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Chapter 51
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Claiming His Queen Chapter 52
AUTHOR'S POV [SALVATORE]She hurried up the stairs, and he couldn't tear his eyes off her moving frame.He had seen the embarrassment on her face, and it became apparent she didn't even know it was there.Adler knew how to mark what he wanted—open for all to see and understand and vehemently back off.It was never a problem. Maybe because Adler had never done this to anyone before her, for he never let anyone stick around this long, and he and Rune didn't believe him when he kept repeating about the girl that saved his life.But now... What was wrong with him? Why was he acting all concerned if Adler wanted her so much that he was indirectly telling him to back off?Lily wasn't up for Adler, he knew. There was no way Domenico's son would suddenly be a saint after years of being something that couldn't be explained. How long was Adler going to pretend?But are you only concerned about her well-being? The low voice was back again. That quiet voice shunned him whenever he tried to asser
Claiming His Queen Chapter 53
LILY'S POV."...Please do not be pissed, but, uh, I have to be sure."I knew my voice held nervousness, sitting opposite her, across from the kitchen, seeing Kyra swipe jam over a piece of bread with her eyes still on me. Her expression was unreadable.At least she didn't look like she was about to stab me with that knife.Pulling my eyes off the knife, I returned it to Kyra's face, "Did you say Salvatore is still in the Manor?""Yeah," she faced the bread again, dropping it on a plate and picking another plain one, "Why haven't you seen him yet? Or is it that he's purposely avoiding you?"I resisted the urge to scowl at her for spitting out my belief without remorse. The desire heightened when she brought the sandwich to her lips and slowly chewed while still watching me.Stupid me, thinking because of her moment of self-reflection days ago, she'd become much nicer to me. At least she wasn't threatening me with a gun.Gazing down at my untouched breakfast on the table, I slowly pushe
Claiming His Queen Chapter 54
AUTHOR'S POV [ADLER]"Okay, Don, if you don't like this, I do not know what flavor would appeal to your taste." She snatched the cone from him, taking a massive bite from the ice cream before turning to the vendor, and he could hear her smile when she ordered, "Something less sweet,"Adler watched her back and how she was on her toes for no other reason than what he suspected was excitement.What was the bet she wasn't as eager as he was? Standing so close behind her but in the FUCKING MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.This street was far from what he had in mind. Rowdy, with people strolling down the walk, the music blaring at the other side of the road hurt his ears.He had lost count of the number of cones he had bitten from, looking for the best to suit his taste.The irony was that he hated ice cream, the taste, the way it affected his bud, but she wasn't about to listen to that excuse. Naa, he wasn't about to tell her that.He loved the way she fused over him, how she reached up and wiped the
Claiming His Queen Chapter 55
Slowly, she slid her hands off his hold, and just like that, he saw her shoulders slumped as she turned around towards the voice.The lights surrounding her dimmed, even darker than the street they were in, the black clouds succeeding in shielding the sun off their gazes.She rubbed her arm, standing before the middle-aged lady who didn't look like a figure wild enough to wreck all those emotions into her, her pleasant face a far cry from intimidating."Hi, Miss Audrey; how do you do?"The woman waved carelessly, "Oh, I'm fine," she let her eyes graze Lily right from the top of her head, even till her toes, "Mind, I say you look good; I was worried about you until Luciano said not to be."He didn't know why Audrey reminded him so much of the chatterbox, and unlike the chatterbox, Lily looked like she wished the ground would open up and swallow her."There's no need to be worried about me; I promise you I'm good," her voice was nearly a mutter. "You look good too, Audrey."Lily was nev
Claiming His Queen Chapter 56
The drive to the manor was marked by silence, the car carrying her quiet demeanor, leaning against the window, fixated on the view outside.They were both in the passenger seat, and he made no move to close the distance between them. If she thought she needed it, then that was fine.Fuck! That was so close he couldn't stop thinking that if they were a couple of minutes early, that could have been their last. If she weren't also threatened, he would have laughed it off. Speak of a narrow escape. But she was pretty shaken; even now, time and again, the shivers came abruptly. It startled her when she least expected it, but then she inhaled deeply and kept herself in check again. It could have been anyone, lying in wait, ready to stick that against the car, that that person had watched his most private moment with her, had him raging.He looked at her; how bad was her shock? Did people need a doctor for this kind of thing, or did they get over it as time passed?Damn, he was terrible a
Claiming His Queen Chapter 57
Athena trailed her nails along the rim of the glass, meeting his gaze, "If you invited me here to stare at my face, rest assured, I do not have complaints. You can look all you want."He felt the need to scoff, but knowing it wasn't her fault sitting opposite him, pretty like a picture all but ready to sink her head into what she had no clue about. His father told him she was doing this on her own will, and seeing her now, yeah, she wasn't forced. She seemed even to demand it. Demand him.Refilling his glass, he picked it by his rim and stood up, "I expect my one-night stands to remain just that. Still don't understand what you are doing here."Her calm had finally simmered, and she dropped the cup on the table, still glaring at him, "You know why I am here? You know exactly why your father...""He said you wanted it." Although his voice came out low, it still cut her off, and there he knew he had hit a point. She wanted this for herself. She averted her gaze to the wall.The raging
