The Favorite: A Dark Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance (The Syndicate's Revenge Book 2)

by Mara McQueen

With all the aplomb in the world, first he introduced the King and Queen and their many, many titles. Who knew there was one for Vanquisher of The Plague? Then came Raiden, Crown Prince and Defender of The Brotherhood, apparently. Then came the esteemed advisors, Banu and Dima, and their daughter, Kimbra, "the jewel of the entire Brotherhood".

  Then came Ava's turn. The double doors finally swung open, revealing the gold and red room, flanked on both sides by countless rows of officials. A wide corridor of space stretched out in front of Ava.

  She took the deepest breath of her life, straightened her back like the Crown Princess she would become, and stepped forward.

  She'd have to thank Marcella tonight. All eyes were on her. Even the King and Queen looked her way. Smiling!

  Getting good with the in-laws already. Well done.

  She'd wished her parents had been here, too. Grandpa Baron. Her cousins. Her Syndicate pendant felt heavy, nestled in her dress against her heart.

  Raiden stood on the throne steps, in all his glory. He was the only one wearing a black suit. He had an official red robe over it, with golden spikes and chains on his shoulders.

  Ava tried to catch his gaze, but he was too busy grimacing at the floor like he wanted to rip it apart.

  Why wasn't he smiling?

  As Ava neared the end of the aisle, her excitement burst.

  Kimbra was standing in the aisle, too. In front of Raiden, head bowed.

  Was she—was Kimbra supposed to be Ava's maid of honor? Nobody had told her anything about it.

  But...she couldn't be, because Kimbra was wearing a dress that matched Ava's. Had the same ornaments in her hair and wore them much better. Stood in the spot Ava had thought she would be standing in.

  An icy feeling speared through her, gnashing against her bones.

  No. It couldn't be.

  But it was.

  This wasn't a formality where Ava and Raiden promised themselves to each other and sealed the peace between their Clans.

  This was a farce to pick a favorite. The favorite. Between Ava and Kimbra.

  The evidence was right in front of her. Two silk-lined boxes, one with the perfect pearl crown and the other with the reddish, rusty circlet.

  Ava's knees began to tremble. Her heart dropped to her ankles. Her happy little bubble burst.

  "This isn't happening," Ava breathed out.

  Her whisper echoed in the sudden stillness.

  Raiden clenched his jaw, still not looking at Ava. Kimbra grimaced, but didn't even deign to glance her way.

  Tears pricked the corner of Ava's eyes. Nobody had warned her.

  They'd let her walk into this joke of a ceremony excited. The stupid Syndicate brat who'd allowed herself to believe she was a match for a Prince.

  They'd made a fool of her. Raiden had turned her into a damn fool.

  He was worse than Darius.

  Don't cry. Don't you dare cry. Don't give them the satisfaction.

  She watched as if in a dream as Raiden picked up the pearl crown, taking his sweet time descending the golden stairs.

  "And now, the Prince shall pick his favorite," the official announcer bellowed.

  The words cut through Ava.

  "And he will make the right decision, as he always does," the Dima said, laughing good-naturedly, his beard bouncing.

  Raiden's steps faltered. A darkness took over his face and didn't vanish as he continued his imperious walk down the stairs—heading straight for Kimbra.

  "My son," the Queen said, her surprised gaze flying from him to Ava. "Are you sure?"

  A few seconds of silence passed, as he worked his jaw. Finally, he raised his head and smiled that unguarded smile of his at Kimbra. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

  Ava couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. Couldn't think.

  All she could do was watch as Raiden raised the crown over Kimbra's head. Sorry. The favorite's head.

  Once that gleaming metal touched Kimbra's perfect hair, Ava's heart froze.

  It jostled her back to reality. And this reality was ugly. Uglier than what she'd faced at her last wedding.

  But it was a blessing, too. Now Ava knew what kind of people she had to deal with.

  She could protect herself from now on.

