The Land Where Sinners Atone

by Mason, V. F.

  Farther on the left is a long opening toward the dining room, since delicious smells are coming from it and I notice the end of an oval table with a lot of chairs.

  Probably the elite of the elite are gathered here tonight for their entertainment of the month, and I swallow harshly, willing my rapidly beating heart to calm down. “Wow,” I murmur, “you went all out for this engagement party, huh?”

  “Nothing but the best for the Kings.” Zachary bends forward and whispers in my ear, “Don’t be nervous, darling. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” With this, he squeezes my hand with his while the other tips my chin back to meet his gaze. “Let’s start this party with a bang, shall we?” And he connects our mouths.

  At first, I’m too stunned to react, but then I gasp at what he is doing in the middle of the freaking party and allow him to slip his tongue inside my mouth, lightly brushing mine, and goose bumps pop on my skin, sending awareness through me.

  On their own accord, my fingers grip the lapels of his suit as he brings me closer, deepening the kiss, and I moan into his mouth, meeting him stroke for stroke as he probes inside, ravishing me for everyone to see.

  For a second, I forget about everything else and live in the moment with the man whose strong arms hold me so tight I have no doubt nothing will happen to me and that calm the storm inside me that started to brew at the sight of all these people.

  They have no power to hurt me as long as Zachary is by my side.

  However, the music slowly dies around us along with the hum of voices, and the silence that follows is almost deafening, enough to snap me out of my haze and end the kiss when my lungs start to demand oxygen.

  The loud clap makes me turn my head to the audience, who are watching us with their jaws dropped. Even the musicians blink in surprise, but I zero my attention on the pink-haired man wearing a navy blue suit and the most intense gray eyes I’ve ever seen, who after finishing clapping picks up a champagne glass from the tray and lifts it in our direction.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s welcome my brother Zachary and his beautiful fiancée Phoenix.” People quickly follow, and whistles along with more clapping follow while Zachary crooks his finger at one of the wait staff so he brings us two glasses as well and orders me, “Smile, darling.” I do, plastering a fake smile on my mouth while it seems everyone rushes in our direction to talk with us.

  But more like inspect us under a microscope to see if all this is really true, and the knowledge that the unsub might be among them is enough for me to stay glued to Zachary’s side, his heavy arm wrapped around my shoulders, giving me silent comfort and grounding me in the present.

  However, I pay more attention to the five people who don’t rush to us, standing a few feet away in the right corner as each one of them studies us with different expressions.

  Vanessa also gave me a guest list with pictures, so I’d have some idea who’d be attending, and I used that opportunity to check Zachary’s relatives, as I didn’t want to be a clueless idiot at this party.

  I recognize them all instantly.

  Olivia King, the matriarch of the King clan, is a beautiful redheaded woman with brown eyes and only a few wrinkles on her face, and despite her age, she has an aura of youth around her and energy that can be detected even at this distance.

  Her only son Charlie teaches art at one of the universities.

  Lydia, who winks at me and pops a cherry into her mouth while waving at someone at the other end of the hall.

  Sebastian, who watches me in disbelief, the tension coming from him is almost tangible.

  And finally, the woman who is standing next to him, his gorgeous fiancée, Felicia.

  She has an unreadable expression on her face as if she doesn’t know how to react to me but nevertheless steps closer to Sebastian, staking an invisible claim on him, and I almost smile sadly.

  She doesn’t have to be afraid of that. Whatever we had died four years ago, and nothing has the power to glue together the broken glass of our relationship.

  But then another thought slams into me so hard I’m surprised I’m not swaying to the side.

  The unsub won’t be one of those who comes close for fear of losing control when he or she is next to the object of their greatest hate and adoration.

  He’d keep his distance to study his objects before he finds the best-case scenario that will benefit him, and only then will he strike.

  And with this, another realization hits me, and I burrow into Zachary’s side deeper.

  What if the unsub is… one of the Kings?

