18. KILLIAN
My fingers drum impatiently against the table, looking out at the dance floor as my cousins dance with their wives. Chiara has been gone for far too long, and my patience is wearing thin. I am trying to be respectful, trying to give her the time she needs to clean herself up, and no doubt have a moment of solitude. These family events can be daunting to an outsider. We’re an intimidating bunch, and for most people, standing in the same room can be terrifying, but Chiara was doing well holding herself together. She has nothing to fear as my wife. Nobody will touch her.
Another minute ticks by, and my limits have been met. She will be punished for this. Nobody makes me wait, even women as dazzling as her.
My gaze swings back toward the ladies’ room. She’s too smart to try to escape me, not that any attempt would have been successful, so what the hell is she doing in there?
Frustration burns through me, and as I get to my feet, I press one hand into a tight fist, cracking my knuckles—a sign to every motherfucker in the room to keep out of my way.
I start to move through the room when Sergiu steps into my side. “What’s going on?” he asks, his gaze shifting around the massive ballroom as if searching for a threat.
“Go back to your wife,” I tell him, not pausing to even look his way. “This is between me and mine.”
Sergiu immediately falters, falling back as I continue toward the ladies’ room, not bothered by the hundred sets of eyes locked on my back. My jaw clenches as I consider what the fuck I’m supposed to say to her or what I’m even about to find, but as I continue, the ladies’ room door opens.
A young woman runs out, perhaps one of my distant cousins’ daughters whom I certainly haven’t taken the time to get to know. Her eyes are wide and filled with horror, and as she stumbles through the door, she pauses and searches the room.
Her wide-open stare locks onto mine, and there’s enough fear there to really get me moving.
Something’s happened.
I run, my feet pounding against the marble tiles as the girl scrambles toward me in a blind panic. “It’s . . . She . . . Killian, she needs—”
I don’t hang around to hear what she has to say, bolting past the girl to the ladies’ bathroom. My heart booms erratically in my chest, and for the first time in my life, I feel fear. My forearm slams against the door, swinging it open, and as I barrel inside, I pull to a hasty stop, finding Chiara in a pool of blood on the dirty ground.
She’s not moving, and a fierce rage blasts through my chest.
“Chiara?” I rush out, throwing myself toward her and dropping to my knees as my gaze trails up and down her body, trying to figure out where the blood is coming from. My knees instantly soak in her blood, but all that matters is making sure she’s still breathing.
Please, God. If you fucking exist, don’t take her from me. I’m not ready for her to leave yet.
I cradle her face in my hands while gently stroking my thumbs across her cheeks. “Chiara, Angel. Please,” I beg, her split lip and cheekbone only fueling my anger.
Her chest slowly rises and falls, and the relief that fills me is like nothing I’ve ever experienced, but when those gorgeous green eyes peel open and stare back at me, my whole fucking world comes into focus.
“Killi—” she tries to say my name but cuts herself off with a deep cringe, and I can only assume it’s from the pain.
“Thank fuck, Angel,” I breathe as my men barrel into the bathroom behind me. “Are you okay? Who? Tell me who did this?”
Chiara groans as tears begin filling her eyes, and I quickly realize that an interrogation on what happened in this fucking bathroom is going to have to wait. I need to get her out of here. Besides, I already have a good idea of what happened here tonight. However, in the name of keeping peace within the family, I wouldn’t dare make such an accusation without the proof to go along with it.
“Home,” she croaks out. “Take me home.”
“Chiara,” I warn, my patience wearing thin. “Who hurt you?”
“Please. Not here,” she cries, almost seeming disappointed with herself. “Just take me home.”
My brows furrow as I scan over her beautiful face, and even marred by cuts and bruises, she’s still the most radiant creature I’ve ever laid eyes on. But it doesn’t make sense why she would be disappointed right now. She should be thirsty for blood and ready to take revenge.
“Talk to me, Chiara. What’s wrong?”
She visibly swallows as she reaches up and clutches my hand. “You told me how I respond will define the strength I possess. I failed, Killian. I’m not strong enough.”
Something shatters inside me, and I realize I’m the cause of her brokenness.
I did this.
