The morning after
Chapter 42: The Morning After
The problem with kissing Lorenzo Vitale was that it immediately ruined Amara Queen's ability to think.
Not permanently.
Probably.
Hopefully.
But definitely for the next twelve hours.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The surgeon stood in front of her bathroom mirror the following morning staring at her toothbrush.
The toothbrush had done nothing wrong.
Unfortunately.
It had become the victim of her inability to focus.
The betrayal.
The innocent-toothbrush betrayal.
Undefeated.
Amara blinked.
Once.
Slowly.
Then finally remembered what she was supposed to be doing.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because her mind kept replaying the previous night.
The conference room.
The tie adjustment.
The kiss.
The stupidly perfect kiss.
The realization annoyed her.
Deeply.
The complete betrayal.
Meanwhile...
Across the city...
Lorenzo Vitale was having the exact same problem.
The king sat at the head of a conference table surrounded by captains.
Important captains.
Powerful captains.
Men discussing millions of dollars.
Territory.
Politics.
Business.
The usual.
Unfortunately...
Lorenzo had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
One captain frowned.
Immediately.
"Boss?"
Silence.
Lorenzo blinked.
Once.
Slowly.
"What."
The captain pointed toward a financial report.
"We asked you a question."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The mafia don stared at the report.
Then stared harder.
Because he genuinely had no idea what the question had been.
The betrayal.
The distracted-by-a-kiss betrayal.
Undefeated.
Across the table several captains exchanged glances.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
One finally sighed.
Immediately.
The universal sound of a man suffering.
"He's thinking about her."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The room froze.
Immediately.
Because apparently everyone had chosen death.
Again.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lorenzo slowly looked up.
Dangerously.
The captain immediately regretted existing.
Reasonably.
Very reasonably.
The meeting somehow continued.
Though barely.
Several hours later Lorenzo found himself standing outside Queen Medical Center.
Again.
The realization should've been embarrassing.
It wasn't.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The receptionist looked up.
Then sighed.
Immediately.
The universal sound of a woman who had accepted reality.
"Third floor."
Silence.
Lorenzo blinked.
"What."
The receptionist pointed toward the elevators.
"You're here to see Dr. Queen."
A pause.
"Again."
Another pause.
"I've stopped asking questions."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The betrayal.
The observant-receptionist betrayal.
Undefeated.
Five minutes later Lorenzo entered Amara's office.
Immediately freezing.
Because Amara looked beautiful.
Again.
The woman was becoming extremely inconsiderate.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara looked up from her desk.
Then froze too.
Immediately.
The betrayal.
The handsome-man betrayal.
Undefeated.
Neither spoke.
For several seconds.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then simultaneously:
"Hi."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The awkwardness arrived.
Immediately.
Because somehow surviving gunfights had been easier than this.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Amara adjusted her glasses.
The movement automatic.
Comforting.
Dangerous.
Lorenzo smiled.
Immediately.
The traitor.
The complete traitor.
"What."
The question came suspiciously fast.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The king leaned against the door.
Looking entirely too pleased with himself.
A concerning development.
Very concerning.
"You do that when you're nervous."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
The audacity.
The complete audacity.
Amara stared.
Then stared harder.
Because unfortunately...
He was right.
Again.
The betrayal.
The always-right-about-her betrayal.
Undefeated.
"I am not nervous."
The lie was terrible.
Absolutely terrible.
Lorenzo laughed.
Immediately.
Warm.
Dangerous.
A recurring problem.
Very recurring.
Then something unexpected happened.
The office door burst open.
One of Amara's nurses rushed inside.
Breathing hard.
Panicked.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Both immediately stood.
The atmosphere changing in an instant.
Because panic usually meant emergency.
And emergency meant patients.
The nurse looked between them.
Then smiled.
Suddenly.
Unexpectedly.
Dangerously.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"Oh."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
The woman looked entirely too pleased.
A bad sign.
A very bad sign.
"What."
Amara's voice carried warning.
Professional warning.
Dangerous warning.
The nurse handed over a chart.
Then grinned.
"Nothing."
A pause.
"Just wanted to interrupt your staring contest."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The room froze.
Immediately.
The betrayal.
The workplace betrayal.
Undefeated forever.
The nurse fled before retaliation could occur.
Very smart.
Very, very smart.
The door slammed shut behind her.
Leaving Amara and Lorenzo alone again.
Silence.
Then—
Lorenzo laughed.
Actually laughed.
And despite every effort not to...
Amara laughed too.
The sound filled the office.
Warm.
Easy.
Real.
And for the first time in a very long time...
Everything felt normal.
No wars.
No enemies.
No bombs.
Just them.
Unfortunately...
Neither of them noticed the black SUV parked across the street.
Or the man inside watching the clinic through binoculars.
Because while Viktor Romano was gone...
The consequences of his final choices were only beginning.
End Chapter 42