A Bitter Twist

Chapter 8

-Josie

I watch Bertrand leave our room. He usually hides his feelings better than he just did. He was absolutely devastated that I could be pregnant. I mean I’m not. “Is there a reason you didn’t want to answer him?” I ask Liam.

Liam shrugs. “It’s past time he moves on for real, Josie.”

I nod. “I understand, I just don’t like the idea of him hurting.”

Liam nods. “I know, but tell me, Josie. What was the nail in the coffin, so to speak, for you?”

I chew my lip. “When I walked in on him and Madeleine kissing, the first time.”

He nods. “It hurt you deeply, didn’t it?”

I whisper. “Yes.”

Liam kisses my forehead. “He needed the painful kick in the pants to kill the fantasy. You two were never going to be together.”

I look at the floor. “I know that. I’ve always known that. I just can’t resist trying to take a bite of that forbidden fruit sometimes.”

Liam nods. “Everyone wants to taste the fruit, Josie. I’m willing to overlook the fact that you had feelings for another man. Because I love you and someday that might be enough for you.”

I nod. “You are enough for me now. I love you and you’re the only man I think of. It's been that way for a long while now.”

Liam's shoulders relax and he smiles. "I'm happy to hear that."

I eye the desk in his office just off our bedroom. "You know. I just had a really wonderful idea. I'm kinda in the mood for some boss and terrible employee games. On that desk in there."

His eyes get a wicked gleam. "Who's the boss?"

I smirk. "You are Mr. Rys."

He nods. "Very well. Change your clothes into something business casual. Skirt. No panties."

I nod and change real quick. I chew my lip and knock on the door. "Mr. Rys? You wanted to see me, sir?"

His eyes roam me top to bottom in a lascivious manner. If I had panties on, they'd be wet already. "Yes. Ms. Avery. We need to discuss your performance as of late. You've missed work. And when you do manage to show up, you may as well not have."

My eyes tear up. "Sir, please don't fire me. I have two kids to feed."

He shoots me a cold look. "I don't care about your home life, Ms. Avery. I care about results. And you're not producing the right kind of results."

My lip quivers. "Please, I swear I'll do better."

He presses his lips together. "Your promises mean nothing. This is the third time we've had this discussion, Ms. Avery."

I come all the way over to him. "Please, Mr Rys. I'll do anything."

He eyes me. "Anything?"

I bite my lip. "Yes."

He gets in my space but doesn't touch me. "Unbutton your blouse."

My eyes widen and my hands shake. And when it takes too long he rips it open. I gasp and hold the edges together. "Sir?"

He leans in. "You said anything, Ms Avery." He sits in his office chair and looks up at me. "Remove the scraps and feed me one of those breasts like your job depends on it. Because it does."

I remove the shirt and lean over his face and push a peaked nipple into his mouth. "Like that, sir?" He sucks hard and he kneads the other breast. And it feels really amazing.

He pulls off with a pop. "Push your skirt up over your hips."

"Yes, sir." I do as he says.

He nods approvingly. "I love it when my employees are obedient. Sit on the edge of the desk and spread your legs wide."

I pop onto the desk and do as he said. My pussy is bare and spread open. He leans forward and runs his tongue through my folds. He unzips his pants and pulls his hard length out. He flips me onto my stomach and pushes into me from behind. He plants both hands on the small of my back and forcefully holds me down while his cock shuttles in and out of me. He fucks me hard and rough until I clench around him. He comes not long after I do. "Mr. Rys?"

"You can feed your children for another week, Ms Avery. If your performance doesn't improve you'll be on your knees next time." He says coldly and leaves the office. I sit there and catch my breath.

I grab my torn shirt and go into the bedroom. "You know if you keep ripping these shirts I'm not going to have them for actual meetings."

Liam laughs. "I'll buy you some more."

I nod. "You're scary good at the sexual harassment boss games."

He smirks. "Two kids? That was a new one."

I start getting ready for bed. "Yeah, I know. The worst part is I had names and their backstory ready."

Liam laughs. "Tell me about the little Avery children."

