Page 26 of Fighting

He does. “A while ago, it was brought to the family’s attention that Santo was a traitor, we had been blind to it for decades. We learned he was doing unsanctioned work with the Cartel, along with various other things. It was then that I started second guessing every interaction I had had with him. One being the morning after my initiation. I had called you to say I was finally on my way. When you didn’t answer, I rushed to get there. I knew it wasn’t like you to not answer, and I was scared one of our enemies had found you. When I got there, Santo was on the porch. He had the note you wrote. It was in your handwriting so I never questioned it. I was so angry at you. And at the time, I never would have thought Santo was capable of something like that. He was present when I asked permission from the Don to tattoo my mark on you, and to tell you about us. I thought I had his approval too.”

He pulls one of his hands free from mine, to run it through his hair. “I recently discovered the reason why Santo ran you off. He needed me single. Needed me free to marry someone else. I came across a contract about a month back. Santo had promised my hand to a daughter of a Cartel Captain in Vegas. He had wanted to convince the Council to agree to an alliance and seal it with my marriage to that girl. With Luca having the contract to become Don, Santo knew getting the brother of the Don into a marriage would raise his position within the Cartel.”

“What happened with the girl? Did you ever meet her?” I ask. From what I know about the Cartel from Killian, they can be ruthless, even to their own children. If her father is one of those men and wants someone to blame, he may blame the daughter. I don’t know her, or know if she is innocent, but my heart goes out to her.

“I never met her. I only know a name. The contract was never signed by Don Bosco, or the Council, so it’s worthless.”

“Do you think the girl is in danger?” I can hear the urgency and distress in my own voice. I remember back when I was young, vulnerable. No one in my corner. Is that how she feels?

“Hey, babe, calm down.” He pulls my arms so I’m forced to lean forward, and rock onto my knees. Grabbing my hips next, he pulls me and spins me so I’m on his lap. He rubs his hand up and down my arms. “I’ll see what I can find on her. Between Elena and I, we should be able to find some information. If I think she’s in danger, I can call the Don in Vegas. He owes me a favor.”

“You would do that?” I ask. I hate feeling the need to ask. I never would have last time.

He presses a kiss to my temple. “I’d do anything for you.”

“Would you streak naked down the street?” I tease. Tino smiles deviously. Then leans us forward and starts to pull his shirt up. An embarrassing squeak leaves my mouth when I see his abs. Poking out beneath the shirt. He pulls the shirt the rest of the way off, then tosses it across the room. My eyes roam up from his abs, to his pecs. My gaze locks on the lone tattoo on his chest. There are more on his arms, but only the one on his chest. My hand floats up to touch it. It’s not a conscious move. I run my finger down the stem of the black rose. Right over my name. “You still have it.”

Tino interlocks his fingers with mine and brings it to his lips and kisses each knuckle. Then brings it back to lay against his chest. “It never crossed my mind to remove it. It’s part of me. Just like you are.” Seeing his tattoo in pristine condition reminds me of my own mangled mark. Tino can read the disappointment on my face. “When you’re ready. We can get you a new mark. If you want one.”

There is no hesitation on my part. “Yes.”

He laughs and pulls me close. “Good. And if you want to cover up the old one, or see if it can be fixed, there are a few amazing tattoo artists in the family that specialize in tattooing over scars.” Emotions threaten to choke me. Instead of speaking I nod enthusiastically. I had looked into covering it a few years ago, but it hadn’t felt right. Knowing I had Tino’s permission, encouragement even, made me feel a thousand times better about doing it.

Getting us back on topic, I decide to start asking questions. “So you found the contract and decided to go looking for me?” It’s a little disappointing he wasn’t looking before then.

“No. Well, sort of.” He huffs a bit and starts again. “There has rarely, if ever, been a day that has gone by that I haven’t thought about you. Usually it was to wonder what you were doing. Curious if you had met someone else. Hoping you were happy, but also pissed to think you were settled down, when I couldn’t move on. When the Santo shit happened, it made me think back to that day. I started to see it in a new light. Instead of wondering what you were up to, I began to question if he had you murdered, or sold off to the Cartel. Those thoughts brought me to my knees. I became obsessed with finding out what happened to you.”

I listen intently as Tino tells me how he combed through Santo’s computer, phone, desk, files, car, and even gym locker. He left no stone unturned but couldn’t find any details of what had happened to me, or why, aside from the marriage contract. So he turned to the web. Looking for me, running facial recognition. He said he got desperate and started combing for female doctors in my age range. When he found one that had a matched that also had a strangely vague and minimal background beyond six years ago, he allowed himself to hope.

“I was going to go to the hospital and see you. Figured if it was you, I would recognize you right away. The day I planned to go, was the day I was grabbed.”

“Is that why Luca sent for me? Because he knew you were looking for me?”

“Sort of.” Tino looks shy suddenly. Maybe even a little embarrassed. “I uh. I was going in and out of consciousness when they found me. I didn’t remember it at the time, but Luca told me I kept saying that I needed Dr. Jones. He thought maybe you were the only one I trusted or something. So he sent his men to grab you. When I woke up, I didn’t remember asking for you, or that I was looking for you. Hell, for a while, I couldn’t even remember Luca’s name. But every time I closed my eyes I thought of you. Not Doctor you, but Keira. My Keira, from years ago.” Then he laughs again.

All I can do is smile. He thought of me. Wanted me even when his thoughts were a scrambled mess. My heart beats a bit faster.

“When my brain started to work again, I asked Luca about you. I saw that he was keeping you in the basement, but I couldn’t figure out why. He wouldn’t tell me. Just kept saying you needed to be here. When I saw you sparring with Massimo, it all made sense. Luca wanted me to figure it out on my own. He wanted to see if I would recognize you. Back in the day I had told him everything about you. Couldn’t stop talking about you. He realize you were different. Knew we were both different and wanted to see if it made a difference, or if we still felt that we were meant to be.”

I think I know, but I need to hear it. “And what did you decide?”

“I love you Keira.” Holy shit! “I loved you then. I just never told you. I loved you even when I thought you left me and wanted you happy even when I was pissed as shit. I love you now, even knowing we have grown up and our lives have changed.” He presses my hand back to his chest, and puts his other hand on mine, over my heart. “This is the same. My heart and soul still recognize you as my other half.”

“Mine too.” I push his hand off my so I can climb closer. I straddle his lap as I kiss him. Long and deep. Until we are both panting. Then I pull back and rest my cheek on his naked chest.

The silence is peaceful this time. Tranquil. It lulls me to sleep. Tino too. I feel his heartbeat steady and his breathes deepen below my face. My mind isn’t racing. I’m not needing an adrenaline rush.

Until the nightmares hit.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Keira

“NO. NO. TINO, no.” Logically I know I am stuck in a nightmare, that this isn’t real.

A warm and gentle hand is caressing down my face. Saying words of encouragement to wake me up. I can’t. What if reality is worse? What if I imagined finding Tino again? What if Santo or his guys found me this time?

“Killian!” I scream into the dream. He’ll save me. He has to.

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