Page 50 of Monsters Carve Thrones (Crowned Monsters Duet #2)

ADELA

The last few days passed in a haze of strategy, weapons checks, and final warnings.

Laura and I had stayed up late, mapping out possible entry points, flipping through dossiers with red-marked faces, each man more vile than the last. Nico handled the logistics with service precision, and Kieran…

well, Kieran sharpened knives in the corner like he was praying for someone to piss him off.

Being Rafe’s friend for so long definitely made sense.

We were ready. As ready as people like us ever got.

Rafe’s private plane was waiting, fueled and prepped on the tarmac. The pilot was one of ours. The cargo was locked and loaded. All that remained was for us to walk out that townhouse door and board it.

But he stopped me before I could.

We stood in the foyer, the others gathering their gear and heading out one by one. Rafe stepped in front of me, crowding my space like he always did when something mattered. His hands came up to frame my face, his thumbs brushing gently across my cheekbones.

I looked up at him–this man who had become my anchor, my destruction, and my salvation all at once. His eyes burned with conviction.

“If we succeed,” he said softly, “you will never have to fear again.”

My heart fluttered.

He leaned in, his forehead pressing to mine.

“With them dead, our empire will thrive. And I swear to you, Adela, I’ll do anything for that.

For you. I will carve our throne out of the blood of every last man who touched you, or stood by and let it happen.

They sealed their fate the moment they took you from me. ”

The moment they underestimated us.

Emotion welled up in my throat–rage, love, power, all tangled into something so much bigger than either of us. I kissed him like I could imprint this moment into his soul. He kissed me back like he was promising me war and victory in the same breath.

“I’m ready,” I whispered against his lips.

“Good,” came Kieran’s voice from the hall. “Because so are we.”

Rafe pulled back slowly, eyes never leaving mine, before finally turning toward the door.

It was time.

We were going to burn them all to the fucking ground.

***

The runway lights blinked in the darkness like a heartbeat. Our jet loomed ahead, sleek and black against the midnight sky, the engines humming. I took a deep breath as I climbed the steps behind Rafe, the chill air sweeping across my skin, reminding me that this was real.

The interior of the plane was spacious and dimly lit, with soft brown leather seats arranged around a central table. Kieran was already adjusting the cuffs of his black suit, his long dark hair tied back. He looked like death dressed for a gala.

Laura and Nico were settled across from him.

Her legs were crossed, her body angled slightly into him.

Nico’s tattooed fingers rested on her knee, the ink trailing up his hand and disappearing beneath the sleeve of his fitted black shirt.

Even the side of his neck was inked–lines and symbols I’d never had the chance to ask him about.

He looked like a man you didn’t want to fuck with. And he was hers .

She looked… happy.

That alone made me feel steadier.

Rafe took his seat beside me and leaned forward, hands steepled over the polished table. His voice was low and calm. “Varga is the last pillar. Once he’s gone, the old network will collapse. Power will shift–fast. And when it does, we take control before anyone else even realizes it’s gone.”

Kieran gave a slow nod. “The men are already in place?”

Rafe glanced at him. “Three hotels. Different floors, different aliases. Full coverage. If Varga tries to run, we’ll have eyes on every route out of the city.”

“And if he doesn’t run?” Laura asked, her voice smooth and sharp.

Rafe looked at her. “Then we make sure he dies screaming.”

The plane’s engine roared louder as we picked up speed. Outside the window, the ground blurred, lights streaking into gold lines before lifting away entirely. I felt the shift in my gut as we took off, as if gravity were giving us permission to leave everything behind.

Nico leaned into Laura and murmured something against her ear.

She smirked, lips twitching as her hand brushed over his tattooed forearm.

There was a softness there. An intimacy I hadn’t seen in her before.

My best friend, the sharp-tongued menace who could out-shoot half our crew, looked completely at peace.

I turned slightly in my seat to look at Rafe. He hadn’t stopped watching me. The cabin dimmed further as we settled into the flight, silence stretching between all of us. I took a deep breath as I relaxed all of my muscles. This was the kind of quiet that came before a horrifying storm.

***

Bratislava, Slovakia

The hotel suite was luxurious, with marble floors, minimalist furniture, and everything in shades of gray and beige. The kind of place people booked for important business, not bloody revenge.

We filed in, bags dropped by the door, all of us slightly wired from the flight and the knowledge of what was coming. Laura and Nico immediately claimed one of the bedrooms. Rafe and I took the other. Kieran tossed his duffel on the couch.

