CHAPTER NINETEEN

T om leaned on the doorframe and waited for his mate to turn around. He knew she would. She’d sense him any moment.

Aaaaand...there it was.

Lucinda turned and smiled at him, lighting up the entire planet. Well, for him she did. She dropped her tablet on the counter and, after excusing herself from the conversation she was having with three of her staff, made her way over to him.

Hands on his pecs, she stretched up and kissed him.

“Hey, sexy, what are you doing here?”

Right now, he was the most senior member in the United States castle. With the royals away and the commander leaving him in charge, it was his job to ensure the castle and its inhabitants remained safe. His other focus was monitoring their prisoners, the Russo brothers. Well, two of them. They were also his mate’s brothers.

Tom had met Lucinda centuries earlier, and when they had bonded, she’d relocated with him to the United States. When the Moretti brothers had declared the king’s household would now be based in Maine, he hadn’t thought twice about going with them. He was a senior lieutenant commander in the Royal Army, and his loyalty was to King Vincent.

In the beginning, he had been concerned about her heritage, as the Russo brothers were well known to be connected to the rebellion; now they knew they were at the top of that food chain. Lucinda had been happy to leave her brothers in Italy, as she did not feel the same way toward the royal family as the rest of her siblings.

However, family was family, and over the past few months, as they had learned more and more about the Russo’s’ involvement, she had taken it hard. He knew some of it was shame, but also regret after losing her father when he challenged King Frances, Vincent’s father, to the throne. Then weeks later, her mother had stepped into the sun at the grief of losing her husband.

She had asked to speak to her brothers, but he had denied her request, as had Craig, the commander. Not because they were concerned about her loyalty, which had never been in question. Rather, Luca and Marco were being interrogated, and the game was heavily psychological. To reward their refusal to share information with a visit from their sister was not on the cards in the early days.

Unfortunately, it meant his mate suffered. He’d seen the sadness in her eyes, knowing her blood was in the castle and yet she could not go to them.

“I don’t want to comfort them, Tom,” she had said. “How do you know I can’t talk some sense into them? Especially Marco. I’m not sure he’s on board with all this insanity driven by Stefano. He’s always bullied that poor boy.”

Poor boy, my ass , Tom had thought but wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

Yet they’d had no luck in getting any more information out of the brothers. In fact, they were driving the guards fucking insane with their childish bickering. He had a feeling they knew nothing more. Stefano was cunning, manipulative, and controlling, and had likely shared little with the other two vampires.

So, he had an alternative plan. He was sending in Lucinda, unaware, knowing she would play the sister card and slap them around the ears. He knew her. She would have a thing or two to say about what had happened.

On one level, he felt bad because he was using her, but it was a win-win situation.

“I’m taking you to see your brothers.”

Her eyes flew open and her mouth followed.

“Now? Really, like, right now?”

Tom didn’t have a chance to answer before she pulled her hair out of its clips and reached for her jacket.

He smiled.

Taking her hand, he led her through the castle and gave her some instructions on what she could and couldn’t say. Most of it was obvious, but he knew she was full of emotion, so it didn’t hurt to remind her.

In her role heading up the king’s household, she was often privy to things others weren’t. Plus, she was the mate of an SLC. Not that he shared sensitive information with her, but by osmosis, at times, she was exposed.

“I understand.”

She turned when they got to the doorway leading into the prison.

“I’ll go in with you, but not into the cell. You’ll be allowed some privacy with them, but you must stay behind the yellow lines. Do not go up to the bars, do you hear me, Luce?”

She nodded. A lot.

“Gotcha. Behind the yellow doors.”

“Lines.”

“What?”

He smiled. “I know this is a big deal. There’s a seat in there; sit down when you get there, and you can have twenty minutes with them. I’ll come and get you when the time is up.”

They walked through the doors, and a guard removed anything that could endanger her or assist the prisoners.

“Ma’am, you won’t be able to teleport in there, but we will have you on camera. Please stay behind the yellow lines.”

She nodded, not taking her eyes off him.

“Twenty minutes.”

He watched her disappear through the doors, led by the guard. Tom drew in a deep breath. He just hoped like fuck they didn’t do or say anything to hurt her. He grimaced at the thought and wandered into the room that hosted all the security screens and recording equipment. If they hurt her, he’d ensure neither of them experienced an erection ever again.

“Turn the volume up,” he instructed the vampire in front of their screen.

“ Lucy! Lucy! Is that you? ”

Both Russo brothers leaped to their feet and raced to the bars.

For the first five minutes, they tried to negotiate their release. Then they tried manipulation, and he nearly stormed in there and bashed their fucking heads together.

Motherfuckers.

But his strong and smart mate let them have it.

“ I came in here to see you, you shitheads. Aren’t you happy to see me after all these years?! ”

They both muttered half-hearted apologies.

“ Now, what the hell have you done? Taking the queen and trying to harm her. Gunning for the king. Are you both crazy?! ”

They ranted the usual rebellion propaganda, and she rolled her eyes at them.

“ Stefano is using you both. And you, ” she pointed at Marco, “ you don’t have a single thought of your damn own. For goodness’ sakes. ”

She shook her head, listening to their defense.

“ Who do you think will be in charge if he destroys the royal family? Has he been a fair and compassionate leader? ”

With all their arguments on the table and nothing much left to add, her questions were getting through to them. They stared back at her blankly like two scolded little boys.

Tom let himself smirk.

God, he fucking loved her.

And while the exercise had provided no more intel, he was pleased she had gotten her moment with her brothers, and maybe, just maybe, she had shifted their loyalty an inch or two.