Fierce Monarch (Gilded Empire Book 3)

Chapter 8 – Mari

We were back in the conference room that starred in my nightmares. Only this time, I was in the hot seat, not Cash.

“This situation doesn’t just put you at risk, Mari. It puts us at risk too. Seattle looks weak because of your decisions. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Kosas glared down at me from the other side of the table, his eyes hard and angry. Admittedly, it was likely because I wasn’t paying much attention to him. After seeing Nate earlier, I was too fucking numb to care. When I said nothing, he shoved out of his chair and headed for a bottle of booze to take the edge off.

Ajilon leaned forward, elbows on the table as he worked the good cop angle. Or, as much good cop as a crime boss could be. “The only reason we’re here negotiating instead of dealing with the situation ourselves is because of your family’s history in the city. Make no mistake, without it, you’d be dead.”

Didn’t I know it.

A week ago, these men were my allies; now, they were ready to put me down and split my territory. All because of one mistake.

And they called women fickle.

Greyson huffed from behind me, where he’d been silent through the entirety of my verbal lashing, which was exactly why Dominic had been left at home. No way he would’ve kept his mouth shut. The second Kosas got on my case, it would’ve been a bloodbath. “You’re here because Mari’s proven time and again that she’s a good leader. She’s brought more prosperity to the city than ever before.”

“More rules, too,” Kieran O’Bannon muttered behind his father. The fact that he spoke at all was disturbing. He knew better than to offer his opinion when he didn’t have a seat at the table.

Yet he’d done it right in front of me. What did that say about my reputation?

Christ, did I even have one anymore?

Was this what losing power felt like? Watching the men I’d cowed into submission over the years stare at me across the table like I was their disappointing daughter?

No, this was what certain death looked like.

We all ignored Kieran, though I caught Grey sliding a glance his way when no one else was looking. “This was a blip in the grand scheme of my years of service.”

“Big blip,” Two-Bit pointed out. The local gang leader and resident pain in my ass had said nothing while the others tore into me. Nope, secretive fuck was playing his own version of being Switzerland. Which pissed me off, because while he wasn’t wrong about Nate being a huge mistake, I knew Two-Bit had his own mistakes he was hiding.

Secrets I suspected would get him killed right beside me if the others found out.

“It doesn’t look good, Mari,” Ajilon said with a disturbed frown. Out of everyone else in the room, he was the closest thing to a true ally I’d ever had, despite keeping our interactions minimal. I knew it bothered him to stand against me, just like I knew he wouldn’t do it unless he had to. Now, because I’d let my pussy override my brain for once, he doubted me. It stung.

One more thing Nate took from me.

“Now, gentlemen. Let’s give Mari the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure she has some way to fix this. Right?” Sean O’Bannon turned to me with that congenial smile on his face, like he was happy to help me through this mess. Even though I knew it was all a ploy—because the man had never been genuine in his entire fucking life—O’Bannon was leaping to my rescue.

Hell had officially frozen over.

I hated Nate a little more for that alone.

Reining in my urge to scream until I lost my voice, I pasted a bland look on my face. “I don’t need a plan because nothing’s changed.”

The silence in the room said no one was expecting that. Honestly, neither was I, but I’d given them ten minutes to rake me over the coals, and I was done now. I wasn’t a child, certainly not one of theirs, and I refused to let them treat me like one.

I was their motherfucking queen.

“The Beckstrom boy was in your house for months, and nothing’s changed?” Kosas, who had always been friendly, sneered. Definitely more of a fair-weather friend since he’d turned the first second he could. Asshole.

Pushing down the initial urge to put him in his place, I forced my muscles to relax and give him my best good ol’ boy smile. “Have you never had a live-in booty call, Kosas? If not, I highly recommend it.”

The color of his face deepened past its normal dark olive color, and I couldn’t tell if it was a blush or anger doing it, but something inside me wanted to poke at him until he exploded, just so I wasn’t the only one struggling. “You’re telling me?—”

“That Nate didn’t make it past the bedroom? Yes.” The lie was slick on my tongue, smooth out of my mouth, and not a single part of me flinched in the delivery, thanks to Mario Marcosa’s school of life. I could feel Greyson’s pride like a blanket against my back, and it bolstered me, even when I tried not to let it.

Ajilon leaned back, obviously confused. “Why was he seen out and about with you, then?”

I shrugged. “I have a high sex drive.”

Kosas, who’d darkened even more at my proclamation, gathered himself again. “You want us to believe you kept him for emotionless sex for months?”

