Kenny
"Oh shit. Ari!"
I caught her just in time before her head met the marble floor. My heart was thundering in my chest, just as the boots that came thundering into the room. At the forefront was Raizon Delacourde himself, with five guards behind him aiming their guns at me.
I was harshly pushed away from her and was only to be replaced by the Mafia King.
"What the fuck have you done?" He yelled. I couldn't formulate any words as I watched on as he checked her pulse and called for his medic. The barrel of each guns from his men came closer to my head. Were they on orders by Delacourde? Then seeing how their eyes quickly went between her and me, I knew it was mostly about her. Delacourde was trying to wake her but was failing. Back and forth he rocked her and begged her to wake up but Ari wasn't doing as he asked.
A Japanese man came running in with a headset around his neck and a black medic bag, going straight to Ari. He whispered harshly in Delacourde's ear who reluctantly released his hold on her after placing her on the sectional.
Everyone was silent as he checked her heart rate, her pulse then hooked her up to a portable oxygen tank. He hastily rifled through his bag and produced a vial of blue fluid, injecting it into her arm. That's when I noticed how labored her breathing was, after a few moments her body relaxed, immensely. The two spoke to each other in Japanese before Delacourde motioned one of his men to take her.
In large steps he closed the space between us and aimed his gun right at my head. Raising my hands in surrender and staying on my knees, I lowered my head in respect. Though I'm a cop I know when my badge is useless and all my training wasn't worth shit. If you have the head of the Mafia and his trained killers aiming guns at your head, you keep your mouth shut and speak when spoken to.
"Talk." That was his only command as he took the safety off his gun.
"I told her the truth. It was killing me. I had to tell her that she's my sister," I said, wanting him to desperately believe me.
"You came at her with bullshit like that," he shouted about to pull the trigger.
"I HAVE PROOF!"
"Show me."
"I-it's in my jacket pocket. A brown envelope with two letters," I rushed out. With the motion of his head, one guard moved to my jacket out in the foyer while he practically scrutinized my features. I can tell you what he saw and everybody else.
Identical coloring of our skins, different noses, shapely eyes - difference is in the color. While she had dark exotic eyes, mines were hazel with thick lashes like hers. Same dark curly hair and naturally plump lips. There isn't any major similarities which I thought at first but digging into the family history, I found where I belonged. I was the spitting image of our grandfather who sadly died before either of us was born.
"Got it boss," the guard said handling Delacourde the envelope.
"Take him to the library and stay with him."
I was roughly handled and practically dragged to the room. I didn't fight them, it was just hard to keep up with their hurried steps. Three hallways later I was shoved into the library and quickly accompanied by two of the guards.
Rising from the floor, I took a seat in an armchair and held my head in my hands. There was so much to process. Delacourde's attachment to Ari, her unexpected passing out and how badly this all went. Through out the whole ordeal it was her last words to me. Those three words were on replay in my head over and over.
I knew why she said that and not even taken aback that she said it. I deserved it. For years, I've stayed by her side as she mourned the loss of our parents on the anniversary of their deaths. I've listened to her wanting a real family beside the guys. Her longing to find that perfect guy so she can recreate the family that she lost. I've cruelly stayed silent by her side as she cried in my arms. Since we were seventeen I've known, my cowardice held my tongue.
The slamming open of the double doors startled me. I quickly stood up and watched on as Delacourde stormed in with his medic in tow.
"Sit."
I did as he ordered and return to my seat. "Is she alright? What happened?" I asked.
No one answered.
The medic came to me and roughly pushed up the sleeve of my shirt and began checking my arm for a vein.
"What the fuck! What are you doing?"
"Calm the fuck down. DNA samples will be taken and you will be escorted back to the city. You don't contact her when you leave here. She will contact you when she's ready," Delacourde said. There was no emotion in his voice, his eyes were cold and it looked so eerie.
"You don't believe me? She's my sister. I have a fucking birth certificate with our parents name. You can't tell me when I can contact her," I shouted trying to wrench my arm away from the medic.
What I failed to see with all my attention on the dude with the large syringe, was Delacourde advancing on me in quick strides. The next thing I felt and heard were the blinding pain in my nose and head along with the crunching sound of my nose probably breaking.
The painful scream that escaped me was muffled by tape being stuck over my mouth. Blinking furiously to focus, I then felt my wrists and feet being shackled to the chair.
The hell.
