Chapter 20 - The Throne of Blood and Silk
The rain had finally stopped by the time the armored Maybach pulled back through the iron gates of the Casaro estate. The dawn of a new day was breaking over Brooklyn, painting the sky in violent shades of amber, violet, and blood-red.
Myra and Leo walked side-by-side up the grand marble steps of the mansion. The servants and guards stationed in the foyer bowed their heads instinctively as the two undisputed rulers of the East Coast passed by without a word.
Up in the private master suite of the west wing, the massive stone fireplace crackled with newly kindled logs, casting a warm, golden glow across the vaulted ceilings.
Myra walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out over the sprawling estate and the dark waters of the East River beyond. The naive, trusting girl who had walked into this house weeks ago wearing a red silk dress and holding her heels in her hand was completely, irrevocably gone. In her place stood an empress—a woman who had taken a ten-thousand-dollar bet meant to destroy her and used it to forge an empire of absolute power.
Heavy, measured footsteps approached from behind.
Leo walked up, standing just inches away, his presence warm and overwhelming. He didn't speak; he simply reached out, gently wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest.
Myra leaned back against him, closing her eyes as she felt the powerful, steady beat of his heart. She raised her hands, resting her fingers over his strong, calloused forearms.
“The federal leak has been neutralized,” Leo murmured against her hair, his voice rich and low. “The remaining capos have fallen completely in line. There are no rivals left in the tristate area. The empire is ours, Myra. Completely, unconditionally ours.”
Myra turned her head slowly, looking up into his dark, intense eyes. The man who had once been feared as the heartless monster of Brooklyn was now anchored entirely to her.
“They thought girls like me always pay their debts,” Myra whispered, a faint, devastatingly beautiful smile touching her lips.
May you like
Leo smiled back, a dark, dangerous look of pure devotion flashing in his eyes.
“And they were right, my queen,” Leo murmured, pulling her closer for a fierce, absolute kiss that sealed their eternal alliance. “You paid every single debt in blood, and now... you own the entire world.”
