Page 27 of Untouchable Queen
“This is what happens to any of my men who disrespect my wife. Speak a word against her, and I’ll cut out your tongue.Doanything to disrespect her, and I’ll remove your head. Is that understood?”
Suddenly, I understand why Lucian has such iron control of his men—why they seem to fear him as much as they respect him, and my heart hammers against my ribs as I try to keep the bile from flooding my mouth. I’m grateful for Lucian’s support, the fact that he would declare his support and loyalty without any room for question. But the brutality of his message is nauseating, and it reminds me of just how cruel and merciless Lucian can be.
For a moment, I almost lost sight of the fact that this is the same man who gunned down my father and mother. But it’s all coming back to me with vivid clarity now.
The blood.
The violence.
The cold, ruthless calculation.
That’sthe man I married too.
14
LUCIAN
“Gabriella packed what you’ll need,” I insist as the limo pulls onto the tarmac of the private airport where I store my jet. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Lucian, I can’t just up and leave. I have responsibilities. Things are just finally getting back to normal after fightingyoufor how many months now?”
“It’ll be fine. You have loyal captains who understand their responsibilities, and you told me yourself Natasha can handle things just as well as you can.” Besides, with our men properly put in place, things seem to be running a little more smoothly.
“That doesn’t mean she should have to handle things,” Tatiana states coldly, but when I open the car door and slide out to offer her my hand, she still accepts it.
Her expression is grudging—as usual, but I can see the flush of anticipation in her cheeks, the brightness in her eyes when she looks at the small plane. I wonder when she might have taken a vacation last. She doesn’t seem the type to allow herself even an inch of slack, but I want to change that.
At the very least, I owe her a honeymoon after the wedding she was less than thrilled to have. So I want to make this memorable.
“Where are you taking me?” she asks as I settle into the plush white leather chair across from her.
“If I told you, that would ruin the surprise.”
I flash Tatiana a grin as she scowls at me.
“How long is the flight?”
Arching an eyebrow, I remain silent, letting her read into my point that I intend to keep it all a surprise until we get there.
The jet rolls back a moment later, taxiing across the tarmac to the runway. Tatiana’s eyes shift, her attention focusing out the window, and I study her face in the soft light filtering in through the panel.
Her skin is perfect—smooth and creamy and even with a delicate pink to her cheeks and the tip of her refined nose. Her full lips are slightly large for her face, but she leans into the trait, highlighting them with bright red lipsticks that make them all the more appealing. When she’s not scowling at me, Tatiana’s eyebrows have a natural curve to them, giving her an authoritative expression even when she’s not trying to command a room. She’s the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen.
The plane surges as we quickly pick up speed, and Tatiana grasps the arms of her chair, leaning back into it as she takes slow, measured breaths.
“Don’t like flying?” I ask curiously.
“I don’t do it often enough to have a reason to like it,” she states tightly, her delicate nostrils flaring as she takes another deep breath.
“Your family never took vacations?” I’m mildly surprised. It’s not like they didn’t have the wealth to go on luxurious trips.
But Tatiana presses her lips together as she shakes her head. “Papa was kind of a workaholic. When he wasn’t teaching methe family business, he was managing something directly on its behalf. We did go to Moscow when I was younger—to visit family.”
“Hmm. Well, we’ll have to fix that,” I state, my lips curling into a smile.
Tatiana’s blue eyes flick toward mine, fire burning in their depths. I can see the conflict written across her face—the desire to travel warring with her resistance to cooperating with me in any way.
Then she pulls out her phone. “Does the plane have Wi-Fi?” she asks.
