Page 108 of Monsters Wear Crowns
A knock shattered the stillness of my apartment.
I froze.
My fingers tightened around the stem of my wine glass, the deep red liquid trembling with the sudden jolt of silence that followed. It was late. Too late for visitors.
I glanced at my phone. No message. No missed calls. If it were Rafe, Kieran, or anyone from his crew, they wouldn’t have knocked. They had a key. They wouldn’t hesitate.
I set my glass down slowly, the swirl of wine catching the light as it settled. My bare feet made no sound against the floor as I moved toward the door. The silk of my pajama shorts whispered against my thighs, and my black camisole brushed cool and smooth over my skin. Every step made the quiet feel heavier, moreunnatural.
Something was wrong.
My heart wasn’t racing, but my gut twisted, instincts flaring like a warning bell I couldn’t ignore. I peered through the peephole, breath rushing in on a sharp inhale when I saw him.
Moreau.
Perfectly tousled blond hair. Light brown eyes that gleamed with amusement and danger. He wore a razor-sharp black suit that mirrored Rafe’s style–but unlike Rafe, who moved like a shadow in the periphery, Nicolas Moreau stood in full view like a man who feared nothing.
He smiled.
And I hesitated. Just long enough to let curiosity edge out caution. I unlatched the door. The second it cracked open, he was inside, moving past me with unsettling ease, as if he’d done it a hundred times before. The scent of his cologne wrapped around me as he strolled deeper into my home, slow and casual, like a man admiring his own property.
I inhaled sharply and pivoted toward the entryway table, my fingers closing around the cold steel tucked inside my purse. But before I could raise the gun, he laughed.
“Oh,sweetheart,” he drawled, turning with his hands in his pockets, eyes glittering. “That won’t be necessary.”
I didn’t lower the gun. “That’s not your call to make.”
His smirk deepened, and he took a step closer. His gaze dragged down the length of me in my sleepwear, lingering far toolong. I hated the way my skin reacted–tightening, bristling, a cold chill racing down my spine.
“You aresobreathtaking,” he murmured, almost like it pained him. Then his voice lowered. “No wonder he’s obsessed.”
I scoffed, keeping my aim steady. “If you’re here to compliment me, you could have sent flowers.”
His smile deepened. “And miss this moment? You, in black silk, pointing a gun at me? I wouldn’t trade this for the world.”
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to focus.Why was he suddenly being so goddamn charming? Was this a new tactic?“What do you want, Moreau?”
His gaze darkened. He was a dangerous fucking man. I didn’t even know how many people he had killed. “To offer you something better.”
I tilted my head, feigning boredom. “Better than what?”
His tongue slowly ran along his bottom lip. “Better than being Rafe Vaughan’s little fuck toy until before you become his collateral.”
I snorted. “I’m no one’s collateral. I’m a fuckingqueenof an incredible and powerful empire.”
He chuckled, stepping closer. “Not if you’re in bed with aVaughan.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And I suppose getting in bed with aMoreauis better?”
He grinned, and something about the way his gaze slid down my body made my stomach tighten. The confidence in his expression was infuriating.Unshakable.“I could give you more,” he said smoothly. “A true empire. Power that doesn’t come with the leash Rafe keeps around your neck.”
I forced a laugh, leaning against the doorway. “You thinkI’mon a leash?”
He cocked his head. “I think you’re playing a perilous game with a man who will burn everything–including you–if he feels threatened. He’s not a man who holds relationships, my dear.”
The words slithered down my spine. Not because I believed them, but because part of meknewthat Moreau truly saw this as a war. And he was here, extending a hand–before he took out the gun.
I lifted my chin. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was thinking aboutyou.”