“It’s the truth.” When he guffawed, I let my irritation show. “If you think women can’t have casual sex, look no further than your son. He was on my roster years ago, but I don’t see my ring on his finger now.”

Tyrone, the son in question, stood behind his father with a barely there grin on his face. He was married now—arranged, though he’d been single when we were together—but he didn’t mind my outing him to prove a point. Then again, he was far less traditionally minded than his father, and his wife and I had lunch once a month just to chat.

Kosas’s coloring was getting worrisome, while Haru dipped his head to hide what I suspected to be a smile. Couldn’t verify it, though, and without proof, normally stoic Kimura would deny, deny, deny.

But I saw it.

When Haru looked back up, there was nothing on his face. “Casual or not, it can’t continue. We need our leader steady.” The censure was heavy and grating in every word, but I ignored it.

I really didn’t need to be told what to do.

“Nate won’t be a problem.”

“See to it that doesn’t change. I’d hate to walk away from so much history, but the future will always be my priority.”

The other leaders agreed with Haru, and when I refused to say anything else, they filed out. Kosas cuffed Tyrone when he stood, whispering furiously to the other man, who nodded solemnly. When his father turned around, Tyrone rolled his eyes and shot me a wink.

I’d have to remember to send his wife some chocolate for the headache I was unleashing on her home. Maybe some booze, too.

O’Bannon sent me a smile filled with the joy of seeing your least-favorite family member in trouble on his way out. Calling him an ally felt less accurate by the day, but at least our relationship was legally binding. Well, as legal as we could get, considering our illicit activities.

When the door closed behind him, it left only Two-Bit and me, with our seconds close by.

Griz, Two-Bit’s right-hand man, looked nothing like a bear. He was long, lean, and unassuming, like his boss. It wasn’t until you got to his eyes that you understood the name. History lived in the depths of those warm blue eyes, fierce and determined, like he’d rip you apart with his teeth. The stark loss that followed told me why he was the best man to protect his leader.

Griz was a man righting his wrongs, and it made him more dangerous than anyone else I knew. Power was one thing, but guilt could topple empires.

He nodded respectfully. “How are things lately, Mari?”

“Fine. You?”

“Still alive.”

That was that.

“You asked to talk?” Two-Bit’s eyebrow rose in question. I’d sent him a text before arriving, telling him to stay after the meeting. We needed to get something straight.

I was unsure how to answer that since I hadn’t expected Griz, whose loyalties were to the organization, not to Two-Bit as a leader. I really didn’t want to add break in another Viper to my to-do list if what I said got this one killed. I flicked a questioning glance at the bodyguard, but Two-Bit waved off my concern. “You can talk freely in front of Griz. Neither of us will tell a soul.”

Even if I were still in the habit of trusting people—something Nate had broken me of, thank god—I wouldn’t have believed a word out of his mouth. “As freely as one can talk in a room that’s likely been bugged, to a man whose secrets rival Cash’s. Is that about right?”

Two-Bit just smiled, and yeah, I was pretty sure I’d hit every part of that on the money. Fine, I didn’t mind playing word gymnastics from time to time. It kept me young.

Greyson and Griz settled in at our backs, letting us have the floor. They were both well-trained in underground etiquette, and unless the bosses were pulling guns, they’d stay the silent muscle they pretended to be.

“You’re a knowledgeable man.”

Another grin. “I have my moments.”

“Lots of them surrounding me.”

“Are you surprised? You’re a fascinating woman.”

“Not surprised, curious.” And annoyed. “You always seem to know more than you should.”

Two-Bit shrugged. “My birds are everywhere. They’d be pretty worthless if they didn’t do their jobs, wouldn’t they?”

Ah, the translation portion of our talk had begun. This one was easy. I have spies in every camp. Don’t forget that I’m always watching.

Given that he was a man who’d barely scraped together the power for a seat at the table, it didn’t make any fucking sense that he had the information network he did.

“Did your birdies tell you about my angel?” Translation: How did you know about my mother’s family?

“It took a lot of work to figure it out.” I wasn’t sure if that meant they had to dig pretty deep to get the truth or that it took them a while to get someone in the Osorio camp.

“How much work did you do involving my houseguest?” I asked. Translation: Did you know who Nate was before I did?

Two-Bit’s smile never wavered and Griz was stoic behind him, but there was a flicker in the solemn man’s eyes that gave me the answer before his boss did.

“It’s smart to know all the pieces on the chessboard if you’re going to play.”

Translation: Yes.

Rage had become my constant companion since Cash dropped his little bomb, tempered only by grief so stifling, I had to pretend it didn’t exist to function. But this? It twisted that rage into a torpedo ready to blow us all sky-high.

