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Claiming His Queen Chapter 191
ADLER"... You will have no say in any decision-making or my authority," Adler recited from the notes he had prepared during the brief car ride to the Manor. "Additionally, Rune is receiving a promotion, and I am aware that one of the four disloyal Capos will have to be removed to make room for that, so choose who you want to let go."All remained as he had encountered it, except for the lack of the goons who had departed upon his orders, leaving the five of them still grappling with the tension that had nearly resulted in losses.He had made the right decision by asking Lily to wait in the car, and she had chosen wisely by not creating a fuse about it. Wait till he told them they owed their life to her.Salvatore's expression upon seeing him was far from welcoming. Perhaps relieved, yes, but the grand entrance failed to captivate him. They all had reason to be angry; he had observed their rising emotions and chose the last moment to reveal himself.Now that he thought of it, that was
Claiming His Queen Chapter 192
ADLER.Just like he thought, she wasn't in the car when he went to get her, so pulling back into the manor, he raced to the stairs, hoping she wasn't in the room.There were many things he needed to get rid of, things that could set her off in a nanosecond. Things that could bring back memories in the blink of an eye.But when he pushed the door open, and it gave way immediately, he felt his stomach churn upon seeing her standing before the hung jewelry and observing its shimmer.Her father's pendant hung above her while she stared at it, rigid and unmoving.His heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest."Why didn't you get rid of it? Yeah, that question. Why didn't he get rid of it? Maybe it was because it was the last object that held her memory, or that was what he thought.Grief had erased the thought that the pendant had more to do with her father than her; all he thought was to be able to hold something, anything that spelled her name and carried her memories.When it got too qu
Claiming His Queen Chapter 193
VITOThe last time they spoke, they told him they were working on his release."Working on it?" He had growled, standing up from the queen-sized bed he had been sitting on, "I've been in here for two weeks, and you're just working on it?!" "Sir," his lawyer stepped forward, "There isn't a case to be debated on when the evidence was served to them on a silver platter.""Oh shut the fuck up, Homer," he had snapped, " There is nothing a little more money can't solve. All it takes is the right amount of toppings to serve it out.":Exhausted, he rubbed against his forehead, " I need to get out of here before this becomes public knowledge.""So far, there is nothing out in the media. And with the judge's feedback, you'll be out of here in no time and even pick up from where you stopped in the election," his lawyer explained, voice so even it made him spite, he lost a lot, including their terror when they stood before him, " All I ask of you is to be patient. "He sighed. Maybe he was over
Claiming His Queen Chapter 194
Predictably, he wasn't in bed when I woke up. Had it not been for the digital clock on the bedside table showing 8:48, I wouldn't have realized it was already that late, and I was still lying in bed.With a sigh, I descended from the bed and glanced at my reflection in the mirror across the room. My hair was messy, and I resembled an aurora from a discount store. Thankfully, Adler wasn't present to witness this calamity.Brushing my teeth and my hair, then tying the later in a tired bun, still in my pajamas, I stepped out of the room, moving down the stairs as memories slammed into me. Aside from that, I felt the familiar humidity in the air, pointing me towards a deja vu, I couldn't wrap my head around it no matter how I tried, but since nothing came, I shoved it aside.Descending the stairs and finding the sitting and dining areas empty, a frown creased my brow. Breakfast lay untouched on the table. Given what I knew about them, Rune would typically be an exception, even if no one e
Claiming His Queen Chapter 195
DOMENICOWith a resounding bang, the door swung open, instantly hushing the room into silence. Suppressing a sigh, Domenico lifted his gaze from the desk to see his second son, his face flushed and breaths ragged, standing in the doorway.In Victor's right hand was a little brown box which, according to its width, he suspected, came with a package just as long as a pen and no more.But with Victor's tightened grip around the box, it was clear that whatever was inside was significant. Or something horrific. So carefully laying down his bookmark, which was just a short red strip of material, he focused on his son, waiting to be hit, either with the usual tantrums or demands that he leashed Adler.He was done telling him how impossible those were. And all of this unfolded within just twenty-eight intense hours since his arrival in Sicily. "What is it this time?" Domenico grunted when, after seconds, Victor didn't make as much of a move."You should know." Domenico sighed heavily as h
Claiming His Queen Chapter 196
**_"Mom didn't just die, Lily"_**It was ridiculous how time, instead of healing wounds, had you missed the person who caused them.Sitting on Eva's bed and staring at the ceiling, I hugged her favorite purple cardigan, its softness reminding me of the times I held her close despite fighting with my demons and losing.A quiet smile formed within me. Despite everything, her presence was my source of strength, driving me to fight harder than I ever thought possible.Eva was the reason I was alive.I placed the cardigan on the bed and moved to her dressing mirror. She had left most of her lotions in the manor. So now, when I was less busy, which I always was, I found myself in her bedroom, heating a spray so her smell clouded me, then lay on the bed thinking of the memories we shared.I remembered being done with life after a rough day at lucid; I remembered staring at the bandage wrapped around my stomach and deciding to give it all up.I had climbed the window and stood on the pane, ca
Claiming His Queen Chapter 197
Three hours later, he realized he walked wide-eyed into a hornet nest."What are you saying?!" He demanded frustration etched in his tone as she walked away from him and towards the wardrobe."I'm saying," she answered with a singsong tone, "You can't touch me anymore until the night of the wedding." To send her point across, she pulled up the thin strap of her nightie to her shoulder. Minutes ago, he was on the verge of pulling that off. Now, he just had to make do with the after-feel of her velvety skin under soft silk.She was so fucking unfair."That's crazy. Jesus Christ, it won't make a fucking difference." He snapped. Pulling this stunt when he was practically dying of the need to be inside her was just plain wicked, "Lily, you can't leave me this hard.""Adler," she sighed, turning to him, "We're getting married in two weeks, which is fourteen days if we don't count tonight, and Nonna says...""So that's it?" he stretched both hands, "Nonna says? She turned to the wardrobe a
Claiming His Queen Chapter 198
"Why does he want to see you?"Rune asked as they strolled along the walkway with Luigi's bodyguard leading the way and taking them to his boss."He said nothing," Kyra answered, staring ahead and inhaling the damp country air. "it sounded important. "Well, it better be, Rune scoffed inwardly; driving down to the billionaire offspring ranch and enduring Kyra's constant hate stares better be worth it. She was still mad at him despite everything he said being an obvious joke. It had to be the way Adler told it; the fucker had no sense of humor, else why exactly would Kyra still be mad at an apparent effort to crack her up?There was also the probability that she didn't want him around when she worked, and according to her, he ruined things, which wasn't fair on her end.He would have proved her wrong by granting her wish and staying away from this one, but goddamn it, letting her alone to a billionaire... Didn't sit well on his radar. What exactly did Luigi Guardiola want?
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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