Blood was flowing from my nose and over the tape till I can feel it dripping from my chin. Finally focusing on a figure on the sofa across from me, I began to struggle but it was no use. My heart rate spiked when I saw it was Delacourde tapping a large Bowie knife on his head in agitation. I felt a pinch in my arm causing me to flinch. Looking down, I watched on as three separate blood samples were taken. He then moved to my head with a tweezer and plucked two strands of hair. The tape was roughly torn off for a saliva sample which led to my nose being taken care of but the tape was replaced.
"I've read the letters. They're being analyzed at the moment. I will make sure Anna sees them both. I mean it when I say do not contact her. I don't want you within ten feet of her. I swear if I wasn't monitoring you two, she would have been in a fucking hospital bed because of a heart attack caused by you," Delacourde finally spoke.
My eyes widen in shock and fear when he mentioned the word heart attack. I was screaming behind the tape for him to tell me what happened.
"Her heart is still on a strain from the bullet lodging so close to it. Any distress whether it be emotional, mental or physical can set off her heart in a flash. This was why I didn't want her to meet with you after her trying morning. If I can kill you now, I will but you have a history with her. Probably messed up by now."
My eyes widen when he got up in a slow and calculated way, with his cold, dead eyes on me. Someone behind the chair I sat, harshly pulled my head back while someone raised my shirt.
"You hurt my kitten so I want this to be a reminder to not do it again. You just gave her years of pain in one minute. To me that deserves death but as I said, you two have a history."
The door opened and the smell of smoke filled the air.
"Who else knows?" He asked pulling off the tape. My mind went blank when I saw the small blow torch in the hands of the guard behind him.
"I need your answer."
"No one. Gianni figured out I was keeping something from her. He thinks I'm a cousin or someone who knew her family," I confessed with my eyes on every move he made.
"Ten going on eleven years," he murmured taking the mini blowtorch from the guard and adjusted the pressure on it.
I felt shame in the words he spoke, I just hurt her even more. If she doesn't want to see me or even discover our connection together I won't hold it against her.
I can't.
Delacourde held his Bowie knife by the blade and rhythmically brushed the now blue flames across the end of the handle. I was both curious and scared as to why he was doing that and getting closer to me. I began squirm in fright trying to uselessly get away from him but they had me restrained, doubly so.
"I'm sorry, sir. I was scared. I'm sorry." I shouted still trying to get out of his reach. Through my entire career of being a cop, I've never been so scared in my life as he crouched before me and abruptly placed the end of the knife on my chest.
The scream that escaped me was deafening, I can feel my flesh tearing and burning away to the shape of the handle. The smell of my flesh was nauseating, sweat now coated my body, I wanted him to stop but he wasn't.
Why wasn't he stopping?
My throat was becoming hoarse from my screams. Moments later he did stop. My body slumped in relief, my chest ached and it will take a lot of energy to look down at the damage he did.
The smell of smoke filled my nostrils along with burning flesh.
"That woman upstairs. Your best friend. Your sister as you say. She's my woman and that means a lot. If she hurts then I hurt and to the people who hurts her? They deal with me. Dalis received his comeuppance. Probably burning in hell at the moment. But you? Oh you were spared. It won't be nice to kill someone so close to her while we begin to explore this relationship. This mark will be a reminder to you of what you did and who you have to fear."
Hot metal pierced my flesh once again, moving in circular direction. I knew it was the blade this time by its slender form but it didn't hurt any less. His movements were quick and precise.
What else did you expect from a seasoned killer?
In less than a minute, it was over. Coming down from the pain, I finally opened my eyes. Delacourde wasn't standing alone before me, Stephen was also, I was never close to this friend, he always gave me an uneasy feeling and judging by the look of indifference, I now understood why I had that feeling. He never trusted me around Ari and my revelation just proved to him why.
The two said nothing, no one in the library said nothing, the only sounds were my labored breathing and the rustling of the shackles.
Fear took over me, I lowered my eyes slowly and caught the damage that has been done. Inside of the carved circle was a logo or crest of some kind, I was confused by it till Stephen spoke.
"Whatever he says goes from now. The Delacourde crest will remind you of that. I think it's time to leave. Don't want to be late for work."
The two left leaving me with the cold stares of men who can kill me with a snap of their boss' fingers.
On second thought, they can do it now and their boss won't mind.
Lucky me.
Raizon
"You good?"
I nodded my head in answer as Stephen and I walked back to the way of the foyer.
