Page 78 of Unforgiving Queen

I lifted my head and shock shot through me when I saw the familiar pools of darkness staring back at me through the bar’s mirrored wall. It was hard to distinguish his features in the dimmed bar and grimy mirror.

How long had he been there?

Instead of looking away, Amon held my gaze, his eyes unreadable and his jaw lined with tension. The air crackled with electricity, lighting up my nerves.

“Your drink.” A loud thud startled me, and I turned to find Dante and our new big-busted friend watching me curiously. I felt like a little kid caught red-handed in a cookie jar.

“Thanks,” I muttered, chancing a glance in my periphery.

But he was gone.

Did my mind conjure the entire scene? No, it couldn’t be. I saw him.

Dante’s laugh pulled my attention and I knew his next words would be fighting ones. “Something catch your fancy?” His tone was drier than the bottom-shelf gin they served in this dive.

Heat warmed my cheeks while my gut churned. Was I being played? Was this all a joke to the Leone brothers?

“I’m hungry,” I grumbled. The sooner we ate, the sooner this evening would be over. “Can we get a menu, please?”

For some reason the bartender seemed surprised. “You plan on eating here?”

Dante leaned his elbows against the bar. “We will. Bring us menus.”

“Please,” I added. Clearly Dante had no manners.

She flicked him an annoyed look. “A server will be right with you.”

And just like that, she lost interest in Dante’s charm—or lack thereof.

It took less than a minute for her to flag down a waiter and send him our way. She tilted her head and a preppy-looking twenty-something blond guy dragged his feet over.

“What can I get you?”

I grinned and raised my glass to my lips, curious to hear what Dante considered “first date” fodder.

“Filet de boeuf with steamed green beans.” I mentally face-palmed myself. The scrawny waiter just stared at him, and I interpreted the look asIs this guy for real?“Fine. Burger.” I was getting immense satisfaction at watching Dante’s plan to bring me here backfire. I couldn’t imagine a Red Dog burger being all that appetizing.

The waiter nodded, then turned to me. “And you?”

“Do you have a menu?” I inquired, and he pointed at the wall behind me. My eyes landed on the chalkboard menu. It looked like it hadn’t been updated since 2008. None of it was tempting.

“Maybe just some french fries,” I murmured.

Noting my lack of enthusiasm, the waiter took a step closer and added, “Would you like to hear the specials?” I smiled politely. “Let’s start with drinks. Sex on the beach is this evening’s—”

He didn’t get to finish the sentence before Dante slammed the guy against the bar, sending a shelf of glasses shattering to the ground. I gasped, blinking vigorously and hoping I was seeing things. Dante pulled a knife out of his holster and shoved it under his chin, pricking the skin just enough to send a drop of blood trickling down his neck.

“Your specials?” he growled, his mouth curved into a feral grin. “You mean the one in your pants?”

“Are you crazy?” I whispered harshly, clutching his forearm and pulling him away. “Let go of him before the cops show up.”

He flicked me a look and I reared back. Something unhinged and demonic stared at me from those dark blue depths. A charged silence crackled between us, and not in a good way. It was about to electrocute me, or him.Preferably him.

He put his knife away, but before I could breathe a sigh of relief, the idiot who was supposed to be my fiancé started beating the poor guy with his fists.

I slid off my stool and met the bartender’s stunned expression. “Call the police. This lunatic is all yours.”

Then, gritting my teeth, I looped my bag over my shoulder and whirled around with quick steps, getting out of there like a bat out of hell.