Page 19 of Fall Before Her Throne

“Two for yes,” Cas said. “Princess?”

All heads turned back to her. She said before that she’d let me stay, but now that three of her men were openly against it, she could change her mind. She owed no allegiance to me.

“I already told him I’d let him stay as long as he gave us the truth when we asked for it.” She looked at me, eyes piercing, and I was certain she was going to tell them about the tattoo on my back, but she kept her face controlled.

“I will,” I said. “I want the Camorra gone as much as you do. We agree about that, at least.”

“Then I vote yes.”

“Well, including Max, that’s four for yes,” Ryuji bit out. He let out a breath and sat back in his seat. “Why does he even get a vote? Whatever. I hate it, and I’m going to bitch about it constantly, but the decision is made. Now get the fuck over here, hanii.”

She rolled her eyes, but she moved to his lap instead. He fisted her hair roughly and dragged her mouth to his, devouring her right there. My eyes went wide as she arched against him, winding her hands around his neck. Jealousy flared deep in my chest, hot and uncomfortable, but I forced myself to watch. When their kiss finally broke, she was breathless.

Her amused eyes glimmered. “You said the votes were in, Ryu.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. Doesn’t mean I can’t punish you for it,” he growled back before he slapped her ass. She yelped. “If I don’t get what I want in this, I’ll take what I want in other ways.”

My throat went dry, waiting for some kind of conflict to explode between them all, but the rest of the guys just chuckled and exchanged heated looks.

“Fine, you fussy baby,” she quipped before leaning forward to bite his nose.

He scowled and yanked her forward for another searing kiss. “You fucking brat.” His finger curled around the necklace she wore—a choker with a diamond dangling inside a ring. “You wear my collar. You obey me.”

My eyes widened, and my heart thumped inside my chest. What the fuck?

“Yes, sir,” she purred.

He groaned. “Stop making me hard right now. I can’t fuck you in front of him.” His thumb pointed at me, still watching this entire exchange like I was a fucking trout with my mouth hanging wide open.

“You started it!”

Obi cleared his throat, and Leona ducked her head with a blush. I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck, and tried to clear my mind of the last two minutes.

“Okay, let’s move on,” Leona said with a smirk. “I believe we have other important things to discuss.”

“Volpe,” Obi said. His deep voice carried throughout the entire room. “If we catch one hint of a threat, if you hurt any of us physically or otherwise, I will skin you alive. Do I make myself clear?”

Physically or otherwise.

I had to stop myself from glancing at Leona as all the ways I’d hurt her flashed before my eyes.

“Understood.”

6

OBI

“Okay, so what are we going to do about the Camorra?” Leona asked as she stood from Ryuji’s lap. He squeezed her thigh and drew more heat to her cheeks. My cock stirred. I shot him a warning look. Any more of his hands on her would kick off a sequence of events I did not want in front of Volpe. “Obi, what’s your plan?”

I’d been playing chess against the Camorra for years, but with their latest move, it had broken down my entire strategy. I needed to regroup and reconsider.

I let out a breath through my nose. “Everything has changed with their arrival in New York. I never imagined we’d have to face them here, with such low resources and limited power.”

Leona sat down on the chair next to Caspian. “What does that mean? We can’t do it?”

I shook my head and stood. I paced the room with my hands clasped behind my back and my mind turning. “It means we are not ready. We are at a disadvantage, and they hold the upper hand.”

“Fuck them,” Ryuji said. “We can take them.”