Page 94 of Wrathful King

“Good girl,” Amon praised as I handed it back.

“I guess Raven wasn’t totally blowing smoke.”

He grinned, his smile blinding me. “You have good friends.”

I smiled. “I do. I miss them. All of us together.”

“I haven’t forgotten that I promised you a party to celebrate with our friends and family.” He kissed my forehead, his lips warm against my skin. “I intend to honor that.”

I watched him unfold the yellowed paper, my curiosity piqued.

“Well, that’s not fair. I can’t read Japanese.” Although, judging by the tension lining his jaw, the message wasn’t good. I rested my palm against his shoulder blade, worried for him. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m going to murder them with my own bare hands,” he gritted, stormy clouds raging in the darkness of his galaxies.

33

AMON

Betrayal.

It tasted sour on my tongue. It was pure rage that shook through me though. It drove the need to spill blood and tear the enemy limb from limb. And while I walked the streets of Venice, I knew exactly how I’d make them pay.

Perez Cortes’s torture would be mild compared to theirs.

My thirst for violence was almost debilitating. Each step I took fueled me. It wasn’t until now that I realized this—I’d hoped something would save my mother’s soul. Or that the woman I thought I knew and who birthed me would come through.

Now, the only way to keep my wife permanently out of their reach would be to end them.

So I’d channeled these feelings that threatened to explode and focused on what mattered. The woman by my side. If it weren’t for her, I would be halfway across the world.

Hiroshi. Hana—my own fucking mother.

Oh, the plans I had for them.

Reina’s stare cut into my murderous internal rambling.

“I’m worried about you,” she finally broke the silence.

I squeezed her hand gently. “Don’t be. When this is all over, we’ll never have to think of them again.”

She let out a heavy sigh, probably seeing more than I wanted her to. I didn’t want to keep secrets from her, but I also didn’t want to implicate her. She’d been through so much and had earned the right to some peace.

“I know that,” she murmured, returning her eyes to the crowd of tourists. Did she realize she scanned each person, searching for threats? “But you have that look in your eyes I know all too well. Rage that feels like fire, and hate that can make you blind.”

Despite everything, I let out a chuckle. “My clever wife.”

Her lips curved into a smile. “Not always, but I’m a quick study.”

“That you are.”

“Don’t be rash, okay?” I gave her a questioning look. I wasn’t exactly known to be rash. “It’s just something Papà said. He asked me to help you see things clearly and not jump to conclusions. I feel like this is what he was talking about.”

I didn’t know whether to think Romero was wiser than I ever gave him credit for or—

Fuck, maybe evenheknew about this fucking letter. Inwardly, I shook my head. If he did, he wouldn’t be giving the benefit of the doubt to my mother.

Reina bumped her shoulder against mine, except she only reached my bicep. “So will you finally tell me what that letter says?” Her eyes caught on the shop’s façade and her eyes lit up, so I followed her gaze.