Page 16 of His Broken Queen

“Get the doctor here,” Romero shouted at someone. “Now.”

“I feel sick.” I couldn’t stop trembling. “I can’t catch my breath.”

“Try to breathe, baby.” He took his suit jacket off and draped it over my shoulders.

“Do you think Stella is cold?”

“No.” He turned me to face him, so I didn’t have to look into the kitchen. “She’s not cold. She’s watching you, Luciana. She knows how much you love her.”

“I do love her.” My chest ached. “I don’t want her to not be here anymore. I need her.”

“She’s going to be with you.” He hugged me. “You have me, Lu. I’m here. I’m going to make this right.”

“Can you bring Stella back?” I shook my head. “My stomach hurts.”

“Are you going to be sick?”

“Maybe.” I nodded. “I don’t know.”

“It’s okay.” He gently lifted me into his arms and carried me to the stairs. “Can you make it to our bathroom?”

“I think.” I put my hand over my mouth as he took me to our bedroom. “Romero, I’m going to throw up.”

He rushed us into the bathroom and placed me in front of the toilet.

I heaved as I fell to my knees and gripped the seat. Romero swiped up my hair and held it to the side as I vomited into the bowl.

I retched so hard, my stomach muscles burned.

“It’s okay, Lu.” He rubbed my back. “I’m here.”

He tried to comfort me, but it was far from okay and he knew it. I sat down on the cool tiles, trying to steady my breaths. I couldn’t get the image of Stella out of my mind. I began to cry again when I thought about her. She must have been so afraid.

“Why did they kill her?” I whispered.

“I don’t know, but I promise you I’ll find those cowards and I will make them pay.” He stood and extended his hand. “We have to leave.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t be caught up in this right now.” He guided me into a standing position. “I won’t subject you to any questioning. We’re going to go back to the city and stay at the penthouse until things settle down with the police.”

“I don’t want to leave her.”

“Baby, it has to be called in. I don’t know what time she got here. Her husband will be looking for her soon.”

“Why was she here?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.”

“She brought you a cake.” He took my hands in his. “She wanted us to have it when we got back from dinner.”

“No.” I trembled again. “She wasn’t supposed to be here.”

“She wanted to be here.”

“This is my fault.”

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