Until Forever Ends: A Dark Mafia Romance by Adelaide Forrest (free children's ebooks online TXT) 📕

The same ones that had haunted me in the streets of Ibiza.

"But the Queen is the most powerful piece on the board," I said, turning my head to face Joaquin in my confusion.

"You have all the power, mi reina. He's already tried to tell you as much." I bit my lip, considering his words. "All that's left is for you to use it."

13

Rafael

When the sun had started to set over the horizon, Alejandro knocked at the side door of my office, avoiding the main space as I'd requested.

Until I felt she was ready, I thought it best to keep her as isolated as possible. Certain events would prohibit it from being entirely true, but I'd do what I could to let her acclimate. Putting Alejandro's mauled hand and his limp directly in her face didn't seem like it would be the best path forward if I wanted her to relax, especially with what was coming once the sun went down.

"Everything is ready for tonight," he said as he dropped into a chair on the other side of my desk. "Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

There was no hesitation in my response. "It's tradition."

"She won't like it," he said, shaking his head in warning.

"It's part of life here. She'll have to come to terms with it eventually," I said, continuing on with the next task I had for him. "I want you to find Pavel's sons."

He nodded, pursing his lips to the side. "Which ones?"

"All of them, but start with the oldest." He widened his eyes, biting his bottom lip.

"Are you sure that's the wisest move? He's already restless after your interaction in Ibiza."

"He could have cost me Isa," I warned. "With his relentless need to insert himself into my vacation with her, he put everything I'd planned at risk. He needs to suffer for it. His sons were going to die anyway. Knowing he'll watch me kill each and every one of them before I finally come for him will be his punishment."

"You'll leave Isa here to go hunt Pavel's sons?" he asked, questioning my motives. It would kill me to leave Isa behind, but there would always be business I needed to tend to off the island. She wouldn't always be able to accompany me, as much as I very much liked the idea of having her waiting for me when I finished and went back to our hotel room at the end of it.

But the reality was, she was much safer on El Infierno.

Most of her time would be spent here, particularly once our child was born. That would give her a distraction, because mi reina had never been good at inactivity. Boredom would be her worst enemy.

"Yes. She'll remain here for now. Hopefully there will come a time soon enough where I can trust her," I said, dismissing him as I stood from behind my desk. As night fell through the windows, I made my way toward the door to the rest of the house.

Isa was curled up in the breakfast nook, a book in her lap as she studied the words intently. The cover brought a smile to my face, the chess pieces staring back at me as she glanced up from the book. She studied the board, moving a piece with her expression deep in thought.

In the yard behind the pool area, a fire raged in the pit halfway between my home and the start of the village where my most trusted people lived. Regina met my gaze as I made my way to the French doors that led to the yard with Alejandro at my heels. Isa's face twisted as she realized I intended to walk past her without greeting, but the events of the night required a certain detachment.

I regretted nothing I would do that night, but that didn't mean I wasn't weighed down by the reality of what was still to come. Penance was necessary, a tradition that kept people from failing me. That kept them from betraying the loyalty I expected of my men.

Hugo had failed me months ago, but his connection to Isa had prevented me from giving him the penance he'd earned. Nothing stood in the way of him paying the price for that failure now that Isa was aware of his involvement with me. I stripped off my suit jacket, tossing it onto one of the stools at the island as I glanced toward Isa one last time. She pushed her chair out from the table, looking as if she might follow me into the night.

But women had no place at the pyre, not unless the penance was theirs to pay.

That day too would come.

My shirt followed, draping over the stool as she held my eyes in confusion and glanced toward Regina who wisely held her tongue. "What are you doing?" Isa asked when I didn't move to strip my pants down my legs.

"Stay here," I ordered her as Alejandro swung the doors open and stepped outside. I followed, pulling them closed behind me with a meaningful look. Turning my back on her finally, I hardened myself to the mask my people saw.

Only Isa threatened to make that mask slip, only she could make me realize that it was a mask at all.

The pyre loomed closer as Hugo approached from the other side. Gabriel accompanied him, standing by his side to help him stumble home. Hugo's first penance—there was no telling how he would react to the skin melting off his body.

The brand already burned in the fire as he stripped off his own shirt and knelt at my feet. I held his eyes as some of my other most trusted men gathered around to bear witness to his penance, to offer their support in the fact that he willingly accepted the punishment for failure. Giving ourselves to the fire was the only true way we could cleanse our bonds of the negative