Chapter 35
Mia
“Ready?” Killian asks, squeezing my hand supportively.
I nod, swallowing the lump that’s in my throat. I’m a nervous wreck as our town car pulls up to The Heights, but I force myself to smile.
Everything is fine, Mia. You’ve got this.
As if he can read my mind, Killian squeezes my hand again, giving me a warm smile.
“We’ve got this, Kitten,” he whispers.
Our driver opens the door for us and I step out of the limo first, Killian right behind me. The two of us make our way into the hotel hand in hand, and I’m grateful that he’s holding onto me right now, because I feel like I could faint.
I already know the plan, and I know that I’m not going to leave Killian’s side tonight.
Killian holds the door for me, and the two of us walk in, heading towards the ballroom where the party is being held.
My mind is spinning as I’m introduced to a million different people; a lot of Mason and Asher’s family are here, and their significant others.
I smile and I’m polite, but I can’t fully focus my attention on anyone.
My eyes are peeled for Angelo, even though I know he wouldn’t be here yet. It’s way too early.
I take a glass of champagne off a tray that a waiter is holding as he walks by, just to do something with my hands. I can’t stop fidgeting.
Killian notices, and he pulls me into him.
“You’re good, Kitten,” he whispers, and I nod as I take a sip of my drink.
I let Killian lead me around the room as we rotate positions, and then at 9:00 on the dot we all get into position to ‘surprise’ Bianca.
It goes off without a hitch. Bianca’s ambushed by a bunch of people, and it’s not until almost ten o’clock that she finally makes her way over to us with Mason.
She hugs me, but before she pulls back, she whispers in my ear.
“I need to talk to you, alone,” she says. “Bathroom?”
I’m curious what she wants to say that she won’t say here, and I nod at her.
I look up at Killian and Mason. “Escort us to the bathroom?”
They both nod, and the four of us make our way out of the ballroom.
Once me and Bianca are alone and behind closed doors, I raise my eyebrows up at her questioningly.
“What’s going on?” I whisper.
She looks nervous, which is making me nervous.
“Take this,” she says.
Then she opens her clutch and pulls out a small handgun. I can’t stop the gasp that escapes my lips, and I stare at her incredulously.
“Bianca-"
“I know,” she says. “Mason would be so pissed at me if he knew that I took this. I just…fuck, I don’t know, Mia.
I don’t think that you’re going to need it.
I really don’t. But the thought of anything happening to you is just too much for me to handle.
I don’t want you to be unarmed. And I knew that Mason wouldn’t be on board with me giving this to you. ”
Me and Bianca have been apart for so long that sometimes I forget just how similar we actually are.
Because I had the same exact thought as her.
I almost brought it up to Killian, but I didn’t, for the same reason that she didn’t tell Mason.
She knew that he wouldn’t be on board, and I knew that Killian wouldn’t be on board with me carrying, either.
But it’s been on my mind. That if, god forbid, the plan goes awry, for any reason, and I’m left unarmed, I could potentially be very fucked.
I know that Killian would’ve told me that the plan wouldn’t go awry, and I’m sure Mason would have said the same thing.
I slip the gun into my own purse, then I hug Bianca.
“You’re not upset?” she asks when I pull back.
I shake my head, no.
“Of course not,” I reply. “I’m grateful that you have my back. I was thinking the same exact thing. I won’t even need to use it. But…I’m grateful that I have it. Just in case.”
“Just in case,” Bianca agrees, nodding.
Then the two of us head out of the bathroom, and we walk back into the ball with Mason and Killian like nothing happened.
I’d be lying if I said that a part of me didn’t feel guilty for not telling Killian about it. But there’s no time, anyway, and I don’t want to have an argument about it, either. It’s best if he doesn’t know.
Besides, he probably won’t ever need to know. I won’t have to use it, and he’ll never find out that Bianca gave it to me. Mason won’t ever know that his gun was even gone.
It’s fine.
I go through the motions for the rest of the party, but I’m on edge.
By 11:30, I look over at Killian, and I’m unable to keep the worried expression off my face. A feeling of despair has begun to worm it’s way through my entire being. The party ends in thirty minutes.
Where the hell is Angelo?
I can tell that Killian is just as distraught as I am, but he 's hiding it. Probably to make me feel better.
“It’s okay, Kitten,” he says gently. “If he doesn’t end up showing, which I know that right now, it’s looking like he’s not going to, then we go to Plan B.”
I raise my eyebrows up at him. We have a Plan B?
“We’ll figure it out,” he says, basically answering my question.
There is no Plan B.
Fuck, I hate Angelo. I want nothing more than for him to be gone and out of my life. Why the hell couldn’t he show up tonight?
The rest of the party is uneventful. I feel bad that Asher wasted his money and men on a total bust.
We make our way around the room, saying goodbye to everyone. I give Bianca a hug, and I contemplate giving her the gun back, but it’s too risky right now.
She literally reads my mind, nodding at me.
“Later,” she says, and I nod in agreement.
The guys plan to regroup tomorrow, and then the two of us head out the door a little after midnight.
“I know you’re disappointed,” Killian says to me as we make our way back to the limo. “I promise, Mia. He’s never going to bother you again.”
I give Killian a small smile as I climb into the car. I know that he’s right. I just don’t want to worry about him any longer.
Angelo has already taken so much from me. I’m done with letting him ruin and rule my life. Those days are over.
Killian climbs into the limo next to me, and I rest my head on his shoulder.
He squeezes my knee affectionately, then he intertwines his fingers with mine.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” he murmurs in my ear and I nod in agreement.
I’m exhausted, and I just want to go home and put this entire night behind us.
I tell myself to stay positive. We’ll figure it out, I know that we will.
I feel a little bit better as we head back to the penthouse.
Angelo’s days are still numbered, regardless of the fact that he didn’t show up tonight.
I close my eyes, completely spent.