All Hail - J. Bree Page 0,76
in together and I curse under my breath because of course they’re here. Of course, despite Atticus being perpetually busy with his own empire he found time to be here tonight.
Of fucking course.
Atticus’ lip curls the second he sees me and he starts towards me. Olivia glances between us both and then scurries away. It’s fine, I only really wanted to get a feel of her which I have.
I have a plan for her and Christopher now.
“What are you doing here? Are you trying to piss me off because that’s exactly what you’re doing?” Atticus hisses at me and I grab that fresh glass of Champagne to get through this without pulling a knife on him.
“I was invited. Why should I be forced to stay home just because you’ve got issues with me?”
He lets out a breath and looks around the room. Ah, so that fucking bitch is here too because she’s the only person I’ve seen him get this twitchy over.
He finally turns back to me and says, “I don’t have issues with you, Avery, I just want you—“
“If the words ‘to be safe’ come next you can swallow them because I’m over this narrative. So beyond over it that I might go find a drug den in the Bay to spend a few hours in just to ram it home to you that I will do whatever the fuck I want, whenever the fuck I want. I belong to the Wolf of Mounts Bay, not you. My safety is not your concern.”
He grabs my arm to spin me around and chew me out I’m sure when a hush takes over the room and I just about scream.
What the hell is it about this woman that has everyone running scared?
I’m the danger here, not this fucking flirty bitch with sub-par fashion choices and a murky past at best.
I’m Joseph Beaumont’s daughter. I am the descendant of Russian royalty and I have the ear of the Wolf herself, what the hell does she have?
I sound jealous but really, I’m just pissed that while I was off surviving a war between the most dangerous crime lords in the country this bitch was sinking her claws into the pawns of my board, the one I was born to rule.
She’s eating at my fucking table and shitting all over my space.
I won’t have it.
Naturally, she makes a beeline over to me, her hips swinging in the garishly cutout gown that shows enough skin that the entire room knows she’s not wearing underwear. Not my style at all, too much going on, and the shoes are terrible. Nude and too pointed for the look.
She smiles up at Luca and when he doesn’t return it, she pouts.
I scoff at her, barely stopping myself from stalking away from her but Atticus’\
hand is still firmly wrapped around my arm.
She sidles up beside me and says with a sing-song voice, “I heard you’re looking to start a collection of your own? That’s interesting and quite a silly thing to do here. Everyone in attendance is already mine. You should plan these things out a little more thoroughly.”
I turn around to face her fully, tugging a little on Atticus’ hand but he doesn’t let me go. “I highly doubt that. At least half of the people here were on the Beaumont payroll until my father died and we both know he would never answer to a woman… no matter what your charms may be.”
She cocks her head to one side and giggles. “Joseph has been dead for months, you’re a little late to secure them for yourself. You should listen to me, Beaumont, because maybe you’re a little young to be playing here.”
The condescension in her tone makes my jaw ache from the clenching of my teeth. The moment I know what her deal is I’m going to have her killed. Whether it’s Illi or Lips or Ash, I’ll plead my case and have her throat slit for daring to speak to me like this.
Maybe I’ll have her tortured a little first.
She smirks at me. “You’re not as good at hiding your feelings as you think. If you want me to die for my sins shouldn’t you know whose anger you’re risking first? Take a walk with me.”
Atticus’ hand tightens around my arm and when I shoot him a cool look his eyes burn back at me with rage. Deep breath, I ignore him as I turn to her and smirk. “Sure. I can make some time.”
Chapter Twenty
There’s an