Chapter Six Tristan
Everything was a fucking mess.
My brothers were still trapped with Silvio Orsini, and so were his daughters.
And right then, I was dealing with a massive crisis still unfolding from men I had failed to kill, because…fuck, I didn’t even know why. All I knew was that everything was going horribly wrong.
The Crooked Thorn’s walls stood silent, the only testament to the chaos that had reigned moments before I got there was the faint scent of gunpowder lingering in the air. My hand ran over the back of a chair, fingers grazing the dark wood. It was done; at least the immediate threats were neutralized, but a gnawing restlessness squirmed in my gut like a caged beast. Adriana. Her image flashed in my mind—resolute and fierce, yet I knew beneath her tough exterior, vulnerability simmered.
“Sean,” I called out, my voice a low command slicing through the quiet aftermath. He appeared, his presence as solid as the walls themselves. “I want eyes on every corner. Double the men at each post. Make sure our homes are fortresses. Every single one of us. Except Killian’s.” The words felt like stones, heavy with the weight of what we faced.
“Yes, boss,” Sean said. “Uh, why not Killian’s?”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I’ll explain later.”
“Understood, boss,” Sean replied, his nod was curt, efficient. We’d been through this dance of security and survival too many times, yet this time, something primal urged me to reinforce our defenses.
“Nobody gets in or out without my say-so. And keep it tight, especially around the Callahan estate,” I added, thinking of Adriana, how closely danger stalked her now more than ever. “I want a lot of men there at all times. Around Adriana’s apartment too. Can you do that for me?”
“Will do,” he affirmed, already moving to carry out the orders.
I looked at the mess that had been left behind by the attack and gave orders to a few people; clean this up, lock this down, stay inside…make sure your family stays at home.
But I didn’t want to stay at the pub for too long, this had always been my father’s domain and I still felt pretty uncomfortable taking his place.
Plus, I had more important things to worry about. I slipped out the back door when I wasn’t being bothered, certain there were more things I could take care of, knowing that I should probably stick around to take care of my crumbling empire.
But my father wasn’t there anymore, and all I could think about was how little I cared.
I didn’t worry about my empire. All I ever really worried about was Adriana and the twins.
With a final glance at the Crooked Thorn, assurance settled within me for the safety of this place. But it did little to ease the unease for her. I needed to see Adriana, to know she was untouched by the shadows that loomed over our heads.
I slipped into the night, the cool air a brief respite from the heat that had built up inside the pub. A whisper of worry tickled my thoughts, drawing me toward the driver’s seat of my car parked in the shadows. As I started the engine, the purr of the motor was a familiar comfort, yet it couldn’t chase away the unease coiled within me.
I thought about going back to the Callahan estate; Adriana must still have been there, and it was home.
Then my phone buzzed in the console, breaking through the hum of the road beneath me. With a glance, I saw Adriana’s name flash across the screen, a beacon in the digital night. Her message simple, her words coded for safety, but the meaning clear—she had left the estate and was at our cabin, tucked away from prying eyes and lurking danger.
Relief, sharp and immediate, cut through the tension knotted in my chest. She was safe—for now. But the frustration that she had to take such measures, that our lives were a constant chessboard of threats and safety plays, gnawed at me with steel teeth. This wasn’t the life I wanted for her, for our children. It was time to rewrite the rules we lived by. I thought.
I just had no idea how to do that.
I changed course, the tires gripping the asphalt as I steered away from the familiar route to the estate. The cabin would be our sanctuary tonight. With every mile clocking on the dashboard, my resolve hardened like concrete in my veins. I’d stand against any storm, face down any enemy. Nothing and no one would harm my family.
The night stretched out before me, an expanse of darkness pierced by the headlights of my car—two unwavering eyes cutting through uncertainty. My grip on the steering wheel was ironclad, each turn bringing me closer to Adriana, to the promise of her strength and the silent oath I had made to protect our future.
“Almost there, love,” I murmured to the quiet interior of the car, to the shadows that danced just outside the reach of the lights. “Hold on.”
The gravel crunched under the weight of my car as I finally turned into the narrow path leading to the cabin. It was a hidden gem, surrounded by the towering trees and the thick brush of untamed wilderness—an ideal spot for privacy and reflection.
My mom’s cabin. Now my soon-to-be wife’s cabin. I would put this in her name as soon as I could, once we were out from under the iron grip of the whole fucking thing.
The isolation here was a double-edged sword; it provided solace but also served as a vivid reminder of why we needed such seclusion.
My phone lay on the passenger seat, the screen casting an ephemeral glow in the dimness. I snatched it up, scrolled to Ronan’s contact card with practiced ease, and waited for his gruff voice to answer.