  She'd come here to protect her cousins and that's exactly what she was going to do. She'd been stupid—so fucking stupid, Caputo—to allow herself to hope for more.

  She relaxed her muscles, one by one as Raiden and Kimbra kept on smiling at each other.

  The perfect couple. And here Ava was, to the side, the usurper to their perfect happiness.

  Didn't Raiden have an ounce of mercy for Ava's heart in that wretched soul of his?

  He'd promised her so many things. Ava had believed him.

  No more.

  Ava unclenched her jaw and allowed herself three steadying breaths. She ignored the pain. The hurt. The tears begging to fall.

  She let the ice consume her. Calm her.

  Cold was efficient. Cold was safe.

  She wouldn't allow anyone the satisfaction to see her crumbling. Especially Raiden.

  "Thank you, Your Highness," Kimbra said and shared a bow with Raiden.

  Ava fixed her gaze on the floor. This goddamned floor with its stupid Brotherhood symbol. Her heart had been trampled on it. She would never forget it.

  She heard Raiden approaching her. He stopped too close. The ends of his robe touched Ava's dress.

  His breath ghosted across her cheeks. Ava recoiled inside.

  She wanted him gone. From her side, from her life, from this world.

  His fingers kept turning the coronet.

  That rusty piece of metal represented what everyone in this room thought about Ava, but were too afraid to speak out loud.

  The second. The last favorite. The intruder. The parvenu.

  And she had to thank Raiden for giving it to her, too.

  She was losing everything. Again. Having the future she expected swept right from under her.

  He stood in front of her for much longer than it was polite. He didn't even want to give her that piece of junk, did he?

  Ava felt his stare bore into her forehead. Oh, now he wanted to look at her?

  Fuck you.

  Ava kept her eyes glued to his chest. It would've looked so much better with her switchblade sticking out of it.

  Finally, he raised his arms with a long sigh.

  Bastard. What reason did he have to be sad? What right?

  Ava inclined her head, as fast and efficiently as possible. The coronet's jagged edges dug into her scalp. The weight of it was almost unbearable.

  But not as unbearable as Raiden's fingers whispering across her temples.

  No.

  He would never touch her again.

  Ava straightened back up just as fast, away from his touch. Away from him.

  "Thank you, Your Highness," she said robotically, barely moving her lips.

  She swore these would be the last words she'd ever say to his face, the man who'd promised her the world, but had broken her heart instead.

  Chapter Nineteen

  AVA

  Mercifully, Ava didn't have to attend Kimbra and Raiden's wedding. Because the favorite had the first wedding, of course.

  Ava had a full day of wandering around her fortress of a house, numb and uncaring. She knew Seleka and Marcella followed her around, worried more than they dared to say, but Ava couldn't face them.

  She'd been so stupid.

  They'd seen her smiling yesterday, oh-so-naive and oh-so-happy. Now she felt oh-so-ashamed.

  Then there was the whole foolish tradition with the coronet. It had to be placed in front of the biggest window of the house, facing the courtyard, for all to see Ava had been "chosen" for the royal family. How blessed and lucky she was.

  If Ava stared too much at it, she'd rip it to pieces with her bare hands.

  "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice frighteningly calm.


  It wasn't Seleka and Marcella's fault her future husband had lied to her. Or that Ava had believed him. But it hurt that nobody had warned her. She was all alone in the Capital, wasn't she?

  She couldn't even call her cousins. She was too embarrassed to face them after making the biggest mistake of her life.

  "We thought you knew," Seleka said, sounding concerned. How lovely, even the emotionless mercenary pitied Ava. "Yesterday, in front of the mirror—"

  "When I was stupidly happy, yes."

  "It's not polite to remind Your Grace that she...that she…" Marcella trailed off, face red and puffy.

  Not polite to remind Ava that she was marrying into a freakish situation. She knew kings, emperors, and other civilian louses had gotten away with terrible arrangements like this, but she'd thought the Underworld had ridden itself of it.

