Bloodbath of the Fallen Crown

2

"It'll work," he told me. Gabriel was good at this, reading me. He would know how unsure I was before I knew it myself.

He was a big help these past two years. My backbone really. He was there for me and took all my shit when I was sent to rehab after Dad decided he had enough of the pills I was taking.

He made sure I didn't relapse and didn't leave my side once. My road to recovery would have been much harder without him.

I nodded, not knowing what I could respond to that. I didn't look back when I walked out the door.

**

"Miss me, Princess?" Mateo extended his arms to me and smiled that shit-eating grin of his.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't hide the small smile forming on my lips.

He didn't wait for me to extend my arms to him, he wrapped me in his arms and squeezed the air out of me.

"M...ate...o. St...o...op. Stop!"

He laughed and let me go, grabbing my face in his hands. "Look at how big you've gotten!"

He's ridiculous. "You were gone for a week. I didn't grow an inch."

He squished my cheeks and grinned. "You're so cute."

I smiled and pushed him off me. "And you're so dead."

He wrapped one arm around my shoulder and walked towards the hospital wing. "How's he doing?"

I shrugged. "He's stable. I've made sure he's been eating and having company regularly. But..."

"Like the stubborn man he is, he's stressed and not resting like he's supposed to."

"Exactly. If he keeps it up, he could get worse."

Mateo squeezed my shoulder, "how's our Aurora."

Just thinking about her made me feel pain. "Hasn't woken up. I just came back from visiting her and the doctor said no change."

We reached the outside of Dad's door. "Let me cheer him up," he said. "You know uncle Lorenzo can't resist my charms."

I laughed, "you try. I have to go now and set everything up for the meeting in four days. The Monsieur's are calling."

"Give 'em a croissant," he winked. "I'll bet they'll love that."

I laughed, "yeah. That or they'll shoot me."

**

"Listen, Madame," Dion Bisset, leader of the drug trade in France was sitting across from me in a conference room. France was the last country I could convince to ally with me in order to cage in Germany. Thing is, if they ally with me, I can recruit men in France that can keep an eye out for me. That way, I have people all around.

"I'm listening," I told him. Normally I'd probably die in these situations, but Elijah is beside me, having my back.

"I do not really see a reason to ally with you if I'm being honest. My business has been going fantastic for decades without the help of Italians. Besides, you are just a child. What can you offer me?"

As if I didn't know he would tell me that.

"I'm in charge of the world's largest and richest gun trade organization. I have allies all over the world, some of which might just be yours. I own most of the countries in Europe, South America and parts of Asia in terms of gangs and business. I can offer you the ability to keep you in business," he seemed surprised at my cool approach.