6. Leo
Chapter six
Leo
W alking into the kitchen, my steps falter as I find Scarlett bent down, searching for something inside the fridge. The goddamn black leggings she’s wearing do absolutely nothing to hide that perfect round ass from my ravenous eyes.
Fucking leggings. I adjust my pants and look up at the ceiling.
“Hello,” I murmur as I approach the island.
She squeaks before jumping away from the fridge, swatting a hand to her chest. Relief flashes over her eyes as she realizes it’s me. “Sorry. I didn’t expect it to be you since you’re usually out during the day.”
True. For the past few weeks, I have kept my distance from Scarlett, giving her space. Specifically from me, knowing it’s something she wants but won’t say.
During that time, I’ve been spending my days hunting down any leads I could get my hands on to find Le Diable while also conducting normal business operations. Like tracking down those who have racked up substantial debt in our casinos and then presenting them with what I think to be a pretty fair payment plan.
They pay up now.
Or they die.
Their choice.
And while I’ve been working during the days, Eli’s been on guard, ensuring Scarlett’s safety. At night, I come home and secure the premises, not sleeping until I know Scarlett’s sound asleep in her room, with the light on.
But today, there’s been a little hiccup in the plans, and I’ve decided to make the best of the situation.
“A little change in plans with today’s scheduled meeting.” I grab an apple out of the fruit bowl. “Our conference room had a pipe burst last night, flooding the space. So everyone is on their way here now.”
“Ev-everyone?” she asks, backing up against the opposite counter.
“I think this would be a good time for you to meet my closest group of men. They live on the property, and it’s important for you to see their faces and hear their voices.”
She takes a deep breath, processing what will be happening very shortly. A group of unknown men will be coming into our home, her space.
“O-okay.” She sounds unsure, and I know I need to put her at ease by reminding her who she married and why.
I walk around the island to her side, gazing down at her. “Who am I?”
She scrunches her brows together. “Leo Alarie.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Who. Am. I?”
She visibly swallows. “You’re my husband.”
“Yes, which means I will never let anything happen to you.” I take a single step, closing the space between us. “These men won’t hurt you. They’re helping me with finding the one responsible for…”
“Taking me,” she whispers, her eyes solemn. She pushes her blonde strands behind her ear and pulls down on the grey hem of her oversized sweater, ensuring it covers her thighs. Her chin lifts, a faux smile gracing her face. “I’ll be fine.”
My lips turn down. “That’s your fake smile.”
Her lips part. “My what?”
“Boss.” I look over to see Eli entering the room. “They’re here. Are you ready for me to let them in?”
“Send them in.” I notice a slight tremble take over Scarlett, and after dropping the apple on the counter, I hold out my hand for her. “Come with me.” Her fingers intertwine with mine as I lead us to the kitchen entryway. My grip on her hand remains firm as several pairs of footsteps head our way. Leaning down, I brush my lips against her ear and whisper, “You can do this.”
She nods, sucking in her bottom lip.
I wish I could hide her from the world and keep her safe in a goddamn golden tower. But that’s not a life anyone should live. And I’ll be damned if my firefly doesn’t start living her life to the fullest again, which we’ll do by taking little steps every day. Starting right now.
Dolion is the first to enter, and Scarlett inches closer to my side. The warmth of her body seeps through the fabric of my shirt. I don’t move in fear of scaring her; instead, I let her decide how close she’s comfortable getting to me. She drops my hand but quickly clutches my shirt, pressing her side to mine. The tremor in her fingers doesn’t go unnoticed, and slowly, I bring my hand to her lower back, needing her to know I’m here. She’s safe . She flinches at my touch, her eyes jumping to mine.
“Okay?” I ask.
She eases her back against my hand. “Okay.”
Asher, Nico, and Sergio come up behind him. The four of them stand shoulder to shoulder, clasping their hands behind their backs. Intimidating motherfuckers in their own right.
Most importantly, though, they all have brown eyes, hopefully reassuring Scarlett.
“Gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Scarlett. Scarlett.” I jerk my head toward them. “This is Dolion, Asher, Nico, and Sergio.”
She gives a polite smile, grasping herself tighter to my side. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
Dolion bows his head and smiles. “It’s a pleasure to officially meet you.” His hand reaches out for her free one, but I don’t give him a chance to touch her as I step between them, placing my body before hers.
