Brutal Vows (Queens & Monsters #4)(73)

She’s wearing a sleeveless red dress. It appears to be at least one size too small, if not two. The neckline is plunging, from which her ample tits are spilling out. Her waist is cinched like she’s got a corset on, her legs are bare, her stilettos are sky high, and all I can see are curves for days.

Gazing at me in cool silence, she raises her brows.

I have to pause for a rough throat clearing before I can talk. “Why didn’t you wear one of the white dresses?”

“I hate white.”

“It’s the color of new beginnings.”

“It’s the color of innocence.” Her smile is lethal. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

I growl, “Nobody could ever mistake you for innocent, viper.”

“Good. By the way, what moron thought I wear a size small?”

“This moron.”

Holding my gaze, her voice low and smooth, she says, “Dear husband. You should know by now that there’s nothing small about me.”

We stare at each other across the room. And of course—because I clearly have a problem—my dick starts to get hard.

She glances down at the growing bulge in my trousers, and her lethal smile grows wider.

I cross the room, take her by the arm, and head to the front door, guiding her along.

She pulls her arm from my grip and says acidly, “I’m able to walk without a rabid service animal, thank you.”

So we’re back to square one. Fucking wonderful.

Opening the front door, I make a grand sweeping gesture, complete with a mocking bow.

She walks past me like a queen past smelly beggars.

Once we’re in the car, she decides her hatred of mankind doesn’t extend to Kieran.

Sitting forward on the back seat of the SUV, she says to him, “So tell me all about the reception. Did you have fun?”

“Ach, did I! Met one of yer kin that I fancied. Wee lass named Aria?”

“That’s Leo’s daughter! Oh, she’s the prettiest thing, isn’t she?”

“Aye.” Kieran whistles, his cheeks turning pink. “What a wetser. With the sweetest little arse I’ve ever seen in my—” He cuts off abruptly, sending a horrified glance over his shoulder. “Sorry, lass. I’m an eejit. Just ask Spider.”

She waves a hand and laughs. “Don’t be silly. I don’t mind.”

I growl, “You mind if I breathe in your general direction, but you don’t mind about that?”

Ignoring me, she says, “How did everyone get along? Were there any altercations?’

“Altercations? Nah, it was pure craic! Half the lads were ossified, the other half were fluthered! And the Bettys were bleedin’ deadly on both sides, so there was plenty of tonsil tennis goin’ on. If they weren’t on the dance floor, they were in dark corners, wearin’ the face off each other.”

“So translated that means everyone had fun?”

“Yer bang on they did!”

She exhales a relieved breath and sits back against her seat. “That’s good to hear. I was worried. You know how dangerous putting a bunch of oversized egos into one room can be.”

I say, “Was that jab about egos directed at me?”

“Not everything is about you, Prince of Arrogance.”

“That’ll be King of Arrogance, if you please.”

After shooting me a sharp glare, she turns her attention back to Kieran. “So where are we going?”

He sounds confused. “Spider didn’t tell ye?”

“We’re not on speaking terms at the moment. You tell me.”

He sends me a look in the rearview mirror. “Er…forgive me, lass, but if it’s all right, I’d rather stay out of a marital spat. I tried to intervene between my ma and da once and only got a savage slap about for the trouble.”

She folds her hands in her lap and crosses her legs. “Then I guess it will have to be a surprise.”

We drive through the city center to an industrial area near the docks. It’s crammed with warehouses and shipping containers waiting to be filled and sent across the Atlantic. We pull up in front of one of them, a big white brick building with bars over the windows, and Kieran parks.

Looking out the window at the parking lot, Reyna appears bored.

The stubborn woman won’t ask me where we are.

But when I say, “You’ll want a gun for this,” she whips her head around and stares at me.

“For what?”

“We’re meeting with the heads of the other four Mafia families.”

Ah, that look of shock on her face is so bloody satisfying, heat rushes to my balls.

“Why?”

“Dunno. They called the meet. You tell me.”

Obviously unsettled, she frowns. “There’s supposed to be a vote for the new capo.”

“So why isn’t Gianni here?”

“How do you know he isn’t?”

“They told us he wasn’t invited.”

She ponders that in silence, then shakes her head. “That doesn’t make sense. He’s the head of the family. And the vote was supposed to happen tomorrow, not today.” She glances out the window again, this time with a wary expression. “Mamma said he didn’t go to the reception. He never went back to the hotel last night, either.”