Page 8 of His Broken Queen

“You’ve got a set of balls.” When I took her throat in my hand, she gasped. “What? Is this not how you imagined me choking you?”

She clawed at my hand.

“You’ve out-served your purpose.” I tightened my hold on her neck. “You’re going to take that money and leave. I don’t want to hear from you again. If you approach my wife or anyone in my organization, it won’t be a painless death for you.”

As the mascara-laced tears streamed down her cheeks, she trembled under my hold.

“Are we clear?”

She nodded.

“No.” I let go of her throat. “I want to hear you say it, so I know you fucking understand.”

“Yes.” She gasped for air.

“Yes, what?” I gritted my teeth.

“I won’t approach anyone in your family.”

“Good.” I stepped on the cash I had thrown at her feet on my way out. “Gio, make sure this piece of trash leaves.”

“Consider it done,” my brother said as I left the office.

I put up with Aria much longer than I had intended to, but she served a purpose. She ran the club, handled the day-to-day stress, and brought in a lot of money. She could be replaced. I might have tolerated her for longer, but when I saw how Luciana reacted when she had approached us, that was all the motivation I needed to end my association with her. If she was willing to disrespect my wife, she could not be trusted.

As I made my way across the club and to the area behind the bar, the cake was being wheeled out. Rocco walked by my side.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“Morgan is out for blood,” he said. “I’d keep my eye on him if I were you.”

“It’s being handled.” I extended my hand as Lu approached us. “There’s my girl.”

“I thought you were going to miss the cake.” Her eyes widened when they brought out the large cart with the massive monarch butterfly cake that I had custom made for her. “Oh God!” She laughed. “You didn’t.”

“Of course I did.”

I kissed her as everyone gathered around the cart. When Stella snapped a picture of the two of us, I winked at her.

“Happy Birthday, my sweet Luciana,” I said.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, my little butterfly.”

Chapter 3

Luciana

I hurried up the stairs and to our room, still buzzing from the magical evening. Romero followed me as I went on about the party.

“That cake!” I plopped on the bed and dangled my feet over the edge until my shoes hit the floor. “It was gorgeous. I didn’t want them to cut it.”

Romero smiled at me as he took off his watch, and then set it along with his wallet on the dresser. When he unbuttoned his shirt, I propped myself on my forearms to take in the view of his sculpted chest and chiseled shoulders.

“Thank you for making my birthday so special.”

“It’s not over yet.”

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