Page 80 of Merciless Queen

Between paced pants, I manage, “Your definition of torture is very strange, Mancini. But I don’t race anyone for free.”

“You want more answers.”

“Yes.”

Zeno’s lips fold down with consideration before he comes to a complete stop, lifting his hand to point farther down the path. “See that bush?”

The one sitting about two hundred meters away. “Mhm.”

“Beat me there, and I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“‘Anything’ is pretty vast. Want to narrow that down?”

His smirk is playful and makes my stomach twist in a pleasurable way. “You won’t win, so my word choice doesn’t matter.”

“Cocky.”

It strikes me then that our conversation went from hateful to playful in the course of mere hours…and I don’t know how to process that.

“Ready?” he asks, breaking my thoughts for a much more useful direction.

“Waiting on you.”

“Go.”

I take off, borrowed shoes digging into the grass, arms pumping. Zeno’s practically maintaining my speed, exactly as he claimed he’d be able to, and at this point, we’ll both make it to the bush at the same time. Hate to say, but he must be pretty fast, if he’s matching my speed while injured. I’d be curious how fast he is when healed.

I refuse to tie.

With a deep inhale, I cut in front of him quickly, forcing him to slow or hit me, knowing what self-preservation does to a person. As expected, he slows slightly and I gain the extra foot on him.

Three seconds away…two…there!

I arrive at the finish line only for a body to slam into me.

Fucking cheater.But that fact doesn’t surprise me. Volkovs have always played dirty.

By the time I regain my footing, Vanessa’s beaten me to the bush. When she shoots me an innocent grin, I decide to not let her win so easily. She won dirty, so she can deal with a sore loser.

I throw a bit of extra strength into my last couple strides, my leg screaming at me for this idiotic outing. I downed pain meds in the bathroom when getting changed, but it’s not enough to combat what I’m putting my body through.

I jump at her, taking her to the ground. She’s trained well enough that as soon as her back hits the grass, she’s rolling to her knees, flipping me over.

I put up a meager fight, curious to see what she’ll do. Everything about this outing has been unexpected. When I figured she’d bolt, she didn’t. This trip out of the villa isn’t out of kindness, but more an insurance policy. She needed out of my room and away from the thoughts about her father’s actions before they drove her mad…er.

Only this morning that might have been fine, but then I saw her hunched in my shower and some switch of stupidity flicked on inside me and I found myself unwilling to allow her to go insane.

Yet.

Although I kick my good leg out to block her, Vanessa manages to straddle me, one thigh on either side of my hip. She grins down at me, flicking her still-damp hair over her shoulder, and she’s never looked more powerful than in this second.

I’ve seen her lord over her organization. Seen her gazing down at me when my tongue was buried in her delicious cunt. Seen her stand up, despite the gun directed her way, to protect her people. But none of those instances had my head where it is now. And where that is, I’m not even willing to admit to myself.

“You cheated.”

She shrugs. “Cheating is important now and again. Ensures I stay ahead, which means I get to ask my question.”

“Your freedom is non-negotiable,” I state flatly, before she considers making that her question.

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