I nod. "Well Timmy is eight. He’s the baby and clearly my favorite. He’s always sick. It's why I miss work. I'd take him to the doctor but the insurance you gave us is awful and I can’t afford to."

Liam smiles. "I'm sorry we'll have to get Timmy the medicine he needs."

I snort. "Joey's a shit. He's got ADHD and I can't afford his medicine so he's always in trouble. He gets suspended from school a lot. He curses like a sailor and he's ten. Their dad ran off with a stripper and I'm doing the best I can."

Liam smiles. “That is really detailed. Are they based on foster siblings?”

I smirk. “No. Neighbors. Michael and I were placed with the Blacks when I was eight and he was twelve. They lived a modest life. They had a nice three bedroom apartment in Queens. The Anderson boys lived next door. Joey was way worse than I described. Timmy was sickly. He had lupus. Joey is currently in jail for robbery. Timmy got into drugs and he overdosed when he was nineteen. We were removed from the Blacks after the incident with Joey and Michael. They got into a fight and Joey pulled a knife on him. It didn’t really matter much, Joey still got his ass kicked. But Michael got cut up pretty bad. Joey kept threatening to kill Michael and he got sent to juvie for six months. Timmy was my friend. It always made me sad the way things ended for him. Their mother was well..she had a revolving door of men coming and going. I don’t think she was a hooker, but maybe a serial dater. She worked two jobs. And she left them alone for long periods of time. They literally raised themselves. Their dad really did run off with a stripper but he was a deadbeat anyway so it wasn’t much of a loss.”

Liam sighs. “Wow. It’s hard to imagine people living like that.”

I nod. “The real world isn’t pretty for the underprivileged.”

Liam nods.”I’m beginning to realize that.”

I nod. “But you have me to tell you all about it. I’ve got so many colorful stories.”

Liam smiles. “Tell me one story that doesn’t end with jail time or death. Or homelessness.”

I nod. “When we were in the Church lady’s care. There were two other kids there too. Kristin Thompson and Ava Davis. Kristin busted her butt for good grades. She got into Harvard and is currently a politician. She’s a United States senator. Ava…well she married into money. She has one kid. She seems happy enough. She’s really proud of that kid.”

Liam smirks. “Yeah?”

I nod. “She posts twenty pictures of Gabby for every one of her or her husband.”

Liam nods. “I’m surprised you kept in touch with them.”

I shrug. “I’m nosey. I like to see what became of some of my foster siblings. But more than that we went through hell together. And those sorts of experiences bind you. Even so, we’re not close like I am with Mikey.”

Liam rubs his chin. “It seems like they were really evil. Did you get that feeling when you were first put in their care?”

I chew my lip. “No. I didn’t get any vibes off them at all. I think it was because they thought they were doing the right thing. But there was one house I walked into and noped right out of there.”

Liam stiffens. “Why? What made you..what was off about it?”

I sigh and think back. “I walked in and I saw the girl that was already there. And she looked like a shell of a person. She was fifteen. I walked into the room they were going to assign me and it reeked of urine.”

Liam says. “And that stuck out to you because?”

I shrug. “It’s just something Gisele always said. If a house reeks of urine, you call me right away. I think that’s a sign of kids that have been molested. So I called her and she came and got me.”

Liam nods. “Were there any other things she told you to watch out for?”

I purse my lips and think. “Locks on the fridge or food cupboards.”

Liam’s brows furrow. “How did she know to warn you about these sorts of things?”

I shrug. “Genevieve was a con artist. That’s Gisele’s mother. Anyway Gen lost custody of Gisele when Gisele was eight. Gen had some drug problems and she was in and out of jail quite a bit. Coping mechanism for all the terrible things she saw when she was married to Viktor, I think. Anyway she got cleaned up when Gisele was around twelve and she stayed clean until she died about ten years ago.”

Liam is silent for a while. “How well did you know her?”

I shrug. “Well enough. Gen watched us quite a bit. She taught us the art of the grift. Reading facial expressions, body language, and vocal tones. It was like a game when we were kids.”

“How did that work?” Liam asks.

