by Mara McQueen
Ava stood up straighter.
"I'm listening." And hoping and praying she'd finally get her answers.
Banu and Dima might've scared her parents back when she was a child, but they'd had absolutely no reason to drag her back into the Underworld. Her coming out of hiding screwed with their schemes. They wouldn't have risked Raiden finding out and coming after her.
They might've had a hand in setting her parents on the path that would lead to their deaths, but they hadn't cut the brakes on their car.
Whoever they'd been plotting with was to blame for that, and Ava needed to find them before they found her.
Her mind had started thinking in Underworld rules. At last.
"Go to your computer, I sent you some files," Enzo said. "They might be nothing, they might be everything."
Ava clicked on the files, hands shaking. A bunch of photos, most black and white, with little annotations on the margins, filled her screen.
"Those are the people that dead assassin associated with the most," Enzo said. "That's a good place to start. I've been calling up everyone I know in the Syndicate for weeks to get my hands on them. We're a wary bunch, aren't we? And there's a surprise there. I haven't quite figured out if it's good or bad."
Ava clicked through the photos until she came across a couple of pages of syrupy platitudes.
Don't go to bed angry.
Always smile like you mean it.
Buy toys. Lots of them.
"And this is…?"
"That, my dear cousin, is your wedding book."
Ava stilled. "How did you get it?"
"Someone sent it anonymously." Enzo clucked his tongue. "Highly suspicious. But I recognize my writing. And I did mean what I said—buy toys. Loads."
Ava clicked through the photos at a maddening pace, scanning each grainy, unfamiliar face. Then she went through them again, frustration growing.
"I don't recognize anyone," she said, deflating.
Enzo sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll keep looking, I promise."
"Thanks," Ava mumbled and hung up, still staring at the screen.
She went through the photos again. And again. And again, until Raiden came up behind her, grasping her shoulder.
"Nothing?"
Ava sighed in frustration. "Not yet."
Why would anyone want to send her the wedding registry? Scans of the pages. It wasn't like she had the actual paper to test for fingerprints or blood splatter or—
"Oh my God," she whispered, clicking from one page of the book to the photo of a group of men sitting around a table, clinking glasses and laughing. All their names were written on the margins, with little notes about the night. Apparently, the third guy from the left had finished that night in a hospital.
Ava didn't recognize any of them, but she did recognize the writing. It was the same as a long line in the book—and that wasn't the only thing that looked familiar.
"Do you still have the assassin's phone?" She asked, voice trembling.
Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe she'd finally discovered who was behind everything.
As soon as Raiden handed her the phone, Ava opened up the chat planning her death.
She scrolled down to the longest message, which had instructed the assassin to also take a picture of Ava's body once she would've been "taken care of".
There it was. The same pattern as in the registry. Too many commas. Quick, short sentences. Too many I's.
Ava jumped to her feet, trembling from head to toe. Raiden had her arms around her in an instant.
"What did you find?"
Ava licked her lips, not believing what she'd seen. But she felt it in her gut—all the puzzle pieces fell into place and created a horrid, painful image. "I think I know who's behind all of this. Banu and Dima were right. They aren't going to stop until they kill us all."
Epilogue
AVA
Three Years Later
"Mrs. Martin, we have been over this. Twice. Your son committed treason," Ava said patiently, even as her toes curled in her shoes, hidden away from the dozens of eyes peering at her from all corners of the throne room.
Nobody needed to know that she did not like Mrs. Martin, one of the many Brotherhood member names she'd forced herself to learn. The woman was the kind to keep her head down as long as her belly was full, regardless of who filled it. She'd been a vocal supporter of the advisors until it didn't suit her anymore. After Raiden had become King, Mrs. Martin had told everyone within earshot that she'd always thought Banu and Dima weren't trustworthy, and how good and kind the new leaders were.
So no, Ava didn't like Mrs. Martin. Especially now, when she was crying her eyes out for her turd of a son.
"He didn't mean it." Mrs. Martin wails echoed through the columns. "He's just a boy."
"He's thirty-three." And a waste of oxygen. "He knew very well what he was doing and risking."
Revealing Clan secrets to outsiders was the worst kind of offense that didn't involve blood. The only reason the fool wasn't already dead was because the information he'd tried to sell off to the Runagates was faulty, set up as a decoy for these kinds of situations.
He wasn't even a proper thief. Disgusting.
But that didn't mean Mrs. Martin needed to cry her eyes out for that louse. It wasn't like her beloved "boy" had given her or the family any of the money. He'd gambled it away. In civilian casinos, no less. If he was going to be stupid, the least he could've done was fill up Clan bank accounts.
"Please, Your Majesty." The woman kept on whimpering. "Have mercy on him. He was tricked—"
"Stop excusing his sins," Ava said darkly.
Mrs. Martin clamped her mouth shut, but didn't stop crying.
Ava swallowed her sigh. She'd come to like most of the Brotherhood members. They were loyal, fierce, hard-working, and boy, did they love and support Raiden and her.