Under the facade I chose to show everyone, my heart was hurting. Not by witnessing Arianna blacking out but by the emotional journey she will have to endure when she wakes. It hasn't been a week and her whole life was turned upside down.
I will do my best to help her through it all, it's unfair for her to get this upheaval. She's just so innocent.
"She told me of her last foster family," I calmly mentioned.
"I will send you the file on them," was all my future brother in law said. Always competent this one, I liked the dude for that.
"Keep impressing me like that and you will get your own domain," I joked.
"Like G will want to leave you two behind. He was actually dancing in the video message he sent me with him coming back to the states," he returned. I can see the smirk on his face and the soft look as he spoke of my brother.
"I never got to say welcome to the family."
"The engagement is just superficial. You welcomed me the day you gave me my own squadron. We were all waiting for G to tell you about us, guess the fates became impatient," he said with a cynical laugh. I scoffed at his statement and glanced towards the grand staircase as we made our way out the front door.
"I'm heading to the airport to meet G in New York. You got the reports I emailed you?"
"Yeah. I placed watch on all our domains. Additional men are placed at the restaurants including Angela's. The hotels and clubs. He's becoming desperate and I'm getting annoyed. Watch your back in New York. He'll probably create an ambush or have eyes on all of us," I answered staying on a top stair as he continued down.
"Had to abandon our house out in the burb after getting word of new faces on my street late at night."
"Fuck. I'm sorry man. I'm thinking of a plan to get to Monroe. I got something in mind but I will need everyone and I mean everyone. Including Michael," I said fixing him with a stare.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded in return. He leaned against the waiting SUV and appeared to be deep in thought.
"I will try from my end. Let Ari call me when she wakes. This will have her out of it for sometime so just let her be. Cooking or paperwork will calm her. Don't hover a lot. She went through a lot after her folks died, the last foster home was the worst. Ari is like an open book to us but one aspect of her life is hidden and that's with the ex," he said still deep in thought.
Thankful for the advice, I gave him a nod of acceptance getting lost in my own thoughts. "I picked up a clip of him near her restaurant last night with a new woman. Hopefully he has moved on."
Stephen scoffed and shook his head. "Let's give it a few weeks when Ari goes back into public. You haven't seen that crazed look in his eyes when he came at her in Angela's. I always thanked god for us being there," he said.
"I'll pay him a visit. If you're not convinced I will look into it," I offered.
"That's all I ask. Take care of my sister, Raizon," he said with stupid grin on his face as he slipped into the SUV. He just had to remind me of Carter. For the cop's sake, I hope Arianna is forgiving.
After seeing Stephen off, I made my way up to her suite. According to Akido, my medic, she should be up within the next hour or two. He slowed down her heart so she can breathe easily during her unconscious state. Shock, emotional distress and mild dehydration, that's what caused her to black out. Akido did a thorough check and placed her on an IV. It wasn't too serious for us to call the RNs but we informed them of her situation.
Entering the room, I ditched my tee that smelled of smoke, got rid of my boots then crawled into bed next to her. Knife still strapped to my thigh and gun holster at the foot of the bed, I held her in my arms and listened to her breathing. The room was quiet and being with her was calming, within minutes I was asleep also.
The tickling on my ear woke me, causing me to snatch whatever was bugging me. Feeling the slender hand in mine, I quickly opened my eyes. Tear-filled dark eyes welcomed me back to reality, slowly I placed her hand on my cheek and waited for her to say something.
"I hate him," she whispered just as tears escaped her eyes.
"No you don't," I returned, trying my best to dry her tears but they kept on coming.
"Yes. How could he do this to me? I've searched for long lost relatives and nothing while he was there all along. Ten years. Ten years I had a brother by my side and I didn't know," she cried.
I felt weak not being able to stop these tears. I don't think I can survive seeing her cry after this situation.
"You believe him then."
"There's no reason for him to play a cruel joke on me. I've always felt closer to him in some familial way which I couldn't explain," she returned softly.
"I had some blood taken from you and him for DNA testing. The letters are on bedside table."
"I'm sorry for not listening to you. Guess my body was more fragile than I thought," she said on the verge of crying again. I quickly closed the distance between us and kissed away those words of regret and sadness. Blaming herself for her weaken state will do more damage to her mind, I can't let that happen.
"Your body is still going through it's changes. Don't think like that. Please stop crying, Kitten. It's killing me. Thought I lost you back there," I whispered.