  Zachary

  Phoenix tenses in my arms, going stone-cold in them, and her breathing speeds up as someone snaps another photo of us, the flash almost blinding us for a second.

  The guests continue to come closer and closer, their loud voices with different questions filling the air, but all I can concentrate on is the heavy breathing of my woman who pales a little as if she is about to faint.

  Even though everything in me roars to bark at everyone to shut their fucking mouths, scoop her in my arms, and get the hell out of here, because I’m guessing all the voices are closing in on her and bringing up some of her nightmares from the past—which she doesn’t share with me.

  I want to wipe each one of them from her memory and replace them with dreams, but sometimes I wonder if she will ever give me such a chance to make everything right again.

  Because I will grab it with both hands and not let go until she becomes blissfully happy, and all the sorrows in the world pass her by, too afraid to come near a woman who is mine.

  “Zachary, please tell us how you fell in love. The article said…,” one of the women asks, extending a microphone to me, so that means Dad clearly allowed the press to come for an exclusive sneak peek into the event.

  His philosophy never wavers through the years, as he believes in it so much. The majority of people who come in contact with him praise him for it.

  Invite the enemy to your domain, and you will be able to control his mind to use it in your games.

  My raised hand stops her, and I grin warmly, masking my annoyance with joy as I squeeze Phoenix in my arms. “I would love to answer all your questions, but I’m afraid my fiancée would like to greet the family first.” I wink at them. “I prefer she stay in a good mood. You know how it goes. Happy wife, happy life.” A chuckle erupts among the men while the women blush, and I add, “We will answer all your questions later. For now, let’s enjoy this party. Otherwise, the good champagne and food will be wasted.” I snap my fingers to the musicians, and since they always play during the parties at this place, they instantly know the meaning of this.

  In a second, the soft jazz resumes, flowing from the various speakers, and with one last smile that fucking hurts my mouth, I pass through the crowd, moving in the direction of my “family,” who gape at us as if we are monkeys in a circus.

  I guess in a way we are.

  Although one of the stares is different.

  “Are you all right?” I murmur into her hair, still walking but at the same time keeping her in the tight crook of my arm so none of the sharks will have an opportunity to bite her flesh. “You’ve gone all pale. Is it the crowd?”

  She shudders a little and then sighs heavily, placing her hand on my chest and mustering a smile that doesn’t reach her chocolate pools that I love so much. “Yes. I’m not used to all this attention.”

  “As a King, you’ll have to,” I tell her, and her nails dig into my chest, making me groan, vicious little creature indeed.

  “I might not even be a King if we catch him right now,” she whispers, and part of me wants to stop, grab her shoulders, and shake her till her teeth clack, all while asking if she is fucking insane to think she can get away from me. The barbarian part… that I’ve discovered I possess when my claim on her is threatened.

  The rational one, the one that belongs to the cold-hearted businessman who is used to winning, knows better than to act on my impulses and push the phoeni
x in a direction she doesn’t want.

  Otherwise, I’ll have nothing but her ashes to hold on to, and such a future is unacceptable to me.

  “We’ll see, darling.” That’s all I manage to say before we finally reach my family and I address Charlie, who flashes all thirty-two of his teeth at us. “There was no need for your introduction.”

  He puts his hand on his forehead and exclaims dramatically, “How rude you are, brother of mine.” Since people’s attention is still on us—after all, everyone loves to spy on the Kings—I grin back at him and keep my tone even.

  “Twenty-five years and you still can’t learn the simple truth. I’m not your brother. Unless my dad was cheating on his wife with your mother.” Charlie’s eyes narrow while Olivia exhales heavily, her hand trembling a little as she takes a sip from her champagne glass, but as always, she says nothing.

  At least she never comments on my indirect jabs or sarcastic remarks, oh no. Instead, she runs off to her husband to complain about me, and then Daddy dearest chooses an appropriate punishment for my deeds.

