Page 2 of Lethal Queen

I cried out in frustration when I reached the end of the road, home so close I could see it but separated by the world’s busiest fucking road. I needed to get to Damiennow.I’d only be safe with my husband. And Lionel—I needed to get help for Lionel.

Fuck this.The second traffic slowed to a crawl, I dove out in front of a white van and stumbled onto the island, panting, my breaths shorter with every second. I couldn’t even hear my own sobs. It took another minute for the next stream of traffic to slow and then I was sprinting across, throwing myself at the glass building and into the bright, airy lobby.

A well-dressed man tried to step into my path, either concerned or thinking I was an intruder.

“Shooting,” I croaked breathlessly, my head spinning, whole body numb. “Sainsburys.”

The blood paled from his distinguished face and he nodded, stepping aside and letting me flee into the lift. I input the code and mashed the button for our floor, whatever composure had held me together while I ran here falling apart. Sound rushed back into my ears but it was fuzzy and thick, like I was several rooms away from my ragged breaths.

The ride up was hell. My legs threatened to drop me, my whole body shaking. Lionel had beenshot.I left him, bloody, on a supermarket floor and I would never recover from that. This was all my fault for trying to be normal, for trying to do something mundane like shopping. I should have known better. I got my guardshot.

The lifts whooshed open and I pushed off the wall of mirrored metal, needing the burst to remind my legs how to work. I was so used to seeing Lionel standing outside our flatthat the blank stretch of wall was a cruel reminder of where my guard really was. Where I’d left him.

With trembling fingers, I input the code to unlock the door and stumbled inside before it had even slammed shut. I took off down the hallway, my sobs growing louder, hooking deeper into my lungs until my chest hurt. My whole body was cold, like I was encased in ice. I expected my legs to snap like icicles but somehow they carried me to Damien’s office.

I threw the door open and hurtled inside, tears scalding my cheeks when I stumbled to a halt at the sight of the occupied chairs in front of Damien’s desk, my husband’s golden face tight with frustration and tiredness. His head snapped up when I flew into the room and fear blazed in his black eyes, followed swiftly by rage.

“Out,” he barked.

I froze, trembling so hard that my arms shook at my sides. I backed up a step, but rooted to the spot when Stefan and Jonathan leapt to their feet and flowed around me and out the door, the latter with a worried glance in my direction.

“Who made you cry, Vasilisa?” Damien demanded, stalking across the room to me.

The second he touched my arm, I collapsed into him with a ragged sob, tears flooding my vision. My numb legs finally gave out.

He caught me before my knees could hit the floor, and I stared at the circles of blood soaked into my jeans where I’d knelt beside Lionel.

“Vasya,”Damien said, tight with worry. He carried me across the room and dropped into his desk chair, pulling me into his lap. “Talk to me, my queen. Tell me what’s wrong and I’ll fix it.”

“Artur he—he found us and—and Lionel got shot—”

Damien stiffened. “Are you hurt? Fuck, Vasya, did he shoot you?”

I shook my head, tears veiling my face. I was so, so cold. “I ran, Damien. Lionel told me to run and I just—I left him t-there.”

I buried my face in Damien’s chest and cried. Not just shattering sobs, but chest-deep wailing that ripped right from my soul.

“You’re safe now, I’ve got you, Vasilisa.” Damien held me tightly enough that my ribs barked in protest, but my body went limp and I sucked in a ragged breath as warmth hit my icy limbs. “I’m right here, and I’ll never letanyonehurt you.”

“I know,” I said in a small, shuddering voice.

“Artur won’t live past today,” he swore, his breath rustling my hair. “You’ll never have to be afraid again, I swear to you. I’m so sorry. If I’d been more careful, he’d never have gotten to you today.”

“Not y-your fault. My fault for—for leaving—”

“Shh.” He kissed the side of my head, the kiss lingering. “You’re not a prisoner, and I won’t let anyone make you feel like one. If I have to slaughter all of London for you to be safe, I won’t hesitate.”

“You’ll kill Artur like you killed Mark and Dad,” I said raggedly. Not a question.

“No one who hurts you is allowed to live.”

I screwed my eyes shut, my throat tight as I buried my face in his chest, sucking down gasps of his scent, reassuring myself that Damien had me, and no one could hurt me.

“I-I’m sorry for—for how I reacted before. I’m glad they’re dead, Damien. I’mglad,and I was ashamed. Of me, never you.”

He exhaled a rough breath, another kiss finding my forehead. “You don’t have to be sorry, my queen. Never. I’m gonna make a call; you stay right here, okay?”

I nodded, increasingly aware that I was bloody and snotty and leaking tears at an alarming rate. But I didn’t want to move. Ever. Ihatedwhen Damien pulled one arm from around me topick up his phone even if his other remained locked around my back, not letting me go.

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