In the face of an enemy, she responded by showing her strength because of the words I said. Instead of calling for help or backing out peacefully, she stayed and faced this without a shred of training or preparation.
I’ve failed her. I marched her into this building and labeled her as my wife. I painted a target on her back without preparing her for what that truly means, so the cuts and bruises that linger on her skin, they’re my burden to bear, and while I don’t know how I’m supposed to fix that right now, I sure as fuck can ensure I fix everything else. “?mi pare atat de r?u, iubirea mea,” I whisper. “E vina mea.”
“Killian?” Sergiu murmurs, creeping in behind me.
“EVERYBODY OUT!” I roar, not wanting a single one of the assholes behind me to witness my wife in such a vulnerable state.
Chiara flinches at my tone, and on cue, the bathroom empties out, leaving just the two of us again. “You faced an enemy today, Chiara. While they may have taken you down, your strength will shine in the way you rise and hold your chin up high. You bear the name DeLorenzo and the weight that comes with it. You’re my wife, and we do not fail. You will get back up, Angel. I will train you and see to it that nobody ever touches you again. You hear me? I will find who has done this to you, and when I do, you will spill their blood.”
She presses her hand against the tiles in an attempt to push herself up, but she’s too weak, and as she collapses, I catch her in my arms and scoop her into my chest. “It’s going to be okay, Angel,” I murmur as her tears quickly begin soaking the front of my suit jacket.
After standing with her still cradled to my chest, I make my way out of the bathroom. Sergiu pushes the door open from the opposite side, helping me with my exit. “What do you need?” he asks, his gaze lingering on the blood trickling down the side of Chiara’s face.
“Call the doctor. I want him at my place in no less than fifteen minutes. She’ll need a full examination. I need to know if anything is broken,” I tell him. “Then I want every senior member in my formal dining room within the hour. One of your wives is responsible for this, and I’m going to find out who.”
His eyes widen. “The wives?” he questions, his gaze shooting toward Chiara. “Is that what she said? She’s been here two minutes, and you’re going to allow her to make accusations like that? Don’t you see what she’s doing to this family? She is going to be your downfall, cousin. Open your eyes.”
I clench my jaw, and if my arms weren’t full with my wife, I would have already had the bastard against the wall. I’ve already warned him about disrespecting Chiara, and sooner or later, I’m going to break. “She said no such thing. I am the one making the accusation, cousin,” I spit the word back at him like the insult that it is. “Chiara is refusing to talk. However, in the time she was in this bathroom, only five women walked in and came out, and four of those women were the wives of my most senior members, all of whom have been glaring at my wife since the moment she walked in here on my arm. So, please, tell me what I am supposed to assume.”
Sergiu doesn’t respond, and I watch as the color drains from his face, coming to the conclusion that I’ve already made—someone will die for this, and when they do, unrest is bound to follow.
A civil war is on the horizon, and he has a choice to make. Will he value his loyalty, or will I be signing his death certificate?
I don’t bother to wait for his response, knowing that he will see to it that everything gets done. Instead, I focus my attention on Chiara while ignoring the gasps that come from around the room. The main doors open for me as my security team automatically falls in around us, scanning our surroundings for a threat. Within two minutes, I have Chiara in the back of my SUV with her head resting in my lap and her hand clutched in mine.
Blood soaks into her gold hair, and I have to assume that’s where the majority of the blood is coming from. As my driver flies through the streets, I do what I can to get control of the bleeding. Now in the safety of my car, Chiara’s tears begin to dry as my head of security sits up front, scrambling through the center console before handing me a few painkillers and a bottle of water.
“I need you to take these, Angel,” I tell her. “They won’t knock you out, but it’ll help with the pain.”
She nods and reluctantly allows me to pull her up. She opens her mouth, and I place the pill on her tongue before lifting the water to help her drink. She takes a small sip and cringes with the pain of her split lip.
Satisfied that she’ll be able to relax, I pull her back into me, holding her in my arms the whole way home. We pull up just as the doctor storms down the driveway, and by the time I’m carrying Chiara through the door, he’s right there on my heels getting a rundown by my head of security.