He’d come back from his Florida holiday to deal with a massive shitstorm, and while my life was complicated, I was honestly glad I wasn’t him.
“Report,” I commanded curtly once he picked up.
“Everything’s quiet at the estate, Tristan. No more moves from the Rossi clan. We’ve doubled the patrols and checked all security systems. Killian left with them in his car. Silvio Orsini was with them. Are you sure you don’t want us to pursue them?”
I sighed. There was nothing I wanted more, but this was not the time. “No, lad. Stay cool. I need the Callahan estate to be on lockdown. I need to make sure my brothers are okay. Obviously listen to whatever instructions Kieran has, but make sure no one comes anywhere near my house.”
“Aye, boss,” Ronan said. “You got it. Everything is quiet over here like I said. Too bloody quiet, if you ask me.”
“What about Carmen?”
“Yeah, I think your brother likes her.”
“What?”
“That wasn’t what you were asking?”
“I was just asking if she was okay.”
“Fine,” Ronan said. “Sharing a drink with Kieran last I checked.”
I rubbed my forehead, the tension seeping into my temples. “Right. I want to know as soon as anything changes. Immediately.”
“You’ll be the first to know,” Ronan assured me.
“Good. Keep your eyes open and your guards up.” Ending the call, I shoved the phone back onto the passenger seat, my gaze resting on the modest cabin’s silhouette against the dark tapestry of night.
There were a hundred different scenarios running through my head, each one a potential disaster waiting to happen. But those thoughts had to wait. Adriana was my focus now.
I parked the car, killed the engine, and stepped out into the night. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and earth—a natural perfume that always seemed to calm my restless spirit. I rounded the car and approached the cabin with swift strides, the soft light spilling from the windows guiding me home.
She was standing at the door, her silhouette framed against the light. Even from a distance, I could see the tension in her posture, the slight tremor in her hands. But when our eyes met, there was a fierceness there too—Adriana was no damsel in distress, she never had been, and it just made me love her more.
“Tristan,” she breathed out, and that single word was laced with so many emotions it nearly stopped my heart.
“Ade.” My voice was rough, like gravel, as I closed the gap between us in a few long steps.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, feeling the warmth of her body meld against mine. She clung to me, her fingers digging into the fabric of my shirt, seeking reassurance in the solid reality of my presence. And I held on just as tightly, the beat of her heart against my chest a drumming promise that we were still alive, still fighting, still together.
This was what we were fighting to protect—the right to hold each other, to love without fear, to live without looking over our shoulders every second. For this moment, the chaos of our lives melted away, leaving only the two of us, holding onto each other as if we could somehow merge into one unbreakable entity.
“Talk to me,” I urged, my voice a whisper against her hair. “What’s going on inside that head of yours?”
Adriana pulled back just enough to look up at me, her dark eyes searching mine. She was trying to put on a brave face, but the shadows beneath her eyes betrayed the sleepless nights and the worry gnawing at her soul.
“It’s just...” She hesitated, biting her lip. “Every time you leave, I can’t help but wonder if...”
“Hey.” My thumb brushed her cheek gently, wiping away an errant tear. “I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere.”
She nodded, taking a shaky breath, leaning into my touch like a flower towards the sun. We both knew the stakes, the risk every sunrise brought in our world, but we also knew the strength we drew from each other. That silent pact between us was stronger than any fear.
The cabin’s soft shadows danced around us as night draped its velvet cloak over the world outside. The air grew cooler, but the space between us was warm, alive with the pulse of our need for reassurance, for connection. Her hands found their way under my shirt, tracing the lines of my back with a tenderness that contrasted sharply with the harshness of our lives.
“Tristan, I need...” Her voice trailed off, but her eyes said everything her words couldn’t.
“I know.” I folded her in my arms, my lips finding hers in a kiss that was anything but gentle. It was raw, desperate, fueled by a love that had been tested by fire and forged in the depths of darkness.
Then she threw her head back and moaned, pressing her body against mine, clearly feeling my erection against her body.
“Fuck,” she said softly. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
“Same, love,” I said, raking my teeth along the length of her neck. “ “Every day. Every single day I thank God that you’re here, with me.”
My words were barely a whisper against her ear, my hands roaming over her body, tracing the familiar paths that were as much a part of me as my own skin.
She gasped at the contact, her hands gripping my shoulders to steady herself. I loved this. Loved the tiny sounds she made when I touched her, loved how she arched into my touch like a flame seeking warmth in the cold wind.
But what I really wanted to do was make her scream.