Page 78 of Venomous Throne

That promise sent a length of firecrackers splintering through me.

Jaxon took me by the arm and bundled me into bed.

“Go to sleep now, my little queen.”

Lost in the euphoria of lust and power, I gave in to the tug of exhaustion.

“Please be safe,” I managed to whisper, not sure if he was still there.

Always, beautiful.

If those were words he spoke or if they were simply figments of my imagination, I would never know.

Chapter 30 – Isabella

The bedroom was dark with that watery, grey predawn that seeped through the thin curtains, cool on my cheeks and arms. I came to in the cocoon of my covers, fingers curled cold and clammy beneath my chin, feeling both smaller and heavier than usual. The bed beside me was an ocean of absence: no imprint in the pillow, not even the ghost of warmth where another body might have been. For a moment, I lay there cataloging every empty inch of sheet and letting disappointment fill the hollow space. But then, a flicker of red on the nightstand caught my eye.

I blinked.

A present was left while I slept: a white china plate stacked high with raspberries, each berry shining with dew, round as beads of blood. There were no notes, no explanations; just the berries, arranged almost artfully at the edge closest to me, as if to tempt a small, hungry beast from its den.

He came.

Last night was real. Jaxon wasn’t just a dream.

An ache fluttered low in my belly. I wondered what kept him from staying: fear or strategy or simple human exhaustion.I brought the plate close and rolled one raspberry across my tongue. It burst tart and alive against my teeth—ridiculously vivid for so early in the morning—and as I licked away the taste from my lips, I felt oddly exposed.

The snooze alarm shrieked through the silence, and I slapped it off with a groan, sitting up cross-legged. My head was groggy. The raspberries glared at me from their perch. I considered saving them, but knew I wouldn’t; nothing good ever lasted, so I might as well enjoy it while I could.

A rough laugh barked from my lips at the apt comparison to the larger situation that was my life.

Yesterday marked a moment of triumph for my faction. Don Mancini, eager to seek revenge on Bonetti for the attack on his club, took the information I gave him and burned down the old warehouse. I made an ally and struck my enemy. Not a single one of my men was hurt. And my people were getting new houses.

In hindsight, it was a sweeping victory.

My reward was a visit from my midnight stray.

Jaxon had come.

And gone.

I needed to enjoy the good while it was within my reach.

I ate three more berries before standing up to face reality. It was time for the next steps in the organization. We needed to spend time making sure the revenue streams didn’t dry and that money kept flowing in, and then there were the never-ending projects in the community. There was no time to lie in bed, feeling lazy and pampered.

Pacing across the bedroom, there was one matter I wanted to resolve. I debated how to phrase it, but, in the end, settled on a simple request.

“Jaxon, we need to talk,” I read the text aloud.

Clicking off my phone, I tossed it onto the bed. It was time I came clean about who I was. From there, we could discuss howwecould fit into the bigger picture. Because that was happening. He was supposed to leave, but he came back. It had to mean something. The least I could do was talk about it, offer him an explanation as to my life, and see if there was any way he would want to step into the underworld and join me.

Nerves rattled through me.

Latching onto the frantic energy, I dressed quickly, munching on the fruit as I donned the garb of a boss babe. When the plate was empty save for the bright crimson stains, I trotted downstairs, where most of the Made Men were still snoozing.

“Rise and shine!” I called out.

Soldiers groaned. Such fierce guards…I almost laughed out loud.