Page 24 of Fierce Monarch

Rafael ignored my sarcasm, as usual. “I wasn’t aware Mari didn’t know who you were, you little prick. Do you have any idea the damage this could do?”

Considering my relationship’s implosion recently, yeah. I did.

“We can talk all about the ways that you’re going to castrate me for this later. Where is she?”

“What makes you think I would tell you where she is?”

“Are you aware that her other uncles are planning to take her out? Soon, from what I’ve heard.” The last part was a guess, but one I was pretty sure about.

“If Mari’s uncles wanted her to bend the knee, forcing her during a time of upheaval—like, say, when her boyfriend turns out to be an enemy spy—would be their best bet. She’s unstable, and people are watching. She’s hemorrhaging power daily, and it’ll only get worse the longer my brother runs amok in her city.”

Silence was Rafael’s only answer, and my fingers tap, tap, tapped the steering wheel in impatience. I was desperate to move but unwilling to take action until I knew where to go. I couldn’t run in circles when I wasn’t sure Mari had time to waste.

“I see,” he said flatly, and I wasn’t even surprised that he already knew. I just needed to know if Mari did.

“Where is she, Rafael?”

Rafael’s huff was grating to my already frayed nerves, and I sighed. “I’m not going to hurt her.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He had no reason to, but it didn’t change the fact that he was going to tell me one way or another. “Does she know?”

Does she know her family’s out to get her?

Rafael’s pause was as good as a yes, and I cursed again. Everything in Mari’s life was going wrong and I wished so desperately that I could help, but I knew better. There was no helping. Not like this. Not when I was the cause of all this turmoil.

“Please just tell me where she is. I promise not to hurt her. Hell, you can follow me there if you want. I just need to make sure she’s okay.”

Another long pause. So long, I felt like I’d ground my teeth to dust until, finally, Rafael said, “She won’t see you.”

“Then what’s the harm in giving me the information?”

“If she figures out it was me?—”

“She won’t,” I said quickly, knowing he was going to give me what I wanted. He had to.

“I won’t tell you exactly where she is, but I’ll give you a general area.”

“Fine.” I could work with that. Nothing that a little stalking couldn’t fix, even if it felt weird to think about following the love of my life.

Then again, if she never forgave me, I had no doubt that was going to be my future. Provided we all survived Cash.

Rafael rattled off the cross streets, more irritated than I’d ever heard him. I was about to hang up the phone when he snapped my name. “If she gets hurt because of this, I’ll make you wish your brother had actually killed you.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I said, starting the car before I’d even hung up the phone. I had to warn my girl.

Finding Mari was easier than I expected after making my way uptown, per Rafael’s instructions.

Hard to have true stealth when you ran a city.

I was barely out of my car before someone was pointing me in the right direction. Every other turn, I heard reverent whispers of the Marcosa queen, leading me to her like a trail.

My first glimpse of Mari since the damned meeting was a brutal one.

She looked put together. Makeup on, hair slicked back in a ponytail and straightened to a single sheet of silky brown, perfect suit, and heels to kill. She looked incredible, and I had to palm my cock where it was trying to tent my jeans.

Not the time.

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