“You find her, marry her. You understand?” He nods, aiming the gun at the only person I could dare to care about on this earth. It didn’t used to always be that way though.
My jaw tics and I shove him out of my face. Ever since he’s become the head boss, he’s become an imbecile.
“Understood,” I clip.
Romeo’s shoulders rise and fall rapidly, he’s hurt emotionally and wants to act out on it. I don’t blame him. Grabbing him by the arm, I push him in front of me, ready to leave this fucking boat.
“Do it! Find her! Bring me my fucking Dynasty, Kieran!” Father yells, his addiction for power more sought after than his own blood. Out on the dock, I know Romeo is going to say something. His protest is practically hanging off his tongue.
“Don’t do it.” Romeo finally speaks.
I look at him. His suit looking like something from a Tom Ford collection, the color steel. I like it. It looks sharp on him. I’m glad he’s finding himself.
“Why, so dad finally has the opportunity to kill you?”
He shakes his head.
“No, I’ll—”
“You’ll what, Romeo?” I stop, and press my hand against his chest.
His eyes find mine. There’s a dark rage inside of him, I can see it when I look into his eyes, feel it when he’s hurt, but he can’t pull it from the bones that make up his ribcage to save his life. Romeo could be the most dangerous man alive if he wanted to, he just has to find himself.
“Lay low until I bring her back,” I order.
“You actually want this, don’t you?” he questions, and I glare in response. “She’s not going to just fall in love with you, Kieran!” he continues to press and a maniacal laugh escapes my chest and I glower in his direction to imply he’s insane.
Turning away from him, I continue to walk the pier, sprinkles of rain starting to descend from above coating my blazer.
“You don’t need to be in love to be married, Romeo. She’ll marry me or feel the cold caress of my gun against her temple until she does,” I threaten. But he’s not wrong. I know I’m unlovable, I’m a bad man and I don’t deserve happiness. So if and when a ray of contentment crosses my path, I’ll be taking it not expecting or asking for it.
I don’t know anything about Leona Bravado, or where she would have gone, but her running tells me one thing, she’s smart. You’d have to be insane to want to be with me as a life partner. I’m not gentle, romantic, or even normal. I’m broken in every aspect of a human being, and she’s about to get a crash course in what crazy really is. But she will be mine, I’ve already come to terms with the idea and I want her, so I’ll have her.
First, I’ll pay those closest to her a little visit. See if I can figure out where the hell she ran off to. And the best place to fully understand who Leona really is—is her bedroom.KieranStanding in Leona’s room, I pick up a book about gardening and flip through the pages. It’s one of many that sit on a dresser in her elegant room. Setting it down I head into her bathroom, flipping on a light the space illuminates white tiles on the floor and walls, the counter a mess. You can tell she just swept contents into a bag in mere panic. A glass cap sits alone atop her bathroom counter, I take it and lift it to my nose. It’s bold, fresh, flowery scent. It’s pleasant and makes my dick twitch with excitement. Black and gold material lay on the floor, picking it up, I find it’s a bathrobe. Sighing, I fold it and set it on top of the counter, coming back into the bedroom.
A couple guys from my crew guard Mrs. Bravado who sits in a fancy purple chair. Her robe pulled around her tightly, hair let down and face red from crying. Her grandmother stands by the doorway in pajamas, her gray hair down and looking unaffected by the current situation.
“Where is she?” I ask the room, my tone on the edge of bored.
“I told you, I don’t know,” Mrs. Bravado cries, tears streaming down her face. Her expensive night mask making her cheeks look greasy. One of the soldiers snatch her by the hair, jerking her about like a rag doll and she winces, her hand coming up to the strands snapping from her scalp.
“You don’t know, or you won’t tell?” I finally look her in the eye and her mouth parts like she just looked the Devil in the eye, hesitation in her response.
“Look what I found.” Romeo hands me a picture frame. I side eye him. I told him to lay low but he never listens to me. Flipping it over there’s a photo of young Leona, an older man in slacks and white shirt, and her mother. I assume the man is her father. Those shoes are expensive and could only be afforded by a Made Man.