“You didn’t think it was necessary to share that information with me?” I asked, done with the games already. Even on my most patient day, I didn’t play them long.

Two-Bit shrugged. “I assumed you vetted your lovers. Besides, it wasn’t my business.”

The fact that I did vet Nate didn’t matter. I hadn’t done enough, and Two-Bit was right. What happened with Nate was no one’s fault but mine.

But I couldn’t say that because leaders didn’t admit defeat. Not at my level. They might admit their faults to trusted guns, but Two-Bit wasn’t under my banner. He was an outsider who knew too damn much for my comfort. So I’d sit and stew in my frustration until I was safe enough to let it out.

The longer I sat there debating my next move, the thicker the tension got. The air shifted, as did Grey and Griz, readying themselves for battle if it came to that. Two-Bit seemed fine, though. At ease almost, even as he poked at me. “All due respect, but don’t make me a problem, Mari. You already have enough on your plate. I would hate to make things worse.”

Wasn’t that the fucking truth.

I had Cash wreaking havoc in my city and the Wolf on my ass, not to mention O’Bannon and the others ready to rip me to shreds for one fucking mistake. Like none of them had been caught dicking down the wrong heiress before. Since I was a woman, I couldn’t make the same mistakes they did because I had to stay virginal and pure.

What a load of shit.

I debated causing a problem anyway, but Two-Bit’s network was too deep to uproot. I doubted taking him out would do anything to stop them as a whole. That made him a seriously dangerous person to piss off because I had no way of learning how much he knew about my organization until it was too late. I had to take a step back, or I’d let my temper destroy years of progress and an alliance that seemed more beneficial by the day.

Deep breaths. Happy thoughts, Mari.

Centering myself wasn’t working, so I smiled and spoke through gritted teeth. “In the future, if you find out something that seems like my business, I’d be glad to know immediately.”

“What will I get in return?”

“My thanks,” I said dryly, smiling for real when he laughed. “I’ll pay you for your consideration.”

“I’ll think about it.” He held out his hand to me, leaning over the table as we shook. “And I’m sorry about Nate. He seemed like a good guy, but I guess looks can be deceiving.”

Just like that, the bubble of tension popped. Griz took a step back from his boss, shoulder dropping into a more comfortable position after holding himself at the ready for so long, and I felt Greyson shifting to do the same. I still wasn’t sure whose side Two-Bit was on, but if he wasn’t actively trying to destroy me, I was fine with not thinking about it for now. He could be next month’s problem.

With a respectful nod my way, Two-Bit rose, following Griz’s lead out the door. As his second held the elevator, he turned back with a twinkle in his eye that told me I wasn’t going to be happy with him. “Good luck at your reunion.”

I wasn’t even surprised that he knew about the Wolf. I was just more annoyed.

“Christ,” Grey muttered as the doors shut. “What do you want to do about him?”

“Nothing right now.” I felt every joint in my body crack as I stood, like even they were brittle. “He’s right. We can’t afford another problem.”

Not until my grandfather was dealt with.

Rafael had sent word that Emmanuel would arrive tomorrow morning, visiting my city for the first time since my mother had run away from home. I had no doubt that our meeting would be anything but pleasant, but I could handle that. My hope was to secure his help squashing Cash and his Aces, but as long as we all made it out alive, I’d be happy.

Greyson rested his hand on my hip as we waited for the elevator, so close to where Nate’s touch from yesterday still burned that I wanted to throw up.

I hadn’t told him or Dominic about the ambush or the kiss. I wasn’t sure why I kept it to myself other than that I hadn’t told them anything lately. I was surviving as a lonely little island because I forced myself to. To make it through the day, my feelings had to be shoved tightly into a box and forgotten at the back of my mind, even though fucking everything reminded me of Nate’s treachery. Compartmentalizing was my friend, but I needed time and space for that, and while I was getting it now, I knew my men. They would only leave me in peace for so long, and my time of reckoning was coming quicker than I wanted.

Soon, I’d have to own up to everything, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.

“Let’s get the journals and then head back to the Celestine.”

“Whatever you want, reina.” Grey’s voice was soft, measured, comforting, and I leaned into him for a second. Soaking up the warmth that only he could give me. The elevator dinged, dragging me away again, but for now, I felt whole, and that was enough.

Stepping into the mansion felt like walking into a graveyard. It had that eerie sense of emptiness and secrets and spirits roaming the halls. It felt abandoned in the same way Sevenroe had, despite only being empty for two days.

