Chapter 28
Mia
I’m sitting at the dining room table when I hear Killian’s phone go off. I look down, and it’s Maddox’s name on the screen.
“Killian, Maddox is calling!” I call out to him.
He’s in the kitchen, cooking us dinner. I had no idea he could even cook, and I was surprised when he offered to make us pasta.
He hurries over to me now, taking the phone off the table and putting Maddox on speaker.
“Hey.”
“Dude, you’re not going to believe this.”
I look over at Killian, a rush of anxiety coursing through me. Killian already filled me in on the fact that Maddox was going to try to get more information on what Angelo is up to. I’m nervous about whatever it is he’s found out.
“Go ahead,” Killian replies. “I have you on speaker. Mia’s right here, too.”
“Hey, Mia,” Maddox says. “This is fucked, but I ran into John today. I had to go by the club to bring Cody money for a poker game that he’s hosting, and I saw him coming out of a dive bar.”
Neither of us says anything, we just wait for Maddox to continue.
“He saw me, and he went into fucking panic mode,” he goes on.
“He told me he needed to talk to me. I had him sit in my car with me, and he started crying and told me that that night at the club, Angelo made him distract you. He claims he had no idea why at the time, but he didn’t have a choice.
He said that when he learned Mia got drugged after, he felt so guilty. ”
“Jesus Christ,” Killian mutters, shaking his head.
“He also confirmed that Farrah and Angelo are dating.”
“We knew it,” Killian replies, and I hear Maddox murmur in agreement.
“He feels bad,” Maddox says now. “I didn’t want him to know anything, obviously, so I just told him not to worry about it. I said no hard feelings, and that you weren’t mad at him.”
“The fuck I’m not,” Killian practically growls, and Maddox sighs.
“No shit,” he retorts. “But I want John to think that we’re on his side. If he’s not afraid of us, he’ll come to us over Angelo. We need that.”
“True,” Killian muses. “Anything else?”
“That’s it.”
“Thanks, Mad.”
Killian ends the call, and I look up at him.
“Why won’t he just leave me alone?” I ask, my voice sounding small.
I hate that Angelo scares me. It makes me feel weak. Pathetic, even. But he does. He terrifies me, and I don’t have it in me to pretend otherwise.
“He’s not coming near you, Kitten,” Killian promises. “You have my word.”
I know Killian will protect me. But I just want Angelo to stop, more than anything.
“I know,” I reply.
“Come on,” he says, gesturing towards the kitchen. “Come eat. It’s just about done.”
I nod as I follow him, taking a seat on the stool at the kitchen island.
I try to push thoughts of Angelo away, but I can’t get rid of the pit that’s formed in my stomach.
He drugged me. He’s dating Killian’s ex, which honestly doesn’t seem like a coincidence either.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that he’s dating your ex?” I ask Killian, and he turns to face me.
“No,” he replies. “He knows I was with you before. This is him retaliating.”
I guess that makes sense.
“But you didn’t know that he knew me,” I point out, and Killian shakes his head.
“Doesn’t matter,” he says with a shrug. “Angelo isn’t a logical or rational person. This is the same person I’m pretty sure had something to do with his own brother’s death, out of pure jealousy.”
He makes a valid point.
“I just want him to stop,” I admit, willing myself not to cry.
Killian’s gaze softens. “I know, Kitten. I don’t want you to worry. It’s going to be okay.”
He takes down two bowls and serves us both, then he brings them over to the island, placing mine in front of me.
He kisses my forehead before he takes a seat on the stool next to me.
“Eat, pretty girl. It’s going to be fine, I promise.”
I nod, swallowing nervously.
I desperately want to believe Killian. I just don’t know how anything will ever be fine or normal while Angelo’s still alive. And I know that Killian wants to kill him, but I can’t ask that of him.
He’s not a killer. He doesn’t need to have that on his conscience for the rest of his life.
No, I should be the one to kill him. But I know Killian would never go for that, either.
I sigh, a wave of exhaustion crashing over me.
I give Killian a small smile, and I take a bite of my food. I don’t want him to worry about me.
But I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t worried.