I tightened my grip on Dahlia as my father began ordering the staff around. Mr. Aldridge approached us and looked down at Dahlia, who I was only just realizing had fallen asleep. His hand ran across her forehead as he pressed a kiss there and seemed to gather himself, emotions running wild over his face.
When he looked back up at me, I kept his gaze, wondering if he was going to try to take her from me. I wouldn’t blame him. Not only because it was his daughter, but because this was at least in some part my fault. I wouldn’t let him take her, but I wondered if he would try.
“Take her to the medical wing. Her mom is there.”
“None of us are leaving her side. You know that, right?” I clarified, not wanting to fuck around.
His eyes darkened. “I’m aware, King. We will be having a conversation later…for now, take her to medical. The only reason I am not making you put her down right now is that I don’t trust what you would do.”
Smart man. I nodded, knowing it was going to be a battle trying to convince him one of us was good enough for his daughter, let alone all of us.
I walked towards the medical wing without delay, the others following as Sterling came to walk next to me. “I’m worried about her, not just medically.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded.
“I mean that she killed someone, King. She fucking killed someone.”
My gaze ran over her face as I nodded. “She did.”
I tried to ignore the surge of fury that toppled over me at the idea of Ian kissing her, even while knowing it had been fucking worth it. I wanted to pull him out of the ocean to kill him again. Maybe cut off his mouth, the lips that he had dared touch to my princess, or some shit. At the same time, I was so damn proud of Dahlia.
Our girl was so smart.
As we entered into the medical wing, Mrs. Aldridge instantly broke into tears as I laid Dahlia down, her pain making me feel like we’d fucked up even though I knew we had done everything we could. It wasn’t enough. I ran a hand through my hair and stepped back, not wanting to but knowing that she needed space to check in on her daughter.
“You did good, King.” My mom’s hand rubbed my back gently, her normally sunny disposition completely absent. That was the thing about my mom—her normal self was very different from how she was when it came to the empire she and my father built. Her hands had been covered in far more blood than anyone realized, and while it wasn’t her favorite thing, she could be terrifying if she wanted to.
It wasn’t surprising to me in the least that all of them had left their couples trip in Naples to come to the compound. Dahlia was loved by everyone, and the idea of her being in danger wasn’t a situation anyone could passively observe.
“I killed. A lot,” I murmured.
“But you didn’t kill anyone important that you love.” She offered me a small smile as if it wasn’t a big deal that I was a complete monster.
Then again, was my father much different?
Before I could say anything, a female doctor came in and I relaxed back into a seat nearby, the others doing much the same. I didn’t care how long I needed to be here; I needed to know that she was okay. Nothing else would be acceptable.
We had failed tonight, letting her get taken from us.
That would never happen again.