laughed as she nodded and left. Marcus was discreet enough to put the items I wanted in a small suitcase that locked. My phone buzzed almost immediatelywith the code for it.
KINSLEY:
You’re amazing, and I appreciate you so much.
MARCUS:
Well, there were some interesting items, to be sure. I’m confident whatever you have inside that head of yours will pay off in spades.
I didn’t have time to investigate them before Pasha came by to dance, but the minute we were done, I planned to dive in. I tied my hair up as I walked, twistingthe band tighter than necessary.
The stretch of hallway was long and lined with polished wood, my socked feet nearly silent on the runner. I cut through the side stairs and took them two at a time. By the time I reached the ground floor, I was slightly out of breath. I found the doorman near the front vestibule.
“Pasha’s coming by today, so just send him up. He knows where I’ll be.”
The doorman’s face broke into a smile. “You’ve got it. Have fun.”
I turned back, already retracing my steps, this time taking the stairs like a normal person would. The world outside stopped as soon as I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The chandeliers were dimmed, catching soft glints of light on the shined wood floor. It was always a little surreal, dancing in a place this old. It made me wonder about the Kings’ family, generations back hosting parties and get-togethers here.
That was the part that made it surreal, not that it was a ballroom. This place had history, and me and Pasha were going to leave our mark on it. I walked to the far wall, pulled out my phone, and plugged it into the dock. A low hum of strings filled the space, something slow and familiar—not quite ballet, not quite contemporary.
It felt right. I started stretching, letting the movement take over without thinking. Right leg first, hamstrings, then hips. I rolled my shoulders and folded forward, breathing into the pull.
A flicker in the mirror made me glance up. Pasha stood in the doorway, watching me. My breath caught in my throat. Hints of the little boy I once knew stared back at me. He opted for a pair of dark joggers and a tank top. It would soon be discarded. His rich brown hair was neatly styled, except for the one rebellious curl that always slipped free to fall across his forehead.
“You’re here,” I said, straightening.
He smiled. “You’ve started without me.”
I glanced down. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at all.”
After dropping his bag by the door, he stepped into the room fully, eyes sweeping over me like he was taking inventory.
“Posture’s better,” he said, circling slowly, that slight shift in his voice making me smirk. Teacher mode.Great.
