Page 23 of Monsters Wear Crowns (Crowned Monsters Duet #1)

He pressed one last kiss to my throat before finally pulling back. I stood on shaky legs, smoothing my dress and my hair before opening the door. Lauren’s eyes immediately flicked between me and Rafe, and the smirk that spread across her face was practically unbearable.

“Nice of you to let her out, Vaughan,” she said sweetly.

“My pleasure,” Rafe replied, his voice all smooth charm, as if he hadn’t just had me moments away from falling apart on my desk.

I shot him a warning glance, but he just smiled. “What is it?”

“They’re already targeting his shipment.”

The room went still. My pulse pounded. I turned slowly, meeting Rafe’s eyes. His face didn’t change. It was calm and unreadable.

“Looks like your world just crashed into mine,” I said quietly. “How the hell would anyone even know you’re working with me?” My voice came out sharp, but beneath the bite was a thread of something annoyingly close to unease.

Rafe didn’t answer right away. He just…stilled. His entire body went taut, shoulders squared, jaw clenched, and the easy arrogance he always carried like armor slipped, just for a second. Enough for me to see the threat beneath the surface.

“Rafe.” My voice softened, but only slightly. “Who the hell are we dealing with?”

Before he could answer, Laura’s voice interrupted us. “Don’t worry,” she said, but there was an edge to her tone. “Whoever it is can’t access anything important. Just…our screens.”

The lights in my office dimmed, and the monitors flickered. Then, right in front of us, the message appeared–bold and undeniable.

HE IS YOUR DEATH.

Silence. Heavy. Suffocating .

My heart raced, but I forced my face to stay neutral. I wouldn’t show fear, not in front of Laura, and definitely not in front of Rafe. But when I glanced at him, I saw the muscle ticking in his jaw. His eyes stayed on the screen, cold, but his fists were curled at his sides.

Lauren sighed. “Okay, that’s…creepy as hell. You’re a powerful guy. So… who is your enemy here?”

No one argued.

I looked at Rafe, searching for some hint of an explanation, but he just kept staring at the message like he was memorizing it. Like he was already planning his next move.

“Rafe,” I said quietly. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he turned to me slowly, his voice low. “It seems you’ve made enemies.”

But I wasn’t buying it. Not entirely. “Or maybe,” I shot back, “I inherited yours.”

The air between us crackled, electric and sharp.

Laura cleared her throat. “Uh, should I…call security?”

“No, he’s fine,” I said immediately. I needed more information before I set the whole company on high alert. I looked back at Rafe. “Is this someone you know?”

His silence stretched too long.

“Rafe.” My voice dripped with feminine authority. “Tell me.”

He exhaled slowly. “I have my suspicions.”

“Which means yes,” I snapped. “Christ. You bring me into this, and you don’t even–”

“Adela.” His voice was soft. But there was nothing gentle in it. “We’ll handle it.”

“ We? ” I echoed. “You still haven’t told me who the hell ‘ we’ are fighting.”

He smiled. “Someone who thinks they can threaten you. And that…” He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. “Is a fatal mistake. I could deal with him threatening me. Bu t not you.”

My throat tightened. Not with fear, but something darker. Something I had no business feeling when my company was under attack. Rafe Vaughan might have been my most dangerous distraction.

But now, it seemed, he was my most dangerous ally.

His eyes lingered on the screen for a beat longer. But then his focus snapped back to me, sharp and certain. “I’m going to the shipment site tonight.” His voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it. “And I want you there.”

I blinked, sure I’d misheard him. “You want me–”

“–There,” he finished smoothly. “You wanted to be involved, didn’t you?”

That was low. I fought the urge to scowl. Across the room, Laura’s eyes went wide, flicking between us like this was the best entertainment she’d had all week.

“I have a company to run,” I said, but my voice lacked conviction.

Laura raised a brow. “I can handle closing up the office.”

I shot her a look. “Laura–”

She held up her hands, grinning like the devil. “Go play with your unstable new friend. I’ll make sure nothing burns down here.”

“Helpful,” I muttered. But when I turned back to Rafe, I found him watching me with that infuriating calm, like he already knew I was going to say yes.

“What time?” I asked, my voice cool.

A flicker of something wicked crossed his face. “I’ll pick you up at ten.”

Despite myself, my stomach did a slow flip. “Fine,” I said, as if my heart wasn’t pounding. “But this better not be some goddamn ambush.”

He smiled, and it was far too pleased. “I wouldn’t dream of it, love.”

Liar .

He turned toward the door, already moving with that smooth, predatory grace, but I wasn’t done with him.

“What are you going to deal with?” I asked.

He paused, looking back at me. For a second, I thought he wasn’t going to answer. “A leak.”

The words were soft, but the promise behind them was anything but. My skin prickled.

“And if you don’t find whoever it is?” I asked carefully.

That horrifying smile returned. “Then I’ll set the whole ship on fire.”

“And if you do find them?”

His eyes swept over me. “Then I’ll put a fucking bullet in their head.” He left without another word, the click of the door sealing the threat behind him. My jaw dropped, momentarily stunned by the man that was now my… boyfriend.

The room stayed silent for a beat–and then Laura whistled low. “Girl,” she said, shaking her head. “You sure know how to pick ‘em. But I bet he’s incredible in bed, my god.”

My pulse hadn’t settled. “Don’t start.” But even as I said it, I felt the heat coiling low in my stomach. Because tonight, I was stepping deeper into his world, and there was no going back.