Claiming His Queen Chapter 58
"She met godfather, and yup, you guessed it. He wasn't happy with what she was telling him." Kyra nibbled on the cucumber she held in hand, "If I'm being correct, Boss is mad at Adler, but since he hasn't been out of his mum's hole since last night, he has to keep his frustrations in till he sees Adler again."Both men stared at her, the blankness evident in their faces."Don't tell me you both still don't get it,""Maybe if you speak as correctly as you could restrict with a cuff, then we'll have a clue on what the fuck you were trying to pass acc..." She pointed the knife tip at the blabbering soldier, and Rune stopped speaking as quickly as he had started. He glared at the pointed, shiny end of the blade, then at her face.Salvatore stared at them from where he stood with his back against the wall. Although those two hated each other, somehow they found themselves sharing the same space, about to tear at each other's throats.So far, Kyra had the upper hand, all thanks to Rune
Claiming His Queen Chapter 59
I faced the buzzing screen down when I saw it was beginning to annoy her. But after turning it down and seeing her irritation, it was apparent my shocked silence was the problem.So I answered, "I'm sorry, but I can't,"Kyra clenched her jaw, "Took you five minutes to turn me down; see, I'm trying to like you.""Me too," my voice rose over hers, "Listen, Kyra, I do respect you, not fusing over kicking me out, but as you explained, that is Adler's private place. He doesn't want to be disturbed, and you? You're throwing me to my death.""Oh please," the irritation was in her voice, "What are you? Five? I know, and you know, the last thing Adler will ever do is point a gun at you."There was something about being this close to Kyra; she made me feel weak and vulnerable. Speaking to her, I understood that I wasn't the strong woman I lied myself into believing, and I accepted it. Accepted the weakness and admired her from afar.But there was no way. No damn way I was going into the room o
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Claiming His Queen Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER**RUNE—KYRA**"...I'm just saying it's not fair Laron gets to spend the summer break with Luigi," Rune followed Kyra to Laron's wardrobe. "Luigi gets all of his weekends. What time do I get to have?"Kyra snatched Rune's equestrian leggings and walked back to the bed. "You're exaggerating again." She folded the leggings and tucked them into Laron's nearly overflowing box before turning to him. "You gave him the go-ahead, remember?""Yeah, but that was before I realized it was for a whole month. He's monopolizing all of Laron's free time," Rune sighed, flopping onto Laron's bed dramatically. "I just miss hanging out with my son, you know?"She stayed silent, and when he looked up, she was staring at him."Why?""Well," she zipped the bag close and walked up to him, "why does it seem like you haven't learned how to tell Laron no?"Rune frowned. "What are you saying? I tell him no all the time.""No, you don't." She straddled him, placing her hand flat on his chest. "Alri
Claiming His Queen Chapter 240
ADLERWhen he reached the Villa, the memories came hurling in. The last time he had been here, under that open shed, Larissa and Dimitri were having the time of their lives.He could still remember the lively evening, how he heard the chatters as soon as he parked, looking around him at the goons on every turn.Presently there was no single soul on this premises, but Adler knew better.Parking Kyra's motorcycle right in the center of the compound, he observed the house, its windows, all dark, except one of them, on the ground floor, the orange glow giving it an eerie touch.The gun firm in his left hand, Adler moved through the shadows, the moonlight his aid as he advanced headfirst through the entrance.Maneuvering his way through doors, following the orange glow, he placed his finger readily on the trigger, listening for a sound.But nothing came, just the faint silence.He felt it was coming to this, watching his opponent spiral down a rabbit hole as he struggled with the obsession
Claiming His Queen 239
ADLER**FOUR MONTHS AGO**He could hear the elevator go down and for the first time in his life since the afternoon his mother died, he wanted to drop to his knees and give it all up.It was over. The wet towel seemed to burn against his skin, the wet towel over his head was now hot lava, and the metal around his finger was rapidly heating up and cutting off his circulation.He couldn't make it, there was no use trying, for what he had done, this was well-deserved, two hells in one lifetime, he dared anyone to beat that?But Lily? His mind tugged. What about Lily? The thought that he was never going to see her again was too great a loss to take without trying.Adler rose.Then came the beam, whirling down and landing on where his lower legs were supposed to have been if he hadn't rolled over just in time, his palm flattened on the hot ground.Holy fuck! He snapped it back to himself and hastily yanked out the hot ring, hoping to save it but then kicked against the idea when the band s
Claiming His Queen Chapter 238
