Page 64 of Monsters Wear Crowns
It was a photo. Of my building. Mypenthouse window.
And someone’s fingers holding up a ripped piece of paper with jagged handwriting that read:
DEATH.
The room spun. My stomach twisted, not with fear, but with fury. Rafe’s hand found my wrist, his grip firm but steady. “You’re moving in with me,” he commanded quietly.
Chapter 13
(TW: CNC: Consensual non-consent sex)
Rafe didn’t wait for my response, not that I was about to argue afterthat. He was already moving, barking orders to his men in that low, lethal tone that made everyone around him snap to attention. And me?
I was still staring at the photo.DEATH.
My hands curled into fists. The fear was there. I wasn’t foolish enough to pretend it wasn’t, but it was swallowed by something far sharper. Anger.
No one threatened me. No one pushed me into a corner. Moreau had no fucking idea whose cage he was rattling.
“Adela.” Rafe’s voice snapped me back to the present. He was watching me with that intense, unreadable expression. “That was a fucking threat, in case you didn’t know.”
I nodded. He was right. I let him lead me through the house, past his men, and into the night. The air was warm and heavy, thick with the promise of a storm. Lauren waved at me before sliding into one of Rafe’s black SUVs.
As the car pulled away, Rafe finally spoke. “We’ll get your things tomorrow.”
“I don’t need–”
He cut me off with a look. “You’ll stay with me until this is over.”
“I don’t like being handled,” I said flatly.
“Good,” he murmured. “Neither do I.”
***
The elevator doors slid shut with a quiet hiss, and I leaned against the cool metal wall, my phone still in my hand. Rafe’s last message stared back at me, blunt and commanding as always.
Pack your things. I’ll be there late tonight.
I rolled my eyes and typed out a quick response.
You could try saying please, you know.
The reply was instant.
I could. But I won’t.
My teeth sank into my lower lip, not out of frustration, exactly. But still, my mood was soured. Days of this, the tension, the waiting, the feeling of eyes always watching me, had worn me thin. This whole thing had spiraled so fast. One minute, I was sipping a martini in my favorite dress, flirting with the most dangerous man I’d ever met. Now? I was being hunted simply for being involved with him.
I sighed and slipped my phone into my purse as the elevator doors opened to the lobby. The building was quiet, the warm golden light spilling across marble floors. I grabbed my mail, a few envelopes, and a glossy magazine and headed back up, my heels tapping softly against the floor.
When I stepped inside my penthouse, the sun had dipped below the skyline, drowning the city in indigo and gold. The quiet should have been comforting. It wasn’t.
Something wasoff.
The air was too thick, pressing against my skin. The silence stretched, unnatural. I shut the door, the softclickof the lock echoing louder than it should have. My keys hit the marble counter with a hollow clatter. And then…Ifeltit.
A presence.
