HALSTON.
I stood at the base of the grand staircase, my jaw clenched so tightly the muscles ached.
For some reason, I knew Kaira would want to test me.
The doors of the estate were just feet away.
And right in front of them stood Kaira, holding a small duffel bag, alongside her uncle, Darion, just as I predicted.
She had just stepped out of the dungeon with him despite my threat and command, and my guards were apparently stupid not to even fire a warning shot at his feet.
Her face was pale but her eyes blazing with a defiant heat that usually made my blood boil.
Right now, it just made my chest tighten.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I demanded.
I didn’t need to shout to make myself heard.
Kaira stopped, turning around to face me.
She didn’t flinch.
Instead, she adjusted her grip on her bag.
“I’m leaving, Halston.”
“Brilliant.
And you thought I’d sit back and wave you goodbye while you leave?”
“I don’t care what you do while I leave.
I have made up my mind.
I am leaving.”
“He can leave, if it will keep your mind at rest.” I pointed to her uncle briefly.
“As long as I don’t see him lurking around my properties, he is free to go.
But you are going nowhere, I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“She killed my parents.
She killed my parents and now she is coming for me.
I cannot sit still and do nothing.
I have to find out for myself.” She snapped, stepping forward.
“I said I will handle it.” I gritted through my teeth.
“You can’t handle it.
You have nothing on her.
But my uncle has video footage I need to see for myself.”
“So you are following him for the footage?”
“Yes.” She said, lifting her chin.
I let out a harsh breath.
“Well, I don’t care about what you think you saw on some tape.
If there’s footage, your uncle can go and bring it here.
But you?
You aren’t going anywhere.”
Darion stepped forward, shifting to put himself slightly between me and his niece.
He was a man built with a brutal strength that got my men killed.
He was a man I actually respected for training Kaira to be able to defend herself, but right now, he was nothing but an obstacle.
“She needs peace, Redd,” Darion said, his voice deep and protective as he stepped closer.
“As much as she’s your wife, she is my niece, and it is my duty to protect her.
She’ll be safe with me.
No one knows my place.”
Seems like someone was briefed.
“Safe with you?” I let out a bitter laugh, completely ignoring the older man and locking my eyes entirely on Kaira.
“Kaira, move your old man or my men will move him in ways you will not like.”
Kaira stepped forward, taking his hand and gently pulling him out of my way.
“Safe with you.” I muttered again then looked at Kaira.
“Your chances of survival are higher with me.
I do not underestimate him, but logically speaking, Kaira, what can two of you do against their numbers?
You are staying here and it is final.”
Kaira’s eyes flashed with pure fury, her voice trembling but sharp enough to cut glass.
“You have absolutely no right to tell me what to do.
I have made my decision.”
A spike of raw panic shot through my veins, but I forced it down, masking it behind a wall of cold authority.
“As much as you hate me, and despise everything I am, you are safer inside these walls.
So tell your uncle that if he cares about your life, he’s welcome to join the cage.
I’ll gladly find a room for him too.” I turned to leave.
“When have I ever been safe with you?!” Kaira suddenly screamed.
I paused in my step, slowly turning to face her again.
The sheer volume of her voice seemed to vibrate through the entire foyer.
She stepped so close I could smell the faint scent of jasmine on her skin.
“Look at the two accounts where my life has been in absolute, mortal danger!
Both times, I was right next to you!”
The words hit me right in the center of my chest.
It felt like a blade sliding between my ribs and twisting.
My breath caught in my throat.
For a fraction of a second, the cold mask I wore completely shattered.
I felt my heart break, the pain so sudden and sharp it physically sickened me.
“Fine,” my voice went quiet.
“Go.
You can go and die for all I care.”
I turned my back and walked away, heading for a room in the estate that overlooked the garage.
I didn’t know if it was the words she said or her leaving that hurt me more.
I stood by the window, my hands clenched into fists so hard my fingernails bit into my palms, as I watched the car drive off.
************ The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
By late afternoon, the silence in the mansion was making me lose my mind.
I was sitting in my study, pouring a glass of scotch I didn’t even want, when Oliver knocked on the door frame.
“Sir, Eamon Luke is downstairs,” Oliver announced quietly.
