Page 156 of His Juliet

“Are you feeling okay, baby?”

She rested against my chest. “Still okay, just like I was three minutes ago when you asked.”

I groaned, burying my face in her hair. “I would promise to stop asking, but I’m not sure I have that much self-control.”

“That’s okay.” She kissed my cheek, her soft lips sweet and soothing. “You’re taking such good care of me.”

I hoped that was true. Aria called us an hour ago with the expedited lab results. The substance in Juliet’s system didn’t match any known drugs or poisons. She was recovering physically, but I was still scared the poison could have long-term effects. So much was unknown and out of my control right now, and I hated it.

We’d finished debriefing everything that happened since Juliet was kidnapped—she’d shared about her captivity, and we’d filled each other in on all the aspects of our raid of the Albanian castle. The more I heard about what she’d been through, the hotter my rage burned.

“Are you ready for this?” Matteo asked, eyeing Juliet carefully.

He’d set up this call with Elira Leka to discuss the terms of their alliance—the one they wanted to make with my girl.

She gave a little nod, and Matteo placed the call on speakerphone. Elira answered and they got through the opening formalities before Matteo asked, “What are your plans now that you are Krye?”

“We will focus on rebuilding here at home. Long have we been ruled by corrupt men, and it’s caused deep scars in our communities,” Elira responded, her words tinged with only a slight accent.

“If that’s your focus, what do you want out of your alliance with us?”

“Our alliance with Juliet,” she clarified.

Juliet twisted her fingers in my shirt as all eyes turned to her. “But why me? I don’t know anything about this stuff.”

“You are the daughter of the man who should have been Krye. The daughter of my sister, Hana. You are a princess by birth. If you ever decide to leave the Italians, our alliance followsyou.”

“She’s not leaving,” I snarled while I clutched her even closer.

“You would keep her against her will?”

The darkness surged through me, demanding I protect Juliet. A gentle hand on my chest stopped me from lashing out.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Her lips brushed against mine. She turned to Matteo. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take your power.”

His eyes softened. “Of course I don’t think that.” He sat back in his seat, his arm slung around Sofiya. “I will allow Juliet to form an alliance on behalf of the Italian Mafia, if she agrees.”

“As long as no one expects me to be some sort of Mafia badass,” she muttered.

“Youarea badass,” I said, my lips brushing her ear.

“I am glad we are in agreement,” Elira said.

“If you wanted to form an alliance with us via Juliet, why would you put her at risk like you did?” I asked, bitterness seeping into my tone.

“This overthrow was the culmination of three years of planning,” Elira said. “We were waiting for the right time to strike, and Juliet provided the perfect distraction.”

“She is not a distraction for you to use,” I snarled. My dislike for this woman fueled my anger. Maybe it was wrong of me to place so much blame on her, but she had played with Juliet’s life.

“We did what was needed. The Butcher and his brother caused endless violence within the clans and worldwide with their trafficking. Sometimes, momentary suffering is necessary to save hundreds.”

Juliet squeezed my arm, which was the only thing keeping me from absolutely losing my shit. It would never be acceptable for her to suffer.

“Speaking of the trafficked girls,” Sofiya said, cutting off the sharp words I wanted to speak, “we’ve established a network of safe houses in the city and upstate, but we think there are more women we haven’t been able to find.”

“We know where the rest of them are,” Elira said. “We have records of all the trade routes the Butcher used and the buyers he worked with. This is why we need permission to enter New York. We will free them and bring them home.”

I wanted to tell themno. I didn’t want them within a hundred miles of Juliet, but it wasn’t my decision.

---