Page 28 of Dance with the Devil

Chapter Eight

“I’ve killed everyone else who knew this secret, Maria. Now you have two choices—be my loyal, loving wife and keep this secret, or die, because I will not put my brother at risk.”

Those words kept ringing in Maria’s head several days later. She and Draven hadn’t been together. After he threatened her, he’d turned on his heel and left. He hadn’t returned home. She’d been forced to stay at his home without any contact from him. What did he expect her to say?

Maria had watched them through lunch. She had already seen something familiar between Draven and Antwone. No, not Antwone. She couldn’t think of him as Draven’s brother. He would forever be The Boss. She now had this secret and she had no choice but to protect him as well. There was a lot she needed to remember.

Sitting at the edge of the pool at the end of the first week of marriage, Maria had to wonder how she could tell Draven she was on his side when he never came home. Calvin had said he didn’t like to be contacted unless it was an emergency, and there was none.

She ran her feet into the water and thought about Draven and Antwone. Maria couldn’t remember exactly when they showed up. She’d been too young. She only knew the family with The Boss in charge, and the whispers of the crazy one before him. She hadn’t paid too much attention because it hadn’t interested her. Now she wished she had.

Her family had been intent on killing Antwone. No,The Boss! She had to remember that. She released a growl and kicked her foot through the water, so annoyed with herself.

“What did that water do to you?”

Maria turned to see Draven walking toward her. Pulling her feet out of the water, she stood and rushed to his side. They both stopped. He looked … good.

His suit was crisp and clean, there was no stubble across his chin. She, on the other hand, had failed to sleep well. She was exhausted. Even though they’d only slept together twice, she already missed him when he wasn’t there.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” she said. “I had no way of contacting you.”

“I don’t like to be disturbed. Work has been hectic.”

“Is it something you want to talk about?” she asked.

“No. You and I both know why you’re here.”

“I won’t say anything,” Maria said.

“Why?”

This made her frown. “I’m sorry.”

“There are a lot of people, a lot of enemies who would offer you untold riches for this kind of information.”

“I don’t understand why? It’s not like they can do a lot with it. You and…” She stopped herself. “This is your rightful place.”

“Esposito killed those two sons. We no longer have a rightful place. The only way to show strength is with power.”

“And again, you got it.”

Draven closed the distance between them. “My father was an addict. Before he died, he made a lot of fuck-ups. Made a lot of enemies. No one would want him or anyone related to him on that throne. That’s why I keep it a secret. To protect him, to protect this entire family.”

“Oh,” Maria said.

“His madness did this,” Draven said. “Who would want that kind of person on the throne?” Draven asked. “And besides, Esposito’s children are dead. We’d have to deal with proving who we were, and that comes with a load of complications.”

“They’d want you on the throne,” Maria said, frowning. “That’s why you do it.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because you’re the half-brother.”

“I still have my father’s DNA.”

“But they won’t consider you a direct descendant, because you have a different woman’s blood inside you.” It was a messed-up kind of logic. “Also, they’re terrified of you.”

“Do you think I should take the crown from my brother?” Draven asked.

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