Page 47 of Darkest Sin

“And if I’m already falling for you?”

“Then you better hope like hell you’re strong enough to handle the demands of this life,” he says, leaning in and scooping me into his strong arms. He rises to his full height as I curl into the safety of his arms, resting my head against his wide chest. “You might only be my wife to the outside world, but for me, the moment those words fell from my lips, it felt right. I brought you here hoping that you would have my child, but I am not opposed to having something more with you, something real, Chiara.”

“I don’t get the feeling your family is too thrilled about this.”

“My family will quickly learn their places. I won’t lie to you, Angel. There will be backlash coming my way. I killed a senior member of my family the night of the gala,” he tells me, and I nod, having heard the gunshot from my room. “However, I will protect you, even if it means protecting you from myself.”

“You’re a good man, Killian,” I tell him. “I don’t know if you realize that. Your life is clouded by darkness, and I’m not foolish enough to assume the things you’ve witnessed and experienced haven’t left scars, but I believe there’s still a good heart in there.”

He nods and the way he shifts his stare away from mine suggests he doesn’t believe me, but if I have to prove it to him, I will, even if it’s the last thing I do.

Killian continues walking until I’m finally offered my freedom from the maze, and the second we’re out, a deep relief pounds through my veins. I know it’s irrational, but a part of me had started to wonder if I was going to spend the rest of my life on that little garden bench.

He makes his way inside, not stopping to put me down until we’re in the den. He lowers me down on the couch, and I sink right into it. A part of me flutters, realizing he knows which is my favorite couch in the whole estate despite never having mentioned it before, and when he drops down beside me, the flutter intensifies. “It’s been four days, Chiara. Nobody has been named responsible for the attack on you in the ladies’ room. It’s time. I need to know who did this to you.”

A heaviness seeps into my veins, pulsing through my body and weighing me down, and just as I consider coming clean and giving him what he needs, Sergiu’s terrifying threat sounds through my head—If I find out that you’ve even whispered about this, I’ll come back here every fucking night, and what happened in here today will seem like child’s play in comparison. And if you even think about offering him a DeLorenzo heir, I will tear your baby right out of your womb.

Sergiu’s threat is a million times worse than anything Monica could ever do to me, and yet, I feel they come hand in hand. If I cross her, Sergiu comes for me either way.

Coldness penetrates my chest, and I gently shake my head, desperately wishing there was some way I could give him what he needs. “I’m sorry,” I whisper, sitting up and cupping the side of his sharp jaw. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot these past few days, and I wondered if perhaps you’d be comfortable with me dealing with it myself? If you intend to hold on to me, then I will be facing these women for the rest of my life, and I want to send a message that I can’t be broken, that they can’t come at me without consequences. I know this is a betrayal for you that needs to be handled, but it’s also a direct attack against me, and if you come sweeping in as my hero, saving the day, they’ll never respect me as the woman who stands at your side. They think I’m weak, Killian, and I need to prove that I’m more than just some broken woman. I need to make my stand.”

“And how do you intend to do that?”

“That’s the part I haven’t exactly worked out.”

“You need to work it out fast, Angel,” he tells me. “My patience is wearing thin.”

“Promise.”

With that, he’s gone, leaving me here wondering how the hell I’m supposed to retaliate in a way that both serves justice for what Monica did to me and her betrayal against Killian, while also being a punishment that I can bear the weight of. And without even needing to truly consider it, I know it’s an impossible task because the only acceptable form of punishment Killian will deem acceptable is death.

22

CHIARA

Staring out the window of the grand library on the top floor, a stupid smile cuts across my face seeing Killian’s SUV barreling down the long driveway. It’s officially been six days since the gala, and while the memories of that night still haunt me, the bruises have finally begun to fade, and I can move around with ease. It also means he’s been fucking me more freely, and that’s always a bonus. He’s not someone who enjoys giving up control, but the days he lets me take the reins are the days I could drown in his ecstasy.

The SUV has barely come to a stop when I make my way out of the library. It’s a hike to get all the way down to the ground floor, and by the time I’m in the lobby, I’ve already missed him.

Glancing around, I try to search for a clue as to where he’s gone, when I give up and look to Rohan, the doorman. We don’t exactly have a lot in common, and he’s a man of few words, making it hard to form any sort of friendship, but he’s always kind, and that’s all a girl can ask for. Though, he insisted on calling me ma’am for the first few weeks, and it’s taken me up until now to break the habit. “Did you see which way he went?”

“He took off to the left. Perhaps he’s in his office.”

“Thanks,” I say, whipping myself around to the left of the stairs.

I weave through the corridors, proud of myself for learning how to navigate this maze—unlike the maze outside that I will never attempt again. I’ve been stuck on the how to punish Monica for her crimes train for two straight days, and I’m almost ready to admit defeat. The best I could come up with was a public beating like some kind of gladiator performance.

Killian claimed this world is ruled on the basis of an eye for an eye, and so I figured if she beat me in front of the other wives, then the equivalent would be for me to beat her in front of . . . Well, I don’t really know who, but I don’t think I care. I just want this shit over. Though there’s no point even suggesting the idea. Killian won’t accept a mere beating as punishment for betraying his loyalty. I was humiliated in front of everyone, made to appear weak, and a beating in return is nothing in comparison. I need to discover what Monica takes most pride in and exploit it. I want to ruin her, and it needs to be done in a way that she will never recover from.

The pressure from Killian to give a name has been getting worse, and soon enough, he’ll snap. I don’t mean to take so long, and I wish there were some way we could both get what we want, but it’s becoming crystal clear there’s not. He warned me though. He told me he was a callous monster and doubted that I could stomach what this world requires of him, but I’m choosing to see the good in him, and that’s on me. Besides, the moment I open my mouth, everything gets worse. Monica and Sergiu won’t stand for it, and honestly, the threat Sergiu gave that first time he came into my room hasn’t been forgotten. If I even think about telling Killian, he will return every night, and what he does to me will pale in comparison.

Not bothering to knock on Killian’s door, I stride right through the door of his office as though I have every right to be there. “Hey Killi—” I pause, cutting myself off as I find the luxurious office empty. My gaze sweeps left to right as my brows begin to furrow.

“Huh,” I mutter to myself. Where the hell could he have disappeared to so quickly?

My gaze sails to the small store room, and I quickly cut across the room, twisting the door handle as I shove my hip against the solid door. “You in here?” I ask, stepping deeper into the store room.

It’s bigger than I expected, and unlike the rest of the overly organized house, this room is different. There are papers, files, weapons, and briefcases scattered everywhere. It’s a stark contrast to everything else I’ve come to know. The back wall is covered with surveillance screens, and I can only assume this is some kind of private security office, different than the normal cameras scattered across the property.

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