Queen of Hearts

“My homicidal, insane ex, you mean? Besides, I’m not sure you even qualify as my ex. We didn’t exactly know each other all that well.” My voice is dripping with sarcasm, I hate being caught on the backfoot, unaware and that’s exactly what she’d done. Why was it that I could run an entire empire in the shadowy depths of this city, under the noses of almost everyone in this room, and yet I managed to miss the woman in front of me because I was busy staring at her cleavage and her lips?

“Want to change that? I have no qualms about getting to know you more…intimately.” Her tongue darts out, the pink tip swiping over her bottom lip. I’m ashamed and aroused as my dick twitches in my trousers. “I mean, it will suck when I finally get to the top of my list. But we’ll get to make some fond memories before then.”

Ah yes, nothing kills a boner quicker than a reminder that she actually wants to kill me. And yet, I still haven’t let go of her.

The song changes again and we keep dancing. I keep my voice low and I lean in, and whisper against the shell of her ear. “I could have you arrested, hand you over to security.”

She swallows, and I can’t work out if it’s nerves or just because we’re in such close proximity. “For what?”

I step back, twirl her and bring her back in with my eyebrow raised. “For being the Queen of Hearts.”

“And how would you prove it, Jay without giving yourself up at the same time?” The corner of her mouth pulls upwards. “Besides, I think you like this little game we play.”“Don’t be delusional. You’re killing people.” I know I’m frowning now, but I can’t help it. I don’t care who’s watching, I just need to know if she really is as irredeemable as Eli thinks she is.

Pouting, she tries to give me sad eyes. “You don’t like my gifts, Jay?”

“It’s murder.”

“It’s retribution for a massacre.” It’s like a switch has been flipped as she straightens, and leans in closer. Her words are flat and cold. Despite her small stature, she’s still an imposing figure somehow. Her mouth is now pulled straight, smile completely gone, as if she wasn’t just flirting and making jokes two minutes before.

“Rosie…” I try to pull her flush against me, to offer her comfort but she resists.

“It doesn’t seem so unwarranted now, does it,” she hisses before biting on my earlobe sharply, the pain shooting down my neck as I try not to cause a scene or draw attention to us.

It proves pointless a moment later when a fire alarm begins blaring through the ballroom and everyone starts rushing towards the door.

“Ah, time’s up!” She grins brightly, taking a step back and melting into the hysterical crowd. It’s like I was dealing with two different people, I think to myself as I try to follow her. I can’t keep her in my line of sight, her black clothing and height meaning she’s easily swallowed up in the panic.

“What? Wait, Rosie—” I call out, my voice dying out as the alarms blared overhead.

“Jules, we need to get out of here!” Eli grabs my arm and starts pulling me with the crowd towards the door. He looks stressed, as we’re pressed up against so many people, all pushing and shoving despite there being no actual fire in the ballroom. Didn’t they realize we needed to exit calmly?

“Where the fuck have you been?” I shout at him, shaking him off. Frustrated that she’d been here, in my arms, and now in the blink of an eye she was gone again.

“I was with Maddison; she fell down some stairs in the foyer. Reckons she was pushed, so I was waiting with her and hotel security for the ambulance when the fire alarm started going off.” Elijah looks at me, confused as he leads me out a side door, avoiding the circus in the hotel reception. As we jog down an alleyway, he makes a call and minutes later the car pulls up.

He starts checking me over once we are seated, making sure I’m alright before he grabs my chin and turns my head abruptly. “Fuck, what happened? Your ear is bleeding!”

Curling my hand into a tight fist, I grunt. “Rosie Gambino.”

“Fuck.” Eli sinks into his seat, not sure what else there is to say. The Queen of Hearts had been right in my hands, smelling like a freshly baked god-damn pie and I’d let her get away.

Fuck indeed.