Chapter 13 Klaus
KLAUS
We burst into the hotel room to find the living area empty. Evan said he’d taken Rosalie and Ellis to the bedroom to wait for us.
Anson immediately rushed to the bedroom to get them while Dante and I stared down at the package.
“Blood,” Dante murmured, reaching for it as it sat in a puddle of red on the glass table.
“Don’t touch it,” I snapped at him. “We don’t know what else is in that box.”
“Don’t you think we should find out?” Dante raised a brow at me. “I’ll open it.”
I said nothing, knowing we did need to know. Calling the police seemed like a normal thing to do for most people, but we weren’t most people.
Of course, I knew Anson liked a paper trail, so while I just wanted to murder people, he wanted it documented.
When I’d questioned security on where the fuck they were, they told me they’d been called down to help outside because of a disturbance.
It was clear we’d been found here because there were so many fucking cameras outside the building when we got back that we had to fight to get through.
Someone at the damn place must have called in a tip for a few dollars. That shit pissed me off.
Anson returned to the room with Evan and Rosalie.
“Ellis?” I called out.
“She’s playing with her dolls and watching a cartoon,” Anson replied tightly. I could see the concern on his face.
“I’m opening it,” Dante said, tearing at the soggy paper.
We all stared down as he opened the lid and looked inside.
“What is it?” Evan demanded, and Anson and I stepped forward to look.
“It’s a heart,” I said softly.
“Human,” Dante continued. “Not very old. Maybe early twenties.”
“How the fuck do you know that?” Anson demanded.
“It’s not my first time,” was all Dante said grimly.
I shot a look over at Rosalie to see that she looked like she was going to throw up and had buried her face in Evan’s chest as he held her.
Anson picked up the card and read it aloud.
“Dear Bishop,
I heard Casey Becker was your biggest fan. That seemed wrong, since I know I’m your biggest fan, so I decided to do something about it. This is her heart. I’ve sent the rest of her to her family in Washington. I just thought you’d want her heart since she gave her life for you.
Love,
Your Biggest Fan
“What the fuck?” Anson snarled. “Call the fucking cops.”
I pulled my gun out as Dante dropped the note onto the table. He’d been wearing leather driving gloves. Asylum had called and told him to put on some damn gloves, so this must have been why.
“Where are you going?” Rosalie called out, her voice shaking.
“To find who did this,” I said.
She rushed to me, the look on her pretty face crushing me.
“No. D-don’t go. Don’t leave. I’m scared.”
I cradled her face. “I love you, hummingbird. I have never loved someone the way I love you. I will be damned if I let some worthless motherfucker come into our lives and pull this shit. He dies.” My voice was loud before I kissed her fiercely.
I broke it off and backed away. I took in the tears on her face as Ellis came into the room, her blue eyes wide.
“Daddy?” she called out to me.
“Hey, pumpkin,” I greeted her, stuffing my gun away as I knelt to see her. She wrapped her arms around me.
“You’re yelling,” she whispered. “Are you mad?”
I swallowed and looked at my family. Evan quickly threw a towel over the mess on the coffee table.
“I’m a little upset,” I answered.
“Mommy says to just breathe and count,” she murmured, pulling away and cradling my face between her small hands. “Like this. Watch.”
I took in her tiny chest moving with her deep breaths.
“See? You try!”
“Oh, Ellisandra,” I murmured, brushing her blonde curls away from her face.
“Try, Daddy,” she said, blinking at me.
I did as she said, breathing in and out deeply.
“Better?” She stared at me with those pretty blue eyes of hers.
I smiled. “Better, pumpkin.”
She grinned at me. “Do you want to play dolls? I will let you be the boy this time.”
“I have to work,” I said softly. “To protect you and Mommy. I’ll be back in a little bit, though, and if you’re still awake, we can play dolls.”
“And if I’m not?” She gave me a worried look.
“Then we will play tomorrow.”
She leaned in and hugged me tightly. I closed my eyes and breathed out, hugging her back.
So much love filled me that I held her tighter, making her grunt.
In all my life, I’d never been as happy as I was with my family.
I’d fucked up years ago and missed out on my boys, but now I had this second chance, and I had to protect it at all costs.
“Take her,” I said.
Anson took her, and I gave him a curt nod before turning and walking to the door, Dante Church on my heels. I didn’t think I’d go alone, so I wasn’t surprised that he wanted to be with me. He likely felt the same way I did.
We left the room, passing the security guards who looked away guiltily. I’d deal with their asses later.
We got into the elevator, the doors closing behind us.
“I appreciate that you love my sister and niece the way you do,” Dante said.
I said nothing.
“When are you going to commit to her?”
I blinked and looked over at him. “I am committed to her.”
“We married our girl,” he continued. “Why don’t you marry Rosalie?”
I swallowed hard and looked away from him. I knew of places that allowed such things. In fact, I knew it was being proposed as a new law in some states.
“She married Evan,” I said. “Seems silly to ask for her hand when she’s been officially claimed.”
“If you love her, you marry her,” he replied. “I expect you to ask her and seal the deal.”
I scoffed. “Did you give Alessandro this same speech?”
“Yes.” He stared me down, and I looked over at him, frowning.
“Truly?”
“Yes,” he repeated. “He was very interested in doing it. You’re the only one who seems to have reservations. He has all the information on where to get it done.”
I looked away again. Luckily, the elevator dinged, allowing me to escape the small space. I forced the strange swell of emotions out of my body and focused on the issue at hand.
Finding out who the fuck was messing with my family.