Page 35 of Mob Queen

“I haven’t seen you all day. What’s your problem?”

Rome’s eyes widen and he slowly shakes his head. “You’re kidding me, right?” He lifts his hands in frustration. “You killed a man with a fucking cast-iron skillet.”

“Yep, and I’d do it again. Besides, what’s the problem? You saw me glass a man to death right here, in my house.”

“That was different, he was disrespecting you.”

“It’s the same thing. These people think they can steal, cheat, disrespect me, my property or my business. They need to be dealt with.”

“With a cast-iron skillet?” Rome leaps to his feet and paces in front of his massive window.

“This isn’t a pretty life, Rome. I gave you the option to get out, and you chose to stay. That means you take all of it. The good, the bad, and the motherfucking ugly.” I push off the door and advance further into his room. “I’ll never ask you to kill anyone. Hell, I’ll do that part myself. But don’t you dare be a martyr.”

Rome stops pacing and looks out the window. His jaw tightens before it relaxes on an exhale. “I know what this lifestyle means, Frank, it’s just...” his voice trails as he runs his hands through his thick hair. “Hearing the sickening crack of his skull breaking open...” Rome groans and closes his eyes. “That was disturbing.” He inhales deeply and looks over to me. “Does it get easier?”

“If it does then that means you’re as fucked up as I am.”

“I couldn’t sleep last night.” The dark circles under his eyes is evidence of that. “It kept playing over and over in my head. When I saw you glass the guy-” He slowly lifts his shoulders. “That wasn’t anywhere near as bad as yesterday. How do you sleep?”

“Like the dead,” I reply honestly. Getting laid would’ve been a perfect ending to the night.

“Do me a favor.”

“What?”

“Pre-warn me when the next death will be so gruesome and violent.”

“I guess, I should’ve started you off slow. A bullet between the eyes, not a skillet to the back of the head.”

Rome returns his attention to the darkness but he chuckles. “These are not conversations normal people have, Frank.”

I snort a chuckle. “Define normal, Rome. Because really, me taking care of those two fuckers mean they’ll never be able to hurt another person again.”

Rome’s shoulders slump as he leans against the wall, still looking out the window. His entire posture shifts, maybe his mindset is shifting too. “When you put it that way, perhaps having someone out there cleaning up the scum isn’t such a bad thing.”

“See.” I walk over to him and clap my hand to his shoulder. “That’s the spirit. Just call me judge, jury and executioner.” I snicker to myself as I head out of his room. “I’m hungry. Come down for dinner.”

“I’ll be there in a moment.”

I leave his door open and make my way down to the dining room where G is already sitting and waiting. Mya pops her head out of the kitchen and furrows her brows together when she sees Rome is missing. “He won’t be long,” I answer her unasked query. She smiles before returning to the kitchen. “Any problems from yesterday?”

“Not one. The two soldiers shit themselves. I went and saw them after I took care of the eunuch, and they couldn’t stop talking about you and why you wanted them there to see that. But, if I’m being honest, I think they have a hard-on for you.”

“I’m hot, why wouldn’t they?”

“And oh so modest too,” G replies sarcastically.

I sit back in the chair and chuckle. “What’s so funny?” Rome asks as he enters the dining room.

“Your sister has a sense of humor,” G says.

“Do I have more than one sister?” Rome adds with his own playfulness.

“Hey,” I bite with a smile. “I have a wicked sense of humor. Just the other day I shot the governor’s tires and told him he had an hour before I released the dogs.”

“You did what?” Rome asks, his voice dripping with shock.

“Speaking of the governor, word on the street is someone wants him gone from office,” G says.

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