Sergei—trust him that much. Adrian wants me close because he likes having one of the best professional killers in his arsenal, and for that, we have a mutual understanding. Of course he doesn’t know that I intend to ruin the entire brotherhood, though.
Sergei, however, should’ve been game because his position allows for greater impact if he suddenly dies.
Rai’s words from the other day are what’s stopping me from finishing him.
If he does die, she’ll be thrown out of V Corp and everything she worked for. The brotherhood is a harsh world for a woman, especially a very opinionated and outspoken woman like Rai.
So, I choose not to kill her fantasies yet, even though she’ll eventually leave them behind once I whisk her out of here.
“I still need Sergei. He prefers me now, and I’ll use that to my advantage,” I say. “Choose one of the others.”
“And then?”
“And then stop asking questions and make it happen. After all, I’m paying you in fucking favors, and you know how much I hate them.”
“Fine, fine. I was just wondering if you had a plan for that blondie wife of yours.”
You don’t fucking talk about her that way. In fact, don’t bloody mention her at all.
That’s what I want to say, but if I show my weakness to Flame that way, he won’t hesitate to use it against me in the most brutal way possible. I might have him as an ally right now, but there will be a day when he will return to being my enemy.
“Rai is nothing,” I say in a casual tone. “I’ll just leave her behind.”
“Which is the smartest thing to do, because if she knows what you’re doing, she’ll murder you.”
She would.
But I’m still taking her with me. I don’t care if she kills me as long as she’s by my side.
“We’re close to the finish line, so get your head in the game, Flame.”
“Always is, punk.”
“By the end, I want both the Irish and the Russians destroyed.”
This is my vengeance.
31
Rai
I stand frozen in place, not sure what I just heard or if I heard it correctly.
Maybe my mind is playing a trick on me. Maybe none of this is real and I’m dreaming.
I’ll wake up soon, right?
I close my eyes so hard they sting then I open them again. Unlike what I foolishly hoped for, I don’t wake up.
Instead, my mind is assaulted by the words I heard as I stood by the door.
By the end, I want both the Irish and the Russians destroyed.
Kyle said that, among other things I’m unable to wrap my mind around.
He usually notices my presence even before I step into the room. Not this time, though. He hasn’t shown any sign that implies he knows I’m here. It could be that his medication has dulled his senses, or that I’m too silent.
Or maybe he’s too focused on his destruction plan to notice I’m here.
The fact remains, he said those words.
This is not my imagination.
This is not a nightmare.
This is reality.
The man standing on the balcony, the one I took as a husband and whose ring I’m wearing, has been plotting my family’s demise.
For a second, I’m unable to breathe or think. Should I barge in there, confront him, and possibly get myself killed? Or should I step away and pretend I heard nothing?
Pretend I didn’t come back because I got the DNA tests from Katia and they said in big fat letters that he’s not Igor’s son.
Pretend I wasn’t stupid enough to fall for his games all over again after seven years of swearing to never be a fool.
I was doing just fine, getting used to him being my husband. I was ready to forgive him and put everything behind us.
But how long would I have lived in that pipe dream before the bubble burst? Before I saw Kyle for what he truly is?
A mastermind of destruction.
A man who will ruin my family.
Unlike what I thought, Kyle didn’t marry me to help make Igor the boss—he did it to destroy the entire brotherhood.
The bitter taste of betrayal explodes in my mouth, and I bite my lower lip until I taste metal.
While he’s still speaking on the phone, I step back and try to be as quiet as possible.
He told me once that I shouldn’t trust him, that when I trusted him, I would be dead. Did I listen to that? Did my foolish heart listen to that? It didn’t. Instead, I fell deeper into his web of secrets and lies. He dragged me with him into a darkness so black, it’s impossible to see the light anymore.
I don’t close the door because the click might alert him to my presence.
If he knows I heard everything, he’ll change his plan, and I won’t be able to thwart it.
As I stand in front of the room I’d started to call ‘ours’, tears sting my eyes. I wipe them away with angry hands.
It’s all over now.
He thought that he could hurt my family and me, but it would’ve been better if he’d just disappeared. It would have been so much better if I hadn’t seen his face.
But he went ahead and committed the most unforgivable sin of all.
Fuck my heart. I will crush it and Kyle before anyone is able to harm my family.
A rustling sound comes from behind me before a male voice speaks in a noticeable accent. “Looks like you heard something you shouldn’t have.”
And with that, he grabs my throat from behind and twists my neck.
My vision gradually goes black as I fall to the ground with a thud. Large hands grab my feet and drag me away.
My eyes slowly close and a tear slides down my cheek as a frightening type of void grips me in its clutches. While I blackout, Kyle’s words keep playing at the back of my head.
Rai is nothing. I’ll just leave her behind.
TO BE CONTINUED
Kyle and Rai’s story concludes in Throne of Vengeance.
You can read Rai’s twin sister’s story, Reina, and Asher’s in All The Lies.
What’s Next?
Thank you so much for reading Throne of Power! If you liked it, please leave a review.
Your support means the world to me.
If you’re thirsty for more discussions with other readers of the series, you can join the Facebook group, Rina’s Spoilers Room.
Next up is the conclusion of Rai and Kyle’s epic mafia romance, Throne of Vengeance.
Blurb
When vengeance strikes...
You don’t know me, but I know you.
I’m the shadow that creeps behind you without notice.
The moment you see me, you’re dead.
An assassin. A killer. A nobody.
Until I became somebody.
I’ll make everyone who reduced me to a shadow pay.
To do that, I’m willing to risk everything.
Everything except for my reluctant wife.
Rai Sokolov can show me her worst, but this will only end when death does us part.
The road to the throne is paved with loss, betrayal, and blood baths.
To win, we go all in.
Our lives included.
Also By Rina Kent
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About the Author
Rina Kent is an international bestselling author of everything enemies to lovers romance.
Darkness is her playground, suspense is her best friend, and twists are her brain’s food. However, she likes to think she’s a romantic at heart in some way, so don’t kill her hopes just yet.
Her heroes are anti-heroes and villains because she was always the weirdo who fell in love with the guys no one roots for. Her books are sprinkled with a touch of mystery, a healthy dose of angst, a pinch of violence, and lots of intense passion.
Rina spends her private days in a peaceful town in North Africa daydreaming about the next plot idea or laughing like an evil mastermind when those ideas come together.
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Contents
Also By Rina Kent
Author Note
Playlist
1. Kyle
2. Rai
3. Rai
4. Kyle
5. Rai
6. Kyle
7. Rai
8. Rai
9. Kyle
10. Rai
11. Rai
12. Kyle
13. Rai
14. Rai
15. Rai
16. Rai
17. Kyle
18. Rai
19. Kyle
20. Rai
21. Rai
22. Rai
23. Kyle
24. Rai
25. Rai
26. Kyle
27. Rai
28. Kyle
29. Rai
30. Kyle
31. Rai
What’s Next?
Also By Rina Kent
About the Author