“I’m afraid no one is allowed to touch my wife but me.”
Dolion gives a knowing smirks as he steps back. “Of course, sir.”
Taking my place back by her side, she immediately grabs my shirt again, gluing herself to me. And damn, I could get used to this.
The remaining three dip their heads and reply with polite greetings, knowing nothing more is allowed than that.
Scarlett looks up at me, and I see it in her eyes—a woman seeking assurance from her husband that she did a good job.
“You did so good, Firefly.” Before I realize what I’m doing, I lean down, gently pressing my lips to her temple. Is it a simple gesture to claim her in front of my men, ensuring they know who she belongs to? Probably. Unfortunately, she freezes, and I instantly draw back to give her space. Her vibrant blue eyes widen as a slight blush spreads over her cheeks. “We should be done in a few hours. Eli will be just outside if you need anything,” I declare as I let my hand drop from her back and lead my men toward my office.
Sitting behind my desk, I watch as all four of my men take their places on the other side. Leaning forward, I steeple my fingers in front of me. “Before we begin, I want to make one thing abundantly clear.” My eyes narrow in on each of them, and the severity in my voice rings out through the room. “No one is to touch my fucking wife, no one is to be within five feet of my wife, and no one is to even look at her the wrong way, or I will cut out your eyeballs and sever each one of your fingers one by one so you will never be able to see or touch anything ever again.” Sergio loosens his tie, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple. “Capisce?”
“Understood, boss,” Dolion responds with a stern dip of his head.
“Good.” I lean back in my seat, the sight of fear in their eyes reassuring me. “Now, what have you found out?”
Asher clears his throat. “I recently received some intel from an informant in the black market pertaining to the Vasiliev family, specifically the head of the family, Igor. Word is, he’s entering into a sex-trafficking business with a silent partner, and they have a new club opening fairly soon. One specifically used for high-end auctions.” He leans forward, raking his fingers through his dark hair. “He also mentioned that there’s a third man involved, responsible for collecting the girls for these auctions.”
I raise a brow. Sex trafficking? That’s not something my family would ever dabble in. It goes against everything we stand for. But Igor? Well, that doesn’t seem too far off.
“Has anyone confirmed this?” Dolion asks.
Asher shakes his head. “Merely whispers.”
“And we are to believe whispers now?” Dolion asks incredulously.
“We are to respond accordingly to anything that might help find this so-called Le Diable,” Asher replies.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Are his sons involved?”
“There was no mention of them,” Asher says. “Only Igor. Apparently, after losing a decent sum of money in their investments last year, he’s been looking for a quick way to make it all back.”
“Sex trafficking does sound like something that would appeal to Igor,” Nico surmises, rubbing his chin. “He’s a man with no conscience.”
“I don’t understand what this would have to do with Scarlett.” Dolion taps a finger on the arm of his chair, deep in thought. “This feels like another dead end to prevent us from finding the asshole.”
Sergio gives a half shrug. “I think it’s worth investigating.”
Asher lets out a breath, staring at the floor. When his eyes glance up, landing on me, I know whatever he’s about to say will not be good. “I think there could be a connection between the sex trafficking and—”
“Scarlett,” I answer, bolting upright.
“The fact that she was kept in the basement of a warehouse seemed odd to me,” Asher says. “It’s like she was being held there with a purpose. Like they kept her there waiting for something.”
Tension lines my shoulders as I roll my neck. All at once, a missing puzzle piece clicks into place. “The purpose to sell,” I grind out.
This isn’t fucking good at all.
“I think… I think Le Diable could be the third man,” Asher states. “The one responsible for collecting the girls for the auctions.”
I stand, taking a few steps toward the closest window, gripping the frame. I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone, dialing Vin.
“What’s up, little brother,” he answers on the first ring. “I’m a little busy.” I hear a female giggle in the background.
“We have a fucking problem.”
“What’s going on?” His voice deepens, all playfulness gone. I hear his feet shuffle and a door close shut. “Is Scarlett okay?”
I let out a deep breath. “Scarlett’s safe.” I hear a sigh of relief on the other end. “Sex trafficking,” I spit out.