Eyes still closed we held on to each other desperately, me, calming my mind with the knowledge that's she's alive and her trying to stop her crying but I know she had to let it out. This was more than her body or Carter. It's about the death of her parents and a secret they kept from her for years.
Betrayal was the commonality in her life right now. To her, the world she created was crashing down all around. I don't what to do.
"What happened after I passed out?"
"He was 0.5 seconds away from being killed for hurting you," I honestly said.
"Raizon." The amusement was in her voice as she playfully hit my chest.
"I'm not joking angel. The guys nearly did too," I clarified.
"I know you're not joking baby. You just can't go around killing people because they hurt me emotionally." Slowly she made her way over my body and sat on me, tracing the tattoos on my chest with her fingers. What a wrong time to have a hard on. By the biting of her lip, I know she absolutely felt me, under her.
"Fine, you're right. What about physically? Though no one would dare but what if that happens?" I really wanted to know what to do and what not to do so she won't freak out on me.
"Accidental is a pass but intentional I will leave it to your own judgment," she answered.
"Fair enough."
"What did you do to him though?" This time her question was more sedated and thoughtful.
"Brand him."
Her eyes met mine instantly with furrowed brows but the question of why, seen in her eyes. "A reminder who he crossed when he hurt you."
The grimace on her face told me she was actually picturing it in her mind. "The good thing is that you didn't kill him. It's all still fresh. You said you took samples?"
"Yeah. Blood and fluid also hair follicles. I want to be sure. We'll get results in 24-48 hours. Akido has connections in a medical lab in the city. They've done work for us so it will be done with precision," I replied sitting up against the head board. Reaching across to the bedside table for the gauze and tape, I removed the IV from her arm just the way I was taught by Akido.
" If I was by myself and he told me all of that, I would have still been panicking and lost as to what to do next. Thanks for doing this for me."
I watched on as her eyes lost its little spark of happiness, only to be filled with utter sadness.
My Kitten.
In a daze, she rolled off the bed and made her way to the windows. Following her, I grabbed the letters her parents wrote and joined her. "Why didn't they tell me? I found no evidence of siblings in their things. No baby pictures. No birth certificate. Not even a baby book which they had two of for me. Why was he kept a secret? All of this just colored my view of them," she said aloud. Snaking my arm around her waist, I pulled her back onto my body and kissed her neck softly. Her body relaxed against mine instantly, hearing her shuddered breath and the low sniffles, I stayed quiet giving her a moment to process it all. Placing my face in the crook of her neck, I smiled against her skin when she leaned into me more.
"When you're ready," I said against her neck, snaking my other hand around her waist and tapped the envelope on her stomach.
"When I'm ready," she returned, taking the envelope from me. We spent the next few minutes in silence, admiring the gardens below us, getting lost in our minds. When she turned in my arms that's when I heard her muffled sobs. "It's alright. I'm here," I murmured in her ear. That's when her cries got louder. Placing my hands beneath her thighs, I lifted her onto my hips causing her to lock her legs behind my back.
"Sorry to be crude at this moment but please know that your body is wreaking havoc on mine," I said squeezing her ass. A laugh escaped her amidst her tears which was welcomed by me greatly.
"You're affecting my good senses too, Mr. Delacourde," she teased kissing my neck. Holding her hips tightly, I pressed her core against my straining bulge. "I want to make love to you so bad but I promise myself to wait."
"How long do you want to wait?" Her voice grew husky and full of seduction. The bed was right behind us, I can have naked beneath me in seconds but I held on to that notion for a good cause.
"Until this gorgeous body of yours is ready for me to be deep inside you. Then I will make love to you all night, knowing you're happy mentally and emotionally while you kiss me with all you have to give. Plus I want your doctor's approval."
Her laugh filled my heart and soul, along with the soft kisses she placed all over my face. This is what I always crave from her. Her untamed affections.
"So that's why you want to accompany me to the city," she quipped.
"That and I can't have you away from me for long hours," I returned. She sensed how my tone changed along with my mood by the simmering of her laughter.
"I can't be away from you too. I hate to admit it but I may need you more than ever now, Ray." Arianna held my gaze allowing me to see just how vulnerable and broken she really was at this moment. Her fear about the future she's about to step into. Who can blame her? She's about to unearth a family secret, go back to her restaurant as just the owner, be more in the public eye due to her new connections and a new home she now has to adjust to. The dynamics of it all ma be crushing for other people but my kitten was showing me her strength in taking everything head -on.
How can I not fall for this woman?
"You got me, babe."