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Merciless Royals

Merciless Royals

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It's time for the Queen to rise.

The Snake has gone underground and my husband right along with them. Left to pick up the pieces, I know it's only a matter of time before the Snake strikes again. My husband left everything to me; the money, the businesses, the title. Now the leader of both families, I have to prove that I can be the leader I know I was born to be.

But the rules of the game have changed and everything is at stake–my life, my relationship, and my position. Yet none of that matters because I know just how far I'm willing to go to save it all. The Snake will strike again, I'm sure of it.

To succeed, I have to be ruthless. Savage. Merciless. Nothing and no one can stand in my way, no matter the cost. But betrayal lurks in the shadows–one I'm not sure I'll survive.

And it just might be the end of everything.

Merciless Royals is the final book in the Bloody Kingdom series. The series is complete. Reading order Savage Royals, Brutal Royals, Merciless Royals.

Click Here To Read An Excerpt

Chapter One

Sienna

He was gone. He’d left me. It has been a week, and I still couldn’t get that day out of my head. I’d woken up, reaching for him on the other side of the bed. But I’d felt nothing. There was nothing but empty sheets that felt too cold. My eyes had blearily opened, and I’d been confused for a few minutes before sitting up. The room was empty, and our door shut tight. Looking around, I caught sight of his phone atop the mattress. 

There was a sense of dread, as if I already knew why it was there. Swiping the screen on, I found it already open to a note, perfectly typed out. My eyes scanned the screen once, then twice, my stomach dropping. Jumping from the bed, I yanked on the same clothes from last night. There wasn’t time to change. Ripping the door open, I fled out into the hall.

Mateo was waiting for me in the living room as if he’d expected this. His eyes told me everything I needed to know, my questions dying on my lips. 

He was gone. 

I couldn’t call him. Had no way to reach him. And I knew that, wherever he’d gone, I wouldn’t be able to find him again unless he wanted me to. Which I knew he didn’t. 

He’d left me.

I slumped into the chair, staring down at the phone in my hand. I remember watching the small red battery icon tick down to two percent. I remember Mateo sighing, resting his hand on my shoulder.

“It’s what he wants.”

I shook my head. “It shouldn’t be like this.”

“But it is. And we have to continue forward without him.” His hand slipped away, and I was left alone. 

That had been a week ago. Now, I was in my father’s office, going over some reports that Mateo had dropped off earlier that morning. Sighing, I let the papers fall to the desk. I couldn’t focus today. Or any day. My thoughts constantly strayed back to him, wondering where he was, what he was doing. My phone was always by my side, always turned on with the volume up on the ringer. I didn’t want to miss his call…if he did call.

Leaning my elbows on the desk, I let my head fall into my hands. It had been a long week, but it had been a week of silence. No attacks. No rumors. No Dante. This week had nearly driven me insane. I’d gone out every night since he left, searching for him. I’d sat my ass down at The Salamander, waiting for him to show up or hear some whisper of where he was. 

But the Devil had gone completely underground.

It wasn’t until last night that I’d finally heard something. I was at The Salamander, moping at the bar and ignoring the Arco brothers when I’d overheard two men discussing a raid the previous night. Apparently, some dark vigilante had stopped them, gunning down half their men and scoured the cargo in search of any hint of the Snake. There’d been nothing, of course. The Snake seemed to disappear entirely after kidnapping me.

But at least I knew he was still alive. 

A knock sounded on the office door. Mateo strode in the moment I called out for him to enter. There was a manila folder in his hands, with a shit ton of paperwork nearly slipping out of it. I eyed it warily, wondering what more I needed to do for the day. I was about done with trying to save the business. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed and never leave my room.

“This came for you,” Mateo grunted, handing the file over. 

I opened it warily, flipping through the contents. Paused. And then flipped through them again. My eyes snapped up to Mateo. “This has to be some sort of mistake.”

He glowered. “Trust me, I went over it three times hoping it was.”

“But this declares me as the Don of the Scaranos.” I flipped back another few pages, scanning them quickly. “And gives me full power over their businesses and assets.”

“Yes.” He didn’t sound pleased.

“Dante signed it.”

“So he did.”

I snapped the file shut. “This can’t be happening.”

Mateo cleared his throat, taking a seat. “I hate to say this, but it might actually be a good thing. He left you everything. The house. The businesses. The money. Now we can rebuild after the decision to shut down operations.”

“This is anything but a good thing,” I snapped. His eyebrows shot up. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “This means that he’s not coming back. Or, at least he’s not planning to.”