  "Don't worry, Your Grace," Marcella said, a determined look on her pinched face. "A ceremony doesn't mean anything. I know the Prince likes you deep down. You have years together ahead of you. So what if Kimbra is the favorite now, you can easily take her place and—"

  "No," Ava said harshly, regretting it the instant Marcella bowed her head. Poor girl, she meant well. "Let them have their happy years, their happy lives, their happy ending. As long as they stay away from me."

  Kimbra and Raiden had known each other since they were kids.

  It wasn't Kimbra's fault Ava had come along, a thorn in her happiness. Why would she give that up for her? A stranger and an enemy.

  Ava blamed Raiden. He'd made promises. He'd come after her. He should've stayed away and let Ava marry Darius. That waste of oxygen had never bothered to whisper sweet lies in her ear.

  She never wanted to see Raiden again.

  But she had to. Because tomorrow was her wedding.

  Chapter Twenty

  AVA

  An entire army of servants helped Ava get ready.

  The red and white dress they placed on her body weighed more than armor. The coronet dug into her scalp. The make-up itched.

  But Ava endured it all, unmoving.

  She numbed herself for the entire day, gaze unfocused.

  She barely noticed the people throwing flowers at her feet as she walked toward the palace. Barely heard the bellowing choir. Didn't even look up at the decorations.

  But she felt Raiden's energy the moment she stopped next to him at the altar and the official began spewing nonsense. It pulsed against her, as if wanting to draw her closer.

  Never again.

  She felt him trying to catch her gaze again, throughout the ceremony. His stare bore into her forehead as they bowed to everyone and shared the same drink.

  She refused, keeping her eyes as before, on his chest.

  She said her worthless vows mechanically.

  At least she didn't cry at this wedding, but she was in danger of throwing up again.

  Bile rose up her throat every time he got near her.

  He tried to help guide her, with little touches on her elbow. The small of her back. Her shoulder.

  Ava simply moved away from his reach.

  No flinching. No yanking. No theatrics.

  She'd made it so far in her life without his help, she could and would do it until the end of her days.

  He even tried talking to her, the louse.

  Do you need help with your dress?

  Can I help you with the cup?

  Are you okay?

  Say something.

  Each sounded a bit more desperate than the last. She didn't care.

  Was she okay? Ava would have scoffed, but she refused to give him the satisfaction.

  She just nodded or shook her head.

  Unflinching. Unfeeling.

  "At least look at me," he whispered as they made their way back down the aisle, shoulder to shoulder, as hundreds of Brotherhood members around cheered.

  Ava kept her blank stare on the crowd.

  But she couldn't quiet her heart once the ceremony was over, the toasts had been given, the blessings had been shouted, and it was time to retreat back home for their first night together.

  Ava walked—no running, no dashing, nothing that involved any effort or emotion—into her room, hoping Raiden had gotten the hint after an entire day of her ignoring him.

  But the ruthless man followed her through endless corridors and rooms.

  He didn't have a merciful bone in his body.

  Ava stopped in front of her window, beyond tired after a day that left her soul in tatters. He shut the door.

  She still refused to look at him. What good would it do to her to see his face? It only brought misery.

  "We need to talk." He turned around, almost frantic. "I know you're upset and I deserve anything you want to hurl at me, but there's something—"

  "I know I'm not as fast or as strong as you," she began, her voice colder than she'd ever heard it. She didn't even turn toward him. "But if you take one more step, I will kill you."

  Raiden inhaled sharply. But he didn't listen to her. He took another damn step. "We need—"

  Ava extended her switchblade. She'd kept tucked in her sleeve all day. She'd been a fool to leave it behind during the first ceremony. She was not safe in the Capital.

  The switchblade's click echoed around them, beating against Ava's heart.

  Raiden froze. Time stood still as the only sounds in the room were their beating hearts. They seemed to fight against each other

  The longer he stood still, the tighter Ava gripped her weapon.

