Royal Disaster

the disastrous formal introduction

a.n. i want to thank all of you beautiful people for the 40K reads, 1.8K votes, and 300+ followers! i never thought i'd get here and... yeah. i love you all. have a great summer, stay safe, and if you're playing pokemon go, please heed the warning to be aware of your surroundings.

From the corner of my eyes, I noted how Gale and Luis stiffened in precaution and Gabriel sighed in relief.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Lee Luther spoke, lifting his arms up to gesture to the lavished suite. As tempted as I was to look around though, I didn't feel comfortable letting my gaze stray away from Lee in fear that he might do something while I was distracted.

Like I said before, too many stupid mistakes and I couldn't afford to make anymore.

Seeing this, he pouted, a look so unnerving and wrong that I couldn't help but grimace at it. He held a hand up to his chest, like he had been hurt by what I'd said. As if.

"I'm hurt that you don't appreciate my hotel," he said, hands falling to his sides. Shaking his head, he gave Gabriel a dismissive pat on the back before approaching where I was. Behind me, I could feel the tension emanating from Gale and I couldn't help the sigh of relief of remembering that I was not alone with him. The relief was miniscule though in the face of the man who had my parents locked up.

Lee didn't miss that detail, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes as he nodded at me. "Go ahead, take a seat. I won't separate you from these two."

I didn't trust him one bit, but, seeing Luis begin to sit and feeling Gale follow suit, I sat down.

The smile that appeared on his face was one of a polite host. His gaze lingered on each of us, none of us returning it with anything more than a glare or a blank stare. I was sat up straight, stiff, and prepared to jump. My knee was itching to tap, ready to bolt from the seat if Lee so much as tried to touch me.

"Well, now that we are here, albeit with a few unplanned guests, shall we get to it?" He raised his brows at me, questioningly.

I nodded.

"Good, so, I assume the trip over was pleasant enough?" At this, he turned to Luis and Gale as if they were his proof. His brows furrowed minimally when he asked them, "Where's Drew?"

"He's downstairs," Luis answered.

Lee nodded, as if this were no surprise, although I did detect a subtle layer of aggravation by the tick in his jaw and the hardening of his gaze. "Of course." He looked between the two of them, assessing before he called out, "Gabriel."

Gabriel, like the obedient dog that he had proven himself to be, reappeared and looked towards Lee. Lee gestured to the front door with a flitter of his hands as he said, "Take a couple of men with you down to Casino. When you see him, you know what to do."

At the news, Luis and Gale's gazes met and I knew, immediately, what Lee meant by that. I couldn't help the way my eyes widened. The way I scooted back slightly, moving farther from him, as if that would help my chances, but there really was nothing I could do. Neither Luis nor Gale were saying anything either and the only response Gabriel gave him was a nod.

In the presence of a man as dangerous and merciless as Lee, we accepted Drew's fate.

As soon as the door shut behind Gabriel, Lee stood up. "Well, I don't want to hold you, so let's get straight to it since I don't expect you want anything from me but information. So," he paused, standing up and gesturing towards the hall he had come from. "Shall we go visit your parents?"

I immediately hopped up, ready to race forward but was again held back by an arm—Gale's arm. He held up a hand, palm up, and whispered, "Wait for him to lead you in first."