ROMAN: Fury of Her King (Kings of the Blood Book 2) by Julia Mills

look at this.”
    Shock, followed by the icy cold fingers of betrayal, slithered
down his spine. Reaching for the book without looking at his brother, Roman let
the front cover fall open as he sat in the same chair where his mate had been
bound and let his worse fears come to light.
    There, on the first page of the discolored parchment, was a
six-by-six-inch square, much lighter than the surrounding material. It was
where an intricate painting of Viktoras and him created in 44 BC had been for
as long as the General could remember. It was one of the only things he had
left from the early days after his rebirth, and something he’d planned on
sharing with his mate as he explained their special relationship.
    He remembered vividly how he and his Commander had been camping
just outside the city of Pompeii when a painter, Quintus Pedius, and his new
bride crossed their path in search of new scenery for the young artist to
capture on his canvas. Both he and Viktoras were amazed at how well the deaf
couple communicated, having never met anyone with such a disability that was
not a beggar on the street. The world in those days was so different; so cold,
so uncaring.
    Thank the gods things have changed…
    As it happened, the Kings ended up taking the couple to a
beautiful waterfall they remembered from their travels. Fearing for the
couples’ safety, Romanus and Viktoras stayed with them while Quintus painted
and then accompanied them home.
    Upon their arrival in Pompeii, Quintus presented them with the
small canvas as tribute for their courtesy. Sadness filled the General as he
remembered it was only a few short months later that word of Quintus’ death
reached them as they continued to travel across the country.
    Pulling himself from the past, he continued to flip the pages that
contained the most pertinent details of his very long life. It didn’t take long
before he found another bare spot. This one had held a tintype photo from the
late nineteenth century and featured all seven of the Kings standing in front
of the bar they had just purchased in New Orleans, LA.
    It was just after the Civil War and the city was in a state of
reconstruction. The Kings had sailed from Greece into the Port of Orleans with
spices, fabric, and riches the city had never seen. They were immediately
accepted into society and allowed to purchase not only their bar, King’s
Landing, but also a hundred-acre plantation. It was one of his favorite
memories and one he had wanted to share with Cynthia himself, not like it was
now unfolding.
    As he looked through the rest of the book, there were several
other photos missing. Each with special significance and all pointing to one of
three people with the knowledge and opportunity to take not only his precious
album, but also attempt to harm his mate.
    Standing just as Lee’s cell phone rang, the General had just
reached the stairs when his comrade called out, “Hey, Roman, you’re going to
want to hear this.”
    Stopping with on foot on a step and one still on the ground, he
shook his head. “What now?”
    He heard the sound of Lee pressing a button on his phone and then
Sal’s voice through the speaker. “Ummm…well, we found your mate, but she’s
locked in the bathroom at the truck stop about ten miles from where you are and
said she’d call the police or get, and I quote, ‘a wooden stake’ if we tried to
come in.”
    “She’s where? How did she…” He stopped yelling midsentence, knowing
it was doing nothing but wasting time, and took a deep breath. It wasn’t his
brothers’ fault. Hell, it wasn’t  his  fault, but he had a good
idea who to blame and that was something he would be taking care of as soon as
possible. But in the meantime, things were spiraling out of control faster than
even he could have ever imagined. It was time to face the music and if
necessary, get his affairs in order before Cynthia took his head.
    With his heart dropping from his chest, the General could