Page 11 of The Queen's Vow (Ruthless Games 2)

FIVE

ANTHONY

The steps leading tomy father’s office took forever. And he worked right next door.

The king was dead.

Giovanni Domenico may have disappeared last month, but dead was forever.

My poor Rebecca had to tell me the news. The strength in her voice made me so proud of her. Even though her father promised her to me after we graduated college, I’d spent years with a pit in my stomach knowing she’d never want me. That she’d have to be forced.

Now she loved me. For real. I won her on my own.

I just had to share her with two men.

“Papa,” I addressed my father whose chair faced the window.

Getting closer, I saw his head slumped to the right. Fear jolted through me. Was Papa dead too? Was someone simultaneously taking out the leaders in this city?

“Papa!” I shook him and his eyes snapped opened.

“What?” he crowed, wiping those veiny lids. He’d fallen asleep. At his desk.

Exhaling, I said, “Papa, Giovanni is dead.”

His eyes opened wider hearing that. With hands planted on the desk, he pushed to stand. “How? When? You know what this means?”

“I don’t have specifics. Rebecca called me and—”

“Called you?” He didn’t know we were lovers.

Ironic since he wanted me to marry her. But I couldn’t tell him I was in an actual loving relationship with her because she was also sleeping with Bastien and Gian. Admitting Rebecca and I were in love, meant he’d be planning a wedding.

A wedding she wouldn’t agree to.

“Yes, she called me.” I folded my arms across my chest. “You were partners with Giovanni. But Rebecca prefers to discuss matters with me.”

He cocked an eyebrow.

Staring at the ceiling, I said, “It’s not... Anyway, I’m gonna go to her. See if she needs anything.”

“Yes, yes,” Papa said with mischief in his eyes. “Be her shoulder. We’ll have her soon enough.”

I didn’t know about Richard Daria, or Gian’s dad Patrick Byrne, but my father didn’t recognize her as the queen. He still thought the old plan was in place. That I’d marry Rebecca and when Giovanni either died or retired, I would take his place as king. For years, my eyes had been on that prize. The throne. But I’d known Becca would never love me.

Now, I loved her and she loved me. But she also loved Bastien and Giancarlo.

Gian’s brilliant plan to shame her into handing over the evidence for the date rape drug deal had brought us all into her web.

We’d wanted to discredit her.

She’d wanted us to fall for her.

She outmaneuvered us. And won. Our hearts. Our loyalty. Our protection.

Papa would be a relentless driving force pushing me to marry her. I worried if I told him I asked her and she said no that he’d...

I couldn’t imagine what he’d do. I had to make it look like I didn’t want to marry her.

Endure his wrath.

I laughed in my limo, waiting at a light. My father’s wrath wasn’t what it used to be. Vito, his personal guard, however...

I reached Rebecca’s townhouse, the place where we regularly debauched my angel. Mark, my senior bodyguard, took up position at her front door, and Reggie, my second guard, took my car back to my penthouse’s garage.

Vale, Rebecca’s guard opened the door for me, not making eye contact. As soon as I entered the place, I felt an eerie buzz from voices on the phone and shadows dancing in the kitchen.

When I appeared under the archway to the living room, my Becca made eye contact with me and rushed into my arms.

“I’m sorry, angel,” I said, hugging her.

The moment hit me as if my own father died and my heart ached for her. I had issues with Papa, but he gave me a good life. I’d mourn his death and the loss of him in my life when the time came. Even though him kicking the bucket would shit-can most of my problems.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” Rebecca buried herself in my chest.

Over her hair, I caught Bastien pacing in her kitchen, watching me with her. With his phone glued to his ear, he marched over...

And kissed me hello.

He and I were a couple now too, apparently.

We had to keep our four-way relationship with Rebecca a secret until we felt it was safe, but Bastien and I could never reveal what we felt for one another. Sharing a woman was bad enough, but having a relationship with another guy... That just wouldn’t fly in the mafia world.

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