Page 57 of Regal Queen

Or it could be Nero, finally figuring out how to contact me.

But it could also be Rose, and the thought made my chest squeeze.

Regardless of who it was, I was going to face it head on.

"Hello." I answered, my voice sounding rough and vulnerable. What if it was Rose? God, I needed it to be her.

There was a slight hesitation, then the sweetest, honeyed voice poured over the receiver. "Hi Bourbon."

"Rose," I breathed, relief flooding me. My shoulders slacked at the sound of her voice and I suddenly felt like I could breathe again. "Where are you?"

Again, another hesitation, then finally, "I can't tell you."

“Yes you can.” Scowling, I gripped the phone, growling out. "Wherever you are, tell me, and I'll be there within the day."

She sighed. "That's not what I want.”

“Then what is it you want?"

"I need time."

“Why the fuck you do need time? Dimitri is still out on the loose and both he and Nero could--"

"I know where Dimitri is." She cut me off, and her answer made me freeze.

"Rose," I growled. "What the hell are you doing? If Knight is putting you in danger for some kind of vendetta against Dimitri, I'm going to kill him."

"It's not Knight," she grit out, the fire I'd once remembered coming back out in full force. "What, you think I'd go with Knight just because I'm a woman and can't think for myself? You think I don't have my own brain? That I can't think of a plan all on my own to figure out where Dimitri is? You think--"

The sound of Luca chuckling beside me grated on my nerves as Rose chewed me out. Trying to keep my anger in check, knowing riling her up wasn't going to help me in any kind of way, I let her go on until she'd run out of steam.

"No, doll," I hated how desperate I sounded, especially with Luca in the room but I couldn’t seem to help myself, not with this woman, "that's not what I meant. I'm just worried about you."

There. I'd said it. Admitted to this woman how I was feeling.

She fell silent, her anger seeming to abate, for the moment. A silence that I hated stretched between us.

I strode towards the glass door, punching in the code to open the door, then stepped out into the balcony so that I could have some privacy without Luca’s prying ears. When I was alone, I stared out at the city night, trying to breathe it in and to gather my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Rose, Okay? I really am worried about you. I can't stand the thought of something happening to you again." When she didn’t answer, I kept going, the sound of her breathing on the other end of the phone encouraging me forward. "It killed me when you were in Russia, and I would never be able to live with myself if something had happened to you again."

“’Why?" she finally spoke. “Do you really care about me?"

“Of course I do." I sounded angry, and the truth was, I was. Didn't she know by now how I felt about her? Hadn't I tried to show her the past few days? I'd let her come with me to that ship, something I now regretted because it gave her the ability to leave me. I was never going to do anything that stupid again. "I've never told anyone about my mother. Never showed anyone that painting. Never told anyone, not even Coulter, what her last words were to me. I swear I'm trying Rose."

"So what is it that you want from me?" Her voice was soft, like I'd gotten to her.

I clutched the phone tighter, hanging on to that sliver of hope. "I told you, Rose. I want to put a baby in you."

"Am I some kind of incubator to you? You want a baby that has not only King blood, but royal Bratva blood too?"

"Fuck no. I want you Rose. Don't you see that? A baby with you will tie you to me, so you'll never leave me."

“That sounds like something Nero would do.” Her words made me freeze, and suddenly the night air was a cold whip against my skin. "A girl never wants to be told she's wanted for what kind of things she can give you."

I clenched my jaw and stared at the busy city life below me, keeping my thoughts to myself. I just wanted to know where the fuck she was. Then I could go to her, and we could talk about this in person.

"Tell me where you are, Rose."

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