Mateo’s cold eyes glittered. “Maybe that’s for the best.”

I stilled, the file balanced between my hands. Right then, it felt heavy. Too heavy. I laid it flat on the desk, trying not to look at it. I knew what Mateo meant. With Dante out of the way, and these papers, I could finally fulfill my father’s wish of destroying the Scaranos and taking their shit for ourselves. At one point, that’s what I wanted. But now? Now, all these papers did was leave me with a feeling of loss.

“Thank you for bringing these to me,” I said coldly. “If I need you, I’ll call.”

“Those papers need to be signed today,” Mateo replied, refusing to budge. “With a witness present.”

Was he serious? I sighed, taking one of the pens from the drawer. I flipped to the last page where one blank line awaited. My hand shook a bit as the tip hovered over the paper, unwilling to start the flowing cursive of my signature.

“Sienna?” Mateo’s head tilted slightly. 

I reread the last line of the contract. “This is permanent.” 

He said nothing for a few moments. “I don’t think he sent these to you because he believes he will die, Sienna,” he said quietly. “I think he did this because he knows you’re the one who is more capable of leading your people and your business. More so than he is at the moment.”

I looked up at him. “How? I’m the one who ran our business into the ground.”

“Because you’re not blinded with revenge,” Mateo replied simply, shrugging. “When Dante left—I could see what was really in his heart. He was angry. Vengeful. There was no stopping him. He would have left at some point to finish all this. But you? You stayed. And there’s a reason for that. Someone had to.”

I could hear the truth in his words, but I didn’t want to believe them. 

“So he just leaves me here to deal with everything while he runs off?” I asked stubbornly. “What the fuck is that?” 

“Maybe it’s his way of coping.” 

“Coping for what?” I asked again. “His father? He didn’t even like the guy! No one did. His mother, I could understand. I did understand. But doing this shit again?” I shook my head. “I can’t forgive him this time.”

“Forgive him or not…you now own two families.” Mateo sighed, standing. “It’s time to take over, Sienna. This is what your father trained you for.”

I glared up at him. “My father trained me to kill. Not to lead.”

“Then I guess it’s time to learn something new.” 

I watched him as he slipped back out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. The papers seemed to mock me as they sat there silently. I shoved them away, not wanting to look at them now. I didn’t know if I would sign them now or if I ever would. It would make everything seem too real. Too…painful.

But I couldn’t help but think about Mateo’s words. He clearly believed that I was capable of running both families, and Dante clearly felt the same. Yet I didn’t. I don’t know why. Maybe I was still hurting from my father’s death to even think about really taking over for him. For the last few weeks, I’d been in a daze. Sure, I’d started taking over his duties, but I’d been avoiding the real problems. 

My eyes caught on the file again, feeling nauseous. There was no time to waste anymore. No time to think about it. Dante had forced me into this, knowing I wouldn’t have a choice. Sliding the papers back toward me, I flipped the folder open to the last page. Uncapping the pen, I scribbled across the paper, snapping the file back shut when I was done.

There was no going back now. 


The Salamander had moved again. Last week it had been in South Bronx. Now, it was in Hunts Point. I didn’t dare drive myself, knowing I’d be forced to leave my car there if the night went south. I ordered a driver, not trusting any of my own men after finding out just how many had defected to the Snake. At least this driver didn’t know me. 

He dropped me off at the entrance, eyeing the bodyguards just outside the rusty door and broken-down building. Giving him a sweet smile, I slipped out, heading to the front of the line. The guards barely looked at me, opening the door as I stepped up. 

My dress that night fit perfectly with the new decor. It was tight and short, leaving nothing to the imagination with a sweetheart neckline and strapless. The red heels I’d paired with it were the color of blood, but they looked darker in the club's shadows. 

The Arco brothers had tossed their old couches, going for a total black-out. The walls were as dark as the night sky, stars painted on in brilliant constellations. The painted black bar matched the dark velvet couches strewn along the sides, leaving room for a dance floor at the center. Even the music had changed slightly, becoming a darker trance than the livelier beats they were known for. 

Declan found me first as I stood within the shadows of the entrance. He caught my eye across the floor from the bar, lifting his drink in a greeting. I made my way over to him, weaving between the already sweaty bodies, the smell of alcohol everywhere. Smoke hung above their heads as cigarette butts lit up the dark between the flashes of light from the strobes. 

“So,” Declan said when I finally reached him, “back for more?”

“You know why I’m here.” I leaned against the bar, ordering before scanning the crowd. I knew he wasn’t here, but it made me feel better just to look anyway.