Two days since I’d lain in Nate’s bed, totally at peace despite the war on the horizon. Solid in my understanding that the men I loved would be at my side through all of it.

Now, everything was different, and part of me wished I could go back to being that clueless idiot who was so besotted with a warm smile that she forgot the first lesson her father ever taught her.

Everyone lies.

“I had Tennessee’s team sweep it before we got here,” Greyson offered as I stood just beyond the threshold, unable to move. Captured and kept by history that hadn’t even had time to seep into walls. “No one’s been in or out who wasn’t supposed to be home.”

Home.It felt impossible for it to be real anymore when mine was shattered.

Nate had been my home, just like Dominic and Greyson were, but he hadn’t been the foundation. He’d been the snake in the rafters, lying in wait to devour us whole, and I was the dumbass who’d let him in.

“Where’s Amara?”

“Extended vacation to her sister’s. She’s pissed, by the way.”

Guilt and gratitude warred in me as I tried to smile for him. I’d been so focused on my own pain that I hadn’t thought about Amara or anyone else Nate’s treachery had affected. I’d been so fucking blind, again. It had to stop.

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. We’re a team.” He said it like he was reminding me. Like I’d forgotten.

Maybe I had.

“You ever wish you could go back, make different choices?” I asked.

“No, because then I wouldn’t have you.”

“I wish I’d left him to the wolves that day.” Even knowing they wouldn’t have done anything because Nate was an Ace like the men who ambushed me, I still wished I’d run instead. That I’d ignored the soft part of me that didn’t want a kind stranger to die and left him to the bullets alone.

“No, you don’t.” I snorted at Greyson’s words, and he stepped closer, his warmth seeping into my back and his breath shifting the hair at my ear. “That isn’t who you are, Mari.”

“Maybe it should be.”

His noise of disagreement was barely loud enough to hear. “It’s only been a few days.”

“Feels like a lifetime,” I muttered.

“Even so, give yourself some grace. It won’t hurt like this forever.”

But it would still hurt. We both knew that.

“Let’s just get the journals and go. I hate it here.” I hadn’t before, but now all I could see were lies in the wallpaper and deceit on the floors. I didn’t want to stay long enough to discover anything else. Not yet anyway.

Hell, maybe I never would. There was too much family history in the house to ever sell it, but I doubted I’d live inside again. I’d probably give the whole place to Moore and Tennessee. They could use a security outpost of their own.

The trip up to the library was silent, Grey and I wary despite his assurances that we were alone. The house just didn’t feel safe anymore.

It felt haunted, and I’d never been one for ghosts.

The library was massive, the shelves packed despite most of the books never having been cracked open. When we were kids, it had been Antoni’s favorite place, if only because it was no one else’s. He could sit in the oversized chair by the fireplace for hours reading history books that made my eyes cross, and no one interrupted. When he met Shara, she’d join him, and they’d snuggle up like they had nothing but time.

My brother fell in love in this room. Proposed here, too. I could feel him in every square inch of it, and suddenly, I missed him fiercely. Antoni would’ve been the first in line to beat the shit out of Nate for what he’d done, and the first to offer me a hug for my troubles. Second in line would’ve been Rey, who would’ve destroyed Nate’s car like I’d taken out Cash’s before forcing me into a shitty movie marathon that ended with a stomachache and moving on.

I changed my mind. Ghosts would be fine, if they were the ones I got.

Greyson cleared his throat, tipping his head toward the shelves. Not trying to rush me, but reminding me we had a job to do.

The journals—both my father’s and Antoni’s—were chock-full of information that no one else could know. Insider knowledge that could bring everything down around me. My first order of business after taking over had been to split them up, hiding them in plain sight inside other books. My brother would’ve called gutting a book sacrilege, but I called it necessary.

I searched the shelves in silence, fingers tracing the familiar spines as I looked for the first journal hidden in a bunch of medical texts.

Only, it wasn’t there.

“What the fuck?”

I skimmed the shelf again, pulling the books out one at a time and flipping through in case I forgot where I’d hidden it, but the hollowed-out cover was waiting for me. Empty.

Unease grew in the pit of my stomach, and I hustled to the next hiding spot to find the same thing.

Empty cover. No fucking journal.

“No.”

“Reina?” Grey moved closer as I went to the next spot and the next, getting more frantic with each step, only to be disappointed each time.

Nothing.

“They aren’t here.”

Silence and then, “What?”

Grey gave a good growl when he wanted to, and it slid across my skin like the tip of a knife, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Too bad I was too far gone to enjoy it.

“The journals are missing. They’re gone.”