The image paused on the giant flat screen confirmed his worst fear: Zoe being harassed by paparazzi. Someone pressed rewind, then play on the DVR. His wife’s beautiful face lit up the room.
“Don’t you have sisters? Or a mother? How would you like it if someone was being ugly to them?” One small hand fisted on her hip, her finger nearly poking the man’s chest.
“Being ugly?” Sebastian muttered.
Christian shrugged. “I’ve been meaning to teach her better insults, but hadn’t had the time.”
“Lady, I’d sell my grandma out if she was doing an A-Lister accused of snorting coke.”
Her lips thinned. Holy hell, she was going to let Ed Willis have it. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Christian groaned. Couldn’t she have, at the very least, called him an asshat? Something, anything had to be better than goading the man.
The rail thin reporter stepped closer. “Is this your husband in these pictures? Are there some of you that will surface next? Do you have a drug problem, Mrs. Romanov? Is that the real reason you’re trying to protect him.” He leered at her and Christian clenched his hands into his fists, ready to do major violence. “How much is your silence worth?”
She backed away, her face growing pale.
Christian looked at his father. “She’s a problem?" He snatched the remote and turned up the volume, his heart pounding so loudly in his chest that he could barely hear himself think.
Mistaking Christian’s question for agreement, Vladimir loosened his tie. “Wait for it, Sebastian. Your brother’s outdone himself with this one. Perhaps I should have you marry the Von Lichtenstein girl instead of Princess Mary-Margret Helene.”
“Marry the Princess? You can’t mean it. After all I’ve done for you. For our family.” Sebastian’s eyes narrowed as he flushed along the bridge of his nose.
“What you’ve done?” their father said, seemingly uncaring of their audience. “The only thing you’ve been good for is keeping our name in the news. If it weren’t for me, this family’s finances would have disappeared long ago.”
Christian tried to keep track of both conversations, but his wife was his top priority. Come this evening, he was leaving. He didn’t care if he became persona non grata in this world either. He mentally commanded Zoe to leave as well, but she didn’t.
The reporter advanced, backing her against Carolina Dreams’ yellow front door. “Ian Romanov has left you again, and this isn’t the first time. It’s not even the second.”
Pretty green eyes became like DVDs.
Christian’s jaw started to tick and he spared his father a glance. It had been rather convenient that the press showed up just as he left, and that his father just happened to turn the television to the right channel.
“He used you, tracked you down and used you again. Face it, sweetheart, you picked a worthless piece of—” The last word was bleeped out but he and everyone else knew what the reporter had called him.
“My sentiments exactly,” Vladimir said.
Suddenly, Zoe got right in Willis’ face. She held up one finger and shouted, “This is what I think of him.” She looked straight into the camera and held it closer, making Christian’s mouth drop open. “As for you,” she said to the reporter who was now standing off screen. “Bless your heart!” Then she flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked away, the muffled sound of bells ringing from the hem of her skirt. She was magnificent.
“Not only is she shouting her location to everyone, but she used the wrong finger,” Sasha drawled. “However, her exit was glorious.”
Christian made to leave, trying to contain the euphoria building inside of him, threatening to go off like a nuclear explosion. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said with a downward tilt of his head toward the Prince.
“Don’t go so soon, Sebastian, I have some phone calls you need to make,” Vladimir said to Christian with an approving pat on the back. “I know you’re not exactly on board with forming an alliance with the Princess, but her holdings are key to our expansion into—”
“That’s right. Those pictures are of me, Sebastian Romanov, not my brother. All further questions can be fielded through my lawyers.” Christian heard his brother say, making their father pause.
“What kind of stunt are you trying to pull, Christian? Is it not enough you’ve besmirched your own name?” Vladimir said. “I wish to God I’d sent you off to live with Francesca when she begged and pleaded for her boys.”
Sebastian pulled his arm back and let it fly, hitting Vladimir square in the face. He went down like a ton of bricks. “I’m Sebastian, you blind son of a bitch.”
“How could you? You’re the son I love.” Vladimir moaned, holding his jaw.
“You only love yourself.” Sebastian leaned down to hit him again, but Christian pulled him back.
“He’s not worth it.” Christian said flatly. “Or I’d have done it years ago.”
“I’m bloody tired of doing your bidding. And I’m sure as hell not marrying a woman twenty years older with a face like welder’s bench and twenty mutts constantly yapping in my ear.” He smoothed the fabric of his jacket and ran his fingers through his hair, looking more and more like the in-control brother Christian was used to seeing.
“Well done, Bastian, well done,” Christian said, using the childhood nickname he’d given his brother.
His pale blue eyes bore into Christian’s. “Go home to your wife and have a dozen babies. Be happy. Just don’t expect me to be a part of your life. I’m done with this poor excuse of a family.” Sebastian started to stride away.
“You didn’t have to do that. Well, he had the punch coming, but not the other,” Christian said his voice thick with emotion.
Sebastian turned and gave him a sad smile. “I am the elder brother.”
“By four minutes, Sebastian. By four damn minutes,” Christian reminded his twin.
“About time the two of you made up.” Sasha’s moss green eyes were mocking.
“You know, Alexander, I think it’s time you took care of Vladimir,” Sebastian said after a moment.
Sasha eyed the man sprawled on the marble floor. Vladimir yelled for a bag of ice. “While I think it’s time for me to take a bloody holiday.”
***
The last person Zoe expected to see sitting in her living room was her mother-in-law. Well, with the way the woman sat, it was more like holding court. Zoe had the absurd notion to curtsy, but instead she gave Lady Francesca a small smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Even if you broke into my house to do it.” Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best way to start off, but the woman was waiting for her. She hadn’t been invited.