Page 145 of His Juliet

Oh my god.

Am I about to die?

The room turned hazy. My skin flashed hot and cold as the guests surrounded us, waving handkerchiefs in the air to the beat of loud drums. Spiro faced me, pulling another cheer from the crowd as he danced to the music. I could barely stay upright, but I wasn’t sure if it was because of my panic, exhaustion, or the poison.

The Butcher broke through the circle, raising Spiro’s and my hands in the air. He shouted something, leading to uproarious laughter, and then Spiro dragged me away from the throng of guests.

When I realized he was pulling me out of the reception hall, I dug in my heels. I could not be alone with this man. My struggle barely registered against his huge body and crushing grip. I managed one last look over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of Elira. She was turned away from me.

Tears burned my eyes. Had she lied? Or had her plan failed? Sickening despair replaced the brief hopefulness I’d felt earlier.

Spiro made a sharp turn and I stumbled, twisting my ankle. A cry of pain escaped my lips followed by an agonizednowhen I saw the movement had dislodged Queenie from my pocket. She fell to the ground with a sadmeow, her eyes on me as Spiro pulled me through a door and slammed it shut.

We were in a bedroom. A large four-poster bed with plush pillows and a velvet blanket loomed like a dark omen. He faced me, a cruel gleam in his eye. He spoke, and while I couldn’t understand the words, the meaning was clear.

My sweaty hands clawed at the door handle, but before I could get it open, Spiro lunged at me. I shrieked when his body crashed against mine. My mind spun, blank with terror, as I tried to remember the self-defense moves Romeo taught me. I kicked out, catching Spiro in the knee. He grunted, but it didn’t stop him from dragging me towards the bed.

My back hit the mattress, my heartbeat thundering in my ears, before he landed on top of me. I jerked my head up, slamming his nose with my forehead, and he let out an infuriated roar. My face snapped to the side from the force of his backhand. He tore at my dress, ripping open the front and exposing my bare breasts. I screamed. I wouldn’t go through this again. I fuckingrefused.

I lashed out with my arms and legs, even as they grew heavier and heavier. Spiro’s movements turned clumsy and his words slurred.

The poison.

His strength finally gave out, and he collapsed on top of me with a grunt. His weight crushed the air out of my lungs. I shoved him off with weak arms and lay panting on the mattress.

Get up.

You have to get away.

Move.

But I couldn’t do it.

The room spun, a blur of red and gold, until my eyes drifted shut.

My last thought before fading away was that I wished I could have kissed Romeo one last time before the end.

71

ROMEO

“Our contactson the ground in Tirana found the location of the wedding.” Sienna’s voice came through the phone’s speaker. “It’s an old castle.”

Sienna and Franco had stayed behind so they would have access to all the equipment they needed while the rest of us—Matteo, Leona, a host of our soldiers, and Aria—got on our jet. The flight across the Atlantic had been torturous and unending, but we were almost in Albania now.

“Are you sure it’s the right one?” I asked. My throat was so tight I could barely form words. This had been fuckinghell. I was barely holding myself together.

“We haven’t been able to access cameras inside the castle. Fuck, there might not even be cameras for us to access, but satellite footage shows hundreds of cars driving that way and parked in the lot. It has to be the place,” Franco said.

Leona and Matteo kept strategizing while I paced up and down the aisle, rage flooding my veins like an avalanche. For the first time in my life, I called on my inner monster to come out and play without shame. I would do whatever I could to save Juliet. Then I would vent my wrath on every single person who hurt her.

* * *

We pulledup to the large castle in white vans with a large floral company logo. I’d wanted to rent something faster, but speed wouldn’t have served us well on the narrow back roads out to the coast. Besides, the van provided us with the cover we needed to pull into the parking lot without being stopped by the guards.

“Remember, the inside is a labyrinth. Stick with your partner and spread out through the hallways, checking all the rooms. We’ll converge in the great hall where they’re holding the wedding reception.” Leona scrolled through the building blueprints she’d loaded onto her tablet, highlighting the paths we were supposed to take. She’d decided the two of us would be partners on this mission, and I didn’t care enough to argue. As long as she didn’t slow me down.

My skin crawled with electric energy. We had to clear the rooms leading up to the reception hall to avoid any hidden surprises, but all I wanted to do was get to Juliet.

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