Page 22

CHAPTER 22

H avros

“You were fucking lucky the two of you weren’t killed,” Dimitrios barked. He was pacing the floor as he usually did when he was overwrought, rubbing his forehead as he’d been doing for the last five minutes.

My mind was still processing what had occurred barely an hour before, but I was currently thinking at some point he would eventually rub his skin off. The thought was ridiculous, but allowed me to breathe.

Something I’d barely done since gathering Kara into my arms. She’d felt so tiny, so lifeless. I’d cradled her as the worry had slowly turned to rage. She’d almost been killed because of my world. My fucking life.

The decisions I’d made.

I sat back in the chair, rolling the glass of whiskey across my eyes. I’d added ice in hopes the cool surface would help the brutal headache.

It wasn’t working.

Very little would stop the rush of adrenaline or the anger except tearing the heads off the two men who’d attempted the assassination.

“We survived.” My words were bland. Yes, other than bumps and bruises from me shoving her to the hard surface, she was fine. Yes, a part of me was furious with her for not following my orders. When she’d opened her eyes just outside the club, the crowd staring at us in near panic, I’d fallen into their haunted depths.

She’d pawed at my chest, whispering she was thankful I was alive. Me. She’d almost lost her life and she’d been worried about me more than her own safety. I wanted to squeeze her in my arms and punish her at the same time. How could she be so selfish? No, that wasn’t the correct word. Selfless. As if the woman had no self-preservation skills.

I pulled out my phone, downloading the photograph Kara had taken of the unknown man inside the club. The moment I’d seen it, my instincts had screamed he was an enemy, yet I hadn’t done a goddamn thing about it. I rose from the chair, showing both brothers the picture. “Does this guy look familiar? Have you seen him inside the club at any point?”

“Not that I can remember, but I don’t make a point of studying everyone who walks through our doors,” Christos offered.

“No, he doesn’t look familiar. Why are you asking?” Dimitrios asked. “We can check the cameras, but there are enough dark areas he might not appear.”

I returned to the seat, sitting down slowly. “A photograph Kara took at the club tonight. Something about him seems off. Like he was casing the place.”

“Entirely possible. Did he look like the shooter?”

Glancing at Christos, I shook my head. “No, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have been the driver.”

“We can run that through the international database I have access to.” Dimitrios had more tricks up his sleeve than almost anyone I knew. He seemed to sense I was questioning with whom. “A couple of people in Interpol owe me a favor.”

“And we should make them pay up. I’ll send a copy to you.”

Jonas knocked before he and Tobias walked into my apartment. Guards were posted just outside my place, the club and both Christos’ and Dimitrios’ houses as well since we had no way of knowing if I’d been the target or the shooter had been hoping to catch any one of us.

Willow was with them, Dimitrios requesting she be brought to us. His concern was as deep as mine. She rushed to him, throwing her arms around his waist.

“Thank God you’re all okay,” she said in her sweet, caring voice.

Dimitrios kissed the top of her head. “I wasn’t the target.”

She tipped her head. “Jonas told me. How’s Kara? I know you’re worried about her.”

It would seem everyone in the family and the upper-level soldiers knew what I was sharing with Kara was more involved than just a business relationship. If only I hadn’t lost my mind, allowing my dick to make the last few decisions.

“She’s resting, but only because I insisted that she do so. She’s pigheaded, but she’ll be fine. I’m glad you’re here.” Maybe Willow could talk some sense into Kara about her reckless behavior. Or maybe not. Willow was as tenacious as Kara. She’d almost lost her entire family, yet she’d fought like a warrior to learn the truth. She’d also provided valuable assistance to Dimitrios, which had enabled him to find Leandro’s killer.

Just like how Kara would help me now.

She’d tried to remain in the meeting, but I’d forbidden it, shocked as hell that she’d turned around and stormed off. We were both teetering on the edge.

“Do you think I should go and talk with her?” she asked.

“Maybe that will calm her down. Keep her occupied as well. Just remember, whatever you say to her might be used in a story against us.”

She smacked Dimitrios’ chest. “None of you have any faith in humanity. I don’t think that’s what she’s doing. I’ve read her articles. They’re fantastic.”

I shook my head. “She’s in my bedroom.” Willow had an entirely different take on the world. It was useless to argue with her.

“I’ll grab something to drink and stay with her,” Willow said as she squeezed Dimitrios’ arm and walked off.

“What is going on, boss? Did you get a good look at the shooter?” Tobias asked.

For all my keen observation skills, I’d fucked up that as well. “The shooter’s face was shadowed by the dark side of the street, the license plate covered.” It was a classic assassination attempt, a method used by dozens of syndicates and hired assassins. However, the real reason I’d been unable to get a better look was because all I’d been able to think about was saving Kara.

Then everything had turned to a blur.

Tobias looked at Jonas who cleared his throat. “I’ve already got feelers out on the streets. We’ll hunt these bastards down.”