“You might want to come with me,” Declan whispered loudly, leaning closer. “We have news.”

I straightened. Grabbing my drink, I followed him through the crowd. He took me to the back, where a small part was sectioned off with red rope. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. The brothers loved feeling important. 

Cain was lounging on one sofa, two girls on either side of him. I couldn’t help but sneer as I watched one woman tip a crystal glass of alcohol to his lips. Archer sat beside him in a low chair, a model on his lap. The woman’s arm snaked around his neck, one fingernail trailing down the open slit of his white shirt. 

“Look who I found, boys,” Declan announced, grinning. “Once again, the gorgeous Sienna couldn’t resist our charm.”

I wrinkled my nose. “If your charm is anything like the smell of this place, then no thank you.”

Cain touched a hand to his chest. “You wound me.” He sat up, dismissing the two girls lazily. They rose, glaring at me as if this was somehow my fault. Archer slapped her ass as she got up, a hungry look on his face as he watched her walk away.

“Declan said you have news,” I prompted, swiftly taking the empty chair and leaving Declan to stand beside his brother. 

“The Devil pulls the strings which make us dance,” Cain mused. 

“English,” I snapped. 

He gave me an amused look. “We heard something about your man.”

Though I expected this, my heart still skipped a beat in my chest. I crossed my arms, trying to feign indifference. “I don’t really care where he is at the moment.”

“Damn. Icy. I love it.” Declan grinned. I glared at him. 

“I’m sure you’ll care about this. It’s going to come back to you eventually,” Cain said, ignoring his brother completely. “The Devil has started his antics again. Two Italians were murdered last night, though they weren’t a part of any family that I know of. I’m guessing they were hired hands.”

“So, how do you know it was Dante?” I asked, cold dread slipping down my spine. 

Cain caught my eye, grimacing. “Because they were moving shipments of snake venom.” 

My mouth opened before shutting again. “What?”

“The feds found the crates this morning. Two boxes just fucking full of vials of snake venom. No idea where they came from, though. Or where they were heading.”

“And what makes you think Dante killed them?” I asked again.

Cain shrugged. “He’s the only one out there asking around about this mysterious Snake. The only one crazy enough to try and find him.”

Declan shuddered. “I know I wouldn’t be searching for the psycho, that’s for sure.” 

Archer gave him a dry look. “That’s because you’re a coward.”

“Thank you,” I said, interrupting them just as Declan’s face went beat red, “for telling me.”

Cain’s head nodded slightly. “I thought you should know. The feds might come sniffing around your door. Asking questions. They know this guy went after your family…and your husband’s. They’re going to want to figure out how it all ties together.”

I figured as much, and I’d been expecting to hear about the Snake again as well. I just hadn’t expected that Dante would find…this. If he found the men transporting the shipment of venom that the Snake used on his victims, then he must have at least tortured some information out of them. He was much closer to finding the Snake than we’d ever been before. 

I just hated that he was doing it without me.

There was a part of me that resented him for leaving me behind. The Snake killed my father as well. It’s not like Dante was the only one the Snake had slighted. I wanted revenge just as much as he did, and he was taking that away from me. My hand curled into a fist in my lap, the one holding my glass squeezing it so tightly it felt as if it would break. 

“I’ll deal with the feds,” I muttered. “They’re nothing but useless.”

Declan eyed me with something that looked like respect. “Damn, girl. I knew you were a hardass before, but this? Dealing with the feds right when you take over both families? That’s just asking to be brought in.”

My head snapped towards him. “How did you know that?”

“How did I know what?” He looked confused for a moment, clearly replaying what he’d said in his head. “Oh, everyone knows.”

I stared at him before glancing at Archer and Cain, who nodded. “How do they know? I just got the papers this morning.”

“The lawyer who wrote up those papers has a big mouth,” Archer drawled. 

“But don’t worry,” Cain added. “The Devil took care of him as well.”

I didn’t know how I felt about that. It’s not like I wanted that lawyer—whoever he was—to die. But if he was walking around spouting our families’ secrets, then he deserved it. It made sense that Dante took him out if he couldn’t keep quiet. I didn’t need the same man to go running his mouth to more…interested parties.

Like the cops.

Or the Snake. 

“Thanks,” I said, standing abruptly. I placed my drink on the glass table between us, suddenly not as thirsty as when I first arrived. 

“Sienna?” Cain’s voice stopped me just as I started to unlatch the red rope. “I hope you do find him. A man can only go on like this for so long before he loses himself.”

With those words ringing in my ear, I finally left the club behind.

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