Page 132 of Gamble with Me
“I really hope that’s the anesthesia talking, Dorian.” I chuckled, watching his eyes close again. He fell asleep like a baby, and I left the hospital, thinking what to say to Zara.
My little princess had no idea what happened to her mother. I flirted with the thought of telling her the truth, but she was only seven. No matter how much I selfishly wanted her to know her father was a violent bastard, my common sense won. Zara had gone through enough with Chester. She didn’t need more.
Entering the house, I was welcomed by Jamal, Connor, and his two comrades, who came to report on their findings. Malin swept the city for any trace of Chester, but it seemed like the fucking ground swallowed him.
All his powerful friends were dead or chased away. I cleaned the city, and those who hadn’t pledged their loyalty to me had to be taken down. I wasn’t willing to risk anything this time. I had a family to protect and a child and a future wife to care for. Things would either be my way or no way. It became the new rule.
“Did you find him?” I barked without greeting them, throwing my coat over the armchair.
“Not yet, boss,” Jamal replied, frowning. “There must be someone helping him. That’s the only explanation.”
“I don’t fucking care about explanations!” I roared, unable to keep my anger and frustration under the hood any longer. “I want results!”
“We’ve covered everything, Zyon,” Connor said, maintaining eye contact, but when I almost snarled at him, he instantly looked away.
“Clearly not,” I hissed, fighting the urge to shoot them all for the mistakes they’d constantly made in this case. “Valeria and Dorian are in the hospital because of your incompetence. You either find him by tomorrow morning, or you will all bear the consequences.”
Jamal’s eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to say something, but I shut him up with a swift wave of my hand.
“Get out of my sight!” I commanded, turning my back on them. They followed my order and disappeared, leaving me in the empty house with my crazy, murderous thoughts.
The temptation to go out and chase Chester through the night was strong, but I had other pressing matters to care for. I had to fulfill my promise to Gravaldis and other Italian families for their help with the hunt for their leaders. Their information and will to betray them were crucial for my flawless victory. I was the new king of the city. I just had to catch Chester, and everything would be as it should be.
A shuffling behind me stirred me from my musing, and I frowned. The dogs were outside. I had seen them with the boys at the gate. But who would be…
Oh, fuck!
“Zara?” I whispered, hoping for a big, fat rat hiding under the table instead of my princess.
A suppressed sob speared my ears, making my heart clench with worry.
How the fuck could I forget about a tiny human living in my house? Shit!
“Zara,” I repeated, dropping to my knees. She sat under the table in the farthest corner, her back pressed against the metal leg. She was curled into a ball, weeping uncontrollably. “Princess,” I whispered, crawling to join her. She lifted her puffy eyes, curly auburn hair falling onto her wet face. “Why are you hiding here?”
Zara started to reply, but cries flew from her mouth instead of words. Her small body shook, and she hugged her knees tighter.
I positioned myself at an odd angle, trying to fit under the low desk. After ten seconds in this unnatural position, my neck hurt like fuck, but it was punishment for yelling like a lunatic when a child was in the house.
“I’ll just stay here with you, okay?” I said gently, stretching my legs. My phone buzzed in my coat, and I remembered the last time I hadn’t picked it up, but my princess was more important than anything.
“W-where is M-mommy?” Zara sobbed weakly, her shoulders shaking. She could barely catch her breath.
“In the hospital,” I answered truthfully, knowing she had heard me before. “She is okay, just bruised.”
“What h-happened?” Zara wiped her cheeks on the long sleeves of her pretty green dress, her innocent eyes staring holes into my black soul.
I’d never hated Chester more than at this moment when I either had to tell his daughter that he was a sick monster or lie to her. Not even when he put Valeria in the hospital had I felt so helpless.
“Your mom got into a fight.” I chose the words carefully, avoiding telling lies but also keeping the truth hidden.
“With who?” she asked, blinking in confusion.
“She found an intruder in your previous home.” I lowered my head to see the front door because I heard it open. A second later, my mother’s extreme high heels clicked on my shiny floor as she walked into the living room. She had just returned from her trip to Europe.
“My father?”
I snapped my head toward Zara, hitting the top of it against the wood.
