Page 43 of Serena (Shattered Queens #1)

Discovering that my close friend had a fling with the woman I love.

Well, who wouldn’t go crazy? After she left the party, I went to her apartment and found that she was gone.

The emerald pendant was on her dresser. I immediately called the pilot and had him prepare the jet.

As I pulled up to the terminal, I saw Caleb and Damon waiting for me.

Only I hadn’t informed them of my travel plans. Fucking Miles.

“Where are you going?” Damon asks nonchalantly.

“You know where. I’m assuming Miles told you?”

“He might have called. Something about you losing your shit. Serena leaving you. Colorado.”

“I found out Serena and Elias had a fling. I lost my shit. Now I’m going to get her.”

“Damn. I didn’t know she had it in her. Pun intended.” Caleb laughs.

“Go to hell, Caleb.” I’m not in the mood for his shit.

“Want to go kill him? I’ll start.” I know he isn’t kidding. Caleb has his own issues with Elias. Ones that I prefer not to get involved with.

“No, if I hurt him, I hurt her.” I’m trying hard to keep that promise. My hands are itching for some revenge. The brothers look at each other.

“Ian from a year ago wouldn’t have hesitated to skin him alive. Friend or no friend,” Damon taunts. He's right.

“That’s what happens when you fall in love,” Caleb says sarcastically.

This mother fucker. “I’ve gone soft?” I look at Caleb.

“How’s it going with the surveillance of a certain waitress?

” Then to Damon. “Have you visited New York lately? I hear there’s a nice club in Manhattan.

” Neither responds. “I thought so, now get the fuck out of my way.” As much as they keep an eye on me, I do the same for them.

“What did you do, Ian?” Damon asks while looking at his phone. I run my hands through my hair. I tell them what happened earlier.

Damon seems to be full of opinions. “She’s right. You don’t have any right to be mad at her. The situation, yes, but not her.”

“Listen, I'm not the biggest Elias Lobo fan, but she has a point,” my older cousin chimes in. “Don’t be so archaic. You’ve had your fair share of women.

” He adds salt to the wound. “Let’s not forget the list of suitors she’s had.

I’m sure she would have had more if you hadn’t told Miles to fuck with her dating app. ”

“Whose side are you on?” I ask my traitorous cousins.

Caleb has no problems speaking his mind on this matter.

“I’m on her side. She’s the best thing that’s happened to you.

Listen, Ian, you’re a killer through and through.

You are two sides of a coin, and both sides are madly in love with her.

When I see you with her, you don’t pretend to be only one side.

Even if she doesn’t know how far you’ve gone for her.

I know she wouldn't see you any differently. I mean, that woman loves her weapons. I think she could be a natural killer; she may not feed into that part of herself, but she won’t deny you of yours.

If anything, it may make her feel more alive. ”

I look at him, dumbfounded. “So, now you specialize in motivational speeches?” He flips me the bird.

“Seriously, don’t go. Asshole,” Caleb says, walking away, followed by his brother. My phone rings.

“Hello, brother.”

“Ian, let her be.” After speaking to my little brother, who I’m sure was notified by Damon, I decided to go into the office. I’m giving her seventy-two hours of space.

I made it to thirty-six hours. I buried myself in work to distract myself from getting on a plane and going to her. Gabe even sent in the cavalry. Veronica stopped by the penthouse last night. No doubt to keep me from doing something stupid.

My restraint broke when I received an email early this morning letting me know that Serena Nerva was taking the rest of the week off. I immediately knew something was wrong. So within the hour, I was on my way to Caligo Valley.

I check her location and drive straight to her.

Reaching my destination, Serena comes into view.

She’s standing in front of a burned-down building—the bar.

She’s lost in her thoughts and doesn’t hear me approach, but I know the moment she senses me.

Facing her past makes her physically sick.

She looks so tired; no doubt she's lacking sleep.

She tells me everything: the rape, the men responsible—everything. She looks so shattered as she recalls what was done to her. If those motherfuckers were alive, I’d bring them to the edge of death over and over again. Torture them to death.