“What about—”
“Igor Vasiliev is getting involved in sex trafficking with a fucking silent partner right under our noses!”
“Okay…” There’s a few seconds of silence before he asks, “Do you want me to kill him?”
I grind my back molars. “How did we not see it? They were all in fucking Chicago!”
“See what?”
My shoulders heave, my hand tightening around my phone. “They wanted to sell her.”
Understanding registers in Vin when he says, “Le Diable wanted to sell Scarlett.”
“He was holding her there to wait her turn.” I know it. I know it with everything inside me, and I feel like I’m about to be sick, knowing how much worse it was about to be for her if we didn’t find her. “They kept her there with Le Diable until they were ready for her. And if Igor’s getting involved in trafficking, it only makes sense that they would have been working together.”
“Fuck,” Vin breathes. “I’m coming home.” I hear the fly of his zipper go up. “I can be there in the morning.” The line goes dead.
I completely forgot he’s in Germany for business with Alex, working on acquiring a shipment of metal needed for our suppliers, who are responsible for creating some of the most high-tech weapons anyone has ever seen. I’m hopeful him leaving early won’t fuck up the deal. But at the same time, I know why he wouldn’t hesitate to depart.
Family.
And whether Scarlett realizes it or not, she’s a part of this family. She’s a sister, a daughter, and a wife. And there’s not one thing one of us wouldn’t do for her.
As bickering continues behind me, I open the security app on my phone, needing to see Scarlett with my own damn eyes. I need to know she’s safe . But when I find her on the tiled floor in the kitchen with her knees tucked up against her chest, shaking, I lose it.
“Nobody leaves this room!”
Running out of my office, I slam the door behind me and make it to the kitchen in a few strides, her quiet sob the only sound I register around me. Sitting on the floor beside her, I lift her onto my lap. “What happened?” I brush her hair out of her eyes, running a hand down her trembling back. “Talk to me.”
“I…I…” She gasps for air, clutching at her chest, on the verge of a panic attack.
“Breathe, Firefly.” Her quivering fingers reach out to me, gripping my shirt tightly as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “That’s it. Just like that. You’re doing such a good job.” She does it again and again until she slowly reins in her sobbing and molds into my chest, her head resting on my shoulder. “What brought this on?”
She tilts her head back, and her glossy eyes meet mine. “I was cutting vegetables for my salad, and then…I nicked my finger.” She lifts her shaking hand, showing me the droplets of blood sliding down her index finger. It’s not a deep cut and nothing that should bring someone to this level of terror. But seeing blood on her causes an overwhelming need within me to protect her. Maybe that golden tower isn’t such a bad idea after all. “And when I saw the blood, I had a flashback. I-I was back in that basement, and he was…” She stops herself, closing her eyes, tears slipping out.
“Open your eyes, Scarlett.”
She does, looking right into mine. There’s so much pain, too much pain, and I wish I could take it all away from her.
“You’re here with me.” I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing away every tear that escapes. “It’s just you and me. And I won’t let anything happen to you.”
The palm of my hand rubs circles over her spine. She lets out a breath, her shoulders dropping just a fraction as she looks away from me. “He liked to use a knife on me,” she admits softly.
Everything around me blurs. My chest tightens. My fury boils on the precipice of leaking out. “What did he do to you?” I ask calmly, suddenly needing to know every detail of what this monster did to her.
She looks away, pushing herself from me.
I loosen my grip on her. “Please, Scarlett… Talk to me.”
She stops, hauling herself back into my arms. Her legs straddle me, gripping me to her. She swallows, looking up at the ceiling before saying flatly, “He liked to mark how many times he…” Her eyes lower, the insinuation hanging heavy between us. “I can’t say it.”
It takes all of my control to remain calm. To not show an ounce of my wrath to her in fear of scaring her.
“Where?” My voice practically shakes with fury.
She closes her eyes. “On my lower back.”
My hand on her back freezes as a fire erupts inside me. I take a deep breath, reining in every quivering muscle, ready to explode in terror upon every single person who has ever done harm to my wife.
“I promise you, I will find him. I will hunt for him in the shadows and find him in the darkness. And when I do, I will make him suffer for everything he did to you. I won’t stop, even when he begs for mercy.” I press our foreheads together, her labored breaths mirroring mine.
