Chapter 40 Kingston
Kingston
After digging into the laceration in search of any more glass then sewing it up, I wrap her injured hand with some clean gauze.
Those same vulnerable eyes watch every meticulous movement in a daze as if she’s waiting to snap out of a dream.
Unfortunately, this is life. My life. And she just got thrown into the middle of it.
The remorse that accompanies this fact is crippling.
Once I’m finished, I move to sit next to her on the couch once again, pulling her back onto my lap and cradling her injured hand, rubbing my thumb along the fresh bandage.
“I’m so sorry, Ace.”
Peeking up at me and looking confused, she whispers, “Why?”
“That I didn’t protect you. That you were dragged into this. That I asked you to give me information. Everything.” Part of me wants to add that I would take it all back if I could, but I’m too selfish. She’d call me out for lying, anyway.
“This,”––she motions to her face––“had nothing to do with you. It was my fault because I was stupid enough to cross Burlone. And if I had never met you, I would’ve had no one to turn to when I needed them most. I would’ve been on my own, and it gets pretty lonely not being able to rely on anyone.”
Wrapping my arm around her, I lean in and gently press my lips to hers.
“Yeah. It does. But you don’t have to feel that way anymore, Ace.”
With her eyes still closed from our kiss, she murmurs, “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying I want you. And I promise that I’m going to take care of this.”
“You don’t have to—”
“It’s already done.” Again, I brush my mouth against hers when the sound of footsteps distracts me.
“Boss?” D calls from down the hallway.
I answer as he rounds the corner. “Yeah?”
Stepping into the room with his hands at his sides, he looks at Ace who’s huddled against me with her palms cradled in her lap.
“Can we talk for a second?” In private. He doesn’t say the last part, but that doesn’t mean I can’t hear his message loud and clear.
As gently as I can, and without jostling Ace too much, I slide out from between her and the couch, making sure she’s comfortable before I stand to my full height.
“Hey, Ace. I need to go have a chat with D. You gonna be okay here?”
“Yeah. Of course.” Lying back, she rests her head against the armrest. “Are you okay if I stay? I mean…I can go if you need me to.”
Did she not hear a single word I just said?
I brush away a stray hair that lays against her forehead and press a kiss to her temple. “Stay.”
“You sure?”
“I already told you that you’re mine now, so don’t bother leaving, or I’ll just come find you. I’ll check on you in a few.”
With a nod, she gingerly rolls onto her side and closes her eyes, sighing softly.
My chest can finally expand to its full capacity when I see the peace written on her face.
Yet, there’s a slight pinch too, and I pray to whatever gods might be watching over us that I don’t squander the trust she feels in my home.
The trust that appears to be keeping her nightmares at bay for her to get some much-needed sleep.
D’s subtle attempt to grab my attention by clearing his throat is heard loud and clear, making me pull my gaze from an already unconscious Ace.
Turning, I wipe my palms against my slacks and head to my office with D following behind.
Once inside, Diece tosses a shirt at me, nearly hitting me in the face with it.
Under normal circumstances, I’m sure he’d be giving me shit for walking around with my shirt off all night but now isn’t the time.
“Any update on Regina?”
His gaze darkens. “Yeah, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We think Burlone might have her.”
Fuck. How did I not know? If D is right, then we’re in for a shitstorm.
First, Reggie missing, then Ace’s face being busted in, and now he has my sister?
If this isn’t a call for war, I don’t know what is.
Clenching my fists at my sides, I weigh my options and know I don’t have many.
The Romano family is strong. We can handle anything.
But there’s already turmoil from Vince’s betrayal, and I don’t want to rock the boat any more than I already have with the transition of power.
“What evidence do we have to prove this?”
It needs to be concrete if his men are going to pay for it with their blood.
D collapses into the chair across from my desk. “Lou hacked his email and found a picture of her.”
“How the hell did he get a picture of her?” I growl low in my throat.
My blood is boiling. That isn’t possible.
Regina’s identity has been on total lockdown since my mother was murdered.
Only a few select individuals in the Romano family would be able to recognize her in a lineup, and I trust each and every one of them with my own life.
“Remember Dominic?”
I pause, searching my memories for the specific Dominic that D’s suggesting.
“That asshole my dad was trying to work with?”
“Yeah.” With gritted teeth, he expands. “From what we can gather, your dad offered Regina as a consolation prize before coming to his fucking senses.”
I shake my head. “That’s not possible. My dad wouldn’t work with Dominic.”
“Your dad wasn’t all there in the end, King, and we both know it. Regardless, he sent a picture to Dominic, who then forwarded it to Burlone a few nights ago.”
Squeezing the back of my neck, I voice my confusion. “Why would he do that? Regina has basically lived her entire life in a prison to keep our enemies from recognizing her.”
He lifts his shoulders. “My guess? Dominic’s a superficial asshat who wanted to see his potential bride before he agreed to anything.
Then your dad came to his senses after he sent the photo and backed out of the deal.
Remember how paranoid he was about her in the end?
Didn’t even want to let her leave her room, for Christ’s sake. ”
With a groan, I drop my head back and look to the ceiling.
“Fuucckk…” I drag out the word, recalling how insane my dad went right before he died.
The medication was rotting his brain until he was almost unbearable to be around.
“Yeah. I remember. So Burlone has her photo. At the very least, we can assume he’s looking for her. At the most, he’s already found her.”
“Yeah. That pretty much sums it up. I think it’s time you give Burlone a call, King. See what he has to say.”
Pacing the office, I consider my options only to find I don’t have many.
His suggestion is…unconventional, to say the least. There are unwritten rules in our line of business, and one of them is keeping our noses out of other people’s shit.
We don’t call each other up to chat. We don’t call each other up for favors.
And we sure as hell don’t call each other up when someone goes missing.
Calculating, I weigh the pros and cons before voicing them to D. “If I call Burlone, and he doesn’t have her, it’ll become an all-out race to find my little sister.”
“Yeah, but if he does have her, you might be able to find something he wants. To figure out how we can get her back,” he counters.
And I need to get her back.
I’m her big brother. I’m supposed to protect her, and I’ve already failed her once. I won’t let her down again.
Shifting my gaze between D and the phone sitting ominously on my desk, my nostrils flare. “Then it looks like I have a call to make.”