  Finally, he turned around, opened the doors, and stomped back out.

  Ava allowed herself to breathe again when he slammed the front door closed.

  "Marcella," she called out in that same cold voice.

  Marcella appeared by the door, brows furrowed with worry. "Your Highness—"

  Oh, great. Now she was Highness. What a farce she had to play for the rest of her life.

  "—I saw the Prince leaving. Is everything okay?"

  "Of course. We've officially secured the peace between our Clans. No war, no more death. It's a happy day," Ava said robotically. "Please help me out of this dress."

  Because if she kept it on for one more second, she was going to vomit.

  "Your Highness, please," Marcella cried and kneeled. "I can't."

  "Well, then call in someone who can, because I can't take this damn thing off myself."

  "Please," Marcella said, on the verge of crying. "It's forbidden. Only the Prince can take it off now. Let me run after him, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to—"

  "No need," Ava said calmly, even as her heart gave a lonely, dull echo.

  She'd never felt more alone and powerless in her entire life.

  That needed to stop.

  She had a new life waiting for her. She would make the most of it and find her happiness even if it killed her.

  She took the first look at herself in full regalia in the mirror.

  She looked like a beautiful idiot.

  Not taking her eyes off her reflection, she raised the switchblade.

  Under Marcella's panicked gaze and desperate pleas to stop, Ava slashed her wedding dress to shreds.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  RAIDEN

  "She tore her godsdamned wedding dress?" Raiden asked again.

  And for the third time, Patrice nodded. "And threw it out the window."

  He still couldn't believe it. He'd left Ava's room an hour ago. When had she had the time?

  "To be fair, it looks more like she shredded it," Axton grimaced at the pile of red scraps littered along the table between half-filled glasses and the two bottles of wine Raiden had drunk most of since he'd gotten back. Which still hadn't fucking numbed the pain.

  "Did she mention anything about adding additional clauses to your marriage contract?" Logan asked. "Because she seems pissed enough to take half your fortune."

  "No, she didn't mention the contract."

  She hadn't said anything. Apart from threatening t
o kill him.

  She hadn't even looked at him while she'd did it. He didn't even deserve her scowls.

  He dug the heels of his palms into his eye sockets.

  What had he done?

  The worst thing of his miserable life, that's what.

  Then he'd gotten drunk, for the first time in his life. He didn't like it. The tingles in the tips of his fingers. The heat crawling up his neck. The edges of the table misting in and out of view.

  But he could still clearly see Ava's cold face in his mind. Hear her icy voice whispering in his ear. Feel the click of her switchblade.

  "Are you okay, man?" Mason asked, obviously worried.

  No, he wasn't okay. And until he could tell Ava the truth, he wouldn't be.

  He downed another glass of wine and poured himself another, under the concerned gazes of his friends.

  Then he looked at the shredded wedding dress again. All of a sudden, his lips quirked.

  "Have you gone insane?" Patrice hissed. "Why are you smiling?"

  Because otherwise, he'd start breaking every single thing in this room. "At least she cares enough to hate me."

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  AVA

  The garden was in full bloom, just as beautiful as Marcella had promised.

  The breakfast table was set in the center, between two beautiful springs, with nine chairs set out around it.

  Only seven of them would be filled today. Two extra had been placed for Ava's parents, as tradition dictated.

  But they weren't here and never would be. Nobody from her world would be joining her today. She'd have to face her new Brotherhood family alone. Now and forever.

  Only one of the chairs was occupied.

  So Kimbra was eager to start the ceremonial breakfast, was she?

  Even with the garden buzzing with servants and filled with the brightest ornaments this universe had to offer, Kimbra's beauty still captured everyone's attention.

  She looked like a Queen. Despite all of Marcella's hard work, Ava still looked like Kimbra's third best friend, at best.

  Ava approached the table slowly. Kimbra turned to her earnestly, as if she'd been waiting for her. "Hi."