For a moment, I’m worried my words will terrify her. That she’ll leap from my grasp and run as far away from me as she can. Instead, she shoves her face into the crook of my neck, her arms forcefully wrapping around me. A broken sob escapes her, her body convulsing in my arms. Tears pour out of her eyes, wetting my neck. On impulse, my hands tighten around her body, never wanting to let her go. And knowing deep within my heart I’ll never be able to.
We sit like this for a few minutes, my hands carefully placed at the top of her back, moving in a soothing touch. “Thank you,” she whispers, her body slowly calming down.
I twist my head and press a gentle but firm kiss to her temple, knowing words are not enough right now. I’m relieved she doesn’t flinch and, instead, melts against me, her body relaxing into my grip.
Abruptly, a gasp leaves her, and she pushes back slightly. “Oh my God. I got blood on your shirt.” She rubs at it with her other hand as if it can be wiped clean, but the stain only becomes bigger. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s just a little blood, Firefly.” I reach for her hand and inspect her finger. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” She moves to get up, but before she can, I lift her in my arms and stand, bringing her to the island and placing her beside the sink. I walk away from her, the loss of her body against mine sending a foreign shiver through me, and I find a Band-Aid in the cabinet. Turning around, I catch her staring at her finger. The blood dribbles over her porcelain skin. I gently take her hand in mine, turn on the cold water, and place her finger under it.
“I remember you did this for me when we were kids,” she muses, a tiny smile trying to appear.
“Oh, yeah?” I pretend not to remember that day when there’s not a single thing I’ve ever forgotten pertaining to her.
“Yeah. When I cut my knees on some rocks after falling off my bike. You carried me inside and took me to the bathroom to clean me up. And then you kissed each knee to make them feel better.” She shakes her head, laughing. “I was so embarrassed because…” Her words trail off, her eyes looking like she regrets what she said.
“Because?”
She hesitates before saying, “Because I had the biggest crush on you.” She bites her bottom lip, looking down at her lap.
I take two fingers and lift her chin. “The feeling was mutual.”
We both stare at each other, unsure what to say or do.
Every instinct inside me wants to kiss her. Hold her in my arms and taste her until she can’t take anymore.
But logic and reason keep me frozen. I know what she’s been through. Not to mention, I promised her I would never touch her in that way. And I will never break that promise.
Pulling her finger out of the water, pleased to see it’s no longer bleeding, I pat it dry and wrap the Band-Aid protectively around it. And just like old times, I bring her finger to my lips and gently kiss the part surrounded by the Band-Aid, lifting my eyes to find her lips parted as she watches me.
“All better,” I say huskily.
“Thanks,” she gets out, her voice a little softer. Her eyes blink, and she shakes her head. “I’m so tired. I think I should just head to bed for the night. You can go back to your meeting.” She tucks her hair behind her ear. “I’m fine.”
“Having a panic attack uses a lot of energy.” I place the palms of my hands on the counter beside her. “I’ll carry you.”
She nods in approval. Her legs wrap around me, and her cheek rests against my shoulder as I take each step up the stairs and head toward her room. I position my hand on the scanner, allowing her door to pop open. As I place her on the side of her bed, I notice she’s fallen asleep in my arms.
I tuck the blankets around her and run a hand through my hair as I briefly glance down at her before quickly leaving, giving her space.
Opening the door to my office, I find several pairs of eyes widening in horror as I enter the room. “What?”
“Why do you have blood all over your shirt?” Nico asks.
Glancing down, I find splotches of blood covering my white shirt. “There was an accident, but everything was taken care of.” I approach my desk and lift the gold paperweight from a pile of neatly stacked papers, playing with it in my hands, Scarlett’s words echoing in my ears.
“He liked to mark how many times he… I can’t say it.”
“Now, where were we?” I question. “Ah, yes. Finding the son of a bitch who dared to touch my wife so I can kill him with my bare fucking hands!”
The gold paperweight crashes through the nearest window, glass shattering to the ground below. My hands rest on my hips as I wait for the fury to subside, but with each passing second, it merely intensifies.
“Dolion?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Get me a meeting with Igor Vasiliev.” I roll up my shirt sleeves before sitting in my seat, every eye in the room on me. “It’s time I pay him a visit.”