Page 89 of Monsters Wear Crowns
I found him on the patio, his back to me, his phone pressed to his ear. He was already dressed in dark slacks and a black button-down, his sleeves pushed to his elbows as the morning breeze tugged at his hair. He looked every bit the dangerous and untouchable king of his empire.
But his voice was sharp. Low. And from the tension in his stance, the news wasn’t good.
“–if he’s moving product through those channels, I wanteveryname attached,” he bit out. “No mistakes.”
I waited until he hung up, the quiet stretching between us as I stepped closer. “What happened?”
Rafe didn’t turn right away. When he did, his face was unreadable. “Moreau’s trying to secure new partnerships. Ones that could double his resources and stifle one of my clients.”
The cold that had settled in my chest spread deeper. “Do we know who he’s trying to get?”
“Not yet.” His eyes met mine. “But we will.”
I crossed my arms, trying to hold my ground even when Ifelt it shifting under me. “How is this all going to end?”
The smile he gave me wasn’t a smile at all. “In one of us monsters killing the other.”
I wanted to say that was enough, that his ruthlessness was exactly what we needed. But the words stuck. There was a difference between a man who fought for survival and one who enjoyed the bloodshed. And I was honestly beginning to wonder which one Rafe Vaughan really was.
Before I could say anything more, his phone rang again. He held up a finger while he answered. “Vincent, what did you find?”
I hugged myself as a gust of wind ruffled my hair and silk robe.
“Wonderful, we’ll meet at the Orchard House tonight. Thank you, man.” He hung up, finally placing his phone in his back pocket.
“The Orchard House?” I asked, shivering from yet another gust of wind.
“It’s one of our safe locations outside of the city,” he answered quickly. “Vince said that he found something good we could use against Moreau, but he needs some time to get it.”
My stomach clenched at that. This entire thing had spiraled out of control, and it only became worse after I had gotten together with Rafe. “That’s great,” I smiled. “Laura’s got the office under control today, so I guess I have an unexpected day off.”
He grinned, approaching me with a sigh. “What do you want to do today?”
I made a quick show out of contemplating, and he laughed. My heart jumped at the sound. “I would honestly love to just get some coffee and maybe go to a bookstore.”
Rafe raised a dark brow, his voice a low, sensual whisper. “Did you need some new dirty books, little doe?”
I couldn’t hide my blush. I loved it when we flirted like this. Life felt too stressful lately. “Maybe.”
He bit his bottom lip, pulling me in for a quick, passionatekiss. One that set my entire fucking soul on fire. “I think I’m a little overdressed for coffee and books. Let’s get dressed and try to have a relaxing day for once.”
“Like aregularboyfriend and girlfriend?” I joked, turning and sliding the glass door open.
“Precisely,” he kissed my cheek.
Seeing Rafe in casual clothes was honestly just about as breathtaking as seeing him in a suit. I nearly choked on my water when I watched him step out into the sun wearing a pair of khaki pants with a white long-sleeved shirt and brown loafers. Hescreamedmoney with the elegant way he walked, dressed, and talked.
“Wow, look at you,” he grinned, his gaze sweeping over my short-sleeved flowy, blue floral dress and blue bow tying half of my hair back. The neckline plunged, offering a lovely view of the swells of my breasts. My wispy bangs were styled so they perfectly framed my face. “I’m not used to seeing you in anything that’s not skin-tight. Arguably, I might like this the best.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, hush. I figured I’d look the part of girlfriend instead of savage queen today.”
His hand found my lower back and pulled me in for a kiss as his black car pulled up.
***
It was a Tuesday morning, so the bookstore wasn’t nearly as busy as usual. Thank goodness. We strolled through the front door, welcomed by the nostalgic smell of thousands of books. I led him toward the romance section while sipping my iced vanilla lavender latte.
“You know, I’ve been thinking,” he started, coming to stand beside me while I perused.