  “You fucking—” Charlie starts, stepping in my direction, but Olivia stops him with one single look that speaks volumes. Charlie fists his hands, huffs in frustration, but does as he is silently ordered.

  Oh, of course she stops him.

  God forbid any of her children cause a scene that might anger my father and cause him to doubt his eternal devotion to her and her perfect children.

  Felicia decides to break the tension, clapping her hands and giddily announcing, “I was so happy to hear about your engagement! I plan to do a painting for you as a gift.” Although happiness shines on her face, I don’t miss the forced smile and wary look she sends Phoenix’s way while leaning a little bit on Sebastian, who still stays silent, broodily watching us all.

  Felicia might fake it till she makes it, but for now, happy is not a true word describing her emotions.

  “I think surprised is a more appropriate term,” Lydia says and comes closer to me. “You certainly know how to hide a relationship well.”

  My brow rises. “I had no idea I should alert all of you about my personal life.”

  She rolls her eyes, popping another cherry into her mouth. The girl has some kind of addiction to all the berries in this world, because Dad constantly orders them for her from the best shops. She’ll inhale them in a day and not even share with anyone, so I always associate the rich smell of berries and cherries with her.

  “I’m her lawyer, okay? I had the right to know. Although, I was surprised to see you the other night.” She spits the seed out into her empty glass and murmurs, “This family has too many secrets; one simply can’t keep up.”

  “That would be a valid observation if we were a family. But, oh well,” I reply, and she chokes on the cherry, sending daggers my way while Felicia just sighs in distress.

  Phoenix finally speaks for the first time in their company, her body a little warmer, so she must have calmed down. “It’s really nice to meet you all. Thank you for coming to our special day.” She steps out of my embrace, and without thinking, I wrap my hand around her waist, not letting her wander far away from me.

  Sebastian’s gaze lands on it for a second before he lifts it back to her face, sipping his drink. I notice his knuckles have become white, so should I expect them to crack at any moment?

  What is it that he is bothered by anyway? Based on what I’ve seen, he is madly in love with Felicia and doesn’t exactly act possessive over Phoenix. That one time in the bar was more of a protection mode of the person he cared about, rather than a display of jealousy.

  So why the anger?

  Olivia opens her arms and motions with her head for Phoenix to come closer, and she does as the woman’s arms wrap tightly around her. “Welcome to the family, Phoenix,” I hear her murmur, and she leans back, patting her gently on the cheek. “We are happy to have you.” She glances at Sebastian. “Both of you.” For as long as I’ve lived, all I remember about my stepmother is how fucking much I resent her for causing a rift between my father and me.

  And in this moment, I wish I could say she lies through her teeth, but it would be a lie on my part. She is genuinely happy about the new addition and even graces me with a warm, tentative smile. “I hope you like how we organized it all. I wasn’t sure about your preferences, so we went with a classical style.”

  “Everything looks great,” Phoenix replies and then nudges me a bit. “Right, Zach?” There is a challenge in her gaze along with mild annoyance at my rudeness I bet, and although another insult is on the tip of my tongue, I swallow it back with a sip of champagne that tastes like shit.

  Then I lift my glass to Olivia. “Indeed.” She blinks in surprise at this, as does Charlie, who frowns, shaking his head in disbelief, and only Felicia grins, and this time her eyes sparkle with joy.

  Ah, little sister, you don’t have to worry yourself sick, thinking your future husband might have a crush on my fiancée. If he does, we will end him King style, and he won’t bother either of us.

  But I can’t say any of these things out loud, because it would imply I actually give a damn about them all, and I don’t.

  Or at least I’ve done a fucking fine job over the years to convince myself of it.

  Lydia puts her glass on the nearby tray of a passing waiter and snaps her fingers. “Well, we can’t stand here and chat all night. We have to be entertaining, don’t you think?”

  “Is this some kind of a new engagement etiquette I’m not aware of?”

  Charlie chuckles at my words coated in sarcasm, pointing at me. “Good one.” Then he hooks his thumb on his pants pocket, musing loudly, “Although, I heard one of the reporters wanted to write that it’s fake.”

