Page 63 of Unforgiving Queen

The moon and stars had nothing on Reina’s sparkle. It had been one thousand one hundred and sixty-nine nights since I last held her in my arms and kissed her, and still I thought of her every single time I rested my head on my pillow.

I had come to peace with the truth: I belonged to her. She was the only good thing in my world, and forgetting her was impossible.

As the small orchestra began their set, I watched as Reina made her way to an older woman in the audience, the two chatting and laughing. It took me a while to realize who the other woman was.

Oba.

The women laughed, exchanged a few words, then Reina ruffled the boy’s dark hair and scurried away, unaware of my presence.

A sense of loss washed over me, but I shoved it into a corner where it belonged.

I watched her talking to everyone with a smile on her face. It was easy to spot her in the crowd, what with her pink dress and all those curls. She belonged among the elite.

I found the corners of my lips curving up for the first time in years, seeing my cinnamon girl in that color. Some things never changed.

Pulling out my phone, I typed a quick message to my business manager and instructed him to purchase all of Reina’s designs and distribute them among the boutiques in my hotels. They’d add to the collection I’d amassed nicely; my patrons were quite taken with her garments.

“Amon.”

I forced a smile on my face as I turned toward Aiden Callahan. Luca DiMauro’s brother-in-law who acted as his go-between to the Omertà.

“Callahan.”

“I’m surprised to see you here,” he remarked with a bored expression, but his eyes were watching everyone intently.

“Likewise.”

He shrugged. “Luca called this a shitshow, so of course he thought I’d want to see it.”

“And did you?”

His eyes landed on Reina’s friends and something flashed in his blue eyes. There was one way a person was able to spot a Callahan: their blue eyes were electric. His sister had them and so did his crazy twin brothers.

“Maybe,” he retorted wryly, and I watched him with bemusement. I’d say he was too old for any of Reina’s friends, but I spotted Isla ogling Enrico Marchetti earlier, so it was safe to assume the girls knew no bounds. “I’m actually glad I caught you alone.”

I cocked a brow. “And why’s that?”

I hadn’t spent much time in Europe over the last three years. Apparently I needed a whole continent between Reina and myself to get over her.And look what good that did.

“Margaret told me you helped her find Luca when Marchetti took him in.” Wryness touched his words. It was obviously still a sore subject among the Callahans and DiMauros. Luca’s wife, Margaret, was Aiden’s sister. “I won’t forget it.”

I kept my face impassive. “I’d rather you did forget it.” Marchetti wouldn’t be overly pleased if he knew.

His gaze told me he didn’t give a shit what I cared about. It lingered on me for a beat before he shifted it back to the musicians and models on stage.

“Why did you do it?”

My favor to Margaret DiMauro ensured all DiMauro’s shipments were routed to my own ports. It increased my fortune, but that wasn’t the main reason I helped her. It was to ensure I had DiMauro's family on my side when the time came. And for what I had planned in this life, the timewouldcome.

I’d earned favors from many powerful families over the last three years. Having people indebted to you meant power.

“Where are your brothers?” I asked instead. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without them by your side.”

“Probably stirring up trouble somewhere.”

The Callahan twins should be called the tornado twins. They were a few years older than Dante and me, but the fuckers were so reckless that not even Dante could compete with them.

“You know the Romero girls?” The question caught me off guard. He tilted his head at the stage, where Phoenix played the piano and Isla, Raven, and Athena strummed on their own instruments.