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“I’ve held the city for nearly a decade, but that’s not enough.” My love laughed, and the sound was so bitter and acrid, it stung my throat. “I shot your father in the head, and you’re telling me I’m too soft.”
“You’re weak, Mari. You’ve always been weak. You want bonds and loyalty and respect. You want family, but that’s not meant for this world. Not when it breeds selfishness and greed.”
“You’re right. I have been weak. It’s time to rectify that.”
Before he could even blink, she twisted and sent a hard kick to his ribs. The crack echoed through the room and dug its way into my brain. My wife looked fierce and formidable, all that sadness buried deep behind the queen she was.
She took out every bit of her frustration on her cousin until she was shaking with adrenaline, soaked in sweat, knuckles and knife dripping blood. Cameron looked almost unrecognizable as he sagged on his chains. Only when his eyes closed did she step back and walk away without a word. I nodded to Dominic and Nate, knowing they would sort out a watch schedule for Cameron. Until Mari decided his true punishment, every breath he took would be monitored.
She waited for me in front of the elevator, her fists and jaw clenched so tightly, her body shook. Even with all that anger, she said nothing until she was sure we were alone.
“He’s right.”
“About what?”
“That I’m weak.”
“Mari—”
“I don’t know if I can kill him, Greyson.” She said it so quietly, I almost couldn’t hear, but I did and it broke my heart. So much grief in those few words. So much agony.
So much self-hatred.
“So, don’t.”
Her head jerked up, and she looked at me through clouded eyes. “I can’t let him live, Grey.”
“Says who?”
“If the family finds out?—”
“You are the family,” I told her, trapping her face in my hands when she tried to look away. “No, listen to me. You have been so worried about the uncles for so long that you have been tiptoeing around them. This is your family, Mari. You are the queen. You make the decisions. If you decide that he lives, he lives. End of story.”
Anyone who had another opinion could form a line, and Dominic, Nate, and I would take care of it. We would be her soldiers, protecting her will with our lives.
“What am I supposed to do, just stick him in a hole somewhere and watch him rot?”
“Why not? Cameron’s done, Mari. If he escapes, the family will hunt him down. If not, he’ll die alone. It’s a lose-lose for him, regardless.”
She shook her head, but I could see the idea worming its way into her brain. Exile didn’t have to mean mercy. “If he dies, that gives Ash closure, a way for her to move on.”
“He doesn’t need to die for her to live again,” I said. “Start with divorce papers. If she needs more than that, we can reevaluate. There’s no need to rush.”
Mari leaned into me, pressing a kiss to my jaw. “Thank you.”
“I’ll always have your back, reina.”
We were inside the penthouse, though we hadn’t moved beyond the foyer. She slipped her phone from her pocket and made the call.
“Donnaghal and Sons. How can I help you?”
“This is Marianna Marcosa. Get me Laidan.”
“Of course.”
In less than ten seconds, Laidan answered. “Ms. Marcosa.”
“I need you to draft divorce papers and have them delivered within the hour.”
