Page 16 of Knot Letting Go

Why did Kon have to marry into that fucking family? Dammit. I knew our father pressured him, but the Pacettis were bad news. We were trying to cut all business ties with them, and they were being dicks about it. Yet because of Lillianna being their blood, we were tied to those fuckers for the rest of our lives.

I needed to find out what happened, but I wasn’t going to scare Lillianna. “Hey, Lilli, you really must be a mermaidbecause you smell like the ocean. Maybe you should go wash up before dinner. Be sure to check your belly button for seashells.”

Lillianna laughed brightly. “Shells can’t fit in my belly button, silly.”

Aubrielle set down the bag she was carrying and held out her hand to my niece. She had barely looked at me, trying to hide how distressed she was, and that only infuriated me more. “Come on, Lillianna. Let’s get you cleaned up and changed for dinner.”

“I’ve got her, Aubrielle. I’ll run her a quick bath while you go wash up and have a moment to yourself. I’ve heard mermaid adventures can be quite tiring.” I gave her an encouraging smile and a bit of relief softened her features. That tiny change in her mood was worth more than any gem, but it hadn’t lessened the instinct to rage against Lorenzo and his goons.

“Thank you. It’s much appreciated.” Aubrielle slipped away up the stairs.

“I’m not tired from my mermaid adventure.” Lillianna declared, looking me right in the eyes as she said so.

“Aren’t you?” I raised my brows knowing she would fall asleep hard tonight. The poor kid rarely got a chance to run and play like other children. Aubrielle was so good for her. “How about this then: You run upstairs and get your bath going, and I’m going to count to thirty. Well, maybe fifty, and then I’ll come up and see if you’re really still that full of energy or if you’ll be snoring in your bed.”

“I don’t snore!” Lillianna gasped with exaggerated offense as I set her on her feet. “I’m the fastest mermaid in the ocean. You won’t even get to fifty and I’ll be done!”

“I bet you’ll be sleeping.” I teased and booped her on the nose. She stuck her tongue out at me and I held up a finger. “One… two… three…”

Lillianna whooped as she raced up the stairs and disappeared out of sight. I kept counting until ten, because I knew she’d hear me, and then stepped over to Gavin. “What happened? Did Pacetti do anything?”

Gavin shook his head, but he was gritting his teeth. “No, he just came over and said hello to Lillianna. But no way was he there by coincidence.”

“I didn’t think he was. The fucker.” Anyone would be a fool to believe that. “What happened to Aubrielle?”

“Pacetti scared her. He minded his manners in front of Lillianna, but the way he was looking at that poor young Omega…” Gavin hissed out through his teeth. “He had two big guys with him. I carry a pistol, as your brother insisted, but I don’t know how much I would have been able to do if they tried something.”

Kon had Gavin carrying? Now that was news. What did Kon know that I didn’t? My father left this mess for us, and fuck him if he believed we were going to walk in his footsteps.

I turned to head toward Kon’s office, but I stopped, remembering I promised to help Lillianna wash up. I growled under my breath.

“Stella’s still here, Quill. I’ll send her up to help Lillianna.” Enid motioned to the interior door with her wooden spoon. “You go talk to Konstantin and do something about the Pacettis. I don’t want any of them around our sweet girl.” She then nodded to Gavin. “You, come here and taste this for me.”

“Thank you.” I gave our cook a one-armed hug before hurrying out of the room. Enid had been with our family a long time, and she took good care of us.

I sped out of the kitchen and down the hall. Not even knocking, I thrust open the office door and caught Kon just ending a call. He scowled at me as he said his goodbye. Sometimes he looked a lot like our dad when he did that andI wanted to punch him in the face. Yet despite the fact he resembled our father way more than I did, he somehow turned out not to be like the bastard. Under his starched suit and rigid manner, he was a good man. No doubt it was Lillianna’s doing. She was like magic.

Kon set down his phone. “What do you want? I’m due to make another call.”

“Lorenzo.” I spat out the name and Kon stiffened even further. “The bastard’s in town and said hello to Lilli on the beach today. How can you let that fucker come near her?”

Fury flashed through my brother’s eyes, bright enough to match my own, but he snatched a hold of it. “Is she okay? She’s home?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. He was just a happy distraction from her mermaid adventure. Aubrielle was scared shitless though.” I wanted to blast a pair of holes in that fucker’s head. For all the shit Lorenzo had done, but especially for terrorizing Aubrielle.

Kon stood, surging around the desk. “Did he hurt her? Where is she?”

There was anger in his eyes before, but now it was full blown and unhidden. His chest heaved and his jaw clenched. I pointed upward. “She’s home, washing up from the beach. But she was near tears when she came in. Gavin said Lorenzo and two guys. Lilli mentioned Matteo.”

“That motherfucker.” Kon snarled. Matteo was Lorenzo’s nephew and the most cruel of his enforcers. Worse than Lorenzo’s two sons, and they were real assholes. “Lorenzo is supposed to go through me whenever he wants to see Lillianna. He knows if he’s seen with her, he could be putting her life in danger.”

If anything happened to Lillianna because of that fucker…

I’d met Kon’s wife on a few occasions, and Giovanna had been alright. She had no strength in her. Her brothers and fathermade sure all the Pacetti women were submissive to them. Yet when a rival gunned down all the women while they were out to brunch, Lorenzo barely batted an eye. Oh, he swore vengeance, but more to the insult to him than the loss of his wife, daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-laws. We were lucky Lillianna hadn’t been with them when it happened.

Kon had whisked Lillianna away from the Pacettis and lived in secret with her until our father died.

“What did he do to Aubrielle?” Kon asked in a low voice.

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