We thrashed in the water, but something was pulling us back down. Was I blacking out? Even as the fatigue set in, my muscles started to loosen. I held on tight. If I could just keep locked on his wrist, I could make it work. I could not let him escape. He must not. Tony still fought in my arms though. Thrashing. All I had to do was hold on tight. My life for her life, I could do that. But I wasn’t being dragged down. I was being dragged back up. Finally, cool air hit my face and I blinked up.

“Oi, mate.”

“Roone?” Did I dare let go? Did I dare relax? Maybe I was dreaming. I tried to lock my hands and my legs again, I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t fail her.

If I could do one thing right, I could do this.

But then someone was tapping me on the arm and my gaze shifted. I saw Ethan pointing a gun straight at me and Tony. Oh, I wasn’t asleep. This was real. They were real. Sebastian… He’d come through. Jesus Christ! I unlocked my hands and my legs, and the fatigue hit me like a tsunami.

Roone shook his head at me. “Mate, why is it you are always actively trying to get yourself killed? Honestly. I’m just curious. How many times have I saved your ass now?”

“I didn’t know we’re keeping track?”

“Up you go. You two were going to drown fighting with each other. I want to get this asshole into jail,” Ethan said.

Roone and I grinned at each other. He reached out a hand, and I clasped it as he pulled me to my feet. I swayed a little as I tried to get the earth back under me. “Are you all right?” Roone asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I guess I didn’t exactly think I was going to make it.”

“Yeah, about that, please try not to kill yourself. I can’t keep coming back for ya, man. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to learn how to save your own ass.”

“Shut it. Tomorrow you’ll get to fuck with me. Until then, I need to see Bryna.”

Roone nodded. “Come on. Of course she insisted on coming. The two of you deserve each other, I swear.”

“Yeah, we do.” And then I considered for a moment. “Hey, do you mind keeping that—”

He finished my sentence for me. “That you were willing to kill yourself just now to keep him away from her for good? Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you.” I followed Roone out of the cave, and when I came up on the shore, Bryna tore free of the guard that had been crowding her, and she ran straight into my arms. Then she wrapped her body against mine, spider-monkey style. I held on tight. “Man, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

And then she hit me on the arm several times. “If you ever do that to me again, I will kill you myself.”

“What? What did I do?”

“You offered yourself in my place. That was so stupid. What would I have done if I’d lost you?”

“As if that was ever going to happen.”

“You’re not invincible, you know?”

I shrugged and then just squeezed her tighter. “Maybe not. But having you makes me stronger. I wasn’t going let him interfere with us in any way. I’m just grateful you’re safe.”

“I am. I know that you never wanted to be a hero, but I’m glad you were my hero this time.”

God, I loved her. I leaned over and slid my lips over hers. “I hear you.”

“Great. Now, do you want to tell me why you’re wet?”

I kissed her soundly, then murmured against her lips. “You ask too many questions.”

Bryna nodded as she clung to me. “Okay, then how about we go back to the palace, get you naked, and you can explain.”

I kissed her again.

“Woman, I love how you think.”

“You seem like you’re enjoying this a lot.”

I smirked at my brother as we climbed out of the car in front of Dominic Tressel’s office. “Oh, like you’re not?”

He shrugged. “I’m the picture of decorum and restraint.”

I glanced back at the follow car stuffed with four Royal Guards. “You call them restraint? They look like bruisers.”

My brother grinned at me. “Yep. I could have brought Ariel and Penny. Tressel would have nothing left if I’d brought those two. As beautiful as she is, my wife is surprisingly uncompromising.”

The visit hadn’t been announced, so as soon as we approached the door, everyone from guards to reception fell all over themselves to bow or curtsy and get the hell out of Sebastian’s way.

One executive assistant tried hard to both please her king and protect her boss. Brave little thing. “Oh, Your Majesty, Your Highness. I’m afraid Lord Tressel isn’t available at the mo—”

My brother was having none of it though. “What’s your name?” he asked as he interrupted her midstream.

She cleared her throat. “Sarah, Your Majesty.”

“Sarah, does Tressel pay you well, or treat you with respect?”

Her mouth hung open as if she hadn’t thought this through before. “I—well, not particularly.”

“Then why stand up for him?” He sounded genuinely curious.

“It’s my job, sir.”

Sebastian nodded before reaching a hand inside his jacket pocket and pulling out a card. “When you are looking for a new job, please use this. I could use that kind of dedication to work.”

We left her in our wake, and she stared after us.

