Page 55 of Untouchable Queen
I can hear the scuffle as Saturo fights against my men, then a pained grunt as one brings him roughly to his knees. Eyingthe blade I found in the war room Saturo was hiding beneath, I appreciate the craftsmanship. Whoever made the Samurai sword knew what they were doing. Saturo must have paid a pretty penny to have it on display.
And as I turn to face the yakuza leader, I catch the first glint of fear in his eyes when he sees what I’m holding.
“Do you have any last words, Saturo? Perhaps a heartfelt apology for laying a hand on my wife?” I press the edge of the blade to his neck, and when a sliver of red appears without adding any pressure, I know just how sharp the sword is.
Saturo hisses, his eyes narrowing as he flinches from the biting cut. Then he spits on the ground at my feet.
“Hmm. Funny,” I say with false levity. “Those were the same last words as your man before he gave away your hiding place.”
With a shrug, I drag the tip of the blade through Saturo’s neck, nearly beheading him with one clean swipe. But I’m not ready to give him that merciful of a death, and as Saturo’s eyes widen, the sound of his choking gurgles echoing around the serene space, I stoop to his level and drive the sword through his stomach. It buries inside him to the hilt, the sharp, crimson stained tip exiting through his back, and he doubles over, choking on a silent scream of pain.
No one moves. No one breathes as he takes several agonized minutes to bleed out. Then he collapses, lifeless, to the ground.
With his death, one thing is assured. The new reign of the Sokolov-Agosti alliance is indestructible. Add the Kings to the equation, and New York has officially become the Sokolov sisters’ playground. It’s ironic really, that in the end their marriage alliances have made them untouchable. Where Boris always feared that allowing them to marry would weaken their claim to power, instead, they’ve managed to gain two more armies who would go to war to defend them. The yakuza tested the waters and paid for it dearly.
32
TATIANA
Inever thought I’d see the day where violence could bring me such relief. But watching Lucian execute Saturo brought a sense of finality to the bloodshed and fighting. The remaining yakuza men surrendered to him without question, which means we will be taking the Bronx territory into the fold.
Where a year ago, it felt like my family was surrounded by enemies, as I arrive home with Lucian, I’m struck by the realization that Natasha and I have built an empire stronger than anything my father lived to witness. It fills me with a sense of accomplishment, and at the same time, a deep sadness. This is his empire—one I never could have built without all his love and support. I just wish he could be here to see what we’ve become. I think he would have been proud.
I keep my face turned toward the car window, brushing away the tear that rolls down my cheek as the driver kills the engine. Lucian hasn’t said a word since we got into the back seat together, and as I climb out, I wonder if he’s reveling in our victory like I am or if he’s just too exhausted after spending so many long hours bringing this plan to fruition.
It will be nice to get back to normal.
“You know what sounds incredible right about now?” I ask, falling into step with Lucian as we climb the steps to the Italian-style mansion I now call home.
“Hmm?” he asks, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.
“A nice steamy bath.” I smile at him playfully, anticipating his suggestion that he might have to join me.
Instead, he pulls open the front door and gestures for me to lead the way inside. “I’m sure Gabriella can help you draw one up,” he says, his tone cool and distant.
A knot forms in my stomach, and I do my best to quell the rising disappointment. “What are you going to do?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light, though it rings false to my ears.
“I have some business to attend to.”
“Now? It can’t wait? We just settled a major score. You can’t take one day to celebrate?”
Lucian stops abruptly, and I stop with him, turning as I fight the sudden urge to cry. I wish I wasn’t so emotional, but the pregnancy hormones only seem to be getting worse by the day, and I press my lips together as I try to maintain my composure.
“I still have a large shipment of contraband that’s sitting like a ticking time bomb in my warehouse. With Saturo gone, I have an open avenue for transporting that shipment inland, but I need to hire trucks and men I trust to see it to its new location. So no, it can’t wait. If you’ll excuse me.” Lucian gives a stiff bow of the head that feels painfully formal. Then he turns abruptly in the direction of his office.
It cuts deep—to have him treat me so cooly. After everything we’ve been through together, after everything we’ve achieved, I thought that maybe now Lucian would open back up to me. I naively pictured him showering me with affection or carrying me to bed, like he usually would. Instead, I was confronted with a man who has as little emotion as I envisioned him having before I got to know him.
I don’t understand.
Trying to hold back the tears, I race to our bedroom and close the doors. Then the waterworks start. Without Gabriella’s help, I go to the bathroom and draw up a bath in our clawfoot tub, checking the temperature so it will be nice and warm without making it too hot for the baby. Then I add lavender bath salts before slowly lowering myself into the frothy bubbles.
It does feel good, soaking in the warm water, the midday sun streaming in through the bathroom window. But it doesn’t ease the tension in my chest. Alone with my thoughts, all I can think about is what could have caused this shift between us. It feels like a light switch. One minute, Lucian was showering me with kisses, boldly undressing me with his eyes in front of my men on the night of his deal with Saturo. And since then, it feels like he couldn’t care less if I’m in the room. He doesn’t look at me. He doesn’t talk to me. He definitely hasn’t kissed me. It calls into question everything I thought I knew about Lucian—all the undying passion and devotion he professed.
Yes, on the battlefield, we make a good team. But here at home, it feels like we have miles of frigid lake between us. I don’t like it. This seemingly more permanent shift in Lucian’s affections makes me realize I can’t keep denying my feelings for him. I need to face the truth and be brave enough to acknowledge the fact that I’ve been falling for him since our first night together. And if I don’t do something about it—if I can’t be brave enough to tell him that, then I might be the reason he slips away from me.
I stay in the tepid water until my fingers are pruney and goosebumps start to rise along my arms, but even then, I don’t feel better. So I splash some water on my face and climb out to go confront my husband.
Rather than the fluffy, warm terry cloth robe I would prefer to put on, I slip into my rose-gold silk one, hoping I mightencourage him to take a break from the stress of business long enough to show me it’s not actuallymehe’s upset with.