  Momentarily forgetting about our animosity to each other, mostly due to my lack of interest whenever he wanted to initiate contact, I ask him a question. “Which one?”

  “The blonde one with the short hair. She is a shark, so you better not give her the wrong idea.” He wiggles his fingers over his mouth. “Smile and be all sunshine and roses during the party.” Then he walks to Phoenix and snatches her from my arms, hugging her close to his chest and patting her on her back. “Welcome, Phoenix. You are one gorgeous creature, and whatever perfume you use is divine.”

  Phoenix laughs a little although still tense and pushes herself back. “Thank you.”

  He winks at her and then addresses me. “So do we work it all as usual?”

  Phoenix’s brows furrow. “As usual?”

  “Present a united front to the press, while inwardly hating one another, because Zachary is a sissy who can’t get over his grudges that have no grounds.”

  So much for a moment of peace from his bullshit.

  “Only a true King will get those. But, oh wait, you aren’t one of us,” I fire back, enjoying how he grits his teeth, his jaw twitching, and he opens his mouth to retaliate once again.

  A deep voice from behind stops us, quiet in its nature but laced with so much fury you can practically see it.

  I should have expected Dad to interfere. He has some kind of sixth sense when it comes to his adoptive children.

  “Both of you stop it right now, or else.”

  “Or else what?”

  He turns his whole attention on me, his eyes just like mine drilling into me and reminding me of all those times in the past when I screwed up. “None of you are too old to get slapped in the face.”

  “Anthony!” Olivia exclaims, but he ignores it, sending a warning my and Charlie’s way. “You will not measure whose dick is bigger with your angry remarks at this party. Your mother and I—”

  “Your wife is not my mother, Father.” I grab Phoenix’s elbow and drag us to the dance floor, where I spin her around, and she barely has time to catch a breath as I trap her in my arms, one hand on her waist while the other holds hers. I nod at the musicians who quickly change the tune to a slower one, the piano casting a quiet atmosphere with everyone staring at us as we da
nce in a circle.

  “Oh my God, Zach,” Phoenix whispers, putting her palm on my shoulder and digging her fingers deeper than she needs to. “Your rudeness was uncalled for.”

  Bending closer to her ear, which results in me pressing her firmer against my body until her curves mold against my muscles, and her breath hitches. “Truthfully, darling, I don’t give a fuck,” I whisper into her ear before kissing her on the side of the head and lifting my face up so our gazes meet.

  Instead of an angry outburst though, she laughs, snatching her hand back, and circles her arms around my neck. “You are impossible, Zachary.” She gives me a light peck on the lips, and I frown in surprise, not expecting such an acceptance.

  “Am I dreaming?” I ask mockingly, and she bursts out in laughter again, shaking her head.

  “We are a couple in love, right? I have plenty to say.” Her voice lowers. “But I don’t think you need therapy right now.”

  “I don’t need it ever, Ms. Psychiatrist.” Although, after a beat, I add, “Unless it includes you wearing a doctor’s coat and listening to me in bed? I’ll be all down for that.”

  Her cheeks heat up, and she slaps my chest. I use this moment to twirl her on the parquet, and then catching her in my arms, I bend down and place a soft kiss on her neck before lifting us back up with her flush against me. “Wouldn’t you like that?” I whisper over her cheek, my hands gripping her hips so hard I’m sure I’m leaving imprints of ownership on her, but I don’t care.

  Let the whole fucking world know who she belongs to.

  “Playing doctor with you? Not so much,” she replies sassily, throwing her head back, showing me her beauty in all its glory. “Doesn’t seem like a worthwhile idea.”

  “Oh, I can make it worthwhile.” I shift closer—if it’s even possible in our position—so no one will hear what I say next. “Just imagine me whispering my darkest secrets against your skin as my mouth slowly trails down your body to settle between your legs and feast on your—”