I think back. “Gen used to take us to the park. She’d point to people. She’d say ‘tell me their story without knowing anything about them’. So we’d people watch for hours and I’d tell her that some couples were having marital issues. Or they were falling in love. Or they were about to break up. They were fighting and trying to make up.”

Liam nods. “Why couples?”

I bite my lip. “Couples are reactive towards each other. It’s easier to read two people than one person alone. A lot of people who go to parks just sit there and watch the scenery or the birds. Blah blah. They aren’t talking or reacting in any way. You start with easy to read then work up to more difficult cases.”

“Did you read me? When we first met?” He asks.

I nod. “You wanted a taste of freedom and adventure. And you slightly resented your friends for not realizing what it was you wanted.”

Liam purses his lips. “I don’t think-”

I tilt my head to the side. “The dive bar was all Drake. The clubs were all Maxwell. They planned a trip for themselves, not you. You like monuments. And you’d have liked to go to museums and art galleries, because you like history. And you appreciate the arts. You don’t like loud noisy clubs and you’re not heavy into drinking. You appreciate fine wines but never overindulge. You don’t really like the fancy foods, you tolerate them. You prefer a more down to earth pallet for cuisine. You enjoy classical music, but you secretly love eighties hair bands. You don’t like to be in the spotlight. And even though you grew up surrounded by frivolity you never thought you were better than anyone. That must have been your mother’s influence. Because from what I get from Regina she’s the opposite of that. And your brother is similar to you in that regard. However, he’s irresponsible because your father overindulged his whims to make up for his mother abandoning him. Whereas you were held to a different standard and that’s why you’re a better fit for the Crown than your brother was. Your brother has an excessive amount of confidence whereas you have less. You have a lot of self doubt. And you worry about the consequences of every little decision you make. Your brother does not worry about consequences at all. Because he’s never had to face any.”

Liam is silent for a long time. “That was really spot on. That’s really impressive. How did you know about the music? I know I’ve never told anyone that.”

I shrug.”You have a Bon Jovi CD tucked into one of your Beethoven cases. My brother used to do that with those girls gone wild DVDs. Put them in an innocuous case so as not to get caught with them. I wasn't snooping. I found it by accident. I do like classical music and wanted to listen while I was getting ready, but saw the other disc and just put it back where I found it. I pulled the song I wanted to listen to up on my phone. But I bet they’re organized by the first letter. Like the b’s are in a corresponding case that starts with a B.”

Liam laughs. “It’s annoying how good you are.”

I smirk. “You want my analysis on your father and step mother or should we save that for later?”

Liam snorts. “How about another time? You’ve already bared all my secrets tonight. We can wait for you to do theirs another time.”

I nod. “What’s your schedule like tomorrow?”

“I’m packed pretty solid until after dinner.” He says.

“Wanna sneak out and do something fun tomorrow night?” I ask.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Well I heard a rumor that a collector was having an exclusive showing. Well, it may actually be a black market auction. There’s supposed to be some really old relics in there and I heard they have something from one of your ancestors. I thought it might be fun to check it out. We could maybe buy it back if it’s something that is historically relevant.” I say.

Liam perks up. “Which ancestor? And do you know what it is?”

“Well, according to my source it was King Fabian’s scepter that he was given at his Coronation.” I say.

Liam nods. “I’m in. We’ve been trying to find that for a really long time.”

I nod. “Well then. You have to do whatever I say when we get there. And Viktor will be there. We should avoid him.”

Liam chews his lip. “You’re not planning a heist or something crazy like that, are you?”

I shake my head. “No, not a heist. But think of it as a fun con with some role play involved. We can’t let on who we really are or they’ll raise the price astronomically.”

Liam raises a brow. "Alright, what's our cover?"

I nod. "We are Josephine and Liam Vanderbilt. We've been married for two years. You're a relic collector and kind of a nerd. And I'm your overly indulgent older billionaire wife. And you're obsessed with that Crown and Flame show. And you're wanting any historical relics related to the Rys family line. Easy peasy."

He nods. "Why Vanderbilt?"

I shrug. "It's the name on my checks. Or rather the name on the checks is the Vanderbilt Estate. The best cons are as truthful as possible."

He rubs his chin. "And what happens if this thing gets raided?"

