Page 127 of Fall Before Her Throne

“Our queen deserves no less.”

“And you’re not allowed to hide in your room anymore,” I said. My leg still bounced with anxiety, but at least this was taking my mind off the guys and Chiara. “You’re part of the family, so be part of the family. That means hanging out in the living room and eating meals with us and⁠—”

“—And even listening to Ryuji’s dumb jokes?”

I gave him a look. “Yes, especially those.”

“I’m a Shadow,” he said with a whiff of pride. His eyes crinkled with warmth. “I’ll be one.”

I nodded tightly, but I’d run out of things to say.

“I promise, I will keep showing you how serious I am about you and about this,” he said while he gently took my hand. “Now, tell me what’s bothering you, Leona.”

I let out a breath and looked out the window. “I’m worried about her. I know she has someone there to protect her, but why hasn’t that other guy returned?”

“I don’t know.”

I chewed my nail again. “If something has happened to her⁠—”

He grabbed my hand and pulled it from my mouth. “I know. Leona, just so you know,” he sighed and cocked his head to the side. “I never wanted her to get hurt. That’s why I tried to keep her away from all this.”

“I know, Max.” Everything he’d said about Chiara had lined up with what she said about him. He had only gone to her father, Vincenzo Tommaso, to get his men. Then, when Tommaso died and Max went on the run with Chiara, he had always tried to keep her apart. He’d sent her to Connecticut so that the Albanians wouldn’t hurt her, and that had ultimately kept her safe while we fought them.

Wrong as he was to lie to me, to keep things from me and Cas, he had true intentions. I felt the same way about how he’d dealt with Chiara.

But once we got her back, none of that would happen anymore.

Max grabbed my chair and pulled it closer to him. He gingerly reached for one of my curls, twisting it around his finger. Then his fingers stepped one by one over my collarbone and up my neck. Inside my chest, my heart pounded furiously. His fingers hovered over the pulse in my neck.

“I can feel your heartbeat,” he said softly. “It’s going pretty fast, Leona.”

I leaned forward, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. “No idea why. Certainly not because of you.”

Sitting face to face, the pull between us was magnetic. His thumb brushed down my lips.

“Don’t be so upset.” His mouth drew near mine. “We’re alone.”

He dipped his head, and I pulled back slightly, just out of his reach. “So?”

His eyes locked on mine. “So I get you all to myself.”

“And?” I teased, the corner of my mouth pulling up.

Our breaths mingled, our lips just barely brushing. Soft touch. Pull back. His palm on my thigh, pushing higher. Brush. Gasp. Tease after tease until I couldn’t fucking take it anymore. I leaned forward, grabbing at his knees, but he pulled away at the last second, and I missed his lips. My eyes flew wide open only to watch him stand and walk away from me.

“And nothing,” he smirked, glancing at me over his shoulder.

I gaped. My racing heart stalled to a stop. He strolled through the kitchen, pausing only to grab a grape from the freshly washed fruit that Wynn had left on the counter. He popped it into his mouth.

“Are you fucking serious?”

He turned around and crossed his arms over his chest with the cockiest fucking smirk. The entire length of the kitchen now spread between us. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I huffed, but I stood from the table, then shrugged. “Fine, then. I’ll just go back to my room.”

I didn’t wait to see what he said. I turned and scurried through the house until I reached the stairs. My heart pounded inside my chest while I hoped he’d get the hint. I swore I wouldn’t chase him, and that would not change. But he could chase me. My hand gripped the rails, and I pulled myself up each step, my ears pricking to pick up any kind of sound.

Don’t look back, I repeated in my head over and over.