Page 87 of Ruthless Royalty

Chiara is tied spreadeagled to a bed in the middle of the container, her wrists and ankles bound tightly to the bedposts. She’s naked and unconscious, her body limp, her face pale as death. Blood drips from a cut on her forehead, staining the sheets beneath her. But that’s not what makes me see red.

It’s Leo Volkov.

The fucking bastard is standing over her, his shirt unbuttoned and his dick out, and a sick smile on his face.

I don’t even think—I just move, lunging forward and grabbing Leo by the throat, my fist connecting with his jaw so hard it feels like my bones might shatter from the impact. He stumbles back, his expression shifting from surprise to fear as he tries to recover, but I’m not giving him the chance. I’m on him in an instant, my hands gripping his throat as I slam him to the floor.

“You motherfucker!” I roar, slamming him down, my fist connecting with his face. Once, twice, again and again. I can feel the bones in his nose shatter under my knuckles. I can feel the warm spray of blood as it splatters across my skin, but it’s not enough.

I want to destroy him, to erase the very fucking existence of this piece of shit who dared to lay a hand on her.

Leo’s trying to say something, trying to choke out words through the blood and broken teeth, but I don’t care. I don’t fucking care what he has to say. All I want is to make him pay, to make him feel every ounce of pain he’s caused Chiara.

“Gio!” Nikolai’s voice is a distant echo, drowned out by the pounding in my ears, the bloodlust that’s taken over. “G, stop! We need him alive!”

Mihai’s voice cuts in, desperate. “Gio, think! We need answers!”

I don’t care. All I see is red. Leo’s blood. Chiara’s blood. It’s all the same to me right now.

Connor grabs my arm, trying to yank me off. “He’s not worth it, mate! We need to find out what the fuck he was planning!”

But I shove him off, my knuckles raw, bruised, and bloody from beating Leo senseless. I’m about to land another hit when a small, weak voice breaks through the haze.

“Gio…?”

I freeze, my fist reared back to punch him again and my heart skipping a beat. Slowly, I turn my head, my breath catching in my throat as I see Chiara’s eyes flutter open. She’s weak, barely conscious, but she’s looking at me. Looking at me like I’m her lifeline.

“Chiara,” I breathe, my voice trembling as I let go of Leo, shoving him away like the worthless piece of shit he is, and scramble to Chiara’s side.

She’s still tied down, her wrists raw and bloody from where she’s struggled against the restraints. Her eyes are glassy, unfocused, but she’s looking at me, trying to reach for me.

“Chiara, baby, I’m here,” I say, my hands shaking as I take a Karambit knife from my boot to cut her hands loose, desperately trying to free her. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay? You’re safe now.”

She doesn’t respond, just watches me with those big, terrified eyes, and it fucking kills me. I want to take her in my arms, to hold her and never let go, but first, I need to get her out of these goddamn ropes.

Finally, the last of the restraints falls away, and I wipe the blood on my cargo pants before I pull her onto my lap, holding her close. She’s so small, so fragile in my arms, and I can feel her trembling; feel the fear and the pain radiating off her.

“It’s okay,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

I shrug off my jacket and wrap it around her, trying to cover the torn remnants of her clothes, trying to give her some sense of safety, of protection. But it feels like a fucking joke—how can I protect her from this? How can I make this right?

Nikolai is already at the doorway, his face pale as he takes in the scene. “Mihai, Connor, grab the fucker and make sure he lives. We’ll deal with him later.”

As I lift her up, cradling her against me, I shoot a look at Nikolai, my jaw tight. “Make sure the fucker knows what’s coming.”

Nikolai nods, his face set in stone. “We’ll handle it.”

I don’t stay to watch. I can’t. Not when Chiara is still trembling in my arms, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps, her body weak and fragile against mine. I turn and carry her out of the container, my heart heavy with the knowledge of what she’s been through, of what I couldn’t protect her from.

As we make our way through the shipping yard, the men around us stand down, their expressions grim as they see the state she’s in. They know what’s happened, even if they don’t say it. They know the kind of hell Leo put her through.

“Get the car ready,” I bark at one of the men. “We’re leaving. Now.”

The man nods and sprints ahead, and I don’t stop moving until I reach the SUV, the door already open and waiting for us. I carefully place Chiara inside, making sure she’s comfortable before I climb in after her, pulling the door shut behind me.

As soon as we’re inside, I pull her into my lap, holding her close, my arms wrapped tightly around her as I press my face into her hair. She’s shaking, her body trembling with the aftershocks of whatever Leo did to her, and all I can do is hold her, trying to offer her some semblance of comfort, of safety.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper against her hair, my voice cracking with the weight of my guilt. “I’m so fucking sorry, Chiara. I should have been there sooner. I should have protected you.”

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