Page 94 of Unforgiving Queen

Everything that came next happened in slow motion. River and Darius left our cover and charged forward. One aiming left, the other right. Bodies fell like dominoes. My breathing hitched and my pulse thundered in my ear until deafening silence enclosed the space.

Bu-bum.Bu-bum.

My heartbeat was too loud I feared someone would hear it. I took in the gym that now looked like a war zone asI stood stiffly, keeping myself out of sight. I didn’t know if silence meant we were safe.

“You okay?” someone asked. A squeal escaped me, my hand shooting up to aim. “Whoa, whoa. It’s me.”

Darius stood with his hands up, muttering that it was all over. “We’re safe?”

He nodded. “Yes. We kept one alive. River’s questioning him.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You want to come?”

My mouth was dry. My heart still raced.

“I don’t think so. Do you know who… what…” My hands shook and he reached for the gun, peeling my stiff fingers from it. “You know something,” I finally said with a calm I didn’t feel.

“It’s the Cortes cartel,” he finally said. “They were here for you.”

I fell to my knees, his words ringing in my ears.

I knew—fucking knew—this was the deal that Papà was talking about. This was the deal that went wrong. This was why he needed to marry me off.

35

REINA

Burn evidence: Check.

Shower: Check.

Plan to disappear: Half-check. Need to run it again by Phoenix.

Rehearsal dinner sabotaged: Unchecked.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath as I adjusted my pigtail buns in the shop window. “How do I look?”

“Like a hot-pink candy wrapped in pink ruffles,” Athena remarked teasingly. “There’s a lot of pink going on, even for you.” She wasn’t off. “Although I love the back design.”

“Thanks,” I beamed. “I adjusted that myself.”

Showing up to this party in a sleeveless hot-pink ruffled tulle dress was not going to make my father very happy.

“The slits are super sexy,” Raven remarked. “And those six-inch Valentino heels probably make you look more like an expensive escort than a bride-to-be.”

I grinned. “It’s exactly what I was going for.” If I could have found anything more atrocious in my closet, I would have worn it.

I turned to look at my sister who was giving our friends’ outfits a quick check in the same mirror. We opted for the most ridiculous colors, and I knew we looked like a ’70s hippie group. Phoenix wore a bright yellow sleeveless minidress that was sure to blind anyone without sunglasses. Athena wore an orange tulle dress. Raven opted for neon green. And Isla’s dress was a rainbow of colors.

“If these dresses aren’t the reason Dante cancels the wedding, I don’t think he ever will,” Athena said.

“Let’s hope he’s not color blind,” Isla announced, turning to look at me. “Is he?”

I shrugged. “How in the hell should I know?”

After our disastrous date and his subsequent visit to my apartment, I’d wholeheartedly avoided him. Dante Leone wasn’t my type, and he never would be.