She pressed her lips together, not saying a word. A droplet of blood squeezed past her lips and trickled down on her chin.
Exhaling, I stepped back, grabbed a washcloth and soaked it with warm water. I grabbed her chin but she reached for my wrist.
“Hold still,” I ordered, and she dropped her hand and let me clean her chin. Then I took a closer look at her lip. Her teeth had only nicked the upper layer of skin. “You are lucky. This will heal on its own.” I was so close to her, her scent hit me again.
Her voice snapped me out of it. “How long will you keep me here?”
“Who says I’m ever letting you go?” I asked in a low voice before I drew back and led her out of my room.
After returning Serafina to the guest room, which I locked this time, I was about to start doing my daily training, kicking the punching bag, when Kiara stormed into the game room. Nino was close behind her and tried stopping her, but she tore away from his grip and stalked toward me, looking furious.
I turned to her, raising my eyebrows. She didn’t stop until she was right in front of me and shoved me hard, her eyes brimming with tears. I caught her wrists because she looked like she would slap me next, and that was something we both didn’t want to happen.
A second later, a steely grip closed around my forearm. “Release her now,” Nino ordered.
I met his gaze, not liking his tone one bit. His grip tightened further. A warning. A threat. We had never really fought against each other, for good reason, and I would lay my fucking life down before I would allow it to happen. But Kiara could be the reason why Nino might risk it.
Savio rose slowly and even Adamo put down his controller.
I let go of her wrists, and Nino unfastened his hold on my arm. He tilted his head in acknowledgment, a silent thank-you.
“What are you doing to that girl?” Kiara asked forcefully.
I narrowed my eyes. “I can’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“It is my business if you are forcing yourself on a woman,” she hissed, but her voice shook.
“I’m Capo. I rule over this city. I decide what happens to the people in my territory.”
I turned to face the punching bag, but Kiara squeezed in front of it. Fury burned through me, but I shoved it down my throat despite the fucking bitter taste. She was Nino’s. She was a fucking Falcone. I grabbed her by the waist and set her to the side like a fucking doll before I faced the punching bag once more. She had frozen under my touch as usual. Unfortunately, that lasted only one fucking second.
She stepped in front of me again.
“Kiara,” Nino said in warning, but she glared at him.
“No! Nobody protected me. I won’t stand by when the same happens to someone else.”
“Get out of my way,” I said in a low voice, feeling my own anger rising.
“Or what?” she whispered harshly.
“I said get out of my way, Kiara.”
She took a step toward me, bringing us almost chest to chest. “And I said no. It’s a mountain I’m willing to die on. I don’t care about your vendetta with the Outfit or what happened in your past. An innocent woman won’t suffer for it.”
I couldn’t believe she mentioned our fucking past. Nino should have never told her about it!
Nino moved closer, watching me, not Kiara. Fucking dread flickered in his eyes—something I still had to get used to because my brother had always been emotionless until he met Kiara.
I tried stepping past his wife, but she grabbed my wrist. My gaze darted to her thin fingers then back up to her face. Nino shifted slightly, muscles tensing. I gave him a wry smile. Was he thinking about attacking me? His expression stayed cautious. I met his gaze and twisted my free hand so he saw my tattoo and the crisscrossing scars beneath it. He should know that no matter how infuriating his wife was, I’d never hurt her. His brows drew together, and he relaxed with a small nod.
Kiara tightened her hold. “You protected me from my uncle when he wanted to humiliate me by dancing with me on my wedding. You helped Nino kill him—”
I interrupted her, growing tired of her emotionality. “You can calm down. I want Serafina to come to my bed willingly and not by force. So you can fucking release me now.”
She regarded me closely. “She won’t. Why should she? You kidnapped her.”
“And you were forced into an unwanted marriage to my brother. What’s the difference?”
She removed her fingers from my wrist. Nino wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “It’s not the same,” she whispered.