Mrs. Martin was the lousy exception, but Ava's personal opinions couldn't influence her judgment. It wasn't like she could punish anybody for hypocrisy and stupidity.
She was dealing with a grieving mother, after all. Though the woman's energy would have been better spent on her youngest son, who was loyal to the bone and smart. But in Mrs. Martin's vain eyes, he was lesser because he wasn't as beautiful and charismatic as her firstborn. Stupid, horrid woman that—
Ava took a deep, centering breath. Time was ticking. She had Kimbra and Bethany's baby shower to go to in an hour, then finish up her thesis, which needed to be submitted in two weeks, then call Seleka and double-check the school visit, before ending her long day by going over the shipment report from Italy and talk to her cousins about that tech CEO's plea to help out with some new trade law that was ravaging his company. Then she'd start it all over again tomorrow.
It was hard. It was tiring. Ava fucking loved it.
Mrs. Martin cried louder.
The heavy double doors opened with pomp and aplomb. The entire room kneeled as Raiden stepped in.
Ava couldn't help the bright smile that bloomed on her face. He was back from the negotiation. In one piece, too. Though he held his right shoulder a bit too tightly as he came closer, dark eyes locked on her.
"So nice of you to finally join us," Ava said, the message clear to nobody else but her and Raiden—I've missed you.
Joy shined in his eyes. "The ruling started earlier than we'd discussed."
I've missed you, too.
He passed Mrs. Martin, who'd broken out in full-blown sobs, and ascended the steps. Ava raised her palm slightly and he lowered his hand until their fingers touched, for the briefest moment. Then he sat down right beside her in his throne, both pretending their skin wasn't tingling at that small contact.
The Brotherhood had two twin thrones now, similar in every way except the symbol glaring from the top of the spires—a dragon for Raiden, phoenix for Ava.
She'd risen from the ashes and would keep on soaring until the day she took her final breath.
She'd also changed her crow
n. It still gleamed and glistened, but now had the rubies of her old one embedded between the pearls, with strands of rose gold framing her face.
Ava didn't want to hide anything from her past. It had morphed her into the fearless leader she was today.
"Your Majesties...please," Mrs. Martin whispered.
Raiden locked eyes with Ava. They leaned their heads together in one of those small conversations they always had before giving their final ruling.
"Didn't we already settle this two weeks ago?" he whispered, barely moving his lips.
"She asks for mercy," Ava said.
"That's not happening. We should have sentenced him to death a month ago."
"But then he'd be free of this life while his family suffered. He did the deed, let him carry the weight of it. Exile him."
Raiden's brows rose. "As soon as he steps off this island, the Runagates will hunt him down."
"That's his problem." She looked down at the woman from the corner of her eyes. Loathsome as she was, her cries still tugged at Ava's heart. She was, after all, a mother worried about her son. "This way, his family can still hope he'll survive."
He wouldn't, of course. Without Brotherhood protection, the Runagates would want their revenge. But he'd stopped being a member when he betrayed the Clan, and they all had better things to worry about than a traitor.
Raiden leaned in closer. "If these people knew how your mind works, do you think they'd still congratulate you on your kindness?"
"No, they'd probably love me even more for the ruthlessness."
This was the Underworld. You had to be quick, clever, and vicious. But why let everyone in on her secret now when she had an entire life to show them?
They leaned back into their thrones, faces stoic.
"We won't sentence him to death," Raiden proclaimed.
Mrs. Martin blinked one too many times, as if not believing it was happening. "Thank you. Thank you—"
"He will be exiled with no chance of ever contacting you again. He gets to live, but he has to leave," Ava finished.
The smile froze on the woman's face, but she kept on thanking them. At least she could sleep better at night now.
"I've met your second son," Raiden said. "I like him better than your first. Better focus on him from now on, hm?"
Mrs. Martin's chest puffed up as if she'd known that all along now that the Prince had mentioned it.
That was it. Ava had had enough hypocrisy for one day. "Leave us."
As soon as everyone filtered out of the throne room and closed the heavy doors tightly behind them, Raiden flipped up the throne arms between their seats—another little secret nobody but them knew about—and gathered her in his arms. Ava caught his lips in a searing kiss and didn't let go.
"Missed you," they whispered between kisses.
They were, without a doubt, the biggest saps on the Capital island.
But Ava couldn't help it. Raiden was the one solace she had after endless, hectic days, and he'd been gone for an entire week.
"What happened to your shoulder?" She asked, gently running her hand over it.
He smiled and stole another kiss. "It's just a nick. Things got heated at the negotiation table."
Ava narrowed her eyes. "How heated?"
"We need to send flowers for half a dozen funerals. With our most sincere apologies. But all the Brothers and Sisters got home safely. Patrice's hair is a bit singed, but she'll live."
"If there was only one meeting, what took you so long?" He should have been back three days ago. Three days of worrying for her.
"I was followed. Had to make some pitstops through Europe. There's more trouble coming from the North."
When wasn't there? But if they could uncover what had happened at the wedding and bring two Clans to peace—through nothing but sacrifices that still pained Ava and a goddamn miracle—they could deal with some Underworld disagreements here and there.
