Page 44 of Wrathful King
Her golden curls were splayed across the pillow, lacking the liveliness they once held. Even as she slept, the dark circles beneath her eyes and the hollowness of her cheeks taunted me. There was hardly a trace of the little girl I met all those years ago, never mind the young woman from a month ago.
My jaw clenched as that little voice in my head told me I caused this. I should have never touched her, tainted her with my darkness and put her in harm’s way.
“How is she?” Raphael’s voice came from behind me.
“Not the best news, but she’ll pull through. The doctor took me through the next steps and what to expect.”
He nodded his understanding. “No matter what I say, it won’t make you feel better.” It sounded like he was speaking from experience. “The best advice I can offer is to give her time and space. Whatever she needs to heal.”
It wasn’t the worst advice. Except, I couldn’t breathe without her. I’d give her time, but I couldn’t give her too much space. The only way I’d keep my own sanity and be able to support her through this was with her back in my home, under my care.
Everything I’d done from the moment I took my first breath had led to her. I wasn’t the perfect man she deserved, but I was hers. Always had been; always would be.
“Thank you for letting us use your facilities,” I said, choosing not to comment. “I’ll shoulder all the costs.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’re glad Perez is gone and that you saved those women.”
I shot him a look. “Not a fan of Cortes?”
“His reputation and penchant for cruelty knows no bounds. We’ve been waiting for our own opportunity to take him down for years.” Santos’s eyes landed on my wife, studying her with intrigue. “So this is who the crazy fucker obsessed over.” It wasn’t a question.
“Does the whole world know he was obsessed with her?”
Raphael’s attention returned to me. “Well, everyone who has touched the flesh-trading world.” I stiffened, but before I could smash his face against the wall, he added, “You hear shit when your father has no scruples. May he rot in hell.”
“He partnered with Cortes?”
“And with Benito King,” he deadpanned. “He really knew how to make friends in his time.”
Benito King led the cells—once upon a time—in North America. His business dealings in trading flesh were referenced as the Belles & Mobsters agreement. While in South America, Perez ran the Marabella agreements. It made you wonder who inspired whom.
Benito King was a bastard, and none other than his own daughter had put an end to him. She and Reina had that in common, if nothing else. I sighed. The women who survived the underworld were stronger than the men. A lot fucking stronger.
“I’m guessing you didn’t approve.”
“I didn’t,” he acknowledged. “You know it was the fact she was Leone’s daughter that made her a target. Not you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You sound pretty confident in your assumptions.”
He shrugged. “Call it what you will. Been there, done that. I’m just pointing out the obvious.”
“And how do you know she’s Angelo’s daughter?” I questioned. After all, it was only mere months ago that I learned it.
“That idiot Perez never excluded my old man’s route in his distributions.” It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why he didn’t stop it when he clarified, “Since my father preferred Benito’s agreements, Perez didn’t include many details, and the messages on the dark web were encrypted.”
It didn’t fucking matter anyhow. His father was dead.
“How did Perez know Reina was Angelo’s daughter?”
The silence that followed didn’t bode well. Ever since the attack, I’d had a bad feeling that something big was brewing in the background.
“Someone within the Yakuza. I don’t have a name.” His hand landed on my shoulder. “Whatever else you need, just let me know.”
With that, he turned around and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The Yakuza. There was only one way they would know.My mother.
Did she hate Romero so much she’d sell out an innocent woman to a cruel bastard? Or was it to get back at Angelo? It was inconceivable that she’d take things that far.
“I know that look.” Dante’s voice came from behind me. “Shit’s about to go down.” His gaze flicked to Reina’s still form. “I hope we get to rip out some intestines and wrap them around some poor fucker’s throat.”
