Chapter 20
The door hissed open, Bea’s head snapped up, her body still trembling, her mind still half-submerged in the aftermath of what Nico had just done to her. She was sprawled in the leather chair, her jeans still on the floor beside her, her thighs still glistening, her breathing still ragged.
Killian stood in the doorway. For a moment, nobody moved. Killian’s eyes swept over the scene, the overturned chair, the wet floor, Bea’s disheveled state, Nico still pulling his pants up with shaking hands. His jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything.
Nico cleared his throat, his voice rough. “I need to… clean this up.” He gestured vaguely at the floor, at the evidence of what had just happened between them. “I’ll grab some towels.”
He left without waiting for a response, moving past Killian with his head down.
Killian stepped inside and let the door close behind him. He crossed the space between them slowly, deliberately, his massive frame casting shadows across the blue glow of the monitors. “You alright?” he asked quietly.
Bea looked up at him, still breathing hard, her body still humming with the aftershocks of multiple orgasms. Her hair was a mess.
Her makeup was smudged. There were fresh marks on her neck, Nico’s marks, added to Dimitri and Killian’s marks, creating a landscape of claim across her skin.
She put her jeans back on making a face of disgust when everything felt wet.
Then she straightened her shirt before standing up.
She laughed. It started as a small sound, then grew into something genuine and unguarded. She laughed until she had to grip the armrest of the chair to steady herself.
“What?” Killian asked, a hint of amusement crossing his face.
“Did he take advantage of you?” Killian’s voice was careful, protective. “Because if he did-”
Bea slapped his chest, still laughing. “No, he just flipped the damn script on me, big guy.”
Killian’s expression shifted, understanding dawned, followed by something that looked like respect. A slow smile spread across his face.
“He did?” There was a note of pride in his voice, like he was genuinely impressed that his brother had managed to flip the power dynamic on the woman who’d been orchestrating their entire emotional collapse.
“Completely,” Bea confirmed, still catching her breath. “One second I’m sitting here feeling like the queen of the world, and the next he’s got his hand around my throat calling me his dirty slut and making breeding promises.”
Killian let out a low whistle. “Nico’s got more game than I gave him credit for.”
“Don’t tell him you said that,” Bea warned, but she was still smiling.
Killian extended his hand to help her up. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Bea took it, and he pulled her to her feet with surprising gentleness. Her legs were unsteady, she gripped his arm to keep from stumbling. He wrapped an arm around her waist, supporting her weight without making a big deal out of it.
“Can you walk?” he asked.
“Give me a second.” She leaned against him, her head resting on his chest. His heartbeat was steady, grounding. She could feel the warmth of him through his shirt, the solid reality of his presence. It was a stark contrast to the intensity of what had just happened with Nico.
After a moment, she nodded. “Okay. I’m good.”
Killian helped her to the door with a protective arm around her. There was something almost tender about the way he moved around her, like he was handling something precious.
They made their way upstairs to his room. He settled her on the edge of his bed and disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a warm washcloth and a towel. Without asking, he knelt in front of her and took off her pants and gently cleaned between her thighs. His touch reverent and careful.
Bea watched him, struck by the contrast. Minutes ago, Nico had been brutal and possessive. Now Killian was on his knees in front of her, not to worship, but to care for her. To make sure she was okay.
“Bath?” he asked when he was done.
“Yeah,” Bea said softly. “That sounds perfect.”
He ran the water while she sat on the bathroom counter, still half-dressed. The tub filled with steam, and Killian added something that smelled like lavender and honey. He helped her undress completely, then helped her into the water.
The warmth enveloped her, and Bea sank into it with a sigh. Killian sat on the edge of the tub, one massive hand trailing through the water, occasionally brushing against her skin.
“You’re a mess,” he said, but there was affection in his voice.
“You can thank your brother for that,” Bea countered.
“Yeah, well. It must run in our blood.” Killian’s face creased with a smile. “You’ve been making all three of us a mess since the night you walked into our nightclub.”
Bea closed her eyes, letting the heat soak into her muscles. “Is that a complaint?”
“Not even a little bit.” A small laugh slipped through.
They stayed like that for a while. Killian sitting beside the tub, occasionally running his fingers through her hair or along her shoulder. Bea floating in the warm water, her body finally starting to relax.
When the water began to cool, Killian helped her out and wrapped her in a soft towel. He dried her off with surprising care, then led her to his bedroom. She was wearing one of his t-shirts. It clung to her hips and belly, but it was soft and warm and smelling like him.
“Movie?” he asked, already pulling back the covers.
“Yeah,” Bea said, climbing into bed. “What are we watching?”
“Your choice.”
She settled against the pillows, and Killian climbed in beside her, pulling her close so her back was against his chest. His arm wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on top of her head. He grabbed the remote and pulled up the streaming service.
“Something mindless,” Bea said. “I don’t have the brain capacity to pay attention to anything right now.”
Killian scrolled through options and landed on a comedy, something light and stupid that required zero emotional investment. He hit play, and they settled into the comfortable silence of two people who didn’t need to fill every moment with words.
Bea was just starting to drift. Lulled by the warmth of Killian’s body and the soft glow of the screen, when her phone buzzed. She reached over to the nightstand and checked it.
MARCO: Back in town. Let’s grab a drink. I’ve got something juicy to share with you.
Bea’s fingers moved across the screen before she could think too hard about it.
BEA: That sounds fun. I have a lot to tell you too.
She set the phone back down, her heart rate picking up slightly.
“Everything ok?” Killian asked, his voice drowsy against her hair.
“Yeah, just an old client turned friend that wanted to go over a case, nothing big.” Bea said, keeping her tone light and casual.
“Ok.” His voice fading.
“Night.” Bea murmured. Let him assume, let him believe it was a friend reaching out. It was easier that way. Simpler. At least for the moment.
But as she settled back against him, her phone dark on the nightstand, she felt a small flutter of tension in her chest. Marco was back in town.
Marco, who was charming and reckless and represented a big threat to the Marchetti brothers.
All because he was a Valenti. Marco, who had no claim on her, and therefore no reason to lose his mind when he found out about Dimitri, Killian, and Nico.
He never said anything ill of the brothers, so she wasn’t exactly sure how that conversation was going to go.
Her money was on him telling her to be safe, Marco would never judge her.
On the screen, the comedy played on. Killian’s arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. His breathing deepened, evening out as he drifted toward sleep.
Bea stared at the flickering light of the television, her mind already spinning ahead to tomorrow. Meeting up with Marco. The conversation she’d need to have with the guys about being friends with him.
About everything that had happened in the security room. She’d flipped the script on Nico, and he’d flipped it right back.
Now she was going to have to figure out how to navigate three brothers who were all convinced they owned her. While keeping a fourth man, a rival crime boss’s heir, completely in the dark about the fact that she was becoming increasingly entangled with the Marchetti family.
This was going to get complicated. But as Killian’s breathing deepened and his grip on her loosened slightly in sleep, Bea allowed herself a small smile. Complicated was her specialty.