I shrug. "We tell the authorities the truth. We're the King and future Queen of Cordonia and the scepter rightfully belongs to the Cordonian government. And that we infiltrated this auction to buy back what rightfully belongs to the Crown."

Liam nods. "Sounds like a plan."

I nod and roll into his arms and fall asleep.

-Drake

I walk to Liam and Avery's room. Liam was supposed to meet me for breakfast but he didn't show up. I knock on the door and go in. I look around. I know he's in here, his security is still outside the door. I go to the bedroom and the door is ajar but it's still dark. I turn on the light and I see him and Avery tangled up in each other still asleep. I'm not entirely sure how they can sleep like that. Liam is wrapped around her and you wouldn't even realize she was there except her hair is all over the place. Liam looks up. "What-"

I raise a brow. "You missed breakfast."

His face colors. "I'm sorry."

Avery snaps. "Shut your pie holes, I'm trying to sleep."

Liam smirks. "She's always crabby when she first wakes up. Give me a minute and I'll go get breakfast with you." I leave their room and wait in the living room part of their suite. Most of the cabins are just a bedroom and bathroom. But the suite the king resides in is larger and more luxurious. He has an entire car to himself. Well I guess he shares with Avery. But she takes up very little room. Other than her wardrobe she's fairly minimalist.

I hear Avery ask in a whiny tone. "Will you bring me back some plain toast and tea? My stomach is queasy." And some muttered response from Liam.

A few minutes later he comes out. "You ready?"

He nods. "Sorry. Josie woke up earlier not feeling well. And I meant to stay awake after she fell back asleep.."

I purse my lips. "What's wrong with her?"

He shrugs. "She thinks her dinner upset her stomach. She woke up earlier and threw up."

My brows go up. "Is she pregnant?"

He smirks. "She says no. But I suspect that might be the case. I left a test in the bathroom for her even though she swears that isn't the cause of her symptoms."

I roll my eyes. "Stubborn as ever, I see. How is she so sure?"

Liam shrugs. "She has a birth control implant in her arm. She said that she has only had it for two years and it's supposed to last three."

I nod. "It doesn't hurt if she's pregnant now. It would actually take some of the pressure off you two."

Liam nods. "I'm aware. She was planning to have that implant removed in New York by her doctor. If she is pregnant though, she'll have to get it removed by a local doctor on the tour."

I look at him curiously. "You've talked to her about that?"

He snorts. "No. If I order her to do it she'll dig in her heels. I'll have to use logic to gain her compliance."

I laugh. "The pitfalls of marrying a difficult woman."

Liam rolls his eyes. "She's not difficult. She's just set in her ways." I raise a brow. He sighs. "Fine. She's difficult. But I love her just the way she is and wouldn't change a single thing about her." I nod. A few months ago that might have really hurt to hear, but it's gotten much easier to bear. "So what's new with you? I know I've been really busy or occupied with Josie and we haven't spent much time together."

I shrug. "Not much, really." I'm not ready to talk about the Neville or Hana situation just yet.

He clears his throat. "Hana mentioned to Josie about the…um proposition Neville made to Hana."

My face gets hot. "Can we not? "

Liam nods. "But if you want to talk.. you can always talk to me. Even about stuff like this."

I press my lips together. "Let's be honest here. Because you have Avery you no longer care who I spend my time with."

Liam sighs. "That's not true. Things changed and I never expected to find someone like Josie. But I still love you. It's just a different kind of love now."

I nod. "Sorry. I'm not ready to talk about it. I don't even know if there's anything to talk about really."

Liam nods. "I understand. But if you ever do, I'm here for you."

I nod and look away. "I know. Did Michael tell you about the photographer?"

Liam shakes his head. "No. Not yet. What did he find out?"

I shrug. "He got some sort of bank transfer receipt. He sent it to one of Gisele's accountants. But the photographer recognized Avery as Victor's granddaughter and sent everything to him. Seems like there's a story there.."

Liam nods. "She's scared of him. And honestly it seems like they all are and have good reason to be. She said that Gisele's mother was addicted to drugs and lost custody of Gisele when Gisele was little. Josie thinks that she was coping with the things she saw or did while married to Viktor."

