Page 50 of Ruined By Blood (Feretti Syndicate #2)

I follow Alessio downstairs, tension coiling through my body. Whatever's happened must be serious for him to interrupt like that.

When we reach Damiano's office, my brother is standing behind his desk, hands planted on the polished surface. His face is a mask of controlled anger.

"What the fuck is going on?" I demand, closing the door behind me.

Damiano's eyes meet mine. "The Williams family. They're causing problems."

"Williams?" The name clicks into place. "Henry's business partners?"

"More than that," Alessio says, leaning against the wall. "Apparently Sterling promised Sienna to their son James in marriage."

A cold rage settles in my chest. " Unbelievable. He was so fucking stupid. Arranged marriages all over the city? What the fuck?"

Damiano nods grimly. "They're furious. Sterling took a substantial loan from them—eight million—with the promise of both repayment and Sienna as part of the deal."

"And now that Sterling's gone..." Alessio trails off.

"They want their money. And they want Sienna." Damiano's voice hardens. "They've been calling Sterling's contacts, threatening to go to authorities if they don't get what was promised."

My fists clench at my sides. "They can go fuck themselves. They're not getting anywhere near her."

"It's not that simple," Damiano says. "The Williams family has connections in politics. They could make things difficult."

"I don't give a shit about difficult." I pace the room, mind racing. "We need to keep them away from Sienna. She's been through enough without these vultures circling."

I slam my fist against the wall, fury burning through my veins. "These fucking people. Trading women like they're nothing but merchandise."

Alessio pushes off from the wall, his expression thoughtful. "We might have a way to handle this without bloodshed."

"I'm listening," I say, though my mind is already calculating how many men it would take to make the Williams family disappear permanently.

"A business arrangement," Alessio suggests. "We offer them something valuable enough to forget about Sienna. Maybe exclusive import rights through our shipping channels, or priority access to some of our legitimate ventures."

Damiano nods slowly. "It could work. They're businessmen first. If we make it financially attractive enough..."

"You want to reward these fuckers?" I growl. "They were willing participants in Sterling's trafficking operation."

"Not reward," Alessio clarifies. "Neutralize. Give them something that makes financial sense so they back off without us having to start a war."

I run a hand through my hair, considering the proposal. "They deal in shit we don't touch. Human trafficking, drugs through schools. We don't approve of that garbage."

"We wouldn't be supporting those operations," Damiano says. "Just giving them something else to focus on instead of Sienna."

I pace the room, my mind racing. "What about just paying them the money Sterling owed? Eight million is nothing if it keeps these vultures away from her."

Alessio exchanges a glance with Damiano. "That could work. Clean break, no ongoing relationship."

"But we need to be careful," Damiano adds. "If we just throw money at them, they might see it as weakness. Think we're willing to pay anything to protect her."

I stop pacing, decision made. "I need to talk to Sienna first. This involves her, and I won't make decisions about her life without her input.

" I look between my brother and Alessio.

"Get me everything you can on the Williams family.

I want to know exactly who we're dealing with before I bring this to her. "

Damiano nods. "Noah's already gathering intel. We'll have a complete picture by morning."

I nod sharply at Damiano and Alessio. "Keep me updated. I need to get back to her. "

I stride through the hallway, my mind racing with this new complication. Just when Sienna was starting to feel safe, just when she was beginning to build a life without fear, these vultures appear. The Williams family. The name burns in my mind like acid.

I take a deep breath before opening our bedroom door, trying to compose my features. No need to worry her tonight. I'll tell her everything tomorrow, once we have all the information.

When I enter, Sienna is sitting cross-legged on our bed, wearing one of my t-shirts. Her hair falls in dark waves around her shoulders, and her blue eyes immediately find mine. She looks so peaceful, so at home here. The sight of her calms something inside me.

"Everything okay?" she asks, setting aside the book she was reading.

I hesitate for a fraction of a second. I promised myself I'd never lie to her, but I don't want to ruin this night with more problems. Not when she's just had dinner with her mother for the first time in years. Not when she's finally feeling safe.

"Business," I say, moving to sit beside her on the bed. "Something that needs handling."

Her eyes narrow slightly. She's too perceptive to miss my evasion.

"What kind of business?" she presses, her voice soft but determined. "It must be important for Alessio to interrupt us."

I run a hand through my hair, torn between protecting her and respecting her right to know. "It's about Sterling's business associates."

Sienna tenses, her fingers clutching the bedspread. "Which ones? "

"The Williams family," I admit, watching her reaction carefully.

Her face pales instantly. She knows them. The way her body goes rigid tells me everything I need to know about their relationship.

"James Williams?" she whispers, her voice suddenly small.

I take her hand, feeling the slight tremor in her fingers. "Yes. Apparently Sterling had some arrangement with them that involved you."

She nods, her eyes distant.

Fury builds in my chest, but I keep my voice steady. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. No one is going to force you to do anything you don't want to do. I promise you that."