Page 63 of Fierce Monarch

“It’s what I’m telling you.” The women stared at each other, both waiting for the other to yield. Normally, I’d bet on Shara—I’d learned since meeting her that she was a force to be reckoned with, and Mari coddled her more than any other person in her life—but this was family business. If there was something to know, Mari needed answers.

“I have a few badges to add to your shit list,” Shara finally admitted. She rattled off four names, curling in on herself with a wince.

The car’s atmosphere chilled dramatically as Mari cataloged every move Shara made. “Did they touch you?”

“No. They had no qualms about the others doing it, though.”

Mari’s growl ripped through the car, and she leaned forward to whisper in Grey’s ear, “Take care of it.”

He nodded, pulling his phone back out and sending a few more texts.

As I started the car and pulled away, I knew we’d have four more bodies on our tally sheet soon enough.

The ride was relatively silent, with Mari and Shara murmuring to each other occasionally, but not much else. It seemed like none of us relaxed until we made it back to the Celestine.

I got out and opened the door for Shara while Greyson did the same for Mari. Thankfully, Shara didn’t seem to mind that Mari wasn’t letting her go home. Mari was in full overprotective bear mode, and the only way Shara was leaving her sight was to shower.

It wasn’t until we were in the elevator that she poked Mari in the side. “Did you read the journal?”

“No.”

“Chicken.”

“You’re right.” We all turned to her in shock, but she just shrugged. “I’ve been letting my fear rule my life since Rey died, and it’s made it too easy for things to go wrong. It got you arrested and Aislynn nearly killed. I can’t afford to let it happen any longer.”

“So, book club after dinner?”

“Yeah, book club.”

The food arrived just as we did, so we trudged up to the penthouse, surrounded by the scent of greasy food and milkshakes. We ate quickly, and only when Shara sat back with a happy sigh, slurping her milkshake while I cleaned up the trash, did Mari tap back into the room again. When the surface was clear, we all stared at the journal in the center of the table.

“It’s Mario’s, right?” Grey asked, reaching for the book. He was the fastest reader—fucker taught himself to speed-read when they were kids—and Mari had decided he’d skim the pages to see if it was even worth a deeper look.

“Yeah,” Mari said, worrying her lip.

Shara leaned over, dropping her head to Mari’s shoulder. She melted at the touch and relaxed into the chair. The air was thick with quiet nerves as Greyson flipped through the pages. We didn’t know what we’d find or if it would even help. It could just be pages of Mario blowing smoke up his own ass, but my gut said we’d find something to help.

About halfway through, he stopped, flipped back a few pages, then moved forward again. He kept his fingers in place, not losing the spot. When he finished, he wiped his hands on his pants and nodded. “Cash is in here.”

“He is?” Mari leaned forward, staring at the journal as if she could read its secrets that way.

“Not much,” Grey warned. “A few mentions here and here.”

He laid the book out and tapped the pages so she could see, then he turned to me with a wince. “So is your mom.”

I winced too, not wanting to read anything Mario had to say about my mom. They might not have been married very long, but they’d been together for years. If I read an account of their sex life, I wasn’t going to be able to look her in the eyes ever again.

Mari flipped through the pages while I tried to decide whether it was necessary for me to look, her frown growing the longer she read. “This doesn’t make any sense. Do you remember Cash around your mom?”

“No.” I didn’t remember seeing his face before his appearance at Gilded months ago. My brows furrowed at the implication. “What does it say?”

“Read it yourself.” Mari slid the book to me and stood up to pace.

Lucia won’t tell me anything, but I see the way he looks at her. Covets her. I thought Cash was going for my throne, and I don’t blame him. If I was born to be a king, he was born to be a conqueror. But what if he’s gunning for my queen instead?

“So, he could’ve stalked her? Fixated on her like he has on you?” Grey suggested. My stomach lurched at the idea of that psychopath going after my mother. We weren’t close, but she was my mom. I didn’t want anything bad happening to her.

“There’s another option,” Shara said quietly, flipping through the pages now that Mari had given her the okay. “They could’ve had an affair.”

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