Page 41 of Fierce Monarch

And they’d been released to the public.

A text popped up with a link to the Seattle Tribune.

“Mari,” Dominic warned, but I clicked it anyway. The world was hazy around me—shock, maybe—but I knew I had to see the damage myself.

Money Laundering Scheme Revealed

The article went on to go into detail about my business ventures and how I laundered my money, but it didn’t name names. It didn’t have to.

Anyone who was anyone in the city knew whose records those were, and they knew who’d sent them in.

Greyson rounded back to me, his hand firm on my hip. Unlike yesterday, it was grounding. Settling when I thought I was going to drift into space. The calm before the storm. “I’m already on the phone with Ronnie and Donnaghal and Sons. They’ll work together to get the article removed and your name cleared by morning.”

Our lawyers were incredible—and were paid handsomely for their talent at keeping us out of prison—so I wasn’t actually concerned about that.

Dominic’s phone went off, and one look at the screen was exactly what I was afraid of. Troy Kincaid.

Our clients had already heard, which meant our business was in danger. Revealing our secrets to the public meant police attention, federal attention. It meant that I couldn’t smuggle shit until the heat died down.

Cash had fucked with my head first and my purse strings second. He’d cut me off from my allies and made me look more unstable by the day. He didn’t even need to come after me.

A few more dominoes and the city itself would turn on me.

While Dominic and Greyson focused on their problems, I walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the water below. The waves crashing to the shore.

Which one was I? The immovable force of the water or the easily removed sand?

A throat cleared at my side. Rafael.

“I’m sorry, Mari.”

It was hard to form words when my lips felt numb. “I wish I believed you.”

“I know I have things to make up for, but I promise I will. I’ll fix this.”

“You can’t. Emmanuel said no.”

“Fuck him.” I jerked my head toward Rafael, and he stared me down. “Father’s forgotten what family really is, but I haven’t. I owe you this. I owe Bianca this. So even if the Wolf doesn’t help you, I will if you’ll let me.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted his help, but I’d have to take it. I’d take whatever I could to get Cash out.

Because he’d just turned on the countdown timer, and if he didn’t die, I would.

Chapter Eleven

Dominic

Mari disappeared into her room the second we got home. She’d been silent since she’d seen the article, drowning in her own thoughts and plans. Every time I looked at her, I saw the wheels turning as she tried to figure out how to fix this. How to come back from this.

How to survive.

The silence, I expected, but everything else made me wonder if she wasn’t in shock. I was about to check with Greyson when Troy Kincaid texted again. I fought the urge to snap my phone in half.

I’m giving her a week. If it’s not dealt with, I’m going to see how the other half lives.

This motherfucker.

Kincaid had been with the Marcosas since Mario ran the family, and now he was going to bail? Fuck that.

---