Page 126 of Ruthless Oath

When Milo called with the status of Collins, I wished he could have told me they had found him in the woods, but that wasn’t the case. I wanted to take a crack at him for hurting Lissia. But I would have to wait a little longer for that opportunity.

“After Danny hit me, I fell and banged my head against the floor.” She rubbed the back of her head. “I was unconscious for most of the time I was with him.”

“So, he didn’t… I mean…” I couldn’t even bring myself to ask her. If Collins had forced himself on her, I would shoot her father between the eyes for putting her in that position. I would make his whole organization pay for her suffering, and I would take extreme pleasure in the bloodbath I would rain down on all of them.

“No.” She pressed her fingers to my lips. “You’re the only one, Marchello. Always.”

“I’m not asking because I’m being territorial.”

“I know.” She traced my lips with her delicate fingertips. “You were worried about me.”

I couldn’t allow her to make me drop my guard with her gentle voice and her tender touch. There was too much at stake. She had already gotten to me more than any rival ever had, and she was far more dangerous than my enemies because she had power over me.

“I’m going to have the doctor come up and look over you. I want to make sure you don’t have a concussion. He can clean up your feet too.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “You don’t have to do that. I’m just tired and want to take a shower.”

I led her to the sitting room that overlooked the skyline, trying to make her comfortable.

“You don’t have the luxury of telling me no.” I pointed to the sofa. “Sit.”

She stared at me, but I didn’t have time for her defiance. Why didn’t she know when to back off?

“Do not defy me.” I stepped toward her, forcing her to sit when my chest bumped her shoulder and knocked her off-balance.

She looked up at me when she dropped onto the cushion, but didn’t say anything.

“That’s better,” I said.

“You’re upset with me.”

“Do you think?” I held up my hand. “I don’t want to hear excuses. I don’t have the patience or the energy for them.”

“I’ve made mistakes.” She took a throw pillow from behind her and held it in her lap. “I shouldn’t have contacted my father. I should have trusted that you had everything under control. I know that now.”

“You could have gotten yourself killed,” I shouted. “Collins could have raped you.”

Saying it out loud brought back all the fear and anxiety I’d harbored since she went missing. Part of the reason I had taken so much brutality out on Ricardo was because, at the time, I had no idea who had her or where they had taken her. The men her father and I dealt with wouldn’t hesitate to make her suffer for our sins.

“I know,” she said.

“No, I don’t think you do know what kind of person he is. If you did, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself into that situation.”

“I thought my father would come for me. I didn’t know he would send Danny.”

“Now you know who your father is.”

She shook her head, almost as if she didn’t believe me. That would be a battle for another day.

“When you gave up my safe house location, you compromised my business,” I said. “You could have gotten Ricardo killed.”

“I’m sorry. Is he okay?” she asked.

“I guess that depends on what you mean by okay.”

Milo had insisted on taking Ricardo to the main house to let him recover from the beating I’d given him. Milo had a soft spot for our incompetent guard because his father was lost along with our mother. I used to tolerate Ricardo, but when he put Lissia in danger, my patience ended.

“This wasn’t his fault.” She held the pillow to her chest. “Did you hurt him?”

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