Page 73 of Meet Cute the Virgin

We run for the main house, almost busting our asses on the wet grass. We go in through the back patio into the kitchen. It’s the quickest way into the house, and there are a handful of directions you can go in.

The lights flicker a few times before going out, the house losing power. The sound of gunfire lights up again outside, this time in another direction. Everything goes dark except for the emergency lighting casting long shadows.

“It will come back on,” Teddy says, grabbing me by my wrist. “This way.”

We move fast, trying to keep quiet. All I can think about is Tristan and Killian and praying they are okay.

Tristan is out there. Fighting and possibly—the thought catches in my throat, but I shove it down. I can’t let that in right now. Vault first. I know the best thing we can do is be out of the way and let them know that we are safe so they can do what they need to do.

We’re almost to the library when the growl stops us both cold.

Not a warning bark. A predator’s snarl, coming from above. From the second floor. We both drop our heads back and stare up.

“Minnie,” I breathe out.

We exchange a look, and no words are needed. We pivot toward the stairs, taking them quickly. The second-floor hallway is darker, with emergency lights spaced farther apart. Minnie’sclaws skid on marble somewhere ahead, followed by a woman’s sharp cry.

We round the corner and freeze on the edge of the conservatory. Almost all the walls are glass, including the stained glass window with peacocks that Teddy’s grandma loved.

Minnie has someone cornered against it, sixty pounds of muscle coiled to spring into action. Blood stains the woman’s sleeve where Minnie caught her once already. Minnie’s growling, teeth bared, ready to strike again.

It’s her. The queen. The cunt that not only had both of my fathers killed but also sent men to kill me!

She looks up. When her eyes land on us, she smiles, as if this is all a delightful surprise, running into each other.

“There you are, little swan.”

“Wow,” Teddy says. “The wicked queen vibe is immaculate. Tell me you practice that smirk in the mirror.”

“Hours in front of a mirror,” the queen says, not breaking eye contact with me. “Your cat is going to get hurt if she doesn’t back down.”

“Are we talking about the same cat?” I ask. Because of how much Minnie’s teeth are bared, I’m not sure we can stop her.

The queen’s smile flickers. She edges along the window, but Minnie shifts with her, ears flat, a low growl rumbling in her chest. Whoever said dogs are more loyal was gravely mistaken.

“You think this ends with me?” the queen says. “You have no idea who you’re up against.”

“Right.” Teddy snorts a laugh. “Like we don’t know what crazy looks like.”

The queen keeps going, and I’m starting to think she’s not the fun kind of crazy; she’s a pure form of it. “I have resources. Networks. You kill me, someone worse takes my place.”

“Like me?” I chirp. “We’ll kill them too. We’re building a collection.”

“Like Pokémon,” Teddy agrees. “But with more blood.”

The queen’s eyes narrow. “You think you can just take the crown from us? I have given my life for this, and one man who can’t keep his dick in his pants is trying to rip it from me. It’s ours. You have no idea what you’ve involved yourselves in. The monarchy of Grandeurs?—”

“Is that the actual name?” I cut her off. I was sure she was about to be stomping her feet. “That sounds like a theme park. Do you have a castle? Please tell me you have a castle.”

“We have several.”

“Oh, fancy.” I look at Teddy. “We should get a castle.”

“You have a penthouse,” she reminds me.

“Not the same.”

“Definitely not the same.”