Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115400 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 577(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
I barrel through the door, ignoring Krista’s horrified gasp as she takes in my bleeding wife in my arms. I take her straight up to her room with both the doctor and Krista following behind me. Krista races ahead to open the door, and the moment I have Chiara back on her feet, I start tearing off the fragile material of her gown, desperate to see the damage beneath.
Krista gets to work releasing all the pins from Chiara’s hair, and the second her long blonde hair is freed, Krista hurries off into Chiara’s closet, scrambling around for some underwear. I help her dress into a soft tank and a pair of sleep shorts before lifting her into bed.
The doctor immediately steps in and starts looking over her injuries when Krista steps up to the head of Chiara’s bed to wipe the blood from her face.
All I can do is watch as the doctor stitches her up, and with every drop of blood that runs from her body, the blazing anger within me intensifies.
How could I let this happen?
I saw the way the wives watched her, saw the disdain and ugliness within their horrid stares, and yet I foolishly believed they wouldn’t touch her, especially when I was so close. I will find out what happened in that bathroom if it’s the last thing I do, and when I do, justice will be served.
It takes nearly forty minutes for the doctor to finish up with her, and by the time he’s done, I step into Krista’s side and take the damp washcloth from her. “Thank you,” I tell her. “I’ll take it from here.”
“Of course,” she says, bowing her head. “Is there anything you need? I’m assuming there will be a meeting about this?”
“There will be, but nothing is required of you. You may retire for the night. However, tomorrow I’d like you to watch over Chiara. Make sure she is comfortable and tended to.”
“Sure thing,” she says before offering me a sad smile.
Krista leaves, and I step around Chiara’s bed, watching as she tracks my every movement. I take the seat beside her bed that the doctor just vacated and continue cleaning the blood stains off her body. We remain in silence for a heavy moment, unanswered questions lingering in the air between us, heavy emotions, confusion, and tension thickening with every passing second.
“The senior members of my family are due to arrive any moment,” I tell her, breaking the silence and giving us a reprieve from the tension within the room. “I saw their wives enter the bathroom, Angel. I know one of them, or all of them, are responsible for this. Time for games is over. I need to know which one of them put their hands on you.”
Fear flashes in her eyes, and she looks away from me, a heavy sob tearing from the back of her throat. “What are you going to do when you find out?”
“That has not yet been decided.”
“But she will be hurt in some way, right?”
“Yes,” I say, already knowing where she’s going with this. “An eye for an eye, Chiara. That is how we handle betrayal in this world. I am the head of this family, and as my wife, your protection is my top priority. Having another member of my family put their hands on you is a despicable betrayal of loyalty, and I have no choice but to see them punished.”
She nods, her face turning white. “You’re going to kill her,” she states in horror. “I don’t want that. I won’t be responsible for the death of another human being, no matter how shitty they are. I can’t do it. I’m sorry, but I can’t. I won’t give you a name.”
“Whether you give me her name or not, I will discover who did this. My family knows the price of their betrayal. So, when they walked into that bathroom, they knew what they were doing, and they knew the price they would have to pay if anything were to happen to you.”
“I’m sorry, Killian,” she murmurs. “Punish me if you must, but I can’t give you a name.”
I nod, not prepared to force her to betray her morals like that, especially if she feels she will bear the burden of how I serve justice if she were to give up a name. If she were anyone else, I would probably force it out of her, but not with Chiara. She’s shown a great deal of respect and loyalty by standing at my side. She’s trying to find her place here, and now that she’s starting to trust me, I won’t break that.
Disappointed, I press my lips into a firm line and lean into her before dropping a soft kiss to her cheek. “I won’t punish you for doing what you feel is right,” I tell her before meeting her green stare. “But just know that with or without your cooperation, I will find out the truth.”