Page 40 of Fierce Monarch

Were all men as fucking clueless as my family? Were they all so blind?

The city was falling before I took over.

I gave it life. I rebuilt it to last for generations. I protected it.

What the fuck had they ever done?

Smiling through gritted teeth, I had to work hard to rein in my temper. “Let me get this straight. You’ll help me save my city, but in return, I have to give it up?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck no.”

Emmanuel’s brow creased at the cursing, and he stood, buttoning his suit jacket. “Then there’s nothing to discuss.”

Rafael’s eyes were boring into my skull, but did he seriously think I’d ever give up Seattle? Did he think I was worth so little?

If he did, he was wrong. I was worth everything, and so was this city. I’d show them all.

I followed Emmanuel to my feet, holding out my hand for another shake. “I understand. Thank you for coming out, Grandfather. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“I won’t be staying at all. I hate this fucking city.”

Emmanuel turned to Rafael, dismissing me in a move so like my father it nearly stole a laugh from me. Only knowing it would make things worse kept my mouth shut. “Your vacation is over, hijo. Return home immediately.”

Rafael glanced at me, then back. “Father, please. I can’t leave her here. Bianca?—”

“Is dead, as are her progeny.”

“Still here,” I muttered. Surprisingly, Dominic and Grey both chuckled, and warmth bloomed in my chest again at the sounds. They felt like home, like family, and seeing my last connection to my mother dismiss me like I was nothing had me craving them. Not for sex, but for comfort.

“One more week,” Rafael bargained.

“No,” Emmanuel snapped. “You will leave Seattle tonight.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You can and you will.” Emmanuel clapped a hand to Rafael’s shoulder, squeezing just short of painfully. “Come home and leave the girl to burn before there’s nothing for you to come back to.”

Rafael stilled in his father’s hold, and I knew we were all wondering the same thing. Was he threatening Rafael’s position in the family or his sons? I knew next to nothing about my Osorio cousins, only that I had them, which meant I had no way to help them. If Emmanuel decided they had to die, that was it.

Rafael’s head bowed, though I was sure it was to hide the hateful glare he tossed at the table. “I’ll leave tonight.”

“Good. In case you decide there’s more you can do, here’s proof that the Marcosa line is well and truly on its way to extinction.” Emmanuel slapped a phone into his hand and gave me a final glance. “He’s tearing the city down around your ears, girl. Better let him have it before he buries you in the rubble.”

Then he turned away, giving me nothing but his back as he walked out of my life.

The whole visit was fucked, and we hadn’t even gotten to appetizers.

The four of us were silent as the Osorio guards left the building behind their boss. Only when the last was truly gone did Rafael look at the phone. I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard swearing quite like that.

“Uncle?”

Rafael said nothing, just tossed me the phone. One glance froze my pulse, only to send it racing to the point of pain right after.

“Motherfuck.” Greyson stood fast enough to topple his chair, barking orders at Moore to stay with me while he and Tennessee did some digging.

Because the phone didn’t just have pictures of my ledgers from the docks with the overages from Porter and Cash, but all of my ledgers.

---