Page 59 of Wrathful King
I side-eyed him. “I haven’t formally accepted any title.”
Surprise flickered in his expression. “Are you contemplating rejecting the honor?”
I scoffed. “Not much of an honor if it puts my wife in front of you and the others to answer for a crime committed in self-defense.”
“Is that why she did it?” I nodded. “Then why not reveal what happened? Why chop up his body?”
Jesus, Dante had really let the whole thing spill. “I honestly wouldn’t give a shit if she went on a murderous rampage.” She could burn the entire fucking world and I’d be standing right behind her, holding the torch. “Angelo was a cruel bastard and the only regret I have is that I didn’t murder him before he tried to put his filthy paws on Reina.”
Okay, I could turn down the hate by a few degrees—or ten—but lack of sleep over the past month and my wife’s condition had been weighing down on me. Or maybe I never gave a shit in the first place. Hard to tell right now.
“What’s your plan with your cousin?” he questioned, moving on from the subject of Reina.
I shrugged, not yet ready to divulge the details of what I’d done. “He’s no more, but I’ll kill anyone who was helping him.”
“Taking over the Yakuza?” I narrowed my eyes. We only had the meeting yesterday and nobody knew about the newest elected leader except for Dante. “My sources tell me that men in the Yakuza follow your lead more than your cousin’s, so I’m guessing it shouldn’t be hard to take over.”
“Maybe.” More accurately, he hoped to keep leveraging the connection to the Yakuza. Well, he was fucking crazy if he thought he’d leverage anything while demanding to judge my wife. They could all go fuck themselves.
I was already the elected head of the Yakuza, but none of it fucking mattered. What good was it to be a king without a queen. What good was power if there was nobody to protect. What was the point of running the Yakuza and taking Romero’s seat in the Omertà if I failed at protecting her?
And then there was Reina’s love. It was disappearing right in front of my eyes. I twisted the wedding ring on my finger, welcoming the silence. My throat burned, the weight on my chest squashing my soul and my heart.
If I were a better man, I would walk away and let her be.Fuck that. She was the essence of me, and if I were to live without her, I might as well slice my own throat now.
Returning my focus to the present situation, I met Marchetti’s eyes. “If you want me on your side and in the Omertà, you’ll drop the subject of Angelo Leone’s murder.”
“I don’t tolerate blackmail.”
“Neither do I. Nor do I tolerate threats made against my family.”
Before he could say another word, an agonizing cry sliced through the air, sending me sprinting out of my office.
22
REINA
Amon’s compound was surrounded by beauty.
The early morning sun reflected rays off the ocean’s still surface. Trees and hills made up most of my view, their luscious green leaves dancing in the light of the early March breeze. I’d always wanted to visit the Philippines, but never once did my dreams include being confined to a pocket that had been converted to a sterile mini-hospital.
Outside, on the other hand, was paradise. The wing was built on stilts and supporting beams to give the illusion of floating above the turquoise lagoon below. The water was so clear you could see the fish swimming beneath, and every corner was furnished with rattan furniture and soothing beige fixtures. It truly was a tranquil space, one that my friends were touring with Dr. Freud, theiroohs andaahs reaching me through the open windows.
My bathroom was a short walk down a glass-bottomed hallway, which was where I currently hid, hunched over the marble sink, staring into the mirror. I needed one more minute of solitude before braving their faces.
“Where are you, Phoenix?” I whispered, watching my mouth move around the words and no longer seeing the same person. Someone else stared back at me. Someone older, more damaged, and… filthy. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn’t manage to get the invisible remnants of grime, blood, and fear off my skin.
It was on me to protect my sister, but right now, I was the one who needed her. I needed the peace that seeing her alive and well would afford me. My eyes fell on the razor, and before I knew what I was doing, I reached for it, pressing the blade against my wrists.
A hiss escaped me as the first drop of crimson spilled. I pressed it harder against my flesh, relishing the pain.You said you wouldn’t do this anymore, a small voice whispered. I ignored it and switched to my other wrist.
The burning. The pain. I pressed harder, red droplets of blood falling onto the marble and the pristine tile under my feet.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The images of my mother bleeding in the tub flashed in my mind, and I wondered if this was how she felt before she ended it. She’d left us, seeking refuge in death. Was I destined to do the same?
“Reina, what the heck are you doing in there?” Isla’s voice startled me, causing me to drop the razor with a clang against the countertop.