"And…" He went on, hesitating. "I stopped in Italy, too."
Ava gasped. "No."
Raiden grimaced and nodded. "Ella says hi."
"You went to visit them without me?" She tugged on his hair and he laughed. "Please tell me they had caterers."
He bit his lip and shook his head, obviously amused. "Mrs. Gravestone cooked her famous pot roast. With the cheesy potatoes."
Ava groaned. Mrs. Gravestone, Axton and Ella's housekeeper, was a master in the kitchen. Ava's mouth salivated just thinking about the woman's Underworld-renowned cakes.
"Traitor." Ava pouted.
"Come on." Raiden tugged her into his chest, laughing. "I brought you back some of Mrs. Gravestone's jam. Freshly made."
Ava still scowled. "What kind?"
"Apricot."
She sighed dramatically. "If I catch you even sniffing those jars, we're going to have issues."
"I promise I'll stay away from them." He chuckled. "How about we go visit Ella and Axton together next month? Haven't had a vacation in...have we ever had a vacation?"
"No," Ava drawled. "Living the royal life in all its debauchery."
But they were good at it. Together, they could face anything.
The sun clock behind them struck.
"Shit. We need to be at Kimbra and Bethany's in an hour," Ava said. She didn't want to move out of Raiden's embrace for anything in this world. But she had to.
"We can do plenty of things in an hour," he said, voice dropping as his fingers played with the edge of her silk shirt.
Not the way they did it.
There had been plenty of times they'd lost track of time at night and ended up scrambling out of bed to rush into early meetings with bite marks, scratches, and lazy, satisfied smiles.
They just couldn't get enough of each other, even after three years—and they'd gone a whole week without sleeping together in the same bed, which was six more days than should be allowed. Maybe they could get a law out to ban it or something.
Ava straddled him, loving the way he looked up at her, open and loving. His hands gripped her thighs as their kiss turned urgent.
But Ava had other plans.
She slid down his body, with a devil's glint in her eyes. She stopped in front of the throne, peering up at Raiden as she undid his trousers.
He gripped the throne's arm, knuckles turning white. And when Ava gripped him and licked up his length, he groaned so loudly, the sound filled the entire room.
"Shhhh," she whispered against him. "Wouldn't want us getting caught, would you, Raiden?"
He shook his head, his left hand tangling in her hair. Ava wrapped her lips around him, setting a deep, slow rhythm that drove him wild.
She could feel him watching her every move from the throne with those dragon eyes of his. Her gaze snapped to his. He gulped down a heavy breath.
"You're going to kill me," he muttered between incoherent words and moans.
Ava winked up at him and took him in deeper, feeling her body heat up.
Just as Raiden's thighs began to tremble, he hoisted her up in one go. He caught her mouth in a fiery kiss as his fingers slid the lace covering her to the side.
He pushed inside her in one hard thrust. Ava caved into him, an even louder groan bursting past her lips.
They rocked together, foreheads touching.
His thumb hooked against her bottom lip, he thrust into her relentlessly. Ava's head rolled to the side, the first waves of bliss blazing through her.
Their lips mashed together as they soared and fell.
"Glad you're back," she said when she finally found the strength to talk again.
"Good to be home." He ran his fingers up and down her back, drawing nonsensical patterns. "With you. Together."
Always together. Ava willed herself to raise her head from the crook of his neck and glance at the clock. "Would you look at that? We'll make it to the party on time."
The words had barely passed her lips when Raiden flipped them over, so she rested on her back, spread across the two thrones. Their crown
s fell to the floor in twin clinks.
"We can be late for once." He winked at her and slid down her body.
They could never get enough of each other. Not now, not ever.
Ava was finally happy—and as free as she could ever be in the Underworld she wanted to rule.
THE END
THANK YOU for delving into THE FAVORITE’S twisted world with me!
If you enjoyed this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
You can leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads and spread the word!
Want to be the first to find out what I’m writing next and get access to exclusive content, including more FREE eBooks? Sign up for my newsletter and join Mara’s Mafia Facebook group to connect with other fans!
Ava and Raiden’s steamy adventures are not over yet!
Want to learn what happened after the bloody wedding?
Check out the next books in THE SYNDICATE’S REVENGE Mafia Romance series:
The Favorite: An Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance (The Syndicate's Revenge Book 2)
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads
The Innocent: An Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance (The Syndicate's Revenge Book 3)
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads
The Witness: An Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance (The Syndicate's Revenge Book 0)
Get it for FREE by subscribing to my newsletter
Scroll down for excerpts from the next books in THE SYNDICATE’S REVENGE Mafia Romance series.
Check out my Contemporary Gothic Romance series, BEWARE THE WICKED LOVE:
BEWARE THE WICKED HEIR (BEWARE THE WICKED LOVE SERIES BOOK 1)
A Contemporary Gothic Romance Novel
Find it on Amazon and Goodreads
BEWARE THE WICKED NIGHT (BEWARE THE WICKED LOVE SERIES BOOK 1.5)
A Contemporary Gothic Romance Novella