SALVATORESalvatore stirred, his lids opening as he gradually regained consciousness, eyes meeting the bright lights of the chandeliers above him.His head felt like a shattered egg, memories mangled and hitting him piece by piece, as the familiar aura registered. He was still in the manor, he could tell, but where exactly?The wails of a baby had his eyes snapping fully open, and Salvatore was sitting up in a jolt. The pain that went through him was like torrents, his head felt heavy, and the world around him seemed to spin."Hey look, our main guest is awake," Victor's taunts clouded his ears. "Christ, don't go back to sleep again, we've been waiting."Salvatore struggled to his feet, the sight before him sending his heart thudding.Victor sat on a settee, crossed-legged, with Eva beside him, hair stuck to her wet face, and her red-rimmed eyes staring forward, the hopelessness in them so obvious.If Constance's cries came from the crib, next to a goon, then where was Lily? He turne
Claiming His Queen 237
RUNERune could taste the blood that coated his mouth. Still, he gritted his teeth, refusing to let the cries out. With his hands held back, the old man pounded his fist into his abdomen unrelentingly.The pain was excruciating, each blow sending shockwaves through his body. Rune's vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay conscious, to keep thinking.There was no way out of this, he knew. They were behind closed doors, in a room that smelled like dust and cobwebs; no one could hear him here.Well, no one except Laron, whom he constantly ordered to shut his eyes. The boy stood before the second goon, eyes shut, yet tears still rolled down his face.Every sniffle he heard from Laron cut through like a knife, and he wished he could do something, be the super dad Laron believed in, but right now the only thing he could do was stare at the floor."Had enough?" the old man sneered, his knuckles smeared with Rune's blood. "I thought to make this easier on you, but..." He grabbed a handf
Claiming His Queen Chapter 236
SALVATORE"...What did you use this time?" Salvatore asked, slamming the booth shut. "Will they live?"Rune blinked, staring wide-eyed at him. "You wanted them to live?"Kyra's head shot up from the driver's seat. "What did you do?"Rune chuckled, raising both hands in mock surrender. "I'm kidding. The soldiers are alive. They'll feel some type of way tomorrow, but that's just Ketamine for ya."Salvatore fought the urge to pull out a pistol and aim at the fucker's right leg. This wasn't the time to be stupid; tension was high, and it was D-day.Just like Rune had promised, the compound had few goons, and they also seemed to be in panic. It would be this way until they got out of this godforsaken place."The back gate is empty," Rune whispered as he walked up to Kyra, cupping her face with both hands and kissing her full on the lips. "See you on the other side in a few minutes, Princess."But she drew him back in. Urgh, Salvatore groaned and turned away. Those two behaved like they wer
Claiming His Queen Chapter 235
SALVATORE"...There's been another attack." Victor inhaled the smoke from the lit end of his cigar. "It happened at the same time as the fire yesterday. Ruslan is finally convinced of my innocence."Salvatore shared a glance with Kyra and then back at Victor. Was he actually saying the fire he had started to disrupt the engagement and that had somehow gotten out of hand was connected with an attack?Quietly wincing as the cloth grazed his partially burnt arm, Salvatore returned his gaze to Victor, who was suddenly deep in thought."I'll be gone again," Victor waved away the smoke, "but this time for a few days. Again, Salvatore will stay behind. I wish it didn't have to be so, but I need someone I can trust to keep Eva safe."He resisted the urge to share another glance with his sister. Even though he couldn't read anything on her straight countenance, he knew she was still mad at him."Can you?" Victor asked. "I can easily put her under Kyra's care. Give my father's favorite princess
Claiming His Queen Chapter 234
EVASince Victor came back, he had been so busy he barely found time to see her. The days seemed even more void, the future gloomy. Hiding away in the confines of this room, she listened to the sound of the chapter of her life closing.Now she climbed down the bed, went to her wardrobe, and crouching to her knees, pulled open a compartment and brought out a small wooden box. It had been months since she last looked at its contents, afraid it would bring back unwanted memories and reignite her obsession with him, but here she was.Eva looked behind her at the door, then back at the box. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the cover, staring absently at the contents inside a little beaded necklace that held a crucifix. His crucifix.She had sunk so low as to steal a part of him while he slept. She doubted he ever searched for it. If he did, he’d know it was missing and no longer in the pretty house that smelled of him.She struggled, praying for the embarrassment to wash over her so
Claiming His Queen Chapter 233
LILY"I was six when I discovered that the convent sisters who came once a week to take children from the orphanage were anything but angels," Ruslan said, rocking my daughter's cradle. "It became clear why the boys never came back, and the girls who did barely lived."Twenty minutes ago, I had laid my sleeping daughter in her crib and rushed into the bathroom for a quick soak, despite knowing she wouldn't stir.Two seconds ago, I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around my chest and damp hair still dripping, only to see Ruslan standing over Constance's crib and staring at her.Even though he didn't touch her, my racing pulse refused to die down.But he paid no heed to my presence and continued, "They needed us in a coal mine in this little spot in Serbia." He paused, his gaze remote. "Our starved, wiry, agile bodies were the perfect fit for narrow spaces, running errands, and sometimes checking if the explosives had completed their work."My hawk-like eyes on Constance made it
