Chapter 36 Klaus
KLAUS
Matteo: She has been found.
Iwiped the blood off my face before putting my gun back into my holster. The dead man slumped off his chair and hit the floor with a loud thud.
“Clean this up,” I snapped to our men, rushing out of the warehouse where I’d been torturing some prick who claimed to have fucked Rosalie.
I got into the back of the SUV Kenneth was driving.
“Where to, boss?” he asked.
“Hospital. Mercy Central.”
He nodded and pulled away from the warehouse as I dialed Teo. It went to voicemail, and I let out a snarl before calling Sio, who answered immediately.
“I do not have information. Alessandro left without saying anything except that he was going to her,” he answered.
I swore softly. “Should I call him?”
“Klaus,” Alessio said gently. “Come to us here. Let Alessandro handle this, OK?”
I swallowed hard. “She needs me.”
“She needs Alessandro.”
I rubbed my eyes.
“We don’t want to overwhelm her by you both showing up. She likely doesn’t know that Alessandro knows, and if she does, the last thing she’s going to want to do is have an awkward conversation.”
I nodded. He was right, but fuck, I needed to see her.
“I’ll be there soon,” I said.
“OK. They’ve taken Bianca to surgery. Matteo went with her. And Drake. I know they both can’t go in, and I expect Matteo to give up the spot for Drake, so he will be back soon. We are on the tenth floor in the waiting room.”
“OK,” I said.
“See you soon.”
I grunted and hung up, my throat tight. It took everything I had not to send Alessandro a message or call him. He needed to focus.
Fuck, though. Truly.
We all looked like hell as we sat in the waiting room. I kept checking my phone, like I thought Rosalie would call me.
“Klaus,” Matteo said.
I looked up at him before darkening my screen.
“We should talk, brother.”
I glanced from him to Alessio. “OK.”
“With the plans we have in place, and you trying to mend things with your boys,” Matteo started.
I swallowed. “Yes?”
“We think you should let Rosalie go,” Matteo finished.
“What?” I frowned at him. “No. I—”
“Shit is going to get bad,” Alessio jumped in. “We need you. Your boys need you. Rosalie has Alessandro and Evan.”
My throat tightened at their words.
“She needs time to think. To heal. We do not know what trauma she has gone through,” Matteo said gently. “She will likely need time to deal with it all.”
I said nothing. I knew they were right. I was a second thought in the big scheme of things.
“I…” I had no words. I did need to work on my relationship with my sons, and Matteo did need me for the next part of his plans.
“Do you love her?” Matteo asked.
“I-I care for her,” I replied softly, not wanting to say it because the idea was terrifying to me, given what it meant. I blinked, and Matteo gave me a knowing look.
“You are not ready for her. You can’t even admit your feelings aloud.
You won’t be ready for her until you can do that.
Not just to us, but to yourself. Do not waste her time, brother.
Not until you are sure, and you are in a better position to give all of yourself to her.
” Matteo reached out and squeezed my hand.
“I only say this because I care about both you and Rosalie. And I care about how it’ll affect Evan and Alessandro if you decide you aren’t ready.
Let her have her life, brother. When your work is done, you can try again.
If you can make it through what’s ahead and still feel the want for her, you will know it’s real. ”
I swallowed and nodded. He was right. I knew he was.
“I think you should take a small break from everything. Some think time,” Matteo continued. “A few weeks away to get your affairs in order before we fully dive into everything. It’ll give you time to focus.”
“What will I even do?” I frowned.
“Travel. Take Levin and Stef out to dinner. Spend time at a spa. Whatever you want,” Matteo said. “As long as you are thinking about what you truly want.”
I stared down at my hands, not sure how I’d even handle a few weeks away. I’d never taken a vacation from this life. I was always at Matteo’s side. For all these years, it had always been the three of us.
“She will want you still,” Alessio said.
“How do you know?” My voice was low as I looked at Alessio. How he knew that was my fear was beyond me, but perhaps I was easier to read than I thought.
“Because you’re you,” Alessio said simply. “And I know you. You have never been so happy as you have been these last few weeks. If this is truly love, you will both be better for it if you get through this. Then, you can be hers without anything stopping you. Wouldn’t you want that?”
I nodded. “I would,” I whispered.
“Then let’s get this life over with so we can start fresh, brothers,” Teo said.
I locked my eyes on his and nodded. Getting out of this life had seemed impossible, but now the real possibility of leaving was before us. I wanted to speak to Levin to ensure this was what he wanted before I made any decisions. If he needed me, I’d stay, even if it meant I worked for Dominic.
I would never abandon my boys again.
Matteo’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out.
“Do you have her?”
I sat forward in my seat.
Matteo closed his eyes and breathed out. “I am happy. Yes. Of course. Bianca is in surgery. Drake is with her. All is well, my son. Yes. I understand. Be safe.” Matteo disconnected the phone and looked at me. “He has her. She was safe the entire time.”
A whoosh of air left my lungs at his words. “Where was she?”
“Dante Church had her.”
I frowned at that information. “Why did Sylar not tell us?”
“I’m sure he had his reasons,” Matteo murmured, looking just as frustrated as I felt about the entire situation. I wanted to wring that little piss weasel’s neck, but pushed the urge down.
“I will speak to him,” Matteo said. “Soon.” He looked at me. “But she is well. Unharmed. Alessandro says she is in good spirits. He is taking her to his house, and…”
“What?” I demanded.
Alessio looked from me to Matteo.
“She’s leaving,” Teo finished.
“What?” I crinkled my brows at his words.
“She made a deal with Dante to leave. To sign her record deal. Alessandro says he will speak more to me about it, but she is going to California. He was going to be setting everything up for them to leave.”
“She’s leaving?” I whispered, a pang shooting through my chest.
“She is,” Matteo said. “This is a good thing. We want this. She will be free from this life and far away so it can no longer touch her.”
“Klaus?” Alessio called out.
I wiped at my eyes and nodded. “I want the best for her. I will let her go. I will take some time away to sort myself.”
“It is for the best,” Teo said gently. “I promise once you get things sorted, if it’s meant to be, it will be.”
“I… I need to go,” I said, getting to my feet.
“Take all the time you need,” Teo said, rising to meet me. Alessio joined.
I pulled Matteo into my arms and hugged him tightly before Alessio joined us. I didn’t even realize Frank had been lurking in the damn hall, but he came into the room and wrapped his arms around us, too.
“Why do you smell of perfume?” Matteo asked as we clung to one another.
“I was at the strip club,” Frank said. “Bought a few dances.”
“Explains why you’re shitting glitter on us,” Alessio muttered.
“I love you guys,” Frank said.
He was strange. There was definitely no questioning where Sylar got it from.
I released the guys and backed away.
“Be safe,” Matteo murmured.
“Always, brother.” And with those words, I turned and left the room, a whole new world of possibilities ahead of me.