“Send him up,” I muttered, not looking away from the amber liquid in my glass.
A moment later, Eamon walked into the room.
He walked over and sank into the leather chair across from my desk, looking at me as though he was studying me.
“I didn’t know you would be free today.” I spoke first.
“When am I ever not free for you,” Eamon said, offering a warm smile.
“The estate feels unusually quiet today.
Where is Kaira?”
I took a slow sip of my drink, my face darkening.
“She’s gone, off for her business.
Wherever it is.”
Eamon paused, his sharp eyes catching the raw irritation rolling off me.
He chuckled softly, a knowing, amused glint in his eyes.
“Ah, I see,” Eamon teased lightly, leaning back in his chair with a smirk.
“The honeymoon phase didn’t last very long, did it?”
I said nothing, choosing instead to glance around my study rather than look at him.
“Give her a little time to clear her head, whatever she’s fussing about, she will come around.”
My jaw tightened as my grip on the glass tightened.
Seeing my mood, Eamon didn’t push the subject any further.
He smoothly dropped the teasing tone, adjusting his jacket as his expression shifted to something more serious.
“Anyway, let’s get down to business, you said you had a few things to discuss.”
I set my glass down, forcing my mind to snap back into a professional gear.
“The weapon shipment arrives Thursday.”
Eamon nodded, pulling out a small notepad.
“How many transit units are we looking at?”
“Three trucks,” I replied flatly.
“We’re moving them through the eastern docks.
The two captains are in on it.
They’ll make the shipment smoother.”
“Do you trust them?”
“Partly.
But I do not need to trust them.
I made clear what the consequences of failing me would be.” I straightened in my seat.
“I have tightened the security at the perimeter, but keep the transit low-profile.”
“Smart,” Eamon murmured, jotting a quick note down, his eyes tracking my movements.
“The eastern docks have better blind spots from federal oversight.
I’ll make sure the route handles it properly.”
He closed his notepad and stood up, patting my shoulder warmly.
“Don’t let the domestic trouble distract you, Halston.
I’ll leave you to your thoughts.”
He stood up, gently walking out, his stick hitting the ground before his shoe.
“Your issues with her should be resolved by Saturday.
I would not take any form of rejection to my invitation, because you decided to sit alone and choke on a glass of bourbon.” He laughed teasingly as he exited my study.
Tiresome old man.
***********
Night fell like a heavy velvet shroud over the city.
By ten o’clock, I couldn’t stand the sight of my own walls anymore.
I needed noise.
I needed a distraction.
Oliver drove me to the underground casino beneath the hotel.
It was a sprawling, exclusive place designed specifically for mafia lords, and figures of absolute influence.
The casino shared its floor with an exclusive private club.
The heavy bass thudded through my chest as I walked through the doors, Oliver trailing half a step behind me.
The noise was blinding, but it wasn’t enough to drown her out.
I walked past the crowded lounge area and headed straight for the bar side, intending to grab a heavy drink strong enough to knock me out.
As I approached the counter, a loud voice cut through the noise.
“Halston!”
I turned my head.
Ronan Virel was sitting at the high-stakes card table a few yards away, surrounded by a mountain of chips and a few other associates.
He was a major competitor in the northern routes, making him a permanent rival.
However, we had never crossed paths.
We liked to keep our interactions polite, but it was the kind of cold courtesy that made it clear we were just acquaintances.
“Virel,” I nodded flatly, leaning against the bar.
“Don’t just stand there drinking alone,” Ronan challenged, gesturing to the empty leather seat across from him.
“The table is hot tonight.
Join us.”
I didn’t care about the game, especially not with him, but walking away would look like a retreat, moreover a little challenge would help my state at the moment.
I pulled out the chair and sat down, sliding a stack of chips forward.
As the dealer shuffled the deck, Ronan leaned back, exhaling a thin stream of cigar.
“You know, Halston,” Ronan began, his voice dripping with false friendliness.
“I must extend my formal congratulations.”
I didn’t lift my eyes from the cards being dealt to me.
I took a slow sip of my scotch. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“Thank you.
I thought it was about time.” I set the glass down.
Ronan chuckled.
