Page 46 of Blood Queen

He grins, cocky and assured. He thinks I’m here for him. He doesn’t see the trap closing around him, not yet.

I watch their movements, waiting for the exact moment they drop their guard. Rocco signals for another drink. Alessioshifts, angling himself toward a passing waitress, his attention momentarily broken. I slide the gun from its holster. Screw the silencer onto the barrel.

That’s when I move.

Smooth. Unseen. This is how professionals work. No grand gestures. No wasted movement. The bullets are designed to expand and fragment on impact—no ballistics, no traceable evidence.

The first shot buries itself in Rocco’s shoulder. His body jerks, twisting as the bullet explodes through his collarbone. The force sends him staggering back, a look of pure shock frozen on his face.

Before he can recover, I fire again.

The third bullet rips through Alessio’s thigh, shattering bone, decimating muscle. He crumples, a strangled sound escaping his lips as he clutches his leg. Blood pools instantly, dark and thick against the marble floor. He’ll bleed out in minutes.

Panic erupts around us. Screams, scrambling bodies. People duck, tables overturn. The music stutters before cutting off entirely. I stand in the middle of it all, unmoving. Calm.

Rocco tries to right himself, his good hand pressing against one wound, his breath ragged. His eyes meet mine, wide with fury and disbelief.

“What the fuck—”

I step closer, crouching just enough to meet his gaze. “Shh.”

His chest rises and falls in sharp, uneven gasps. He’s in pain. Good.

Alessio thrashes weakly, the blood loss making him sluggish. He tries to reach for his own weapon, but his fingers tremble too much to close around it. His mouth works soundlessly, as if he’s trying to understand how this happened, how someone got the drop on them here, in their own playground.

I lean in, my voice low enough that only they can hear. “For Lucia.”

Then I’m gone, slipping through the chaos like a ghost. The shadows swallow me whole before anyone can get a good look. The club security is too slow, the patrons too focused on saving themselves. I walk out the back entrance, into the cool night air, my heartbeat steady, my breathing even.

There’s a sourness in my gut, rotting me from the inside out, and I don’t know how to staunch it. My carefully curated life feels hollow and unfulfilling. But this is what needed to be done.

Now, the Commission will have no choice. They’ll come together to protect their sons, their legacies.

Because that’s what foolish men do.

And when they do, I’ll be waiting.

28

Past

Days pass with no response from Marcy, but Truman makes sure I barely notice. He holds my hand when we walk the property, his thumb tracing slow, lazy circles against my skin like he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it. He picks wildflowers for me, tucking them behind my ear with this small, secret smile like he knows something I don’t. He brings me treats—chocolate chip cookies, fresh peaches, little things he knows I love.

And he kisses me. God, does he kiss me.

Somewhere in the quiet of those days, I realize something: Truman isn’t just filling the time. He’s making it matter. He’s showing me—without words, without grand declarations—that he’s here. That he sees me. That I’m not just some orphaned soul flailing alone in the universe.

Marcy finally replies, setting a date and place to meet. Terror washes through me. Life crashing down on me, reality bisecting fantasy from real life.

“What if she goes to the police?” I ask. “What if she turns me in?”

Truman leans into me, kisses my forehead.

“Don’t freak out yet. This is just a meeting. You don’t have to tell her anything you don’t want too. Let’s just see what she’s like,” he says.

I nod.

Truman surprises me with a trip to the movies. I’ve never been to a theater before, never sat in a seat that reclines or felt the rumble of sound vibrating through my chest. It’s overwhelming in the best way. The lights dim, and Truman takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. He doesn’t let go, not even when the screen flickers to life.

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