I sigh. "That's tough."

Liam looks down. "Yeah. It makes me realize how little I understand the underprivileged. I'm grateful to have her insight in that regard, but the stories are always so hard to hear."

I nod. "I feel that. But she's a somewhat well adjusted adult. Her crappy childhood didn't damage her too much."

He chews his lip. "I looked up everything. I thought it might be easier to read it than hear it from her. It's worse than I ever imagined."

I look at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean if you don't count the abuse from the Churches, she was beat up a lot. She's had about six broken arms. And her ribs have been fractured from being kicked by other kids. And then there were the bruises. Pictures of her with black eyes or huge bruises on her arms or legs. Her file from foster care is filled with complaints of abuse. Never reported by her. Always the ballet instructor." He explains.

I run my tongue over my teeth. "Do you think she'd be mad that you looked into her past like that?"

Liam shakes his head. "She didn't care, it's probably easier for her too. That stuff is hard for her to talk about. She'd rather just put it behind her and never look back. It's not a secret. I'd just prefer not to be surprised again. What Evelyn Church did was really terrible, so much worse than I thought. She tried to tell me the story and I couldn't make it through. But I felt bad and looked it up after we got engaged and it was difficult to read."

I nod. "So that was the worst incident?"

Liam nods. "Yes. But the beating she got in the group home was a close second. She was in the hospital for two weeks."

I sigh. "I hate hearing about her childhood. Everything is bad."

Liam rolls his eyes. "That's not entirely true. She has bad stuff for sure but there's good stuff too."

I roll my eyes. "Like what?"

Liam says. "She's traveled a lot. It's my understanding that her and Michael took turns picking out their summer vacations after Gisele adopted them. And she's been to Alaska and fished for salmon. Don't ask. She'll go on an ant-fishing tirade. Or cemetery tours in Louisiana. She's morbid. That was hers. Shopping in Paris or Milan. Gisele likes to shop. She's dragging Josie and all her ladies in waiting out today for a shopping excursion."

I nod. "Hana told me. You think Avery will actually make it?"

Liam smirks. "She'll go. I'll be too busy to take care of her. Gisele will probably baby her. She loves that. Besides, we have plans after dinner."

We finish eating and head back to his room with her bland food. When we get there we hear crying. Like terrible sobs. Liam smiles. "I guess she took the test and it's positive."

"I'm no expert but shouldn't she be happier?" I ask.

Liam snorts. "Josie is just scared. She'll be fine. She's probably scared she won't be a good mother."

She comes out. "I hope you're happy, you've ruined our engagement."

Liam smiles patiently. "I brought you food to settle your stomach. You'll be happy later. Nothing is ruined. Honestly, having this happen this early will take a lot of pressure off us. Now you can just enjoy all the post wedding stuff without worrying about heir making."

She pouts. "I won't be able to drink at my own bachelorette party. That stinks."

I shrug. "Get some strippers instead."

Avery huffs. "Regina told Gisele that we can't have strippers. It's apparently undignified for a future Queen to ogle half naked men or women."

My brows go up. "Are you saying?"

Avery rolls her eyes. "I appreciate the athleticism and technique more than the sexual nature of the dancing."

I smirk. "Sure."

There's a knock on the door. Gisele comes in. "Darling, why aren't you dressed yet? We're leaving in about thirty minutes."

Avery starts crying again and holds the test out to her mother. Liam presses his lips together. "She's had a rough morning."

Gisele nods. "I see. Josie, this isn't something to get upset about. You're getting married in less than a month. You knew that there would be expectations of this nature."

Avery huffs. "I know. I just thought I had more time."

Gisele smiles patiently at her daughter. "These things don't happen on our time table. It might not seem like it at the moment, but this really is a blessing." Avery grumbles and goes to the bedroom to start getting ready. Gisele turns to Liam. "I hope you're ready. If you thought she was difficult before, it's going to be worse. She's going to be hopped up on hormones and she'll probably be a little crazy for a few months."

Liam nods. "I can handle it."

Gisele smirks. "Adorable." Just then Avery comes out dressed and ready to leave.

