Page 139 of Fall Before Her Throne

“Chiara, why?”

She grabbed my hands, looking between both me and Cas. “You are dealing with far too much to babysit me. I know that. Enzo, for all his fucking faults, keeps a powerful hand over his territory. You know that. I will be safe there, and then you can do what you need to do.”

“Chiara, I can take care of you. You don’t have to do⁠—”

“I know I don’t have to. I just want one night with my best friend, and then I’ll let you get back to work. Enzo swore to me that nothing would happen.”

My lips pressed together, trying to hold back a nosy smile. “And what did we think was going to happen?”

Her lips pursed. “To be honest, Lee, I don’t really want to talk about it. I’ll just say that Enzo and I used to be…friends. We met at a couple of parties and flirted a little bit.” When I gave her a that-is-total-bullshit look, she shook her head sadly. “No, that’s all I ever was. I thought, maybe, it could have been more. But Enzo made it very clear he didn’t want there to be more.”

That fucker had hurt my best friend’s feelings. A crime worthy of death. If he weren’t my ally, I’d swear to fuck him up for her. I could…not let her go. I could keep her here? She probably wouldn’t be all that mad.

But it was her choice, not mine. She deserved to have that choice.

“Are you sure you want to stay with him?” I reached for her again.

She squeezed my hand. “It will be fine.”

“God, Chiara, I hate that you just keep trading one prison for another. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t feel like that.” She blinked a few times and then plastered a smile on her face. “I know what this life has always meant for us. I know what you’re trying to do. When all this blows over, I’ll go home and forget it ever happened. Maybe I’ll even move, who the fuck knows. I don’t really have anything else left to keep me in New York.”

“What about me?” I teased.

“Always you, my beloved best friend,” she said. “But I can’t live with you forever, nor do I want to. I imagine there’s always a lot of fucking going on, with your six men and all, and as a single woman currently pissed off at the only chance at romance she’d ever truly had, I couldn’t possibly bear it. Let me be single in peace and enjoy your constant orgasms. I’ll buy a vibrator and be perfectly happy on my own.”

By the end of her rant, I was practically snort-laughing, which made her laugh, and it wasn’t long until the two of us were clutching our sides. “Are you sure?”

She waved a hand. “Yeah, Enzo doesn’t scare me. Just end this sooner rather than later so I can get out of there. I’ll be thrilled to have my freedom when you have yours.”

“Okay, I will.” I reached out my pinky and wrapped it around hers. “Promise.”

43

LEONA

Leona: Queens, we officially have a new member

Fallon: Is this who I think it is

Willow: Chiara? Is that her?

Chiara: It’s me!

Zoya: Finally. Leona has been talking about you for weeks

Fallon: I hope you are prepared for what you’re getting into, Chiara

Chiara: I’m more than ready to be surrounded by powerful women instead of idiot men

Fallon: Oh, fuck yeah

Fallon: I knew I was going to like her

Zoya: As a Bratva princess with what I’m assuming is a similar upbringing, let me just say that you will enjoy this group

Willow: Lovely to have you with us, Chiara. The Queens are how things get done around here.