All Chapters of Queens and Monsters: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

JasmineBeing in a restaurant felt like being let out of prison, and I owed it all to the coconspirator at my side. Her desire for spicy food had Camila and I sitting in one of the nicest Mexican restaurants in Kansas City. The bar in front of us was lined with the best of the best, top-shelf liquors. Our plates held varying degrees of spicy dishes. Even the aroma of Camila’s enchilada made my eyes water. I opted for something less fiery. We also enjoyed chips and queso.The margarita was a welcome surprise. Dario didn’t mind if I drank wine in the security of the penthouse, but being only twenty, my drinking out in public was frowned upon. I wasn’t certain how Camila did it. When the bartender asked for our IDs, she said something to him in Spanish. The next thing I realized, we were being served. The large glass filled with frozen margarita brought a smile to my face and a scowl to our bodyguards’ lips.“It’s not like either one of us is driving,” Camila whispered.Truly, after the

Reinaldo“Weapons,” the famiglia guard said, standing by the elevator in the parking garage.Begrudgingly, I handed over my gun and two knives. I still had one blade strapped to my ankle in case of emergency. Thankfully, the guard was too busy gathering Diego’s and Felipe’s guns to question my honesty. It wasn’t a matter of being truthful, simply deceitful through omission.We entered the elevator, and the guard flashed his card, whisking us up into the Kansas City skyline. No one spoke as the testosterone emanated through the air, clenched jaws, balled fists, and tightened muscles abounded. If we were any less human, we’d be pissing on the walls.The elevator doors opened.A quick scan of the foyer filled me with disappointment. Jasmine wasn’t waiting for my arrival. The tall guard at Dario’s office door stood to attention as we neared. He and the elevator guard exchanged a few words, too inaudible for me to hear.I spoke to Diego and Felipe. “Quédate afuera.”They both nodded, accep

ReinaldoI’d spent the last seven hours worried sick about Jasmine. The things she’d said when she saw me in the garage were completely out of character and at the same time, sexy as hell. I knew enough about La Rocha, or Rohypnol, to know its effects. By the time they got Jasmine to the apartment, she was coming down from the initial high. Some people purposely took the drug for that high. When it was mixed with alcohol, it exacerbated the alcohol’s intoxication.As Piero helped her from the car, I didn’t see the mess she’d made by getting sick. It was her fucking blue eyes. They spun, unable to truly focus until they landed on me. “Rei.” She wobbled as she called out to me. Despite the capo standing at my side, I hurried to help her. She let go of Piero and fell into me. “Are you really here?” Her words were slurred. She slapped my chest with her hand. “I feel you.” She turned to Camila. “I have a great imagination.” I wrapped my arm around her waist to keep her from falling. Sh

ReinaldoI stood between the priest and Dante near the floor-to-ceiling windows. Missouri’s dark sky caused the panes to reflect like giant mirrors. Contessa had rearranged some of the furniture, creating a mini aisle, with two chairs on each side. Catalina sat on one side. The groom’s side was empty.My heart ached for my mother. She was sentimental about things like weddings. Mí padre was too busy to care. I’d talked to him after receiving the capo’s blessing, and he told me to get my new bride to Bella.Transfixed, I couldn’t look away. Once again, my eyes were glued to the staircase.After music began, Camila was the first to descend. She looked pretty in a long golden dress. For a split second, I thought how strange it was for her to be here—a part of my wedding—considering our past. As she approached, her green eyes twinkled as they settled on the man to my side.Jano asked me once how I felt about Camila since she and Dante married. My answer was that we were as we’d been for m

JasmineI woke, momentarily unsure of my surroundings. Even before opening my eyes, Rei’s sandalwood-and-leather scent permeated my senses. Blinking, I found I’d fallen asleep with my head on his hard shoulder. A quick glance at my watch told me we were approximately three hours into our three-and-a-half-hour flight.With the time change, it would only be two thirty in the morning when we landed. As I lifted my head, Rei stirred. He must have fallen asleep with his arm protectively around me. Bravely, I brought my finger to his handsome face and ran it over his cheekbones. He was my husband. In near slumber, he wasn’t as intense.Rei blinked. “You’re real.” I lifted my hand with the wedding rings and splayed my fingers. “When I first woke, I was afraid yesterday was a dream, and maybe I’d be back in my bedroom alone.”His voice rumbled with sleepiness. “No, preciosa. Your nights of sleeping alone are over.”Sleeping was acceptable. It was what came before it that had me worried.The