Page 95 of Kissing the Villain

Carl blew out a deep breath. “She needs closure. That’s how you help her. Without Aiden, she will never return to normal.”

Fuck normal.

I sure as hell wasn’t what medical doctors would call sane. Maybe I needed a little craziness in my life. I didn’t know how to survive without the chaos.

Carl rose from his chair and straightened his lapels. “If she shows any improvements, let me know.” Then he glanced at my father. “Arlo, I’ll speak with the Elders about the Albanians and inform you of their movements.”

As Carl walked toward the door, a loud boom sounded. The silent alarm on the wall flashed red, illuminating the wood panels in my office. Then, all of our cell phones dinged at once.

The Knights checked their phones as I glanced over at the wall of flat screens. I shot up from the armchair, scanning thesecurity feeds. The men at the front door took heavy fire from a small army dressed in camouflage from head to toe. We were also getting hit from the back, with a sniper taking out the guards posted at the cliff’s edge. My men dropped to the ground, one after the other.

Armed and ready to fight, the Knights approached the door, awaiting my orders. Checking the cameras, I found Alex and Marcello in her bedroom, so close they could have kissed.

They sure looked fucking cozy.

A strange emotion stirred in my gut. Was it jealousy? No, it couldn’t be. I had never been jealous of anyone, let alone my younger brother.

My father stood at my side, his hand on my shoulder. “Every war has casualties, son.” He tapped his long fingers on my upper back, his heavy serpent ring hitting my shoulder blade. “Go protect our legacy.”

I dialed Marcello and raised the phone to my ear. He answered on the first ring.

“Put Roman on Alex’s door and meet us downstairs,” I ordered.

I hung up and shoved the phone into my pocket. Then, another loud bang, followed by a ripple of gunfire, rang through the air.

“Let’s go,” I told the Knights.

I led the pack out of my office and down the hallway, leaving Carl and my father behind. With our guns raised, we kept our backs against the wall as we crept down the stairs to the second floor. Alex’s bedroom was at the far end. I poked my head into the hallway and saw Roman outside Alex’s room.

Marcello ran toward us, meeting us at the top of the landing. He took control, guiding the group downstairs. My younger brother was better at tactical planning. He was the muscle, and I was the brain. We ascended the stairs to the first floor. In hiselement, Marcello issued orders under his breath. He tipped his head, telling Sonny and Drake to head toward the back of the house.

It sounded like our men were doing their best to eliminate the threat. Everyone in Devil’s Creek would hear the gunshots. It was a good thing the cops were in our pockets. Our connections saved my life last year and kept Alex out of jail.

We moved as a unit down the main hallway, and as we passed one of the smaller formal dining rooms, glass shattered. Entering cautiously, we surveyed the room. Glass and burnt fabric scraps were scattered across the hardwood floor. Dark smoke clung to the air, sweeping across the room like fog.

I grabbed my jacket and covered my mouth.

Marcello turned to me. “Looks like a homemade bomb.”

“We haven’t had our enemies bring the fight to us in a long time,” Damian said with an evil grin.

I could see the wheels turning in his sick head. He was looking forward to making these assholes bleed. But so was I. There was something magical about taking a life and holding it in your hands. For a few seconds, it gave me the power of a fucking god.

“It has to be the Albanians,” I pointed out. “They stole from us and obviously have a death wish. And they’re still trying to list Alex for auction atIl Circo.”

Why would they attack us at home, where we could see them coming? We had the advantage on our turf. This was a distraction, a ruse to get us away from the real prize. My heart thudded in my chest, racing so fast my pulse clawed at my neck.

I grabbed Marcello’s shoulder, and he turned to face me. “How many men are on Alex?”

“Just Roman,” he said with a hint of confusion. “Why?”

“Because they’re here for our queen.”

39

LUCA

I randown the main hallway beside Marcello, and we bolted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. As we raced toward Alex’s bedroom, she screamed for help, and a chill spread down my arms like spiders crawling over me.

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