“In the meantime, find Marco. I need to have a discussion with him. If he tipped off the police, he will be handled.” At least I could take out my anger on someone who deserved it.

Jonas nodded. “Can do. He’s not tough to find.”

“Make sure you do. We don’t need that kind of snitch on our payroll,” Christos said in reply. He was sitting on the couch, wringing his hands.

“Retrieve Ms. Banning’s things from her hotel room. Bring them here,” I further instructed.

“Boss?” Tobias questioned.

“Just do it!” I wasn’t in the mood to be questioned about any order I gave.

Jonas swallowed and Tobias shifted from foot to foot. They knew when I’d reached a point of no return. It wasn’t often, but when I did, heads usually rolled.

Or worse.

“I assume you haven’t had an opportunity to talk with Kara about her family?” Christos asked.

“I certainly wasn’t going to do that in the middle of the club. I was taking her back to the apartment when the shooting occurred. I’ll do it when she feels better.”

“You need to make it a priority.”

“Don’t fucking tell me what to do. We have no clue if she’s involved in this. Why would she risk her life to try and save mine if she was working for Bernardi?”

“Just stop, both of you. Havros is right in that without talking with her, we won’t know. What we can’t do is make any rash decisions. But I do think it’s a good idea if you handle the meeting in Paris. We’ll see about Milan after we discover if the recent press has altered any decisions.”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked at Dimitrios. “I don’t think now is a good time to leave town.”

“I think it’s a perfect time. You’re not under arrest, but I checked with my buddy at the police department. There is an active investigation. It’s only a matter of time until they believe they have enough to arrest you for Theo’s murder.”

Christos nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. Maybe by then we’ll have a definitive answer about who hired Aldo to handle Theo’s assassination.”

“Well, I certainly can’t tell the police the man responsible is now in several different boxes that have been disposed of.” Now I was beginning to wonder if I should have shipped the boxes straight to Bernardi’s door.

“No, I guess not.” My younger brother chuckled. “The tangled webs we weave.”

I glared at him. He could joke about this all he wanted, but someone wanted us dead.

“Another reason to seriously consider leaving town at least for a few days is because you know what happened tonight was caught by several cameras. My guess is the shooting will be on the last news broadcast. You’ll be embroiled in a shutdown, and I don’t think that’s what you want. From Paris, you can head to Milan and if the information comes back that Bernardi is behind this, then things may change.” Dimitrios was becoming almost insistent.

“I won’t leave her here,” I told him. “We have a contract. Remember? She has a deadline.” Since when would that have mattered to me in the least prior to meeting her?

“Then don’t. Take her with you. That way, you can keep an eye on her or better yet, determine if she had an ulterior motive.”

I took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. “I’ll think about it.” Jerking up, I headed for the window, staring at nothing and everything. The vendetta could cost us everything. That wasn’t acceptable, at least not to me.

As the others talked logistics, Dimitrios suddenly appeared by my side. “It’s okay to care about the woman, Havros. I just don’t want you to be surprised if she’s not the woman you believe her to be.”

“It’s tough to see her as a traitor, but I need to stop thinking with my dick.”

“You know what I was fearful of when Willow dropped back into my life. She was no longer the sweet, innocent preteen I’d met and enjoyed spending time with. The truth is I almost lost my mind and my way over her because I couldn’t separate my toxic desire from the reality of what we were facing. Until I pulled back, shutting down everything for a short timeframe, I couldn’t make decent decisions. Her face, her lips, and her body always got in the way. I don’t want to see that happen to you.”

“What if it already has? What if the connection after only two damn days is so strong I feel compelled to protect and cherish her?”

My brother took a deep breath. “Then you need to ask yourself if spending time or the rest of your life with this woman is worth the loss of everything else. If so, then do everything to make her your top priority. But I will offer you a piece of advice Pops gave me the day I took over. It was something I almost forgot and didn’t put enough credence in. The greatest leaders are capable of a clean break from business and pleasure. They can thoroughly enjoy both, each part of them just as important as the other, but they learn to separate the two.”

“And the worst leaders?” I asked, tossing him a look. I was disgusted with myself and my lack of control.

“Well, he didn’t have any advice for those who failed because he was always certain his sons would each make fantastic leaders. This is my thought.” Dimitrios leaned against the glass. “The worst male leaders think with their dicks while the best female leaders use their feminine wiles to get everything they want. Something else for you to think about.”

“What if it’s determined she’s a black widow in disguise? Admitting this is very difficult for me, but I don’t think I have it in me to eliminate her as would be necessary.”

He was thoughtful about his answer, nodding several times. “That’s what you have family for. We’ll take care of it.”

He clapped me on the shoulder, giving me a nod of respect before walking away.

A choice would need to be made and it was one I wasn’t prepared to face. Two fucking days and the woman had challenged both my integrity and my reality.

How the hell was I going to go forward from here?