I barrel through the door, ignoring Krista’s horrified gasp as she takes in my bleeding wife in my arms. I take her straight up to her room with both the doctor and Krista following behind me. Krista races ahead to open the door, and the moment I have Chiara back on her feet, I start tearing off the fragile material of her gown, desperate to see the damage beneath.
Krista gets to work releasing all the pins from Chiara’s hair, and the second her long blonde hair is freed, Krista hurries off into Chiara’s closet, scrambling around for some underwear. I help her dress into a soft tank and a pair of sleep shorts before lifting her into bed.
The doctor immediately steps in and starts looking over her injuries when Krista steps up to the head of Chiara’s bed to wipe the blood from her face.
All I can do is watch as the doctor stitches her up, and with every drop of blood that runs from her body, the blazing anger within me intensifies.
How could I let this happen?
I saw the way the wives watched her, saw the disdain and ugliness within their horrid stares, and yet I foolishly believed they wouldn’t touch her, especially when I was so close. I will find out what happened in that bathroom if it’s the last thing I do, and when I do, justice will be served.
It takes nearly forty minutes for the doctor to finish up with her, and by the time he’s done, I step into Krista’s side and take the damp washcloth from her. “Thank you,” I tell her. “I’ll take it from here.”
“Of course,” she says, bowing her head. “Is there anything you need? I’m assuming there will be a meeting about this?”
“There will be, but nothing is required of you. You may retire for the night. However, tomorrow I’d like you to watch over Chiara. Make sure she is comfortable and tended to.”
“Sure thing,” she says before offering me a sad smile.
Krista leaves, and I step around Chiara’s bed, watching as she tracks my every movement. I take the seat beside her bed that the doctor just vacated and continue cleaning the blood stains off her body. We remain in silence for a heavy moment, unanswered questions lingering in the air between us, heavy emotions, confusion, and tension thickening with every passing second.
“The senior members of my family are due to arrive any moment,” I tell her, breaking the silence and giving us a reprieve from the tension within the room. “I saw their wives enter the bathroom, Angel. I know one of them, or all of them, are responsible for this. Time for games is over. I need to know which one of them put their hands on you.”
Fear flashes in her eyes, and she looks away from me, a heavy sob tearing from the back of her throat. “What are you going to do when you find out?”
“That has not yet been decided.”
“But she will be hurt in some way, right?”
“Yes,” I say, already knowing where she’s going with this. “An eye for an eye, Chiara. That is how we handle betrayal in this world. I am the head of this family, and as my wife, your protection is my top priority. Having another member of my family put their hands on you is a despicable betrayal of loyalty, and I have no choice but to see them punished.”
She nods, her face turning white. “You’re going to kill her,” she states in horror. “I don’t want that. I won’t be responsible for the death of another human being, no matter how shitty they are. I can’t do it. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I won’t give you a name.”
“Whether you give me her name or not, I will discover who did this. My family knows the price of their betrayal. So, when they walked into that bathroom, they knew what they were doing, and they knew the price they would have to pay if anything were to happen to you.”
“I’m sorry, Killian,” she murmurs. “Punish me if you must, but I can’t give you a name.”
I nod, not prepared to force her to betray her morals like that, especially if she feels she will bear the burden of how I serve justice if she were to give up a name. If she were anyone else, I would probably force it out of her, but not with Chiara. She’s shown a great deal of respect and loyalty by standing at my side. She’s trying to find her place here, and now that she’s starting to trust me, I won’t break that.
Disappointed, I press my lips into a firm line and lean into her before dropping a soft kiss to her cheek. “I won’t punish you for doing what you feel is right,” I tell her before meeting her green stare. “But just know that with or without your cooperation, I will find out the truth.”
Chiara nods, sadness brimming in her eyes. “I know.”
Getting up, I start making my way to the door when her soft tone cuts through the room. “Killian,” she murmurs, pausing a second as I turn back to meet her gaze, only the weariness in her stare has my brows furrowing. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but do you think there’s any chance you could just . . . let it go? I just want to heal and forget this ever happened.”
Trying to soften the blow, I offer a small smile. “No, Chiara. I cannot do that. However, if you wish to forget about it, I will keep my dealings private. You will not need to know what happens from here,” I tell her, watching as she nods with gratitude. “Now get some rest. I will check on you in the morning.”