I sit and listen as she tells me about her and Elias.

I listen to how close I was to losing her.

I know she thinks she wouldn't have pulled herself out of the hole without Elias, but I don't believe that. Serena is a fighter, a survivor. I want to burn this fucking town to the ground. I want her to forget this place ever existed. I’ll bring anyone who’s ever hurt her to their knees.

“Baby, let’s go home. I need to get you out of here.”

“I can’t go back to Veridian Bay, not yet. I’m visiting my parents tomorrow.” She’s barely audible. She sounds so meek.

“Well, I didn’t plan to meet your parents under these circumstances.” She gives me an eye roll. There she is.

The car ride is accompanied by silence. We enter her hotel room, and she goes straight for the shower.

She needs her space, but moving forward, that’s as much space as she’ll get.

I close my eyes and replay recent events.

Everything that happened over the last couple of days is inconsequential compared to the feeling of not having her with me.

The guilt is starting to gnaw at me. How do I tell Serena that I know everything?

That the minute I saw her, I made it my mission to find out every detail about her life.

The bathroom door opens, and she comes out in nothing but a T-shirt.

Even in an old, worn-out boy band shirt, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m so fucked. I can’t tell her.

She doesn’t speak, just walks to me. I’m so mesmerized by the movements of her spectacular body.

She climbs onto the bed, and without a word, she straddles me.

That’s when I see the knife in her hand.

The one I gave her months ago after the concert.

Her finger pushes on the flipper of the knife, bringing the blade into view.

She moves the blade to my neck. It lies horizontally, so if she were to apply pressure, it would break skin, and I could bleed out.

If that would make her happy, then I’d happily lie here and welcome death.

Fuck, I know I’m crazy; I'm so turned on by this.

“Well, look at you. I guess you’re comfortable with knives after all.” She doesn’t respond. She looks pissed.

“How long have you been stalking me?”

“Since the day I saw you, and it’s not stalking. It’s observing.” Who am I kidding? I’ve been stalking her with assistance, of course.

“Ian, you’re insane. The stalking and the killing.” She puts pressure on the knife.

“For you. I’m crazy about you and only you.” My hands move to her thighs, her soft, thick, juicy thighs. She adds more pressure.

“What about the other women? Mila?” She’s jealous, and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t like that she sounds so insecure about herself. She has no reason to be.

“There are no other women. There hasn’t been since the day I saw you. I made the comment to piss you off.” She needs to believe me. “Baby, it’s only you, and it will only ever be you.”

“Take your hands off me,” she demands. I do as she asks. “You’ve killed people.” It’s not a question.

“Yes, and I’ll do it again. It’s who I am.” Her grip on the weapon doesn’t falter.

“I will never hurt you, Serena. You are the only person in this world I will never hurt.”

“You’re threatening people around me.”

“No, I made threats to kill men who touch you. I stand by that.”

“Ian, you can’t go around murdering people.” If she only knew the extent to which I’ve gone for her. To make sure the demons from her past don’t return.

“Baby, anyone who touches you or thinks about hurting you will be skinned alive.”

“Why?” she whispers.

“Because you deserve to be someone's everything, and I’m that someone. If you want to be the one to slit someone's throat for hurting you, tell me who, and I'll lay them at your feet. Shit, I’ll hand you my favorite knife. If you want to shoot them, I’ll load the gun. You are my everything, Serena Nerva. Let me be your everything.” Her eyes are so full of emotion.

She deserves the world, and I’m going to be the one to give it to her.

She starts to move her hips, and I feel her soaking my shorts. Fuck.

“Does holding a knife to my throat turn you on?”

“Yes.” She continues to move her hips, and I see the moment she feels my erection. It’s pressing on her back entrance. She needed this. To feel in control, and I’m more than willing to let her have it.

“Fuck, baby, I knew you were lethal, but this… Goddamn. You’re so fucking perfect.”