Page 28 of Cardinal

Chapter 17

Luciano

Concern weighed the corners of my lips down when I saw Juliet's shoulders drop with her smile as she cowered her body before the mirror.

I couldn't find it in me to stop her from admiring herself. The way she smiled so brightly as she twirled a bit in her spot and the way her appreciative eyes drank in her own image, it was too happy of a moment for me to shatter. So, I hung back at the doorway, leaning against the frame with a small smile of my own as I enjoyed the little moment myself.

Well, it was nice until the switch in her. I immediately sprang into action at the sight of her shutting down. The robe I had in hand was thrown onto the bed as I took big strides to her and embraced her in my arms. "Hey, don't," I commanded sternly, forcing her attention up to me with a face grab. "What is going on in that mind of yours, principessa?"

"I don't want to go out like this. I don't like it. Everyone is going to look, and everyone is going to think I'm a whore for dressing like this, and if anything happens, it's because I was asking for it." Her whimpering words rambled on as her eyes grew distant and her breaths picked up in pace.

Shifting my hand from her cheek to her neck, I gently applied some pressure as I tightened my other arm around her to keep her firmly pressed against my body. "Stop." I bit out sternly. "Pay attention to my voice. Don't let your thoughts race because they aren't true. Don't listen to the demons in your mind and the lies they spew."

Slowly, her eyes came back into focus. "That's it, good girl, come back to me. Just breathe, in through your nose, out through the mouth." I praised and instructed her with a proud smile.

"I swear to you, as long as I am alive, no harm will ever come to you. If anyone dares to look at you wrong or say such things to you, I will rip their tongue out, break their jaw, then use their own jaw to beat them to death." I promised her with a serious gaze and voice. "And don't you ever think like that. It doesn't matter how you dress or act. That is not an invitation or consent. And if anyone tries to tell you otherwise or convince you, you let me know or clock them in the face and deliver a blow to their balls. Is that clear?"

Letting out a deep, shaky breath, Juliet nodded her head before leaning into my hand. "Yes, understood." Her reply came out airy as she let her eyes flutter closed.

"Good girl," I whispered against her forehead with a smile before kissing it softly. "We will leave when you are ready." Time crunch or not, Juliet's safety and comfort took precedence. I would have to cut my warmup a little short, but that did not matter to me. Thankfully, Juliet didn't take long to recover.

Once she was back to baseline, I released her to go pick up the black robe I had brought in for her to wear. Standing before her again, I helped her slip my black robe on, carefully tied it around her, and fashioned it into a makeshift off-the-shoulder dress with a satisfied smile on my face. She couldn't see it, but my symbol was in red on the back. It was my robe for the ring, which kind of swallowed her up and almost looked like a long dress.

"There, now everyone there will know that you are mine for tonight." I couldn't help the possessiveness from coming out as I admired her delicate body wrapped in the dark material.

"What happened to me deciding?" She remarked with a hesitant smirk.

Chuckling, I reached out and pinched her cheek softly. "There's my spunky brat."

"We should be mindful of our words to each other until I do decide after tonight." She said with a saddening smile.

Humming softly, I nodded my head in agreement. "You are right. I am sorry." I shouldn't be calling her mine when she wasn't.

But by God, I hope she will be mine.

Reaching out, I took her hand and dragged her out of the house to my car. "I will have to leave you with some people at the event towards the end, but you will be more than safe with Leah and Aidan," I told her as we were on the road.

"Aidan? As in Aidan The Vulture?" She sounded wary at the possibility of being left with another person in the syndicate, not that I blamed her.

Nodding my head, I focused on the road as I spoke, "Yes. You will be more than safe, and he knows a bit of your situation and how you came into my care." Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see her frown faintly in the dimly lit cabin of the car. "I would take you with me if I could, but I can't for that part."

Well, I probably could take her to the back with me while I warmed up and prepped myself for the ring, but I would need a moment alone to fully set myself straight. Also, I would be too distracted with her beauty if she were around.

Movement in my peripheral made my eyes flicker to her to see her fidgeting hands. "I think I'll be fine with Leah around." She tried to sound confident, but I could hear the slight tremble in her voice.

Taking a hand off the wheel, I rest it on her thigh and stroke it comfortingly. "You can do it, Juliet, but if it gets too much, just let them know, and they can take you somewhere to decompress." I wanted to push Juliet with this event, too. "Plus, I think Aidan is bringing his girlfriend this time, so maybe you can make a new friend. She's a few years older than you but a delight. I think you two can get along pretty well."

The other reason why Aidan was bringing his girlfriend along was because of Juliet. Much like Juliet, Aidan's girlfriend had a really sheltered life and only recently broke out into the world on her own after a run-in with Aidan's boisterous daughter. So, Aidan was more than eager to get more people in her life, and he was the one who suggested having our women meet up to get them acquainted. Juliet didn't need to know all of that, though.

"So, what exactly is this event?" Juliet asked as she wrapped her arms around my outstretched arm and hugged it tightly.

"It's an underground fight," I replied bluntly. There was no sugarcoating the event, nor did I want to. "I run them every three to four months as a way for lesser-known names to make their way to fame, entertainment to those who can afford it, so business venture in a sense, and I take care of other syndicate business there which you will see later."

"So, an illegal underground fight ring?" Juliet asked timidly while poking the back of my hand with her fingers.

Amused, I chuckled and squeezed her thigh softly, causing her to gasp softly. "Underground fight already means that it's illegal."

"Oh shut up, I don't know all the technical terms and shit of the shady world." Sometimes, her innocence was adorable and refreshing, and that part of her made me not want to drag her into Hell with me.

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