She walks over to Liam and wraps her arms around his waist. "Sorry for acting crazy. I love you, baby. Once I get over the shock, I'll be excited about this too."

Liam smiles. "We're fine. I love you too. Now go have fun and let your mother spoil you." He leans down and kisses her. She laughs and leaves with her mother. After she leaves Liam turns to me. "I've got a lot of meetings today. I can't have breakfast with you tomorrow. Josie and I are scheduled to meet my parents for breakfast. But I can do dinner. Josie is going to be gone all day tomorrow for her bachelorette party."

I nod. "Okay I'll see you tomorrow then."

-Josie

I pace around our suite. Okay, so I'm pregnant according to the test. We don't have much time while we're here in Italy, so I made an appointment with an OBGYN in Paris. They'll check to see if I'm actually pregnant and remove the implant in my arm if I am. I've gotten past my initial freak out. Well sorta. But tonight isn't about me persay. I'm waiting for Liam to get changed. He's changing into a tuxedo. I'm wearing a very expensive designer dress and have makeup on that makes me look older. And a really good wig that’s dark with some gray streaks. We're going to get that scepter back. He comes out and he’s also wearing glasses and has used some sort of wash out hair color that has darkened his hair. "I feel we're in one of those Ocean's Eleven movies."

I snort. "We're rich. We don't need to steal. But if it makes it more fun to think of it like that, then I won't stop you. Just don't forget your role."

He nods. "Bastien is coming with us."

I nod. "Good. He can guard our collateral."

Liam smiles. "What is our collateral?"

I open a jewelry case containing a diamond necklace with a matching bracelet and earrings. "This. It's an heirloom from my family estate. It's worth a hundred million."

He looks surprised. "I don't like the idea of using something like that to purchase the scepter."

I shrug. "Don't worry about it. It will be returned as soon as the check clears. Viktor is the facilitator for this auction; he'll make sure they're returned to me."

Liam chews his lip. "Will he blow our cover?"

I shake my head. "No. If you're ready we should really get going."

We get in the limo and go to the address Gisele gave me. We arrive at a gated entrance. Bastien rolls the window down and says. "Vanderbilt."

The gate opens. Liam smiles and opens his mouth. I put a finger over my lips indicating silence. "Eyes and ears everywhere." I whisper to him.

He nods. We arrive at the entrance. Bastien gets out and waits. Liam exits and holds a hand out to me. When I step out he places my hand through his elbow. We're greeted at the entrance by an armed thug. "Collateral?"

I snap my fingers at Bastien. Bastien hands him the case. The thug opens the case and looks at the diamond jewelry with a critical eye. "These will be returned to you when you leave if you do not purchase anything. Should you purchase anything, they'll be returned when your payment is received."

I nod. "We understand. Come, darling, let's go buy you a new toy."

Liam huffs. "How many times do I have to tell you, they aren't toys. They're historically significant artifacts."

I smile indulgently at him. "Whatever you say, darling."

We're handed a bidding sign with a number on it. We walk into the auction room and there are servers passing glasses of champagne and appetizers. I look around. "See that man there? That's Simon Montjoy. He's the future Duke of Wessex. He's a playboy."

Liam almost looks jealous. "Someone from your past?"

I snort. "No. Pay attention. He's looking to buy back an item from the family estate that he lost in a card game." Liam nods. "That guy. He's a wealthy businessman. He's looking for information on the death of his childhood friend. The guy died trying to steal from an auction like this. Steer clear of him."

"Why?"

I shrug. "We can't help him any. No use in wasting energy on him. Besides, Viktor wasn't the facilitator for that particular auction."

He nods. "Got it."

"That woman there. She's dangerous. We don't want to pique her interest. If she speaks to us. Vapid crown and flame nerd. And I'll act snotty like I'm better than her." I say.

Liam nods. "What about that man?"

I look. "That's Viktor. If we need to talk to him. You let me do all the talking."

Liam nods. “Do you have intel on all the players here?”

I purse my lips. “On as many as I could get my hands on. Some people come here under pseudonyms. The auction doesn’t start for another hour. We should mingle some.”

