Page 73 of Fierce Monarch

She nodded, and I pulled her closer, letting her rest on my chest so she knew I wasn’t mad. She hummed in her throat, a happy sound that made me smile, even if the situation sucked. “I needed closure.”

“Did you get it?”

It took her a long time to answer. “I don’t know. He says he loves me, that he made a mistake and he’s going to fix it, but I can’t get over it.”

“Do you believe him?”

“How can I? He’s a liar. All he did was lie to me. To us.”

That wasn’t all he did, but I could understand his lies being the most pressing thing for Mari. “Maybe.”

Because the more I thought about it, the less the lies made sense. Especially knowing that he rarely lied about anything at all.

And the love he showed Mari, the kindness? That couldn’t be faked. Not the way he did it.

No, I had a feeling Nathaniel Beckstrom had been all too honest with my queen, and one day, she was going to realize it.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“I’m not mad at you, reina. I can’t understand what you’ve been through, and if that was what you needed, then so be it. All I ask is that you keep me in the loop.” I tipped her head up, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I’ll follow you into hell any day, without question.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” With a grin, I smacked her ass and kept her still. “Now, rest up. I’ve got plans for you tonight.”

Chapter Twenty

Mari

The next morning came too soon, but it came with a burst of happiness I wasn’t expecting.

I was engaged to Greyson.

Regardless of all the other shit going on, it felt like a dream come true. Greyson had always been my person, and I got to keep him forever. I got to wear his ring and call him my husband for real.

Now, I just had to get the other half of the romance equation sorted out.

“Are you ready to face it now?” Grey’s sleep-heavy voice asked. I turned to him with a smile, loving how utterly worn out he looked. His hair was a mess from my hands, and his neck and shoulders had more scratches and bites than I’d ever seen before. We’d gone so many rounds, I’d lost count, neither of us willing to go an hour without touching. I’d had him in every part of my body, and I felt thoroughly claimed in all the best ways.

“I don’t have a choice.”

“You do,” Grey corrected. “But I’m glad you’re choosing this.”

With another kiss, I slipped off the bed, grabbed his shirt and a new pair of panties before I stepped outside. I was prepared to go searching for Dominic, thinking he’d probably gone to our gym, only to find him sprawled in the hallway, legs askew and hair a mess.

“Have you been here all night?”

He startled awake, forcing himself upright and running a shaky hand through his locks. “Please let me explain. I know you’re mad, but I can’t—I don’t— Please.”

Looking over the red-rimmed eyes lined with dark circles and the wrinkles in his clothes, I knew he hadn’t slept, and a pulse of empathy took away another part of the edge that had spurned him yesterday.

“Come to the kitchen. I’m making breakfast.” He looked surprised at first, but also concerned.

“Are you going to poison me?”

“I can make pancakes,” I said hotly, knowing he wasn’t asking about actual poison. Breakfast was about the only meal I could make, but it was still something.

Dominic grinned at me, uncertain and a little shy. “Pancakes sound great.”

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