“Where is your wife tonight?
It seems like your wife has brought a great deal of excitement into your life lately, seeing you don’t come here as often as you used to.”
Beside me, Oliver’s jaw tightened.
My expression was just as unreadable as a stone mask.
I knew exactly what Ronan was doing.
He was bringing up my personal life to rattle my focus, hoping the mention of my wife would distract me from the millions sitting on the table so he could sweep the pot.
“I didn’t know you kept count of my visits here” My eyes didn’t leave my cards.
“My wife doesn’t have to be everywhere I am, Ronan,” I said, my voice cutting right through his smug demeanor.
“She has her own life.
And I prefer to keep my business and my domestic affairs entirely separate.”
“Of course, of course,” Ronan said, holding a hand up in mock surrender.
“Just making conversation.
Shall we see who the night favors?”
The dealer dealt the final cards.
Ronan looked at his hand, his smile widening.
He shoved his entire massive stack of chips into the center.
“All in.”
I tossed my chips forward to match the bet, then flipped my cards face upward.
Ronan’s practiced smile instantly vanished, his face hardening into a pale mask of shock and rage.
I didn’t say a word.
I stood up, buttoning my suit jacket, and gave him a brief, dismissive nod.
“Goodnight, Virel.
Better luck next time.”
Oliver stepped forward, sweeping the massive pile of bet money into a leather suitcase, snapping the zipper shut right in Ronan’s face.
We walked away, leaving him behind at the table.
We moved down the dimly lit VIP corridor, the heavy thumping of bass from the club side vibrating through the walls.
My blood was boiling.
Ronan’s attempt to use Kaira as an amateur distraction tactic had backfired, but it left my chest feeling like it was being constricted by iron bands.
I stopped in front of a private room marked with a gold star.
“Stay outside,” I ordered bluntly.
“Yes, sir,” Oliver replied, taking up his position by the door.
I pushed the door open, the crimson red lighting casting long, sultry shadows.
Sitting on a plush chaise lounge was Nera, a stunning dancer.
She was the girl I always called for whenever I came here—whenever I had too much on my mind, was angry and needed to numb the rage.
Nera smiled warmly, standing up with fluid grace.
“Halston.
It’s been a while.”
“Just dance, Nera,” I muttered.
I was not in any mood for pleasantries or small talks.
I removed my jacket and tossed it to the side of the couch.
I threw myself onto the leather sofa, loosening my collar and leaning my head back against the cushions.
The music started playing.
Nera began to move, her hips swaying as her eyes locked onto mine.
But as I watched her, my mind felt entirely disconnected.
The crimson light spilling over her skin didn’t look right.
Nothing seemed right.
I closed my eyes, trying to force Kaira out of my head.
When I opened them, Nera was right in front of me, straddling my lap, her hands sliding up my chest to rest on my shoulders.
She leaned down, her lips brushing my ear.
“I can tell, your mind is not present.” She nibbled on my ear.
“Let me help you forget…”
Nera’s touch always had a way of reeling my mind away from the storm brewing inside me, but this time, it felt irritatingly wrong.
Her being that close to me made my stomach churn.
Before Nera could react any further, I shoved her away, pushing her to the side of the couch.
“Just dance,” I growled, my breathing turning ragged.
Nera swallowed hard, trying to regain her composure.
She forced a smile and tried to fall back into the rhythm of the music.
She danced for another minute but then she thought she could salvage the night again.
She approached the sofa, lowering herself slowly, attempting to slide onto my lap a second time.
Something inside me snapped.
In a flash of pure, uncontrolled instinct, my hand shot forward.
My fingers wrapped tightly around Nera’s throat.
I squeezed, pinning her down against the back of the couch.
Nera gasped, her hands flying up to grip my wrist, her eyes bulged with sheer terror.
“Make no mistake, Nera.
I can kill you just as easily as I can have you.”I let go of her neck as if I had been burned.
Nera collapsed, coughing violently, clutching her throat as she sobbed.
I stood up so fast I knocked over a small glass table, sending it shattering across the floor as I swung the door open.
“Sir?” Oliver asked, looking past me into the room.
“Get my jacket, we’re leaving,” I ordered as I stormed down the hallway.