Page 24 of Vexatious Queen

“Then don’t decide tonight…or tomorrow. Take your time. If Sharpe pushes too hard, tell him to go fuck himself.”

She leaned into me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. God…the world was a fucked-up place. I knew it at a young age, but I couldn’t figure out if I wanted Ren’s mother to be alive or if it was better that Edmundo had a mysterious enemy.

Either one had huge consequences, but what happened if Ren found out that her mother was alive and had let her believe she was dead? Edmundo was savvy and had enough friends, power, and money to handle shit if it was a covert attack against him. But Ren’s mom returned from the grave…she didn’t need another rug pulled out from under her.

Everything about this hurt my head.

“I don’t know if I want to run the Genovese empire when I graduate,” Ren said softly. “I never saw myself at the helm of a…a…an international crime organization. Furthest thing from it.”

“Maybe, but you’d kick ass.”

She looked up at me with skepticism in her eyes.

“I’m being serious. You’re tough, smart, and fair, just like your father. Besides, not all of your father’s businesses are illegal. He has a very diverse portfolio. Shipping companies, clothing manufacturers, a wine vineyard, and even a modeling agency. Maybe you’ll find something you are interested in heading up.”

“Huh…but what about everything else? He won’t just let me do something in the arts and forget about the rest.”

“That’s why you have all of us.”

I smiled, making her laugh. I loved it when her eyes shone like that. Pure joy embodied in a single look.

“Theo will be a full-time lawyer, and he loves all those boring legal papers. Liam is great with numbers and seeing new opportunities and is a hell of a negotiator. Myles…well, who knows. But he has an eye for marketing. I know you wouldn’t think it, but he does. You should check out the social media pages he set up for the lacrosse team.”

“What about you and Blake?”

I took a deep breath.

“Blake…honestly, I don’t see him involved.” Ren’s brows drew together. “It’s not an insult, just…his heart has never been in this world or business in general.”

“He seems to love tutoring,” Ren said.

“Yeah, I could see him teaching or running a music program. Something that wasn’t…” I looked around at the limo and pointed with my finger to indicate what I meant. “This lifestyle. Not the limo specifically, but you get what I mean. Hell, I can see him being the next Dean of Wayward.”

Ren smiled wide.

“So true. What about you? You didn’t answer.”

The limo slowed as we pulled up to the gates.

“I’m happy to run it all. I don’t care what it is unless it has to do with human trafficking, which your father is not into anyway. Aside from that…I get a rush from making deals, identifying people’s weaknesses or interests, and using them to my advantage. I know that makes me sound like a dick, but you need that quality to rule.”

“You also need to know when enough is enough,” Ren countered.

I cupped her face and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“That’s why I have you,” I whispered. “You’re my voice of reason, Princess.”

With a chuckle, her cheeks warmed beneath my palms.

“And what if I decide I want to rule?”

Ren threw out the challenge with a seductive smirk that had me wanting to tell the driver to take another lap around the city so I could get her naked.

“Then we rule together. Side-by-side. Equals,” I said as the car pulled up to the front doors of the school.

She leaned in and kissed my cheek and then my neck, driving me insane.

“And what if I want you on your knees?”