Page 103 of Lethal King

“Your entire empire will crumble,” Drago croaks.

But his shattered voice has lost its power. I can see now that he’s just a broken old man.

“Not before you do.” Looking up at the lightbulb swinging between us, I take one last deep breath. “Maksim. Now.”

My consigliere must have sensed that I was getting ready to give the order, because I hardly even have time to jump back before the first blast goes off.

The ceiling of the tunnel cracks, and an avalanche of debris comes tumbling down.

“What the fuck…” Tytus grumbles.

“Again!” I shout.

This time, I wrap a tight arm across Rozalia’s chest and turn us around. When the second blast shakes the walls, we’re already running back down the winding path.

Behind us, I can hear the tunnel implode, shutting us off from Tytus and Drago. That was the plan. But it was supposed to stop there.

Instead, a heavy roar fills the darkness.

“Stop!” I shout over it.

But Maksim must not hear me, because a third blast soon follows.

“Fuck.”

The tunnel starts to collapse.

All we can do is run.

12

Rozalia

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what happened when I hear a door click open.

“Fuck off,” I rasp.

Dust and debris fall from my hair as I rattle my chains. The bed posts I’m tied to sway against my effort, but they don’t give in. I know they won’t. It doesn’t stop me from putting on a show.

I’m pissed, and Rian needs to know it.

Because even if he doesn’t respond to my demand to fuck off, I know it’s him.

Who else could it be?

Out of all the fuckers in the world, there’s only one who could have started the series of events that led me here.

He’s the fucker who led an ambush into Leander’s mansion. The one who followed us into the secret underground tunnel only Drago knew about. The one who pulled me away from Tytus. Who ordered some kind of explosive to go off. Who suffocated me with his body as the tunnel collapsed around us.

He's the same fucker who yanked me out of the rubble, shoved a black bag over my head, then pushed me into a car and sat beside me in silence as we drove far away from the beach.

Far away from my brother.

I can smell Rian’s earthy scent.

I want to be sickened by it.

But I just can’t find the strength.