Page 29 of Fierce Monarch

No, this was what certain death looked like.

We all ignored Kieran, though I caught Grey sliding a glance his way when no one else was looking. “This was a blip in the grand scheme of my years of service.”

“Big blip,” Two-Bit pointed out. The local gang leader and resident pain in my ass had said nothing while the others tore into me. Nope, secretive fuck was playing his own version of being Switzerland. Which pissed me off, because while he wasn’t wrong about Nate being a huge mistake, I knew Two-Bit had his own mistakes he was hiding.

Secrets I suspected would get him killed right beside me if the others found out.

“It doesn’t look good, Mari,” Ajilon said with a disturbed frown. Out of everyone else in the room, he was the closest thing to a true ally I’d ever had, despite keeping our interactions minimal. I knew it bothered him to stand against me, just like I knew he wouldn’t do it unless he had to. Now, because I’d let my pussy override my brain for once, he doubted me. It stung.

One more thing Nate took from me.

“Now, gentlemen. Let’s give Mari the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure she has some way to fix this. Right?” Sean O’Bannon turned to me with that congenial smile on his face, like he was happy to help me through this mess. Even though I knew it was all a ploy—because the man had never been genuine in his entire fucking life—O’Bannon was leaping to my rescue.

Hell had officially frozen over.

I hated Nate a little more for that alone.

Reining in my urge to scream until I lost my voice, I pasted a bland look on my face. “I don’t need a plan because nothing’s changed.”

The silence in the room said no one was expecting that. Honestly, neither was I, but I’d given them ten minutes to rake me over the coals, and I was done now. I wasn’t a child, certainly not one of theirs, and I refused to let them treat me like one.

I was their motherfucking queen.

“The Beckstrom boy was in your house for months, and nothing’s changed?” Kosas, who had always been friendly, sneered. Definitely more of a fair-weather friend since he’d turned the first second he could. Asshole.

Pushing down the initial urge to put him in his place, I forced my muscles to relax and give him my best good ol’ boy smile. “Have you never had a live-in booty call, Kosas? If not, I highly recommend it.”

The color of his face deepened past its normal dark olive color, and I couldn’t tell if it was a blush or anger doing it, but something inside me wanted to poke at him until he exploded, just so I wasn’t the only one struggling. “You’re telling me?—”

“That Nate didn’t make it past the bedroom? Yes.” The lie was slick on my tongue, smooth out of my mouth, and not a single part of me flinched in the delivery, thanks to Mario Marcosa’s school of life. I could feel Greyson’s pride like a blanket against my back, and it bolstered me, even when I tried not to let it.

Ajilon leaned back, obviously confused. “Why was he seen out and about with you, then?”

I shrugged. “I have a high sex drive.”

Kosas, who’d darkened even more at my proclamation, gathered himself again. “You want us to believe you kept him for emotionless sex for months?”

“It’s the truth.” When he guffawed, I let my irritation show. “If you think women can’t have casual sex, look no further than your son. He was on my roster years ago, but I don’t see my ring on his finger now.”

Tyrone, the son in question, stood behind his father with a barely there grin on his face. He was married now—arranged, though he’d been single when we were together—but he didn’t mind my outing him to prove a point. Then again, he was far less traditionally minded than his father, and his wife and I had lunch once a month just to chat.

Kosas’s coloring was getting worrisome, while Haru dipped his head to hide what I suspected to be a smile. Couldn’t verify it, though, and without proof, normally stoic Kimura would deny, deny, deny.

But I saw it.

When Haru looked back up, there was nothing on his face. “Casual or not, it can’t continue. We need our leader steady.” The censure was heavy and grating in every word, but I ignored it.

I really didn’t need to be told what to do.

“Nate won’t be a problem.”

“See to it that doesn’t change. I’d hate to walk away from so much history, but the future will always be my priority.”

The other leaders agreed with Haru, and when I refused to say anything else, they filed out. Kosas cuffed Tyrone when he stood, whispering furiously to the other man, who nodded solemnly. When his father turned around, Tyrone rolled his eyes and shot me a wink.

I’d have to remember to send his wife some chocolate for the headache I was unleashing on her home. Maybe some booze, too.

O’Bannon sent me a smile filled with the joy of seeing your least-favorite family member in trouble on his way out. Calling him an ally felt less accurate by the day, but at least our relationship was legally binding. Well, as legal as we could get, considering our illicit activities.

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