Page 65 of Born a Queen

Chapter Thirty-Five

It was the night before Vee’s and Diane's departure. They had been in Miami for four days helping Raina with her wedding plans. Diane was eager to get back to Joe and the farm. She talked about helping with the seeding and doing some gardening before summer arrived.

Vee, on the other hand, didn’t seem eager to leave at all. "I'm not comfortable leaving Miami before you hunt down the imposter." She directed her comment to Mateo who was sitting at the head of the table, presiding over their dinner meal.

"Daniela Velasquez is not your problem," he said dismissively, forking a bite of roasted chicken and vegetables into his mouth.

"She preyed on Raina and anything that has to do with my daughter is, in fact, my problem," Vee said sharply, narrowing her eyes at Mateo in a glare.

"Can we not do this?" Raina huffed from her seat on Mateo’s right-hand side. She was sitting across from Vee, with Diane on her left side.

Vee and Mateo had been arguing all week and it was getting on Raina's last nerve. She understood their hostility, but she didn't condone it. Both of them were grown-ups, both of them had been bosses in the Miami underground, and both loved Sotza and Raina. That should be plenty enough in common for them to bury the hatchet. But rather than burying it, that they'd spent the entire week swinging it at each other, making nasty comments and undermining the others authority.

Raina turned her ire on her mother. "While I appreciate your concern, I am capable of taking care of myself." When Vee open her mouth to speak, Raina interrupted, "And I trust my future husband to keep me safe. He cared for your husband for over two decades; he's proved himself. You need to let this go and trust us to take care of it." Then Raina turned her gaze toward Mateo. "And you need to start getting along with my mother. I intend to have her here as often as I can get her. Deal with whatever grudge you have against her and then let it go. For my sake."

The mighty Mateo actually flinched at her last sentence, more than likely because he would do anything for Raina's sake, including treating her mother with respect. He set his fork and knife down on his plate and lifted his napkin to his lips before setting it on the table.

He turned to face Vee, his expression one of stiff resignation. "Forgive me, you will always be welcome in our home."

It became clear that Vee was struggling with what she would say next. Diane hid a smirk in her napkin and winked at Raina, while Raina covered a laugh with a cough. Vee was not one to let old grudges go. If a person was going to hate Vee, she was going to hate them back ten times worse. But ultimately, she knew that it was in her daughter's best interest to have Vee get along with her future son-in-law.

Finally, after enough time had passed that even Mateo was amused, Vee managed to say stiffly, "You’re forgiven. And, of course, you must forgive me for any harm I may have caused you." She seemed to chew on the inside of her cheek before bursting out with, "Except for helping Raina escape. I don't regret that."

Before Mateo could get angry, both Raina and Diane burst out laughing. Diane put her hand on top of Raina's and squeezed, then directed her comment to Mateo, "I think that that's as good as it's going to get. Consider yourselves no longer at war."

"Indeed," Mateo drawled, his dark eyes still lingering on Vee with speculation. He directed his next comment toward her. "I hope that you know we’re doing everything we can to track down the imposter. You’ll receive any and all information regarding this matter. However, Sotza wants you back in Venezuela, and it’s my duty to obey his wishes."

Vee grumbled something about how Mateo was no longer working for Sotza therefore he didn't owe the man anything, but no one paid much attention to her. It was obvious that it was going to take her longer to let go of their little war.

Later, in Mateo's bedroom, as Raina and Mateo were getting ready for bed, Raina turned to him. "Thank you for what you said to my mother at the dinner table."

"Diane is extremely easy to get along with. It will always be my pleasure to host her." He turned his back on Raina and pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it on a nearby chair. She held her breath as muscles rippled across his back, looking extra fine in the lamplight.

"You know that's not the mother I'm talking about," she said dryly. While his back was turned, she quickly stripped out of her clothing and pulled on a pair of sleep shorts and a cami top.

She continued to watch him as he unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants down his legs, bearing the nicest male ass she'd ever seen. Granted, she hadn't come in contact with very many male asses, but she was positive that those perfectly curved globes were highly unusual. Over the course of the past week, they had gradually gotten used to each other's presence in the bedroom. It had been more of a learning curve for Raina who had never shared her space before. Even in university, she’d used some of her forgery money to upgrade to a single bed suite.

Mateo eased into their new living situation as though nothing had changed. As though there had always been a space for Raina right next to him, waiting for her to fill it.

"You were right." He turned to Raina, giving her a piercing look that melted her heart and her panties. His serious mob boss look, but also sexy as hell. "Allies are stronger when united. Our marriage will create an even stronger alliance between the east coast hub and South America. It would be stupid of me to continue arguing with someone in Vee's position."

Raina tried desperately not to drop her eyes. She didn't need to glance at his penis. She really didn't. She dropped her eyes. Every thought in her head fled. For the most part Mateo's body was enveloped in shadows, but she could see enough to see a very large, very erect, very veined cock. He flipped back the covers on the bed, and slid underneath.

"I… I…" Raina stammered and blinked and then shook her head. Finally, she remembered what she wanted to yell at him about. "Our marriage is not about an alliance. If that's all you want from me, you can go find yourself another mob princess sacrifice."

Mateo flipped the blankets back, slid out of bed with the ease of a jungle cat and strode toward her. Raina's eyes flared wide and she took a couple of quick steps back, but she wasn't fast enough, he was on top of her in seconds. He stopped her, his hands on her arms, his dark angry eyes glaring down at her. The heat from his big body enveloped her in a warm hug.

"Our marriage will forge a strong alliance. This is a fact." His voice was hard, matching his stance and the angry energy coming from him. He meant every word. He wanted her to know exactly where she stood with him. “But you are much more to me than an alliance. If you had been born in a back alley on a distant continent, I still would have found you, and I still would have loved you. You are my queen, nothing less and nothing more."

Raina stared up at him, her heart hammering so hard that it felt like it would burst from her chest. Her skin felt prickly, like it belonged to someone else. The moment, the man, everything about the two of them was so significant that it felt like fate. Just as Mateo suggested. Maybe they were destined to be together, no matter who they were or where they came from.

Mateo slid his hand down her arm until he was clasping her hand. He tugged her toward the bed. "Come lay down with me, I want to read."

They snuggled under the covers together, Mateo's arm around Raina, her head on his chest. Together, they read his newest paperback romance, Rosemary Rogers’ Sweet Savage Love, each waiting for the other to finish before Mateo turned the pages.

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