Just then Simon approaches us. “Hello, love. What is a delicate little flower like you doing with a brute like this?”

I smile and grab Liam’s ass. “He’s pretty and enthusiastic.”

Simon smirks. “If you’re ever looking to trade up, let me know.”

Liam’s jaw clenches. I smile. “I’ll keep that in mind if I'm ever in the mood for cocktail weiners. For the time being, I’m quite happy with my husband. Why have a cocktail weiner when you can have a bratwurst.” Liam's face flushes bright red, but Simon just laughs and shoots an admiring glance at Liam.

"You wound me, love." Simon nods conspiratorially. “I heard a rumor. Apparently royalty is going to be in attendance tonight.”

I nod. “I heard the same. The former Crown Prince of Drakovia. Although, I don’t see him.”

We talk and mingle some more. Then Viktor comes over. “Mrs. Vanderbilt? A word?”

I nod and follow him. “Yes?”

He smiles. “You look very different.”

I nod. “The wonders of makeup and a good wig. You had something to say?”

He nods. “The item you came for is the third item for sale. Purchase it then leave immediately. I’ll personally return your estate jewels tomorrow night before you leave for Paris.”

I nod. “I don’t know when I’ll get back from my bachelorette party. You can give them to Michael or Liam if I’m still out. Are you expecting a raid?”

He nods. “Interpol. But not until we get to the more illicit items on our auction block. Be aware there are multiple people interested in the piece you’re wanting. There will be a bidding war.”

I nod. “Got it. I’m not leaving without that scepter. My pockets are deep enough that I can outbid any of the current players. If that prince is one of the people interested then we may have some issues.” He’s exiled. He may want to buy it to win back the favor of his parents. Having a legitimate piece of Cordonian history would put them in a good bargaining position with us. We can’t have that.

Viktor nods. “He is. I’ll have my men hold him until that piece is gone.”

I smile. “Perfect. Thank you.”

“Go. The auction is about to begin.” Viktor says.

I go find Liam. “Come on. Let’s go get our seats, Darling.”

I wait impatiently until the scepter is shown. I pretend to be disinterested. The bidding begins and I bid here and there. And it goes on and on until we get to eighty five million. Liam shoots me a pleading look. I bid. I wait and there are no other bids. Sold to me. I write the check and send Bastien to get the scepter. I lean in to Liam. “We need to leave immediately.”

He nods. “We got what we came for.”

Once we’re in the car and off the property. Bastien says. “Is it safe to speak now?”

I nod. “Yes.”

“Is there a reason you wanted to leave so quickly, Lady Josephine?” Bastien asks.

I shrug. “I’d prefer not to give Trystan a chance to rob us. That and the auction will definitely be raided later.”

Liam looks at me. “Trystan?”

I nod. “The prince we were talking about earlier. He was a potential buyer for the scepter. Drakovia would kill for a bargaining tool like that. Or at least reinstate him to Crown Prince again.”

We return to the train and Bastien takes the scepter and puts it in a safe. We go to our suite. Liam says. “Let me repay you for the scepter.”

“No. Consider it a wedding gift. To you. And to Cordonia.” I say. "But I wouldn't say no to an inappropriate thank you."

Liam smirks. "I take it you're in the mood for bratwurst?"

"When will you learn? I'm always in the mood for bratwurst." I say. We strip out of our clothes and climb on the bed. I grip his length firmly. His hips buck underneath.

He groans. "I thought I was supposed to be thanking you.."

I nod. "Good point."

Liam sits up. "Stand up and bend over and grab your ankles." I do as he says. After he moves around I feel his tongue on my core. And he smacks my face with his cock. I wait for him to feed his cock into my mouth but he doesn't. He keeps eating my pussy. Eventually I feel an orgasm build and overtake me. He shifts into a standing position and slowly feeds his cock into me from behind. The feeling is so overwhelming. And the blood rushing to my head adds something to it. He starts thrusting in and out of me. "Josie?"

"Yeah?" I ask breathlessly.

He pushes his thumb into my ass while he thrusts. "I really wanted to beat the snot out of that Simon."

I nod. "He was a little more flirtatious than I expected."

Liam nods. "I was a little jealous.."

