Page 44 of From My Past
“You don’t know that.” I said loudly, getting tired of him not listening to me. “And I’m not willing to take that chance.”
Kieron looked at me, his eyes were unreadable. I didn’t know what he was thinking or if he was mad at me, maybe he was thinking how to make me get out of the apartment and out of his life when he pulled my mouth to his and kissed me. This kiss was sweet but had an edge of violence. Just like him. His hands were loosely holding onto my wrists, keeping me in place but I knew I could pull away if I wanted to.
“You’re amazing.” He said breathlessly as he pulled away.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Not many people who have been through what you have, would tell the Second of the Irish Mafia Clan, who is completely willing and able to do anything they want to the perpetrator of your nightmares, would try to have a peaceful resolution. Most people would see my power and demand that I start a war, that I use every foot soldier I have to try and bring them down, to kill them in the most gruesome way imaginable. But not you. My angel.” He explained softly as he cupped my cheek softly.
“I’m not an angel. Not even close.”
“You’re my kind of angel.”
I shook my head softly and smiled.
“I don’t know how peacefully we can handle this, baby. That’s not how it works in the mafia. Any mafia; the Italians, the Irish, the Russians, hell, even the Polish Mob here in Boston doesn’t work that way. In Luca’s eyes, and therefore his fathers, I have taken his property regardless of how awful that sounds. He fully believes that you were his property, not your own person. In the Clan, the rules for theft are simple. If it is found that you did indeed steal, regardless of who you are, you are beaten until you pass out. If the person you’ve stolen from is feeling generous. Theft between the different mafias, though? That’s grounds for murder.”
I gasped and could feel the panic, the fear and the dread set in.
“No,” I gasped. “No, no, no. I’ll go back, I can live like I did before. Before you walked into my life, I had resigned myself to living like that anyway. If it saves people from being murdered over me, over nothing, I can’t, I can’t…I don’t…” I started to feel myself hyperventilate.
“Talia,” Kieron’s voice was stern but I could hear the fear in his voice. “Talia, breathe.” He ordered.
“I… can’t…” My hands went to my chest and to my throat trying to claw it open. I needed air, I needed to be able to take a free breath.
“Baby, breathe with me. Please.” He crushed my chest to his and I could feel his heartbeat, beating strong and sure, against mine. Kieron took a deep breath and I tried to follow, then he exhaled, and I tried to as well.
“Good, good. Again.” He breathed in deeply and waited until I did too. Then he exhaled slowly.
“There, keep breathing.” He ordered, keeping me held tightly against his chest. I was starting to come back into myself, he’d caught me before my panic attack became too much. I could hear his heart keeping time in his chest and I let myself get lost in its rhythm.
“I’m only going to tell you this one time, so I need you to listen, okay?” Kieron said softly in my ear and I nodded. His voice was deep and his words laced with a growl so his chest vibrated against my face as he spoke. His words were hushed, hurried but rang strongly with truth.
“I would burn this whole world down for you. Not that you’d ever ask that of me, but I would do it and I would fucking rejoice if it brought you joy. I don’t revel in death or destruction, and I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that I don’t enjoy the chaos though. But if you asked me to, I’d lasso the moon and bring it to your feet. I was going to take you from that hell, regardless of the consequences, and I did. And I don’t regret a moment of it. I don’t now, and I won’t later.”
“How do you know? Kieron, he won’t show mercy, he doesn’t have any boundaries.” The fear of Kieron being hurt, injured and bleeding, bringing the panic back into my heart. After so long of being fearful of Luca, I couldn’t help but worry even though anyone could see that Kieron could take Luca in a fist fight. Kieron would probably punch Luca’s face once and it would explode.
“And in regards to him, I don’t either.” He said. His tone was low and dangerous, his eyes narrowed and unfocused as if he was looking off into the future, trying to plan exactly what he was going to do to Luca when he saw him next.
“I don’t want you or anyone else to get hurt because of me. Please,” I said softly, gripping the lapels of his jacket tightly.
“And I promise you that I will do everything I can to make sure that no one but him does.” He said as he brought his hands to cover mine. “Just for you.” He added with a smirk.
“I’m serious, Kieron.”
“I know you are. But baby, I’m the Second of the Irish Mafia. I am in danger just breathing right now, simply for being who I am. By being born who I am. If I am dancing with some more danger by protecting you, I willgladlytake it on. Do you understand me?”
I hadn’t thought about it that way. He had always been in danger. He must have had to learn how to protect himself from such a young age. Always been sought after and used because of his father’s position. A vision of a small Kieron, just a small boy who had to grow up so quickly, formed in my mind and I wanted to scoop him up and hug him tight.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered, hoping he knew why I was apologizing.
“I’ve gotten stronger.” He said simply with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Still.”
“I wasn’t telling you that to make you feel badly, Talia. I wanted you to realize that danger, politics and always watching over my shoulder is second nature to me. It’s always happened and it always will until the day I die. So, again, I say that you coming into my life again has made me so much fucking happier regardless of the danger. Do you understand?”
“I do.” I nodded, accepting what he was saying and trusting that if he really wasn’t okay with this, he would have to tell me.
