Page 226 of Fall Before Her Throne

I nodded while swallowing.

Ciel wrapped his arms around me from behind, and I leaned back into his calming grasp. Ciel had gotten a secure cell phone into the prison so we could talk to Max, but it didn’t make up for the real thing at all. Even though we’d all visited as often as we could, nothing would be the same until Max was home.

He was supposed to be released today.

I glanced at my phone. Five minutes late. I pulled out from under Ciel’s grip and began pacing in front of the SUV.

“What’s taking so long?” I muttered.

“They’re processing his release, nke’m,” Obi said, lifting my hands to kiss the backs of them. “Don’t worry. Badawi will live up to her side of the deal.”

Max’s official testimony convinced a jury that Greco had been leading the Italian mafia. With his death and Max’s arrest, the mafia was effectively ended.

At least, that’s what the courts believed.

Badawi and Samuel had worked together to reach a deal. Max had to go to prison, but with a judge who owed Obi a favor, some well-placed bribes, and all the official paperwork still stating that he was quietly serving out his sentence, he was getting released early. He’d only had to serve eight months, enough to wait until the public’s attention died down.

Every single one of those months, he’d sent me gifts. A pair of gorgeous earrings. Enough bouquets of flowers to cover our entire house. An entire spa treatment day. A fucking Maserati. He even organized a weekend girls’ trip, where the queens and I got to enjoy some quiet bonding time in Philadelphia. The guys had helped him, but he was so far living up to his promise of trying to make his mistakes up to me.

“We paid a lot of money to get him out,” Ryu said, kicking off the car. “They had better not turn on us.”

I huffed and cracked my knuckles. “They better fucking not. I know we’ve been playing nice the last few months to stay under the radar, but I will unleash hell on New York if this deal doesn’t go through. I’ll fucking rage⁠—”

Obi smiled and pulled my head against his chest. “Shh, dear one. Look.”

My head snapped up.

The doors opened.

A familiar head of sandy blond hair shone in the spring sun.

“Max!” I shouted, raising my hand.

A grin split his face.

“Go on, princess,” Cas said as he nudged my back.

I squealed while I broke out into a run, launching myself at Max. He met me halfway, squeezing his arms around my middle and lifting me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist and plastered myself to him. His laugh was clear and pure while he spun us around.

“Happy birthday, Leona Theresa,” Max whispered in my ear.

My face was about to crack from how wide my grin was.

“Best birthday present ever,” I said before I fused my lips to his.

When we broke apart, the rest of my guys were there, hugging and clapping him on the back. Cas laughed while he squeezed Max. Ciel and Wynn smiled widely, giving Max their own hugs. Ryu raised his hand so they could clasp, then yanked him in for a man-hug. Finally, Obi clasped him on the shoulder.

“Good work, Max,” Obi said, smiling. “You did well.”

“Thanks, Obi,” Max replied, but his sight was locked on me. “It feels fucking good to be out of there.”

“How’s your skin?” Ryu asked. “I bought you some badass moisturizer. It’s at home.”

Max laughed. “Aww, how kind.”

“I also hid a grenade somewhere in your room,” Ryu added. He glanced at the clock on his phone. “You have…five hours until the timer goes off. Better find it before then.”

“Now that’s the Ryuji I know,” Max said with a sigh. “Nice to be back.”