"Why?"

His hips move faster. "He's young and attractive. But you're mine. I definitely don't want to share you with anyone."

"I've never dated anyone younger than me before. I've only ever dated older men. Like ten plus years older than me." I say.

"You're with me and I'm younger than you." His hips move so fast and hard. And this pace is punishing. Then he comes inside me. He fingers my ass until I come too.

We collapse on the bed next to each other. "Liam, I just spent eight five million dollars on a wedding present for you. I think you can trust you are the only man for me. And believe me, I don't spend my inheritance on just anyone. I don't even spend it on myself. All my belongings are gifts from Gisele or Viktor. I don't really care about material things."

Liam nods a little out of breath. "I know that. Before I had said that I don't own you, but knowing that you're pregnant now just makes me feel differently. More possessive, I suppose."

I nod. "That's understandable. I'd like to think you trust me to always pick you. I mean that scrawny Simon doesn't have anything on you."

Liam sighs. "I guess he just seems like a younger, more carefree Bertrand. Like how he used to be."

I clear my throat. "Clearly you and I need to clear the air. So ask me anything."

He bites his lip. "Did you do anything with him?"

I look at the ceiling. "We kissed twice."

"That's it?" He asks.

I nod. "I swear."

Liam nods. "When?"

I sigh. "Once at Applewood and then after your coronation. That last one was more of a good bye."

He nods. "I'm kind of relieved. I thought it might have been worse. My imagination was going crazy wondering.."

I look over at him. "You should've just asked. I wouldn't have lied. When did you realize I had feelings for him?"

Liam gets an uncomfortable look on his face. "You said his name once during sex. The first time."

Well that's pretty fucking awful. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say. Now I feel terrible." And then the waterworks start.

Liam pulls me into his arms. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

I sniff. "It's the hormones. Don't feel bad. I should feel bad. That's a terrible feeling being called another person's name during sex."

"Been there done that, huh?" He says.

I nod. "When I was seventeen I dated one of the older dancers in our troupe. We dated for two years and he cheated on me all the time with the other dancers. We fought a lot. If you can imagine, I was a pretty volatile teenager and definitely not mature enough to have a grown up relationship. But the cheating wasn’t the worst betrayal. He tried to get me bumped down from my position as the female lead dancer. There was a lot more fighting and eventually I left that troupe and joined another. I promised myself that I would never date another costar again. I never did. I dated older wealthy men who only wanted young arm candy. It worked for me because they didn’t pressure me about marriage or children. That is until I started dating Byron Devoe. An English duke. After five years together he started pressuring me to quit dancing. He wanted to get married and have kids. But I wasn’t ready to quit yet. It’s funny, had he not pressured me I wouldn’t have broken up with him and our story might be really different.”

Liam nods. “Well thank goodness he was selfish.”

I nod. “We had a toxic relationship. I mean he would make me so mad. I would just chuck whatever I could get my hands on. And we cheated on each other quite often.”

Liam’s eyebrows go up. “You did?”

I nod. “I guess you could say we had an agreement. When I was on tour we were basically single. When I was with him we were together. You have to understand that there were times when I didn’t see him for months. Eight months was probably the longest stretch.”

“I guess if it was a mutual agreement that’s probably okay..” Liam says.

I say. “Yeah. I broke the seal on that. I was in Romania and it was a long grueling tour. I went out with the other dancers and drank too much and went home with someone. Anyway, I felt terrible and called him up and confessed. If there is anything you can count on, I will admit to my own wrongdoings. He shrugged it off and said that I was away and clearly had needs. He said that when I was away for long periods at a time I could find someone else to fulfill my needs. And that he would do the same. We may have been together for seven years, but I doubt we spent more than a hundred days together total.”

Liam nods. “Did you love him?”

“No. Honestly, I didn’t really want to. Loving people just makes it hurt more when they leave you.” I say.

Liam places his hand on my abdomen. “The only person who could ever make me leave you, is you.”

“Aw. I know. I love you and I have faith that you’d never willingly leave me.” I say. I roll into his arms and snuggle into him.

“I love you too. Goodnight, Josie.”

“Night, Liam.”