Page 71 of His Queen

I strap on my thigh holster for my desert eagle Vlad gifted me. It's beautiful with custom ivory grips that have roses carved into them.

"Here." He hands me a dagger. "It's a custom one. I had it made just for you to match your gun. This is your personal knife, and I want you to carry it."

I gaze at him in awe, my eyes wide with amazement. I have never seen something so beautiful in my life. The handle, meticulously carved, fit snugly into my palm, offering a sense of comfort and control. As my fingers trace the intricate designs etched onto the blade, I can almost feel the delicate touch of the vines and flowers. The sight of this masterpiece leaves me speechless, unable to comprehend the depth of his gesture.

"It's stunning. Thank you."

"You are most welcome. I love you."

"And I love you. Always."

"Let's go."

We get into the SUVs to make our way to the location. The majority of the men will be keeping their distance, while Vlad and two others will be stationed on top of a building, observing through scopes.

Rose

We ride to the location, and as we pull up and step out, I notice Aldo and Lena waiting. I’m surprised to see them here already; I was worried they might run late.

"Aldo, Lena, it's good to see you. Thank you for coming." I say as we approach them.

They are both looking around like they are nervous Lena more so than Aldo but even he looks nervous.

"I wasn't aware that this was a meeting for everyone. Where is Salvatore, Rose? Is he not here?"

"Salvatore won't be joining us. Ever. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. There is a lot you don't know. But I know one important thing about you and that is I know that you care for Lena."

"What are you saying, Rose? And why are you standing here with the leader of the Bratva?"

He asks, avoiding my statement about him and Lena and it makes me smirk even though I’m nervous.

"I'm saying I can help you be together, and I am standing here with Demetrius because Vlad and Demetrius saved me from Sal. I don't want to go into that right now, but it's safe to say he won't be hurting anyone else anytime soon."

I see an emotion flicker over his face, but I'm not sure what it is. I wish I knew him better so that I could read him. Demetrius clears his throat.

"Let's get to the point here. It's dangerous for us all to just stand here. The facts are Sal was abusing Rose and letting others..." he takes a deep breath and I can see he doesn't really want to say it. For such a hard man, he really hates this.

"Rape me. Let's just put it out there. He raped and abused me before and after the wedding. He had men waiting for us when we got to the island." I can feel my body as it trembles just from the thought of what happened there. I haven't had the time to really think about it and honestly, I don't want to start now.

"Oh, god, Rose," Lena says and grabs me, pulling me into her arms. "I didn’t know.”

“I know you didn't. But even if you did, I know you couldn't have done anything.”

"How could your father do that?" Now I can see the anger. "I knew it wasn't perfect, and I heard the rumors, but...." He looks at me and I see the regret on his face. "I swear Rose had I known." His face turns angry. "Did your father know?"

I nod, and his frown deepens. "He is a monster and I won't stand for his behavior any longer."

"What does this have to do with us, Rose?" Aldo asks

"Everything." I put my hands on Lena's shoulders and step back a little so we can look at each other. "I ... I have seen how you two look at each other and I don't care. You deserve to be happy." I say, looking at Lena and then at Aldo. "You too." I take a deep breath. "I need your help to stop this war before it happens. I love Vlad and he loves me. We want to unite us all and in order to do that.."

Aldo cuts me off. "You have to take out your father."

I nod.

"What makes you think we want anything to do with that?" Aldo asks

"They saved me and we both know this will cause a bloodbath. The innocent people will suffer the worst I know you know that. We need your help. But it is your choice. I’m not like him." I look at Aldo because if anyone understands the bloodbath of war, it's him. "I know you are his second in command and this is a big ask. But I want to take over and unite the Bratva and the Mafia. I know it will take work and time to stop all the fighting. But my father's rein has to stop Aldo. He is trafficking women." I look at Lena and she looks back at me. "They forced you to marry him, weren't you?"

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