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Chapter 77
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Claiming His Queen Chapter 78
AUTHOR'S POV"You know what he is, yet you bring him close to you," Father Martin exhaled more out of boredom than exasperation. It wasn't that he hadn't heard this before. He listened to it so much the repetition could be akin to a broken record.Whenever the topic arose, his response remained consistent, effortlessly escaping his lips: "He's the type of person for whom Jesus sacrificed, Deacon Armando.""Martin, that boy is bad news." Armando's voice held disdain, disdain so firm it was almost contempt, "I would not have said anything if he were still fifteen, but now...""But now?" Father Martin raised a brow."Now he's old enough to make those choices, old enough to protect his virtues and even die on them," Martin said nothing, scribbling reports on a paper, out of touch with reality and a head filled with thoughts. Armando was right in his way, Depending on how he looked at it.Considering he wasn't here that day twelve years ago when the boy snuck into the church, sitting in
Claiming His Queen Chapter 79
Anguish came in many forms; the hurt brewing was a constant reminder that its recipient could do nothing about it.Seeing Salvatore gazing at the altar with a rigid and removable frame, Adler understood his pain. That He had let a Don, whom he swore to protect, chase after him to the aircraft, then, when he was caught, roared aloud in an open space until he had no strength left in him that he just knelt on the ground with his face against the sand was the tip of how he felt inside.When he didn't move after a long time, Adler dragged him back into the car and then drove him to the manor, where they gathered information about the murder in the church.When Adler saw the image of the man on the screen, he quickly summarized him as the reason Salvatore was so adamant about his faith. So when his consigliere yanked the crucifix off his neck, Adler knew there would be a change.According to the news report, the severed head was discovered at the foot of the altar, and the lone stiff body
Claiming His Queen Chapter 80
"Adler, Adler, something he'd typically do, don't you think?"But I was still lost in my thoughts and unsure of a good reply for him. There were a lot of contradictions in his words. His brother had saved my life countless times; to me, that was more than enough proof somebody wanted me.And that train of thoughts soothed me so much that his hostile words didn't hurt me anymore.Eva waved at us, the biggest smile ever on her flushed face. I sent her a reassuring grin."Well, I'm sorry," I began when I saw she started striding towards us. "If I had known how much of a rift my presence caused, I would have stayed away."When he spoke, I discovered he was staring at Eva, too. "I don't care. I just thought I recognized you from somewhere, and surprisingly, I do."Eva arrived, a shy smile on her lips as she walked up to him. Watching him lean down and plant a kiss on her lips while she blushed had my stomach grumbling."You look astounding," he let his eyes lick over her, adoration in the
Claiming His Queen Chapter 81
AUTHORS POV [ADLER.]It took him a whole day to finally leave Salvatore alone in the small condo he escaped into when he needed time apart from them. Which sincerely wasn't a lot of times.It didn't stop Rune from crashing there; if he was ever restricted, they heard the same warning, 'Don't get disgusted when you're left listening to the result of one of my special talents.'That always did the trick; Salvatore handed him the keys in seconds.Leaving the condo, he had driven straight to the beach house, and surprisingly, they weren't there. Asking the housekeepers, who had informed him, she overheard them discussing a yacht event.It didn't take him long to figure out they were on the coastline with his brother, and that news didn't go well with him. The agreement with Victor was to shelter her, not invite them out to his infamous parties.But then he realized keeping her indoors for so long was the vilest thing he could do; besides, she wasn't his prisoner, just one stubborn human
Claiming His Queen Chapter 82
With strength on play, Adler swam back to the yacht, every stroke propelling them closer to the surface. The commotion on the yacht's deck grew louder, and he could hear Victor's voice barking orders.The feel of her skin against his was cold, and the shoes on his feet restricted his speed in reaching the yacht.Kyra came in handy, and finally, they were able to hoist her onto the deck, where Rune was waiting, his alarm evident on his stricken face as he took her from their hands and onto the surface of the yacht.Adler scaled the steps with a house until he was by her side, pushing Rune out of the way, giving him access to gape fully into her face."Lily." He held her hands, raising his head, and shouted, "Call the fucking 911!"Kyra dashed off, open-eyed in the wake of Lily's imminent danger.Damnit, he was losing his mind. What to do? What to fucking do? Rather than watch her pale, wet face, he placed his ears close to her nose, no breath. No fucking breath.Not another scare. Lily
Claiming His Queen Chapter 83
…Everything he ever needed.The door was pushed open, interrupting the moment.She dropped her lash,hands back on her sides, already clutching the gown. Besides that, was that a shade of red he saw on her cheek?So he let his gaze trail the top of her head, the silence in her ward suddenly overwhelming. He couldn't still believe his eyes; he couldn't believe she was right before him. Not when he had been minutes short of losing her."Boss, did I enter....""You didn't. What's the matter?""Uhh, ti stanno aspettando, capo." _They're waiting on you, boss_Adler veered to the door, and the goon, whose discomfort was palpable in his slanted posture, straightened immediately."I'll be there in a minute," he responded, then added, "Anche bussare è una cosa, lo sai." _knocking is also a thing you know_"My apologies, boss." I guess he had to thank the girl for saving his miserable skin. The boss rarely gave second chances.Adler kissed her forehead, "Give me a sec to settle some scores; I'll
Claiming His Queen Chapter 84
LILYS POV.He didn't return in a minute like he said he would, nor was he present the following hours. Instead of him, there were a couple of his soldiers at the door of my ward. Although their voices were low, their chatter made sleeping even harder, coupled with the thought of where Adler was.Three hours later, I was debating whether to muster the courage to walk up to the goons and inquire about his whereabouts, but being a chicken was a characteristic I had grown to accept, so slowly and quietly, I sprawled myself on the bed and stared in the darkness, missing the warmth he brought with him.I smiled, remembering Rune's nickname for him. It defined him right; for a year of my life, he was there. Each time I lost hope in staying alive, he was the first face I saw and arguably the first cologne I smelled, and each time he wrapped his arms around me, I saw my terrors fading.Although my mind kept drifting back to the thought that this same man had been the victim of my father's mis
Claiming His Queen Chapter 85
[ADLER]The stream of smoke blown out by Victor, who stood by the window behind the godfather, holding the curtain aside and looking outside, created the fog in the spacy office. Adler would still bet all of his attention was on their father's conversation with him.Waiting to see his reaction to the massive explosion thrown at him.“You made up your mind so suddenly.” He averted his gaze to his brother's back. “Or is there something involved?” Even if there were, Domenico would not admit it. When his father called him to grace the Rome manor urgently, Adler was not expecting anything less horrifying than getting engaged in two days. What was his father thinking?Domenico’s face was stoic when he fixed his gaze on Adler’s dictating his words, which were almost law.With Victor around, they couldn't display their indifference for the sake of the hierarchy. "There’s been a shift in plan, Adler. Besides that, Athena is a lady; time passes while she waits for you to put a ring on her fi
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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
