Page 13 of Wrathful King

“Why?”

His brow creased as if he hadn’t heard me right. “I didn’t want to piss you off.” Then, as if he thought he sounded too sensitive, added, “Or hurt you.”

If I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d have rolled my eyes.

“This switcheroo doesn’t make any sense,” I growled.

He shrugged. “It doesn’t, especially now that I know Reina’s my half sister.”

“Did Romero offer an explanation for why he wanted to switch my name with yours?”

Dante shrugged, a dark expression casting shadows across his face. “He didn’t, and knowing your feelings for Reina, I insisted that I just falsify Father’s signature.” He gave me one of those smiles he reserved for when he stirred trouble. “That way I could just blame the bastard.” Usually Fatherwasthe one to blame. “I knew you wouldn’t have let me marry her. In fact, I counted on it.”

“Jesus Christ, Dante. You’re fucking crazy.”

“Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a compliment.” This talk was somewhat of a welcome reprieve, however temporary. “Did it ever occur to you that you’d be forced to go through with the marriage?”

He rubbed his jaw pensively. “No, that scenario didn’t cross my mind. I was certain you’d grow a pair and step in.”Idiot.“However, since Reina went off and married you, Romero still owes me a bride. So it’ll be his oldest daughter after all.”

He rubbed his hands together while I closed my eyes and leaned my head back again. I fucking hated that I couldn’t jump up and move.

“I’ll leave you to rest,” Dante announced, and my eyes opened slowly. There would be no rest for me with this constant squeezing of my heart. Not while my wife was in harm’s way.

“Call Kian. I need him to get me into Perez’s compound.”

He shook his head. “You’re in no shape to go anywhere.”

“Call Kian,” I ordered, then closed my eyes to the images of Reina in pain. I could almost hear her voice calling out for me. “Tell him I’ll give him anything to get here as soon as he can.”

“Okay, it’s your funeral.”

If I didn’t find her, it’d be my funeral anyhow.

I’m coming for you, wife. Just hang on.

6

AMON

Isat in my office at my compound in the Philippines, studying the options at hand.

There weren’t many. Cortes was a paranoid bastard and had a habit of killing off his men without a second thought. It kept his location a well-guarded secret. Few people knew where the home base for the Cortes cartel was, and it just so happened Kian was one of them.

It had been two weeks since she was taken. The memories of the men opening fire on us plagued me. What if she was hurt? What if she’d been shot? I didn’t dare think about her pain because it sent a burst of fresh fury through me.

Every night I dreamt of her. Every night her soft voice called for me, begging me to save her. My mind conjured the worst images that I didn’t dare voice or think about during waking hours.

Dante broke the silence. “Hiroshi is wondering what the plan with your cousin is.”

Since the attack, I’d kept my distance from Hiroshi and my mother. Until I was certain about the state of affairs, I wouldn’t risk any more mistakes. Not when it could cost Reina her life.

The men who surrounded the compound and kept watch weren’t the ones Hiroshi brought with him when he shifted his allegiance from my cousin to me. These weremymost trusted men.

“No plan.”

“You still suspect he and Mother had something to do with it?”