Chapter 15
Aurora
Running into the cool morning air, I’m still wearing Desire’s oversized T-shirt and sweatpants. A massive black van has pulled up near the house. Isaac, Jake, and Don have jumped out of their SUV, and several more men are spilling out of the van.
“Why the hell aren’t you inside?” Desire’s animalistic roar hits my ears, making me flinch. I quicken my pace, desperately searching for him.
“She’s a monster …” slips from Don’s lips.
“What the fuck?” Desire glances back at me, then turns away to face the guys again.
My heart drops like a stone to the ground beneath my feet. I’ve been so anxious waiting for him, going crazy with worry, and he doesn’t even hug me!
“Find Zack. Grab him immediately,” Desire barks. “I’ve already given the order to Steve’s crew. That rat slipped surveillance. Find the bastard and drag him to the Kingdom immediately.”
Zack? I freeze. He swore to me he wouldn’t touch him. Why is he breaking his promise? I don’t want that blood on my conscience!
“So you found out who put the hit on you?” a blond man I don’t recognize asks, stepping out of the van’s shadow.
Wearing an impeccably tailored suit, he’s slightly thinner than Desire, clearly older, with two hulking men flanking him.
“And you didn’t?” Desire snorts, watching Isaac, Jake, and Don jump into their Jeep and peel out with a screech of tires.
“We only knew about the existence of the contract through our channels,” the blond man says, spinning toward me. In the light of the rising sun, his smile gleams with perfectly white teeth. It widens even farther when his gaze snags on the gold choker around my neck. “Miss Aurora, I presume?”
I stay silent, frozen like a deer in headlights. This man seems no less dangerous than Desire. He reeks of hidden threat from a mile away. He’s a hundred percent mafioso.
“Laurent Sterling,” the blonde introduces himself. “Pleased to meet my brother’s fiancée.”
He extends his hand, and I have no choice but to step forward and shake it.
The moment I reach for him, Desire lunges forward.
His face is twisted with primal fury—a terrifying, merciless snarl.
He shoves Laurent’s hand away from me, grabs me by the waist with an iron grip, crushing me against his body, and covers my lips with his.
A deep, wet, aggressive kiss—tongue and all—he’s marking his territory in front of his older brother, like he did in front of his crew at Savannah.
A burning desire flares, then I remember his order about Zack and try pushing him away. He snarls into my mouth and pulls me even tighter. My resistance crumbles. My hands fall, surrendering to this dark storm. It overwhelms me, making my lower abdomen tremble.
When he finally draws back and grabs his side with a stifled groan, I freeze. In the light of dawn, I see that not only rage is etched on his face, but also a horrible, contorting pain. It’s not a snarl—it’s a grimace of agony.
My heart clenches as I caress his unnaturally pale cheek. Desire covers my hand with his, pressing it against his face.
“You shouldn’t make any sudden moves.” Laurent smirks, crossing his arms over his chest.
Desire ignores his brother.
“Are you done?” he grits out.
“Almost.” Laurent nods to the only short man among these Sterling giants. The man approaches me and presses a bulky paper bag into my hands.
“Dressings need to be changed daily,” the man—who seems to be a doctor—says. “The next one is tonight. Remove the blood-soaked gauze, carefully treat the stitches with Betadine, and apply a fresh bandage. The drain can be removed by tonight, but it’s better if a specialist does it.”
“Drain?!” I clutch the bag. Did they operate on him?!
“Stitches come out in seven to ten days. Bed rest for at least five days.” The doctor shifts his stern gaze to Desire.
“No sudden movements for three days. Vital organs are untouched, but there’s deep soft tissue damage.
And don’t forget the painkillers. Next dose no sooner than two hours from now. ”
“Desire, call Father once you stop groaning with every step.” Laurent doesn’t even say goodbye to his brother, only gives me a courteous glance. “Goodbye, Miss Aurora.”
The men load into the van, and the vehicles screech off into the predawn haze. Desire turns his gaze to me. His dark eyes are full of wild exhaustion and pain. “Let’s go inside,” he rasps. He takes my hand and, leaning heavily with every step, guides me toward the door.
As soon as we’re inside, Desire heads straight for the bedroom.
With a low growl, he pulls off his shirt and pants, then collapses onto the bed.
A surgical bandage stands out white on his side, and horrible bruises darken his neck—the marks of another man’s deadly grip.
I look inside the paper bag: stacks of gauze, bandages, antiseptics, and pain-relieving ointments.
“Are you okay?” I look up at him with frightened eyes. I know how stupid the question sounds, but I want him to lie if he has to.
He’s silent, his eyes half closed. His broad chest heaves with each breath, and dried mud and forest debris cling to his tense muscles.
Leaving the bag, I go to the bathroom, wet a soft sponge with warm water, and come back.
Carefully, trying not to touch the wound, I wipe the dirt from his pale face and powerful body.
He breathes deeply and hoarsely. How else can I help him?
The doctor said the next painkiller could only be given in a couple of hours—so they’ve already given him an injection, but he’s still in pain.
I undress, removing my panties and bra, and lie down, pressing tightly against his uninjured side.
Desire slowly turns his head toward me. “We’re fine,” he says quietly but firmly, answering my earlier question.
“What happened?” I gasp. Judging by the bandage and the blood, he was clearly stabbed or shot. “Your brother said someone put a hit out on you …”
“The less you know about my family’s business, the better and safer for you.”
“But Zack …. You promised me you wouldn’t touch him …”
“Zack wants to hurt you. And if I have to, I’ll break every promise I ever made to you to stop him.” He strokes my bare thigh. “And now we’re going to sleep.”
I lift my head, stare into his tired dark eyes for a long moment, then bury my face in his hot shoulder. “Whatever you say.”