Tressel was at his shredder when we walked in. He nearly jumped a mile when he saw who had barged in. “Y-you can’t be here. You have no right to be here.”

“Actually, Lord Tressel, I do.” Sebastian took a seat and motioned for me to do the same before turning his attention back to Tressel. “You can stop with the shredding. We had the evidence we needed of your crimes long before we marched in here. There’s nothing you can shred that we haven’t already seen. And that includes your mistress files.”

Tressel paled. “How do you know about that?”

“I’m the sovereign of the Winston Isles. There’s not much I don’t know. Now have a seat so we can have a civilized conversation.”

Tressel dropped his papers he’d been attempting to shred. “Fine, Your Majesty, but I will not have this conversation in front of him.” The old man spat the word ‘him’ as if I were a rodent.

It was okay, he wasn’t that far off. I just wanted this business done. “I’ll wait outside.”

Sebastian slanted me a glance that pretty much said, ‘You sit the fuck down.’

Fair enough. I stayed put, despite my inclination to fight against being told what to do.

Then my brother turned his sharp gaze back on Tressel. “So, here’s how this is going to go. You are going to hand over all files you didn't keep online. Everything in your safe, everything you have. Then I am going to have my forensic accountant work with you to trace and recover every single dime you stole from the trust.”

Tressel swallowed hard as Sebastian continued.

“But before all of that, you’re going to make a public apology to the new head of the Artistic Trust.”

I sat up straighter. Say what now? I wasn’t aware Sebastian had named someone new. Granted, we’d had our hands a little full between dear old stepdad and the slice of betrayal by Marcus, so we hadn’t had much time to talk. Also, I’d been pretty much keeping Bryna tied to the bed so… there was that.

Tressel sputtered. “What the hell? I haven’t resigned.”

Seb’s smile was evil. “You don’t need to. I’ve assigned someone.” And then he turned to look at me. “How do you want your apology, Lucas? I can make him kneel and kiss your ring if you’d like. That’s a bit Joffrey for me but hey, he tried to dick you over, so it’s your call.”

A second ticked by, then another, and I blinked at my brother. Me. He’d assigned me? Was he insane? We’d have a whole conversation about this later. He was clearly out of it. But for the moment, I rolled with it. “You know what? I don’t even want the apology. I want him to give it to his daughter.”

Tressel’s eyes went wide. “What do I have to apologize for?. All I’ve ever done is what’s best for her.”

I gripped the arms of the seat to keep from launching myself over the desk and beating his ass. “Is that what you call stealing from her? Making her destitute and effectively stranding her in a strange city?”

“She could have had her money back at any time. All she had to do was—”

“Give up a part of herself.” I finished for him. “I’m glad she’s stronger than you ever will be. You won’t ever be in a position to hurt her again.”

Tressel narrowed his gaze. “Was it you? Were you the one who put the money in her account?”

I was. But I didn’t want credit for it. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is you calling her and apologizing right now.”

Tressel’s gaze flitted to my brother. “And if I don’t?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Well, given that my baby brother is quite fond of your daughter and wants to put a ring on it…”

I nodded my agreement. “Yep, the king and I have been practicing our Single Ladies dance. Gonna put that shit up on YouTube.”

Seb’s lips twitched. “Like I was saying, because Bryna is your daughter, I will show leniency. So instead of rotting in prison, I’m going to exile you.”

“You have no right!” Tressel bellowed. “I sit on the Regents Council!”

“Sat.” Sebastian sat back in his chair. “We had a vote last night to remove you. Outside those doors are two emmisaries who will collect your voting ring and deliver your papers. It’s been a while since someone has been removed forcibly, so Ethan had to look up the law, but we found it.” Sebastian grinned at me. “And you have your nemesis to thank for the leniency. Because I’m pretty sure Lady Bryna would want you in jail and have zero qualms about it.”

“You cannot remove me. I have friends on the Council!”

“Do you mean Renard, Thomas and Everly? Yes, well, as soon as they saw the evidence, they were happy enough to vote you off the council. As a matter of fact, they voted for imprisonment. When it was all said and done, I didn’t even need to use my additional voting seats.”

I grinned at Tressel. The man who had tried to ruin me. “Looks like you're out of allies. Now, you can call your daughter, or you can go to jail. Seems like the crow you're about to eat should be more palatable than inmate dick, but hey, no judgement if that’s what you prefer.”

Seb snort-laughed then muttered. “You’re such a dick.”

I tried to school the grin playing on my lips. “I see what you did there. Punny.”

My brother couldn’t contain his laugh after that.

We both watched in silence as Tressel picked up his phone.