She doesn’t respond, just watches me as I turn around and walk out of her room. I pull the door closed behind me, hoping that can offer her some peace to sleep. From the hallway, I hear demanding voices downstairs, and I make my way to meet with the senior members of my family.
Striding into the formal dining room, I find Sergiu and three of my other cousins—Phillip, Adrian, and Cristian—seated around the table in heated conversation, the blame already flying between them. Not bothering with niceties, I simply stride to the head of the table and brace my fists against the hard wood. “One of your wives betrayed me, and they will pay the ultimate price.”
“This is absurd,” Phillip roars, throwing himself to his feet. “You take the word of some woman you just met over our family. These are the mothers of our children, the very women who bore the future generation of our family.”
“I don’t care if they gave birth to the next fucking Pope. One of them is guilty, and I will get to the bottom of this no matter what.”
Sergiu slams his fist against the table. “What is that supposed to mean? You intend to interrogate my wife with your brutal tactics? She’s not some criminal mastermind like the men you’re used to dealing with. You know Monica would never lay a hand on your woman.”
Cristian scoffs at Sergiu. “Your wife is a loose cannon. If anything, she’s the one responsible for this. Everyone knows that woman is a snake in sheep’s clothing.”
Sergiu flies to his feet, his gun in his hand. “What did you say about my wife?”
I roll my eyes at Sergiu’s ridiculous display. “You look like a fool pretending you don’t know what type of woman you take to bed each night. Put the gun down, cousin.”
Adrian lets out a heavy sigh, not affected in the least considering his wife has crippling social anxiety and can’t even look someone new in the eyes. He’s got nothing to worry about. She wouldn’t hurt a fly, but having said that, if it comes down to questioning the wives, she’ll be the one to break first. “Has anybody even bothered to ask them what happened? There was another girl in the bathroom, was there not? How do we know it wasn’t her?”
“It wasn’t,” I say, remembering the exact moment the young woman barreled out of the ladies’ room. “I saw the look in her eyes when she ran out of there. She was terrified. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Well, it sure as hell wasn’t Evie,” Cristian says. “She knows better than to get involved in something like that. She’d never betray you.”
“All four of them betrayed me,” I roar. “The fact that not one of them came to me to let me know that my wife was passed out bleeding on the bathroom floor tells me more than I need to know. They’re all guilty, and they will all be punished.”
“Why does this matter?” Phillip demands. “So what if our women pushed your boundaries? If this was one of our daughters bringing home a man, challenging him would be expected. So why is it so terrible that our wives wished to test the woman you claim will stand at the head of our family with you? They have a right to know if she can hack it or if she will bend under the pressure. We all do, and clearly, she failed their test.”
I clench my jaw, my hands balling into fists, feeling my patience begin to snap.
“Do you even know anything about this girl?” he continues. “Or is she in your head because she has a golden pussy? You just met her and are already willing to risk the peace within our family. For fuck’s sake, Killian. You married her without consulting the rest of your family.”
Without a second of warning, my hand snaps behind my back, curling around the cool handle of my gun, and like a boom of thunder during a fierce storm, the gunshot rings out through my formal dining room. The bullet pierces straight through Phillip’s skull, and he falls behind the table as though he never existed.
The room falls into a heavy silence as I stare at the place where my cousin once stood. “Does anybody else dare question my marriage or disrespect my wife?” I ask, my ferocious stare slowly swiveling to meet Sergiu’s. After all, he’s disrespected Chiara on more than one occasion.
“No, Killian. You are right. We have not been welcoming enough to your new bride,” Sergiu says, kissing my ass. “We will do better.”
“See to it that you do,” I tell him before addressing the remaining senior members of my family. “I will be speaking to your wives, so I suggest you each ensure that they are readily available when I come looking, and if even one of them suddenly goes missing, I will automatically assume their guilt and they’ll be buried in a shallow grave beside Phillip. Am I understood?”
“Yes, Killian,” Cristian and Adrian say in unison before getting to their feet. And with that, I walk out of the formal dining room, more determined than ever to find out which of my cousins’ wives will be next to go.