“I call dibs on the shower first,” Laura announced as she passed me with a wink. “I refuse to eat smelling like a gun bag.”

“You already smell like Nico,” I teased.

She didn’t even try to deny it. “Exactly my point.”

While the guys gathered around the kitchen island discussing food options, Laura handed me a glass of red wine and curled up next to me on the couch. “To surviving another day,” she said, clinking her glass against mine.

I smiled, took a sip, and leaned back. “So. You and Nico.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “What about us?”

“Oh, come on , I wanted to give you some time before I got too nosey.” I grinned. “But you’re glowing . You look like you’ve been ruined in the best way.”

She burst out laughing, nearly spilling her wine. “That’s because I have been. He’s… God, Adela. He’s the best sex I’ve ever had. I didn’t even know it could be like this. I remember overhearing you and Rafe discussing some of your... kinks.”

I rolled my eyes dramatically.

“I just have to say, he is very adventurous . So... I get it now.”

“No way!” I giggled. “He seems like he’d be... intense.”

“Oh, he is ,” she said, eyes gleaming. “And he has a huge dick.”

I nearly choked on my wine. “Laura!”

“What?” she shrugged, grinning wide. “It’s a gift. I’m simply honoring it.”

We both dissolved into laughter, the sound echoing off the tall windows. For a moment, it felt like everything was okay. Like we weren’t gearing up for war. Like we were just two friends, drinking wine and gossiping about our men.

“We’re really out here falling for violent, bloodthirsty men,” I said, still laughing. “What the hell happened to us?”

Laura tilted her glass toward mine again. “We got lucky. That’s what happened.”

Just then, Nico emerged from the bedroom, barefoot, with a black T-shirt hugging his inked chest. He dropped onto the couch beside Laura and pulled her in with a lazy arm. “What are you two cackling about?” he asked, his deep voice edged with amusement.

“Nothing,” Laura said sweetly. “Just girl things.”

“You should be afraid,” I added. “Just heard about your dick.”

Nico chuckled and kissed her temple, clearly not phased. “I’m glad you know how lovely it is.”

“Don’t break my best friend,” I snorted into my glass.

“Already did, sweetie,” Nico smirked.

A moment later, Rafe joined us, his presence commanding even in casual clothes. He leaned against the back of the couch, resting a hand on my shoulder. “We’re ordering in. Too many eyes out there to risk a restaurant tonight. Steak, potatoes, grilled vegetables. That work?”

“Perfect,” I murmured, reaching up to wrap my fingers around his.

Kieran walked past, flicking open a lighter.

The flame briefly lit his face as he stuck a cigarette between his lips.

He stepped out onto the balcony, letting the cool night air drift into the room.

There was a strange peace in that moment–the five of us scattered around a luxury suite, surrounded by weapons and whispered plans. Friends. Lovers. Killers.

Dinner hadn’t arrived yet, and the others were still talking around us in the living room. I was snuggled up next to Rafe on one side of the couch, his arm around my shoulders comfortably. He leaned down, brushed his lips against my ear, and murmured, “Come shower with me, baby.”

My eyes widened as I looked up at him. He didn’t have to ask twice. “We’ll be back,” I said as casually as I could.

“Gross,” Laura laughed. “Have fun, kids.”

Rafe smirked over his shoulder as he followed me into our bathroom.

It was massive with white marble floors and floor-to-ceiling glass walls around the shower.

As soon as the water was warm, he tugged me in under the spray, pulling the door shut behind us.

The heat wrapped around us instantly, beads of water slipping down his sculpted chest and tattooed arms. My eyes roved over the tattoos on his bicep and shoulder, admiring the flowers and the snake winding through them.

My gaze wandered down his beautiful, sculpted body as he stepped into me.

Heat flared through me when I felt he was already hard.

His mouth found mine without hesitation, and the kiss was filthy from the start.

It was wet, possessive, tongue and teeth, and a low groan vibrated in his throat.

I pressed up against him, my breasts slick against his chest, the water cascading over his shoulders.

His hand slid down my stomach, then lower, cupping me with fingers that knew exactly how to wreck me.

“Rafe–” I gasped, my head falling back as he pushed two fingers inside me with agonizing precision. “Shit–”

“You like this?” he whispered against my jaw, trailing his lips down my neck. “You like me fucking you with my fingers while the others wait for dinner just down the hall?”