Page 163 of Merciless Queen

The heat shoots off throughout my entire body and my core clenches impossibly tight around him, keeping him as deep as he’s able to be as he growls his own release and his warmth travels through my pussy. I’m mindless and boneless, continuing to rock on him even as my lungs work overtime, trying to stretch this minute as long as I can. As long as nature will allow us to.

When I finish, I do nothing but fall against his chest. For the first time, I don’t push him away. Don’t shove him out my bedroom so I can continue with my life. I allow his arms to come around my body and enjoy the feeling of being held by someone who cares for me.

He strokes a hand over my hair. “Sorry I was such an ass to you for so long. If only I knew this would be our ending, I’d have gone about it a different way.”

I shake my head against his damp chest. “Things worked out how they should have, so I wouldn’t change anything. Everything that happened got me to see what I was missing.”

Zeno twines his fingers with mine, lifting our joined hands to his heart. “You’re going to get pissed at me from time to time. Once I have something I love, I don’t share.”

I lift my head to look at him. “You’re in luck then, ‘cause neither do I. And Mancini, you’re all mine now. I’ll slaughter the next person who hurts you.”

He smirks playfully. “The only person allowed to kill me is you.”

“Damn right.”

I lower my head back to his chest, his heartbeat steadily thumping beneath my ear. It’s to that gentle beat, I let myself slip away, dozing in the arms of my rival.

My husband.

Hours passand another round in which started with her mouth on my cock and ended with her sitting on me again, until redressing and walking back to the mansion. The moment we break from the trees, I take her hand in mine. Now that I’m allowed to touch her, I never want to stop.

To think, mere hours ago, I was still denying what we could be. If Serafina didn’t want to stay to see Lev wake, we’d likely be on a plane by now and I’d be flying away from my future rather than tucking it beneath my arm.

“What were you doing out here, anyway?”

“Hiding. Figured you’d take off soon after and I didn’t want to be around for that.”

For some reason, that makes me smile. Even as she denied herself, she knew it’d hurt.

When we approach the house, Anastasia bursts out the front door, an explosion of energy and commotion. “Finally, you two!” Her eyes flick to our joined hands, and she smiles before shaking her head. “Do you not answer your phone?”

Vanessa reaches into her pocket and slips her cell out. “Got preoccupied. Lev okay?”

“Ivan escaped! Turns out, he had more men waiting outside and they attacked those we left behind.” Her countenance slips a bit, frown folding downwards. “More deaths…and he’s gone.Fuck. I used the tracking software on Lev’s phone, but the trail goes cold at the airport. People are headed there now, but so far, there’s no trace of him boarding a plane.”

Vanessa shouts her reply in Russian, but it’s much too quick to catch, and Anastasia responds the same way.

“For fuck’s sake, why can’t we win?” Vanessa releases my hand to rub her face. The woman from earlier is gone, the Pakhan returned, determined and focused to end another war. “Where would he be going?”

“Vitale?” I offer, already pulling out my own cell. “Without asking directly and raising suspicion, I can get Nero on it. Others in the Cosa Nostra might know too. If he looks at the Italy border, we’ll find out.”

“That’s helpful, thanks.” She blows out a breath. “It’s not a guarantee, but it’s something.” She looks to her Elite again. “Tell Dimitri. He should be landing soon.”

“Already done.” She turns for the side of the house. “I’m going to head to the warehouse and help with the clean-up.” With a parting smile toward both Vanessa and me, she walks a few steps before pausing. “Also,finallyyou two figured it out. You’re welcome by the way. Now we can all get some rest around here.”

Once she’s gone, I swing Vanessa in front of me, cupping her face to attempt to smooth the worry lines etching her face. I love seeing her focused, but I’m already missing the woman from the forest.

“Whatever you need, whatever resources, the Cosa Nostra is at your disposal.”

We haven’t talked about the future yet, and I see the exact second the realization crashes on her. When the lines deepen.

“We’re both heads of two different organizations.”

My hand strokes down her cheek. “Now we’ll be allies. Happens all the time. You’re still Pakhan, and I’m still a capo.”

“We live in two different countries.”

I tuck stray strands of hair behind her ear. “Not for much longer.”

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