Throne of Vengeance (Throne Duet #2) by Rina Kent

“I’ll be downstairs,” he says, and I nod.

After knocking on the office’s door, I open it and step inside. I pause when I find an unknown man sitting across from my granduncle.

“Rai. Come in.” Sergei motions at me to join him, so I close the door and do just that, bluntly watching the new man.

He appears to be in his mid to late forties. His large frame dwarfs his dark suit. His brown hair is styled back, and he’s sitting in a nonchalant position. It’s not so threatening as to attract attention, but it’s not slack either, like he’s ready to jump up any second. It’s so similar to…Kyle’s.

Tattoos cover the backs of his hands, and they don’t appear like the ones I recognize from the Bratva, the Triads, or the Yakuza.

He’s watching me as intently as I’m watching him, like we’re two predators before a fight over who owns a territory.

“This is Rai.” Sergei introduces me.

“So she’s the one Kyle married.” the stranger observes quietly. British accent. Wait, could he be…

“Are you…Kyle’s…”

“Godfather, yes. My official name is Ghost, but you can call me Julian.”

“You’re the one who told him he’s dangerous.” My voice rises. “Why would you say something like that to him? Don’t you know he lost his parents when he was freaking five? They were murdered in front of his eyes, and he was never able to receive love after that. That’s why he becomes overprotective—it’s because he doesn’t want to lose any more people. He says you raised him and knew him his entire life, so how could you make him believe he’s defective?”

“Because he is.” Julian remains calm, not a single muscle moving in his face. “He was defective from a young age, and he will never love normally or have fairytale characteristics. He’s obsessive, he’s driven, and he can become reckless sometimes. It’s who he is and it will never change.”

“Who told you I want to change him? I accept him the way he is.” My lips part at that confession, because it’s true. I do accept him the way he is. I even love those darker parts of him, the overprotectiveness, the possessiveness, how he makes me feel like I’m his world. I love everything about him, from his infuriating passive-aggressive attitude to how he provokes me and everything in between.

I love him.

I just love him, and that’s what has been breaking my heart since I woke up to find a letter in his place.

“No wonder he said he drove you to the point of no return,” Julian muses.

My heart picks up speed. “Have you talked to him?”

“Yes, some time ago.”

I leave Sergei’s side and stand in front of him. “Where is he? What is he doing?”

“Last time I checked, he was trying to kill Rolan.”

“He’s not dead.” I chance a glance at Sergei. “Right?”

“No, he isn’t,” my granduncle confirms.

“Then…where is he?”

Julian forms a steeple at his chin. “I suspect something went wrong.”

“What?” My voice sounds as spooked as I feel.

“When I was talking to him, I believe he was interrupted.”

“Interrupted by what?”

“The question is who.”

“What happened?”

“That’s what I’m here to find out.” Julian stares at his watch. “If Rolan has a demand, he would make it about now.”

“You think Rolan has him?”

“I’m almost sure. Kyle went there to kill him, and since he’s not dead, that means the situation slipped out of control.”

I brace myself against the chair, sucking in a deep breath. The idiot. Why did he have to go there? Why did he jeopardize himself like that?

He’ll be okay, right? It’s Kyle, after all. No one will be able to hurt him.

Sergei’s office phone goes off, its ringing echoing in the silence of the space. My head jerks up at the sound.

Granduncle picks it up and puts it on speaker. “Sergei Sokolov.”

“Rolan Fitzpatrick. How have ye been, Sergei?” The unmistakable voice with the Irish accent slips through the phone. My fingers dig into the cushion of the chair.

“Good, good.”

“Unfortunately, the piece of news I have might ruin yer mood.”

“What happened?”

“Sadly, I was attacked by one of your closest men. Your grandniece’s husband, I believe. How unfortunate.”

“Where is he?” Sergei asks slowly, not losing his cool, which is far different from how I’m barely holding on.

“He’s with the lads downstairs. How unfortunate, indeed.” He has a provocative way of speaking, slow, but meant to get on your nerves.

“What do you want?” Sergei asks.

“Not much. Just the territories you’ve been slaughtering my lads over. Hand me those and I’ll hand ye yer in-law.”

“You think I would ever give up brotherhood territories?”

“Does that mean you’d rather give him up? Unfortunate. Very unfortunate.” Rolan pauses. “I’ll give ye a day to think about it. After that, I’ll send ye his head.”

The line goes dead and I stagger against the chair. My stomach churns and I grab it as I slowly sit down.